Last week we took a boat ride to Schooner Cays. The Cays are a group of tiny, uninhabited islands off the southern tip of Eleuthera. During low tide, there are several sandbars that appear in the middle of the water. We went with friends who have made the trip many times before which was nice to make sure 1) we didn’t get lost and 2) we didn’t hit any unexpected sandbars along the way.

Lu decided we should dress like twins for the day. And, yes - she’s almost as tall as me! :(

The water on the way down was perfect - so flat and glassy! We did stop on the way to pick up our friends kids from school. We pulled up to the dock, they hopped on the boat and off we went (definitely not a bad way to do school pickup). Even with our stop, at about 40MPH, we were able to get to the cays in ~50 minutes. On the way, we saw more dolphins and a sea turtle with a remora fish on its back. At the cays we found several huge red cushion sea stars.

We weren’t really sure what to expect, but I can tell you, there are no words, or iPhone pics that can come close to doing the cays justice. I’m pretty sure this place must be what heaven feels like.

At times, you could barely tell the difference between the sky and water

We anchored the boat and then set up a blanket and chairs on one of the islands. The weather was perfect - mid 70’s, full sun and a light breeze. Sitting there I was overcome with so much gratitude. Gratitude not only for the natural beauty that surrounds us everyday, but for a slower and simpler way of life. Despite spending our days working just as hard as we do at home (perhaps harder), slower evenings and weekends have allowed our minds and bodies to rest more than we’re used to, and have offered us uninterrupted time with our kids and the most incredible people we’ve encountered along the way. I’ve also found (at least for me) it’s so much easier to recognize and appreciate simple moments and experiences when we’re not over committed, over worked, over stimulated and overstretched as we so often tend to be at home.

In other news, I’ve challenged our family with finding a new skill or interest that each of us can work on while we’re here. Luci decided she wants to learn how to make shell jewelry and Thomas spent a day with Tom learning how to run new electrical, but he also wants to learn to improve his cooking skills. As for me, I really want to learn how to kiteboard (hopefully soon!). I did attempt my first homemade gluten free pizza crust which is shocking since I love to cook and I’ve been gluten free for 16 years. It wasn’t half bad for my first attempt, but I’ll definitely make a few modifications my next go-around. With more time here, and a lack of all the food essentials we’re used to having at our fingertips, it’s nice to try new recipes and make things from scratch that we normally don’t. As for Tom, he has been researching the best spots to attempt his first deep sea fishing trip without a guide.

This weekend we’re headed to an art fair and are adding new plants and landscaping around the garage.

I’ve heard the fickle Mr. Spring has decided to make an appearance in the midwest which I know is much needed after a long and brutal winter. I must say, even with the constant warm and sunny weather here, there’s nothing quite like the promise and hope brought about by a midwest spring.