The Beach Truck

There are so many beautiful beaches on the island but the best ones are a little bit tricky to access.  In September our goal was to hike down to Survivor once a week to beach comb and to note the changes. We wanted to track the different types of shells we found and when we found them.

The story behind Survivor (or Survival) Beach is that the first person to survive the hike down the cliff named the beach simply because he survived the hike.  Over the years various individuals have improved upon the trail down to the beach but it still isn't for those who aren't steady on their feet.

So needless to say after my ankle injury I had no intentions of attempting to hike to the beach at least not till after our trip to Disney.  The first of the year I felt pretty good about my ankle and our entire crew headed to the beach. We were probably about halfway down when I realized this wasn't a good idea. With the help of my husband, vines, trees, rocks, you name it we made it to the bottom without any new injures.

When my mother-n-law came to visit she wanted to go to Survivor. Last year when she came Steve drove her down the back way (think off road) in our little Ford Focus and I hiked down with the kids. Since the car only holds 5 someone had to walk.  

This year there was no way I was walking back down and possibly causing more harm to my ankle nor was I interested in driving down. Steve's solution? Letting our 16 year old drive his mother and grandmother down.  What an experience! I was a nervous wreck which of course made him nervous.  He made it down with only a few minor scratches to the car and I had a few more grey hairs.  We both agreed that it was best if I hiked back up the cliff.

While this is one of our favorite places my ankle was preventing us from going down. As a family (with Steve's full enthusiasm) we decided we needed a beach truck. You know something already scratched, dented and 4 wheel drive.  Steve found the "perfect" truck a 1990 Ford Bronco that only seats 5.  So like everything it has became a homeschool project.

First trip was to the junk yard. Bobby was thrilled to go with his dad and explore all those wonderful treasures. They came home with 2 seats that could be bolted into the back of the truck. The kids also discovered that 4 can fit into the bench seat so they plan on buying another seat belt.  At this rate, by the time they are finished, 8 may be able to fit into the truck which will be great when grandparents come to visit.

Next, Steve and the kids headed to the local auto stores to pick up supplies.  I'm not sure if this picture shows them working or resting. Regardless, the older two boys helped dad change the fluids and learned something new about their new toy.

Now the fun begins. Fluids are changed, one new seat has been added and we are ready for our first adventure. Or at least we thought we were. When the time came to head down to Survivor only two of the kids were interested.  The four of us hopped into the truck and off we went to try and catch some beach time before the sun set.

The ride down was bumpy , the road narrow and the branches along the road hit the side of the car.  Now you see why we wanted a beach truck. :)

First trip down was a success!

The four of us had an amazing time just strolling along the beach, playing in the sand and watching the waves crash.  Next trip down I'm sure we'll have a car load.



Here We Go Again!!!!

I started this blog with the best of intentions but then life happened and it happened big time.  July started with a cold and ended with a cough. Thankfully I'm the only who got sick.  Then in August my mother passed away. While we knew the end was near and that she had been dying for years, it was very difficult.  So I spent two weeks in Ohio  only to return to fall down concrete stairs and injure my ankle. It took about two months before I could bend my toes and another month before they would stay down.  During this time I was also dealing with some other personal issues.

Then December arrived and we had an a great month. My favorite Christmas tradition on our base is the arrival of Santa Claus. One lucky pilot gets to pick up and deliver Santa to the kids Christmas party.  It is so much fun watching all the children as the helicopter circles over head before he lands. This year Santa stepped off the helicopter sporting his traditional red jacket, swim trunks and flip flops. While I didn't get a good picture of Santa, I did catch the helicopter landing with the big guy.

Our family had been saving and working hard to go to Walt Disney World totally debt free. We had a blast! Ten days at the happiest place on Earth was exactly what we needed after the previous months.   Not only did we have a great time but we managed to stay in our budget and return home still debt free.   We did use some money I inherited from my mom to join the Disney Vacation Club so we will be returning and returning and returning.

Then Christmas Eve arrived and it was typical island style. Five houses on base lost power and we were one of them.  The house next to us was empty and still had power so we ran extension cords to light the tree and to run the refrigerator and air conditioners.  Then the following morning we borrowed the oven to make our Christmas breakfast. We counted our blessing, opened presents and enjoyed celebrating the birth of our Saviour.

To summarize what our family learned in the past 6 months is that you can plan, work and save for a fun debt free family vacation. People get sick and most get well. Sadly, some die and we feel a tremendous loss.  If the worse thing that happens to you on Christmas is that you lose your power then you are truly blessed. 

So what now? My plan is to spend the next few days catching up on our January and then hopefully keep this blog up to date.