Long Summer Days

This shady tree in our front yard is a favorite summer spot for us!

Oh the long, hot days of summer! The temperature this week has been hovering around 85 degrees which isn't too bad by itself, but Bermuda is famous for it's high level of humidity and heat plus humidity can make for some not-so-pleasant summer weather! We've been trying to stay cool and comfortable by swimming in the afternoons and staying near the fans and air conditioning during the hottest hours of the day! While indoors, I've been working steadily on both the friendship afghan and apron swap, studying, and reading lots of books. It's so easy to slip into the "lazy summer" attitude but I've been striving to be productive and remain cool at the same time!

Many of my afternoons are occupied with Project Ride classes. I'm preparing for the riding test that I'll be taking on Friday. I've been working with the instructor for almost 2 weeks now and really look forward to passing the test and getting my license so I can ride a motorbike!

Because of the heat, gardening has been somewhat neglected over the past few weeks. We try to do most of our outdoor activities early in the morning or shortly before sunset when it's a bit cooler. Exercise, swimming, and trips out to the post office, grocery store, and field trips are all done during the more comfortable times of day leaving little time for gardening and other hard outdoor jobs. So the garden has taken a seat on the back-burner for now. When the weather cools a bit, we'll continue once more as I really enjoy gardening!

Mom took these photos for me while we had fun in the pool:

I'm staying cool and having fun at the same time!

Leah & Jude enjoy playing with each other in the pool!

On a quick side note: I would like to thank everyone who has left an encouraging comment for me on my last post about my upcoming surgery. Mom signed the consent forms on Monday and now we're just waiting for an appointment. Because we only have one medical hospital on the island, all the surgeons have to wait for open time slots in the OR. But I'm praying that I get an appointment sooner rather than later...

Hope everyone is having a blessed, productive week!

Summer With A Purpose: Week Three

I was quite productive this week! And met a couple of goals, too! Here's what I was able to do this week, with God's grace:

Photo from Google Images

{1}Bible Reading: I was able to finish the 6-month Bible reading challenge on Wednesday. It was such a blessing to read through Scripture for the first time! If you haven't read all of the Bible, please consider doing so! I'm sure you won't regret it! :-)

{2}Crafts: I've completed all the squares for the 9-patch baby throw and finished sewing them together. Now I'm working on a border and yarn ends; look out for finished photos early next week!

Delicious treats!

{3}Cooking: This week I "invented" a new recipe which my family loves. It is similar to a snack bar but more fruity --and delicious. :-) I also made up a watermelon/pineapple blend which was tasty too. I'll be posting both recipes here soon.

{4}Homemaking: Today our garden got some much needed rain. We've been having a drought here over the last 6 weeks or so and much of the grass has dried up and turned brown. Because Bermuda has no rivers or streams, we rely on rain water to fill the underground tanks which are under each home. We do have natural, underground water reservoirs but they too are supplied by the rain and the supply there is low too. But this morning brought some much needed rain --and some thunder too! It's hard to tell if today's showers signal the end of the drought, but hopefully we'll get more regular rain. (Okay, I know this is the "Homemaking" heading but just had to mention the garden again! I'm thinking about taking out this category altogether because Cooking and Crafts are considered "Homemaking" skills. Perhaps this will become the "Gardening" section of my summer goals because I do need to work on gardening a bit more!)


{5}Book Reading: I'm still reading Project Pearl. It's a rather long book (over 300 pages), but I should finish it this weekend! Next on my reading list is Ships of Mercy by Don Stephens. That one should be interesting because I'm thinking about going into the medical field and the Mercy Ship sails from port to port sharing the Gospel and providing medical care to those who need it most.

So, that's my week in a nutshell! I hope you had a blessed and productive week too! Please share what the weather is usually like in your town or country during the summer months!

P.S. As you all know, I've been busy over the past few months and as a result, I haven't been keeping up with the awards that have been given to me. So, if you gave me an award within the past 3 months or so, please leave a comment and include a link to the post where the award can be found. Thanks!

Summer With A Purpose: Week Two

This week has been somewhat busy for me. I've been working hard at studying for the GED test and brushing up on my Math skills. :-) I think the best way for me to write about what I've done each week is to put my activities under these headings which are based on my goals for this summer.

{1}Bible Reading: I've been able to make a lot of progress towards my goal of finishing the Bible by the 30th. Right now, I'm reading through the book of Ephesians and I love all the teachings and instruction that are there!

{2}Crafts: I was able to complete another square for the 9-patch baby blanket. Right now, I'm trying to focus on finishing it before I begin the friendship afghan project. I've finished 6 out of 9 squares so I should be finished shortly! I also joined Desiree's Apron Swap. Each person will make an apron for another participant. The idea's similar to the friendship afghans! Please click here to get more information and sign up!

{3}Cooking: I tried a vegan "quick bread" recipe that doesn't need yeast so it's quick and easy to make. I was able to get it in the oven in just 10 minutes.  You can check out the recipe here. I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of my baking this week. Hopefully, I'll remember to bring out the camera next time.

{4}Homemaking: I've been helping Mom with keeping the house tidy and "in order" and today I tried my hand at some gardening. We started a small flower garden at the beginning of spring but the weeds grow in it oh-so-fast! But I love all the precious plants that bloom in our garden! Their Smiling faces make all my work well worth the effort. :-)

{5}Book Reading:  This week, I've been reading through Project Pearl by Brother David. It's a true story about the secret mission to smuggle a million Bibles into Communist China so that persecuted Christians within China can read the Bible for themselves. It's been an encouraging read to learn about how people suffered and went through great trials just to obtain the Scriptures. The book certainly helps me appreciate the Bible I have and enjoy reading it more often. :-)

What have you been up to this week? Hope you've been having a productive week!

Have a blessed weekend, friends!

P.S. My sister Sara just started a blog last week called Live, Love, Laugh. Please stop by and say hello. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading it as much as I do. :-)

All photos in this post are from Google Images.

Welcome Summer!

A lovely day in Bermuda!

Today's the first day of summer and also the longest day of the year! The temperatures have been quite warm these past few days so on Sunday we went swimming for the first time this year with some friends. Swimming is lots of fun --especially when the water is warm! :-) The water around Willowbank is teeming with fish so it's a fun place to snorkel and look around. When it's low tide, we enjoy searching the sand for beautiful seashells and checking out the longtails'(seabird) which prepare their nests in the rocky cliffs. Wading through just a few inches of water is pure fun, and I love the feeling of the gentle waves lapping at my feet. :-) Sometimes we simply relax on one of the beach lounge chairs and watch the sail boats out to sea.

I'm so glad summer is finally here! Hanging out at the beach and simply enjoying God's creation is what I enjoy most about summer. The long days and short nights make it easier to do a lot in one day and spend the evening watching the sunset! Even though the air is sometimes humid, the fresh ocean breezes are refreshing and make me feel very relaxed! :-)

Summer is the perfect time to visit Bermuda too! It would be great if you can spend your vacation here at Willowbank and I can get to meet you! I'm sure you all would love Willowbank because it is a non-denominational, Christian hotel that has two beautiful beaches, a quaint "homey" setting, complete with complimentary English-style tea every afternoon. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with lovely gardens and tall palm trees, with lots of space for children to run and play! Willowbank is the perfect hotel for a Christian family looking for a refreshing summer vacation!  If you would like to get more information about Willowbank, check out the hotel's website here. Hope to see you here in Bermuda soon!

Wishing you all a safe and happy summer,

Mom took this picture during low tide! 

A longtail flew by to see what we were up to!

Another photo of the beach during low tide!
The brown "stuff" you see here is sea grass which is
normally underwater but is visible during some low tides.