Bula from Fiji! (Hello) Our first experience on an island in the South Pacific. Its beautiful like you would imagine any tropical island. It's actually over 300 islands. We were blessed to experience a very small sampling but are quite pleased with the sampling we partook of. Here are our thoughts after 5 days in Fiji. 

We loved Tropica Island Resort on Malalo Island in the Manuca Island region. It was an idyllic little slice of Paradise. Small, private, relaxed, and with a breathtaking view of the ocean. It sits in a sheltered bay and the resort comes right up to the water. Indeed, water and land living are seamless and joined. The water is used as we do our highways. There is something more alive about living near water. It's always moving, changing, and full of life. 

Here are some random thoughts in no particular order: 

We were welcomed with singing! Lots of it! Hearty, loud, and harmonious. It seems singing is just as much a part of being Fijian as is the water. I was told they grow up singing. They sing all the time, and seem to know all the songs and where to sing harmony, where to bridge, and when to finish the song! Oh I would have loved to grow up in that culture! Music and the ocean! We particularly loved the hymn sing on Sunday evening. 

The Fijians learn English is school and cannot pass the next level in their school unless they pass English. So even if they pass all the other subjects, they don't move on. They move effortlessly between both languages. A highly intelligent, incredibly warm, and genuinely friendly people. 

I also learned that the staff at the resort work 24 days straight and they get 5 off. They are up at 5:00 am to get breakfast ready and work till at least 10:00 at night. Izie, who served us breakfast, was excited to take the same ferry as us on Thursday as the start of his 5 days off. He has 4 children and a wife on the mainland and it will take him still 5 hrs after he disembarks, to get home. For all the long hours and time away from family, the staff seem to be genuinely happy and they have built strong camraderie with their fellow workers. They say that this resort is a good option for working and that there aren't many good options available in Fiji.

After singing us on to the dock, we were greeted with, "Welcome Home!" This is a typical Fijian greeting and it made me smile. Ah, to call Paradise, home. 😉

Snorkelling on the sand bar was a highlight. While the reef wouldn't be considered one of the  top reefs, it held treasures worth searching for. The water was warm and clear and we didn't see anything bigger than a clown fish. Andrew saw the dreaded banded sea crate snake which was the only reason I was hesistant to go on a snorkelling tour. He wisely chose to not call me back to point it out. I happily swam on my way in complete ignorance. The rest of our party saw it and seemed quite un fussed about it, so perhaps I should have faced my fear and looked it straight in the eye! 

The highlight of the snorkel tour though was defintely the blue tipped stick coral. When viewed the right way, the sun shone on it and lit it up like a dazzling light display! Mesmorizing and stunning! 

We enjoyed dining "al fresco" every day for all three meals and watching the sunset from the water side dining area. 

Unfortunately, we missed Fiji culture night as I contracted the dreaded travellers disease from something I ate. Luckily, we brought antibiotics. We could hear the singing and the dancing and heard later that the Kava flowed freely that night. Kava is a root specific to Fiji that they pound and then mix with water and it is said to have a calming, sedative effect. The meal that night had been wrapped in leaves and cooked in the ground. 

Today we are on the main island at the Hilton and are just enjoying our last day of warm weather before heading to rainy Melbourne tomorrow. Despite the weather, we are very excited to finally get to Australia!

Still waiting for that Visa, but trusting the Lord has a good plan. We know our lives are always in His hand and we submit to His Will for our lives as it is always the best,

and we trust in His deep and unconditional love for us no matter where we are in the world and no matter what the circumstances. 

And Vinaka for reading..... (thank you.)

Stay tuned for more Fiji pics when we figure out how to share Andrews pictures to my account. Sigh... 

Australian Sabbatical 2025-26

 Here we go! After months of preparation, we are hours from embarking on a long-term adventure down under. Leaving from Vancouver, we travel 12 hrs direct to Fiji with Fiji Airways.  After 6 days in Fiji, we will fly directly to Melbourne.

Nicole has every long-haul travel merchandise or hack that you can purchase and is ready for every eventuality.  We have Canadian flags attached to everything visible. We have packed chargers, converters, clothes for two seasons, and even a flute!

We have packed, unpacked, repacked, and repeated the process multiple times. Much of the repacking centred around which books we wanted to take and which ones we could live without. Turns out, that wasn't an easy process, despite owning a Kindle and a robust Audible library. 

 It's been a month of goodbyes. dinners, parties, coffees, and walks. So grateful for all the wonderful and thoughtful friends we have. We will miss them more than they know. 

While we are excited about this new chapter, there are moments of angst and trepidation that creep in unexpectedly among the times of joyful planning and steal a bit of the carefree childlike anticipation. We still don't have a visa, and moving to another country, even for a year, is a logistical challenge akin to scaling Everest, but the biggest "catch your breath" moments definitely come when we think of leaving our family and our home. So hard to be so far from the kids. Adults though they are, there is a small sense of loss at missing the everyday moments and connection that make up the core of family life. Walks, dinners, games, and casual conversation in passing, like "how was your day?" just can't be replaced by a video chat. 

So, with emotions a little raw the last few weeks, and all our bandwidth focused on preparations, we are finally ready to get on the plane! It will be good to "get this show on the road," as my parents used to say. 

Southern Hemisphere, here we come!  

Maui,

Hi all! Don't know who is still following this very sporadic blog... can't believe it's been since Christmas... if anyone is still following.. I apologize... I'm back on now... could just be typing to myself.. by hey... that's ok... 

This is us in Maui. Had a wonderful time.. and can't wait to go back. It was soooo relaxing and beautiful there. The flowers and vegetation amazing. The whales very cool. The snorkeling was neat. The beach was warm, and so was the pool. What else could one want in a vacation?

Hi all! If any of you are still able to access this blog.... I am sorry for the confusion... I've decided to stay with the original o;ne... www.lovegracejoy.blogspot.com

I hope this works for all of you or any of you who might actually have the time to read another blog! Blessings all, N

Hi all! Just a little update.... 

Why am I so fascinated with pictures? I've come to the conclusion that I don't really "enjoy the moment..." I seem to have an inability to "enter into" the moment at hand and fully appreciate it, (good or bad) and really "live it..." So... I'm thinking I try to relive these moments later when "I have time..." or "when it suits..." or"when I'm not soo emotional..."   whatever it is... I do like to have things looking "picture perfect..." even if it wasn't that at the time... 

Isn't it funny how we all smile for pictures... and look happy and contented and enjoying the moment... but half the time we really aren't..... pictures really "dont" tell a thousand words...

They very rarely ever tell the whole story, let alone half the story.... we are all soo complex and so many things can be going on inside us or in our lives... at any given moment and very rarely do they come "out" and almost never are they displayed in a picture...

I've just been thinking about these things lately and praying that I will lose my fascination with the picture (which is a replica of a very brief moment in time) and gain a fascination and love for the "object" of the picture.... and enter into each God given moment with them and really "seize the day... or hour... or minute..."

Blessings all...

N

Zoo

Last week the kids were off school for a few days... so right in the midst of potty training, we decided to up and go to the zoo. We have such a good zoo here and since we have a pass, we can go anytime and not feel like we have to stay all day. We have definitely got our money's worth out of the pass. This day was just great for seeing the animals. They were all out and roaming about (not freely!) but in their cages... as opposed to the usual laying around in a far off corner behind the rocks and bushes... 

We saw a red panda, a snowy owl, ibex, condors, sloths, ant eaters, gibbons, elephants, hippos, giraffes, lions, bears, a baby gorillas and the list goes on. We learned soo much. It was really worth it.... I love the zoo, and I am thankful for the memories we made....

Halloween pics

The proverbial pumpkin and halloween pics. What more can I say? Except that when Finn figured out that dressing in the monkey costume and carrying a bucket and knocking on doors got him candy... he wouldn't take off the costume!!