To the Maldives...

What an incredible trip... going to the Maldives with my family was an experience I will carry with me forever. We stayed at the Anantara Dhigu Resort in a beach villa that was absolutely beautiful. Every morning we all woke up around sunrise... because on vacation, who cares about time... could walk out from the bedroom, onto a deck, then onto the beach (so close you could hear the waves from the bedroom). I was amazed at the beauty of Gods creation... and every morning was a new work of art! 

The Winner! Goofy Foot and Kym

Catching a Wave... FUN!

We spent spent eight days at Anantara conquering the "S" activities of a beach vacation, including Snorkeling, Scuba diving, Swimming, and Surfing. Yes... surfing was a new experience for us all. We took a class taught by an Australian surfer named Kym. He was very serious about his job, lathered Zinc Oxide of course, and even warned us that if any of us felt the rush of "catching a good wave", then we all would drop out of school, or quit our jobs to ride the waves for the rest of our lives. McKenzie was dubbed the Goofy Footer of the group, which meant she surfed with her left foot in the back, and all the rest of us were natural footers, with our right foot in the back. Who was the winner of the family surf off... yes it went to Goofy Footer McKenzie! The prize... a surf board key chain and bragging rights... hilarious! 

At the back of the Diving Boat

Girls Dive Group

Scuba Diving was also a new adventure, but a perfect activity at the Maldives due to the amazingly clear water and abundance of colorful fish. Mckenzie, Bailey and I were in one dive group, and Graham, Mom, and Dad were in another. We three girls were taught how to wear the equipment, breathe under water, clear our masks, recover our mouth pieces, and deal with pressure changes. We then took a boat ride out to a reef in the middle of the Indian Ocean and plunged into the water. We gradually descended to around 12 meters under water and then spent an hour taking in the hidden beauty... corals, trumpet fish, rainbow fish, anemones, scorpion fish, clown fish... you name it. I think we actually saw the place Finding Nemo was filmed:) We also rented snorkel equipment and explored areas around our villa... Graham and I even made friends with a puffer fish and discovered that if you stay still, some would actually swim right up to your mask. 

Happy Birthday Bailey... Your 18!

Above all, I enjoyed being with my family the most. Dominos, cards, ping pong, and meals were always a blast. We even celebrated Bailey's Birthday on day three with a gourmet chocolate cake, made by Ken, our favorite Maldives chef! Breakfast was a buffet... my personal favorite was their sweet rice with a raspberry compote, smoked salmon, and lychee. Lunch was always a quick bite by the pool or a handful of nuts and a refreshing Shirley Temple or ginger iced tea. Dinner was different every night and by far my favorite. We indulged in Lobster, Thai food (SPICY!), Italian food, Lobster, Maldivian food, Lobster, Sushi and did I mention Lobster? Yes... all different and all delicious. My favorite was a Red Snapper Wok with broccoli, an onions, served on a bed of rice and drenched in an oyster sauce... with fresh baked bread... my mouth is watering! 


Most interesting thing about the entire trip was that we did not see even one American on the island. Many different people and many different cultures... which really got me excited for Greece. Knowing that you are the only one that experiences the blessing of Freedom (and knows American Football... War Eagle!) makes me feel very blessed to have an Eagle on my passport. Now that I am back in Doha... plans for Greece are coming together still and I am getting more excited and anxious for this adventure. Thanks for reading and sharing in this journey!  

"...perfect in beauty, God shines forth" -Psalm 50:2