The Statia Wave
So everyone here in Statia is pretty friendly and they have this little wave. You just lift your hand up from the steering wheel, or raise your arm in the air, or honk your horn, or what ever. But pretty much everyone does it. So, seeming how we live here, we do the Statia wave. … Those of you who have been on a holiday somewhere where people speak a different language might be able to relate to the following. So in 2010 Josh and I went to Mexico for a holiday. We walked around a lot and Josh thought it was pretty cool to say ‘Ola’ and ‘grasious’ to people like he lived there. It’s totally fine that he did that, I’m not mad about it. It was just funny because we don’t speak Spanish and we didn’t live there. So back to the Statia wave… we LIVE here so we CAN do it haha.. but it feels weird. Like we are annoying tourists or something. Anyhoo enough of that!

June 4^th, I had the most amazing little scripture study. I’ve been a bit of a slacker as of late and needed a boost. So I decided to work on my Personal Progress (the Young Women booklet) I won’t go into detail here, but would be more that happy to if you personal message me. I’ll just share the part that I read that had the biggest impact and was just what I needed to hear. Alma chapter 32:17-43. If you don’t have access to that, I would love to share it with you and share the incredible experience I had, so again, just message me.

SHARK!

Ya. That’s right. That’s what I said. THAT’S WHAT I SAW! Ok don’t freak out. (I keep trying to tell myself that…it doesn’t help) Ok so I’ll try and make this quick. So I’m 99% sure I have a phobia of the ocean. I can go in it if my feet are touching the bottom, but that’s far enough. For years now, I’ve had this love/hate relationship with sharks. Heck! When Josh and I went to Mexico we fed sharks through a plexi-glass cage in an aquarium I love learning about them and love watching Shark Week on discovery channel. … but I am SUPER paranoid in the water, swimming pools included. Call me a nerd. Go ahead. Do it. But for real, I’m not even being over dramatic. So put me in the wild ocean where sharks live? And … I, well I’d say I’ve been doing pretty darn good. Yes, I might scan for shark fins almost constantly but I am in the water. HOWEVER!... So last week at the beach Kayleigh Wolsey and I walked into the ocean (and barely into the water I might add) when BOOM there’s this substantial, pale yellow looking fish. Just over 2 feet long and just out of arms reach from me. HOLY! I thought to my self, what a big fish. The night before Josh and I were watching River Monsters on TV and the dude was talking about cat fish.. so I thought maybe it was a cat fish. A couple days later there we were at the beach again and Joel Wolsey came over to me and was like, “So… you know that fish you saw the other day? Ya. Well that was nurse shark.”

Oh ya? No big deal right? WRONG! I was not ok with the fact that there was a SHARK swimming around with us. Where there’s one shark there’s more right!? Everyone keeps trying to tell me that nurse sharks are dossal creatures and more afraid of you then anything and that they don’t have teeth ect ect.

Josh went for a run and a swim the other day (by the way he swam with a sea turtle!) and talked to a fisherman who said that there had been a little lemon shark spotted at the swimming beach. Some people say that lemon sharks are very aggressive, some saw they’re very dossal-I have yet to google lemon sharks.

So what ever I got over it (as much as I could) and what happened yesterday you ask? I’ll tell you. I was going in again with Kayleigh and my babies and BAM! There’s that stupid shark again! This time, knowing that it was a shark, and not knowing if it was a nurse shark or a lemon shark, I could not handle it. I backed up and took a minute trying to talk myself into staying in the water… I stayed in up to my knees and scanned the water around my constantly, like a freak show.  So anyhoo, will I ever step foot into the ocean again? Yes. Will I ever be 100% comfortable in the ocean. Heck no! Sigh.

Moving on….

*adding a little tidbit. We’ve just learned that there are 2 sharks. Well 2 that we just SAW. It’s the ocean. I’m sure there are more. Anyways … video to come! Yes, we videoed the sharks.

ROCKED

So again, yesterday. Pretty big waves…At the beach it was rinsing time. So I rinsed Eden off in the ocean, wrapped her in her towel and Katie Bridge held her for me while I took Fay out. So there we were, Fay and I, starting to rinse, when I see a big wave. So I held Fay tight, turned sideways to stand my ground and… success! Still standing. So continuing with the rinse process when I see a very big wave. Uh-oh. So I watched the wave as it came closer, and watched the ladies that were a bit farther out then me, including Lyndsey who jumped when the wave got to her… so again, I held Fay tight looked that wave in face and… jumped. CRASH! Down we went, it happened so fast yet it seemed like forever under the water. My eyes were wide open, as my right arm held Fay tight and my left arm scrambled to find the bottom of the ocean floor to push us back up. Alas, we recovered from the wave and I looked at Fay to make sure she was alright-she did great by the way. Oh, that rush of adrenaline! Nuts, I tell ya! Holy salt water all up in my sinuses! Cleared me out pretty good. So that was a little traumatic, but I’m grateful we came out of that A-OK. As a side note, after I realized that Fay was ok and I calmed down a little bit, I’ll have you know that my swimsuit stayed intact. Fewf.

That was a heck of an exciting day at the beach.

Statia Hannah (sorry if talking in 3^rd person annoys you)

So … I know this may come as a shock to those of you who know me, or have ever been to my house.. ha.. I’ll have you know that Statia Hannah does her dishes every night. And usually every early after noon as well. Statia Hannah bakes, and Statia Hannah cleans her house daily!

You’d be amazed people! What I love is the feeling of waking up in the morning to a clean house, or watching a show with Josh at night and sitting in a clean living room. Such a liberating feeling! Why couldn’t I figure this out sooner! My goal in life is to become OCD neat freak. I think I’ve 5% there! Haha. But in all seriousness, if you suffer from a-bomb-went-off-in-my-house-and-i-could-care-less syndrome, I offer you a 21 day challenge of doing your dishes every night and tidying the living areas. Also, make your bed EVERY MORNING! Oh my friends, what a marvelous feeling J

Mango face Fay!

Ok .. what else is new? Emma is coming to visit!!!!!!!! 50 days! I am beyond exited! I miss my little sister.

Skyping with Uncle Ben and Grandma <3

Aw. Speaking of missing. I had my first home sick day. June 5^th.

I miss my family, of course, but Emma in particular. And Jenna (my sister-in-law) who often dropped by to say hi, and sometimes drop of slurpees. I miss hanging out with my friend Brittany and her daughter Laynie and our spontaneous, crazy trips into Lethbridge. I miss visits from Cas, and Jade, and visits and skor cake with Smiths. I miss the Atwood fam. I miss Sunday dinners at my parents’ house. I miss my visiting teachers and my ward family. 6^th ward is what?! Red Hot! Of course I miss the Brat-pack, but I’ve been missing you all since high school. BBCSH-4ever! I miss ice cream. Rootbeer floats almost every night. I miss my mini-van, Spock. I miss the dollar store and speedy internet. OK enough already! Anyways, where ever you are in the world, I miss you and appreciate your roll in my life.

Come visit soon!