A few weeks ago, my grandfather turned an amazing, healthy, fun-filled 85.
A few days before that, I turned 40.
To celebrate, grandpa, mom, dad, Steen, the boys and I took a wonderful week off, and we spent it in the sun and warmth of St. Thomas.
Being able to celebrate my birthday and my grandfather's birthday with so many people who mean so much to me was amazing. The week was one I will never forget. Here are a few highlights... in random order, as I seem completely unable to control how they are shown in this blogging tool.
Having lunch in downtown Charlotte Amalie. Some guy we met on the street recommended this little sports bar on a side street. Personally, I thought the atmosphere and the food were great. The boys loved the chance to sit on bar stools. As this was one of the few days of the year when there were no cruise ships in port, Charlotte Amalie was relatively empty, so we could actually get a seat.
Nicholas keeping an eye on the pirate ships in the background. He couldn't wait to tell the other kids in his daycare that he'd see a pirate ship!!!!
Playing at a beach on St. John. We took the ferry over and spent a day visiting a number of different beaches, where we snorkelled, built sand castles and played in the water. As long as he was in his ring, Nico had no problem surfing the ways into shore.
The big boys building a fortress...
Our hotel....
Grandpa's 85th. Here he is being serenaded at breakfast by our amazing waitress, Althea, and some of her colleagues. He's holding the traditional hand-crafted birthday chocolates in his hand.
Grandpa's 85th birthday lunch at the grill on the beach. The chef made us a special treat after he heard of my grandfather's history. He also and learned a few tricks of the trade from my grandfather, who was an executive chef for 40+ years....
The boys checking out the caves on Devil's Bay Trail (Virgin Gorda). We rented a boat (and a captain) for a day to go to the British Virgin Islands.
After a great birthday that Steen had filled for me with water aerobics and a relaxing, mind-calming visit to the spa, I had the most amazing 40th birthday dinner ever. Steen had planned a special night at a terrific place, the Old Stone Farmhouse. We had a tour of the kitchen, met the head chef, wrote our names on the wall, and drank champagne that the waiter opened with a sable. It was one of the most memorable, happy nights ever... Oh, and we got to eat a meal that was as beautiful as it was scrumptious. My mouth is watering just thinking of it...
The boys got tons of quality time with their grandmother. Here's Nico reading his noisy Halloween book with grandma.
Breakfast on my birthday -- the ladies at the breakfast singing me a birthday song.
Mom, Dad and Matthew taking a dip.
On a final, non-St. Thomas-related issue, here's a photo of Matthew's paper bridge that he had to build for science class. The requirements were the following: had to cover an open span of at least 50cm., had to be able to hold 2.5 kg of weight without falling apart or dropping the weight, could be made with a maximum of 20 sheets of paper and school glue. Glue was to be used for attaching pieces only, i.e., not for reinforcement. Impressive, don't you think?
