Me and the Deep Blue Sea

Yesterday was such a fun relaxing day. We met up with some of our missionary friends, T.J. and Christa, and spent a day together. We had a private pool for the kids to play in and they stayed in it {literally} all day....only coming out to eat and then get back in. Talk about some prune toes!

The greatest thing for me was....the guys watching the kids so Christa and I could go snorkeling. I haven’t really been before...even though I live 3 minutes from a beach that thousands of people travel from all over the world to see. My snorkeling experiences before have consisted of... face in the water...look for 4 seconds....surface to check on the kids playing a few feet away (splashing to scare my fish away).

My husband has taken up scuba diving and I’m so happy that he enjoys it. In the States, he was a big hunter. He can shot a bow like Robin Hood! Hobbies are good for men to have, it gives them a break from the rough pressures of life.

I followed Christa into the shallow water at first. I think the water was about thigh high...but it’s kinda hard to tell depths. We saw many beautiful little fish and a sea star. Christa held the sea star...and I’d like to be able to say I did too....but I wasn’t that brave! Maybe next time! Maybe. {raised eyebrows} I was a little scared about the big sea urchins “inches” below my belly. If you don’t know what they are...google it! They look really scary. Another scary thing was an eel around 2 or 3 foot long. He was slithering the other way....thankfully...or I might have walked on water! We also saw a scorpion fish. He wouldn’t win any beauty contests!

After awhile, we decided that I could handle the Sea without “hyperventilating”...we used a kayak and went out in the deep. It took some convincing for me to flip backwards out of the boat...after a few deep breaths. I was not prepared for the beauty below the rippling waves. It was magnificent...and I feel like that word doesn’t do it justice. I could have floated around and just looked for hours and hours! We saw a huge sting ray! He was about the same size as us....not counting his tail! I couldn’t believe how clear the sea was. You could see the bottom....30 feet below...just like it was 5 feet! That was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. I’m so excited now about seeing the coral reefs around our home...after all our area is called Coral Gardens.

I’m so thankful for a friend like Christa. It is so wonderful to have an American friend that I can talk with and relate too! She just came back from a short visit to the States and brought me a box of Twinkies! I don’t think I’m gonna share! {wink}

If you ever have the chance to snorkel....do it! You’ll love it! Better yet, come visit me and we’ll go together!