One day over Christmas break, the whole family and friends hiked to Fagatele Bay Marine Sanctuary. Now that we have to carry Ona and the associated baby stuff, we often opt to not lug the camera (but Julia posted a couple pictures here). Another day over the school break I joined several other moms and a multitude of children and hiked to nearby Larsen's Bay. The kids discovered a tunnel and "cave" and once they started swinging from vines, it really looked looked like something out of a movie set. We even saw dolphins! An amazing day, but again no camera (this time Sue posted pictures here). No pictures, but I did make the map, with Fagatele Bay on the left and Larsen's on the right. I love both of these hikes and beaches...typically the more remote, the better the spot!
I finally learned my lesson and brought the camera along on Saturday to $2 Beach. Yes, they really charge $2 to hang out on their beach. There are few places on our island that are public domain, but most people allow you to use "their" beach just by asking, but the people of this village decided to profit from their gorgeous stretch of beach.
I spread the word around Emma's school and lots of moms and kids turned up, which made for a fun day.
I finally learned my lesson and brought the camera along on Saturday to $2 Beach. Yes, they really charge $2 to hang out on their beach. There are few places on our island that are public domain, but most people allow you to use "their" beach just by asking, but the people of this village decided to profit from their gorgeous stretch of beach.I spread the word around Emma's school and lots of moms and kids turned up, which made for a fun day.
My favorite part of a dive at Utulei is the oyster wall. There are oysters attached all along the reef wall and it is fun to get close to them and watch them quickly close. I am often tempted to stick my finger in one, but that is just asking for trouble. 
We saw lots of fish, including this grouper. It was a great dive and there is no one I'd rather dive with than Paul. We hit 120 feet and stayed under for about an hour. I am always looking forward to my next chance to go diving.
Although I have 
It turns out we had a fine Christmas and I didn't miss family, snow, fires, food, and the associated holiday bliss as much as I thought I would. In truth, it didn't really feel like Christmas. With temperatures near 90 degrees, it felt more like we were just pretending by celebrating Christmas in July. 
It seems that the spoiling of grandchildren follows some sort of mathematical equation that the greater the distance apart, the more presents are sent. Given the 7,000 mile distance our little tree was barely visible amongst all the gifts. 
This being Ona's first Christmas we were entertained by the classic baby reaction of loving the boxes and wrapping paper more than the toys. Emma also had fun with boxes as she decorated dad in a box hat and lovely gift bag earring.
Instead of a snowy scene out the window, we had a beautiful sunny day in the jungle, perfect for taking photos of flowers. The first is often visited by a 
Liz joined us for a delicious brunch. Her time on the island is winding down so I am enjoying every minute we get to spend together.
In the evening we headed to a friend's house for a Christmas potluck. It was a nice evening of friends, good food, and incredible views (thanks for the photos, Liz). It was fun to search for our humble dwelling in the valley from their "castle" up on the mountain.
