Stu in Grenada, Nat & Kids at Nanny’s

/ sailingneverland
Elorissa Bennett 7 months
Sienna, Bonny, Lara
Pirate Map found

Stu in Grenada, Nat & Kids at Nanny’s!

Hi family and friends, so good of you to drop by. Here I sit at mums place with 3 sleeps to go till we finally head off on our adventure! Thought I’d try my first blog, never done it before so here goes.  I have loads of mixed feelings, one moment I am up then a bit down the next (very dependant on sleep and how much is left to do on the seemingly endless Grrrrrrr list!). Man I think its just time to get on that plane and what hasn’t been done doesn’t matter.

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Nanny and Poppy Colam

As most of you know we flew to the USA in January and brought a boat. We actually walked away from it without making an offer, but they came back with a much lower offer, so we got it – cool. We were so so so so incredibly excited, I thought I was going to explode from it, just jumping out of my skin (so was Stu). As the months went by, and the many challenges of fitting out a boat from the other side of the world, renovating and renting the house and many other challenges faced us and the hours, days  and weeks of research to get anything done was upon us, it was much harder to stay pumped like I initially was. It was very much like hard work, but no pain no gain – right! We didn’t see friends pretty much for the whole time, our spare time was spent on the boat, it was a little like we were already gone.

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Sienna 5yrs

It is a strange feeling to leave everything you know for a place and lifestyle that is unfamiliar to you (especially home schooling, different languages, climate, potential dangers etc), but my catch cry is “hey we will figure it out”. I must say leaving the mother dearest is probably the hardest part of all this, she’s not allowed to be sick in any way and must visit us at least twice! Also lots of little things like seeing little Malachi almost sitting on Alexs lap during their last assembly together, does get you thinking as a mother does. I have added some shots of the little darlings (its definitely time they saw their father again!), as I know all the children (ours, friends and family) will change so much while we are away.  The kids have really been great, they are all reacting to these big changes in their own ways – its now been 2 months since they have seen their dad and they have a very busy mum not able to give much attention to them,  we threw most of their toys away or put them in storage, not living at home etc. Thank God for Mum, Bev and Roy  just been absolutely awesome and supportive (they would prefer we just stayed here though), but I must say da Mumma is coming around and even getting a bit excited for us at times, yay. Mum has had some weird night mare dreams about us in our boat, strange how the subconscious works sometimes. Ange had been awesome helping me set up this blog, camera, magnets etc such an amazing help. Dave and Waltz have been great popping around most weekends, helping with the kids and Dave helping me move some pot plants to mums, Pete also helped with slinging our bed over the balcony to take to mums 🙂

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Cousins Mia (7 yrs) and Sienna

We have had so many people wish us well and truly excited for us, its really touching to hear, thank you.

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Alex 7 yrs

So I have 4 flights with 3 kids to do by myself, one flight is 13 hours. Am I happy about this? – well no. Am I nervous about this? – well yes. I am determined to change this stinking thinking of mine and get excited and know this can be done and to think of it as part of the adventure! So going to church this Sunday was great, all about trust and not giving up when the going gets hard. I believe many God things have happened for us to have this opportunity to have this adventure, its super awesome.

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Cousin Abby almost 5 yrs

Stu is in Grenada and we are very excited to see him again. He had been working like a hot, sweaty, unshaven, food poisoned, rum swizzling feral pirate of the Caribbean. He also managed to dodge a once in a 100 year hurricane called Matthew! Thankfully, it was just a named storm wind force when it passed over Grenada (though had us all quite worried back home, not sure that Bev (Stus mum) got much sleep that night). He is meeting so many people, other kid boats (hooray) and he tells me all the people in the boat yard have nic names, his is Pastor Stuart (a puppet you tube home made series by people in that region, funny and a bit wrong!). He has made some good friends Phil and Ben who work at Grenada Marine, they opened their sturdy concrete home to him during the potential hurricane, of which I was very appreciative.

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Jake 10 yrs

If your looking for a totally grammatically perfect piece of literature, well this aint the place to look! I’m just getting it down on computer fast, so please excuse any errors.

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I woke this morning very fuzzy (late to bed again) and now waking up. getting so incredibly excited now only 2 sleeps to go.

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The mums sneaking a well deserved Coffee

1 sleep to go – Wow this is actually happening really fast now! So you know how you have those last minute unplanned things pop up just before your about to hop on a plane to move country (for a while, we are returning mums). Here are some of the things that have popped up for us in the last 3 days ontop of the lovely list required to be done – Sienna got a splinter under her nail bed that in 1/2 way up the nail, we tried to remove it ourselves and she would not have a bar of that so off to the GPs we go. So around 3-4 hours later splinter removed with a ring block (2 needles into top of finger to totally numb it so she would allow GP to remove. Very proud of Sienna as the other alternative was to go to Emergency so they could give her gas to remove the splinter! She is a very brave 5 year old. Another last minuet unplanned thing was me tweaking my neck/shoulder last night after doing some strengthening exercises and realising I needed a hard core lets release those dastardly knots caning session called a massage – Rianna to the rescue again, thanks so much Rianna ( my amazing pilates teacher). Another little fork in the road was  Sienna waking in the night with a fever and also the same today not a happy little sailor. So off the the GPs again, Abs just in case but it seems like its a virus. So loads of hand washing and fess up the snozes to avoid us all having high temps on the plane! I’ll tell you one last hitch, a swarm of bees have gathered at our place (now being rented), they decide to make a new home in the only area the tenants can’t access (our looked shed), so off I go to give them the key! Poor bees, I tried to save you  but the tenant has little ones and wanted them gone for good.

Stu, I hope you have a big hug awaiting me when I finally see you 😉 Its all good thought, parents are amazing.

 

37 thoughts on “Stu in Grenada, Nat & Kids at Nanny’s”

  3. Good one Nat.
    I think you will enjoy writing and capturing the adventures and people you meet.
    You really are my hero babe.
    ONE sleep to go.!!!
    Stu.

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    • Thanks Amanda, no probs at all. We are in San Fransisco hotel yay after 24 hours of ‘on the toad’, kids did great had heavy bags to lug. The longest Thursday the 13th ever, it’s still Thursday as we flew east! Pretty cool.
      Thanks for sending a line Natxxx

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      • hi nat stu and kids, congrats you have arrived safely!
        looking forward to reading and seeing more of your adventures!
        Cant wait to see the boat and fittings.
        Kens just landed in Kansas so not tooo far away if you need anything-haha!
        take care have fun and love your blog already-well done nat!
        5 pott’s xxxxx

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      • Hi Potts’s, thanks for your comments, thats for the encouragement Rob Im really a newbie at this blog thing so another big learning curve. Oh great please tell Uncle Ken we need a coffee Pot percolator as Jake accidentally lost the filter and poor Stu has no coffee making devices on board (we gave away our other one that cost $100 to reduce clutter), and i also carted it in out suitcases from Perth. Needless to say Jake was not in the good books for a while!!!!! Love Natxx How long is Ken in Kansas???

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  5. Glad to hear you made it! Hope you are catching up on some sleep. Liv is missing Sienna, but excited to be able to chat to her soon. Take care xx

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  6. Hello my lovely family. Yay you have arrived safely and reunited with Stu. So proud of you all for coping so well with your marathon flights and the prep you all did to make this adventure happen, both Stu working away on the boat and Nat and the kids organising things here. So looking foward to hearing all about your new way of life. Love you all to Neverland and back

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    • Hi Bev and Roy, Awwwww your such a sweaty thank you. We are finally out of the boat yard they were so slow it was ridiculous, everything needed fixing twice or they needed to go back for other tools, very disorganised and frustrating. Stu did amazing sweating his guts out for 2 months on land, i did it for 4 days and almost died of heat exhaustion!! He’s my hero and I love him so much (hmmm do you think Stu had anything to do with this comment!). So so so great to be on the water anchored so much cooler and fun. I hope to post something soon whilst have internet. Love you both heaps Colamsxxxxxxx

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    • Hi Carlzi my sista, so your now married to a 40 year old!!!! he he Happy birthing day Davies ( and Petes). We are just starting to feel like we are getting a taste of the cruising life, been anchored in St Goerges Bay 2 nights now and love it, jumping off boat, kids jump off bow (about 2 m high!), getting better with duck diving, the water is hot, no chill as you get in. Its so hot here we didn’t eat lunch for first week as too hot to eat, but they have appetite back back well and truly now. Hope you are all doing well and missing you too, trying to post something in next few days while have internet. Hope Elorissa is well! love Natxxxx

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  8. Hi Nat and family, You’ve been gone a week now and I thought, “Time I checked out Nat’s blog” Love it. Keep your chat coming along with your Neverland adventure.

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    • Hi Jude, just got internet so i approved your comments thanks (I have to approve all comments that friends make so i guess nothing i don’t like gets posted!!!), all new to me! Thanks for thinking of us Jude, we are on the water now ya yay yipeeeeee, anchored 2 nights in St Georges bay and sailed 17 nautical miles down (Stu sailed whole way while we slept as the anti sea sickness tables i gave everyone knocked us out and i felt sick still!), but a plane almost landed on us as we were right at the start of the run way – it way pretty cool seeing the plane up so close! love Natxxx

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    • Unfortunately our boat is not quite ready.
      Hay tell this to Jack as well as you
      if you press this button: and- and) it equals 🙂
      but it will not work until you send it on the blog From the
      UlTIMATE…JAKEjakejakejakejakejakejake…………………………………………………………………J.A.K.E………!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  11. Hi Jake, says Jack. I hope you’re having a great trip around the world. Back here we have kept going on with the ants. Just today, I found an ant nest under the rocks and they had eggs there.

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  12. Hey, hey!
    I hope you’re on the water by now! I just know you’re going to have an incredible time creating memories that will bond your family like nothing else can! God bless you all.

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    • Hi Jarrod, Jamie and kids, thanks so much for your kind words. We are just starting to feel like we are living the boat life as we have anchored on a great bay in St Georges and the water is so warm and clear. Have internet for a few days so will try and post something if i can remember how to download pics!!! he he love Nat

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    • For Jorden WHAT UP whats up l will tell you whats up l love living on an rocky boat
      but we haven’t started sailing because the boat is not ready but l hate it when
      cruise ships come in because the resold is that GIGANTIC waves smash us
      and so far two have came and thats why sienna my sister has fallen of her bed.

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  14. Today we found a giant ant nest in a big tree they were massive ants and a couple of days ago we found ants all over the playground! there were flying ants everywhere we really miss you jake I have been keeping track of how many days it has been since you left. we have been making sharp sticks kill the ants we might turn into the ant exstumanters when we grow up and there would be a giant picture of us holding the world’s biggest ant dead. and yes jorden got bit all over his back by a flying ant and me and deon got bit a lot to but those ants in the tree it bit the end of my sharp stick which really freaked me out and hows it going on the boat did a shark chomp through a hole or a megalodon chomp the boat to bits and i don’t know why its such a weird font. and I had a mega sugar rush when i had a fizzer and went sico and saying weird stuff and bouncing off the walls. and that emoji thing didn’t work but you can do this 🙂 . keep in touch and don’t die and reply back thanks best friend.

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      • Hey jack that sounds awesome however l can not leave the barbour until
        every thing is fixed but l found a new drink called ting and when mum buyed
        it l realised it said beer!!!!! 10 second later l was nuts!! l was running around
        like an idiot!! 25 second later l was asleep.
        (ok l didn’t really drink beer!);-)
        Also it gets really rocky some times like once sienna fell out of the bed!
        like she did in the bus with some drunk idiot driving. HE He. over and out!
        splash….. ow and tell tim that l am going to make an video with my drone.

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      • Hi Nat,Stu and the kids
        Wow ,those pics looks amazing .Sure is another world out there. Not sure about the crabs & other creepy crawlers !!!!
        I am so glad that you arrived safely .It will take a little time to settle in the new enviorment .The kids looks like right and home already.
        Will keep watching the blog so keep well and enjoy
        Lot of luv to all XXXXX Bella /Panky

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  15. Sorry about not being able to go on here its just nothing is that interesting these days and the internet has not been working. My last message was just a joke 😦 🙂 and your last message was so funny. Jack.

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  16. arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jack died waaaaaa waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he came back to life as a zombie and at everyones brains oh no!!!!! he is coming for me now hes about to kill you!!!!! hes sailing on a boat going to slce your head off and eat your brains!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! say your prayes jake hes coming for you!!!!!!!!!!!!! good luck old friend nice knowing you 😦 😦 😦

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    • OMG l l see him l see him he’s sailing the perl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jorden l new you would say something like that! rrrrrruuuuuuuunnnnnn jack is right there and he is holding a knife l inch long! where dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ow wait no he’s going to the the kitchen? noooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he eat my chocolate pudding!!!!! no! arrrrrrrr l said as l pulled out a knife and stabbed it in his head!!!!!! oops that was my dogs head SSSTTTTAAABBBBB aha l cut jacks head of! lam only kidding -jake

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