Category Archives: Spouses Organization

We’re Foster Parents

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If you haven’t figured in out by now, Ben and I are foster parents! We’ve been enjoying the company of a teen boy for about six months, who you may have seen mentioned vaguely as “R” in some of my recent posts. I haven’t talked about this explicitly, mostly because I’m not really sure how to talk about it in a public forum. For one thing, our son is a teenager in a small community, we’re Facebook friends with a lot of his friends, and all the kids around here are all over the internet. I don’t really want to be “that mom” and write things that are potentially embarrassing. Secondly, as the rest of you foster moms know, there’s a lot of obligatory privacy when it comes to foster kids. You have to follow the rules, and you have to be respectful. So I’ve opted not to talk about it thus far. However, this is a really big part of my life, and I think it’s good to talk about the foster parent experience. So I’m going to be posting a lot more about foster parenting here, and hopefully creating an element of camaraderie with other foster moms.

So what is it like to be a foster parent? Well, that’s hard to answer. Our situation is very, very different than most peoples’. However, I’d be kidding myself if I said that being a unique foster family is, well, unique. Everybody has a distinct experience with its own joys and challenges. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that you can’t put the foster-family lifestyle in a box!

For us, we’re a cross-cultural family. This wasn’t much of a stretch for us. Ben and I already have learned to enjoy and appreciate our own cultural differences. With our son, there’s also a difference in nationality. Ben and I are expats in the Caribbean, and our son is from here. We’ve had to learn to navigate the system in a place that is very different from the United States, but thankfully we’ve had wonderful people from the children’s service organization who are very kind to us as we pick through the cultural obstacle course.

We’re also a young couple fostering a teen. We’ve experienced some judgement from people who don’t think we should be taking on this kind of responsibility, but ultimately, we don’t dwell on those voices. Fostering has taught me that no matter what you do and no matter what your motives are, people are going to find fault with you. You can’t let it get you down. Listen to concerns of people who care about you, but in the end you just have to do what you know is right for your family. And guess what? It’s gone beautifully. If you’ve never considered fostering teens, why not look into it? I never thought I’d be good at this, but it’s one of the best experiences of my life.

We’re in med school. As one of my college professors used to say, “It will never be the ideal time to start having kids.” Doesn’t matter if they’re biological or not. Of course, there are some things that have to be in place, by law, in order for you to foster. But you don’t have to have a house or a massive income! You just have to have an extra room and be able to take care of yourself. Med school isn’t the ideal time to do anything, really, but we decided we just have to live our lives and not act like we’re on pause.

We’re pioneers. As far as I know, we’re the first foreigners to foster here. I think we’re the first who ever asked. Also, the program is fairly new. So learning how this works for us is a process. There’s a lot of uncertainty about things. We just have to take stuff day by day, which is hard for me to process—I love planning everything about two years in advance! It’s a learning experience for me, and a growing experience. I never know what to expect and I’m learning to walk in faith.

We’re Living by Faith. I have to take every step before I can see where it will land, which is scary. It’s easy to say that I know God will lead me and take care of me, but it’s hard to act on it. However, as Pricilla Shirer teaches in The Armor of God (my current Bible study book), faith is an ACTION. Faith has little to do with my ability to believe really hard and everything to do with God’s faithfulness. If I trust in that faithfulness, I can take the action God is asking me to take before I see the outcome. So that is what we are doing. We have to live by faith and do the things God wants us to do. Ever since we first felt God leading us in that direction, we’ve had to take steps before we had assurance that things were going to work out. Financial commitments and time commitments had to be made before we even knew if we were going to be certified. And it worked out. We’re still up against unknowns every day, but we are trusting God to work those out, too.

What about you? Are there any other foster families out there? I’d love to hear your story, too!

Exploring Tall Ships in French Saint Martin

American University of the Caribbean, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Spouses Organization, Third Culture Kids, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saint Martin is an island with plenty to do! There are often fun activities to participate it, when you know how to find them. This weekend’s activity was a free tour of three tall ships in Galis Bay!

After Coach Tom told me about this excursion, I decided to take R and head over to Marigot to tour the ships. Ben couldn’t come because he had to study, but Dan, another med school spouse at American University of the Caribbean, joined us with his two girls.

The Ships

We got to tour three ships during our Sunday afternoon excursion. The first was a big, green pirate-looking vessel from Germany called Alexander von Humboldt II. The four-year-old was entirely convinced it was an actual pirate ship, although she made sure the rest of us understood that there’s no such thing as a real pirate anymore.

Living on a ship sounds rather restrictive, but I could actually envision surviving a long trip on this boat. The crew’s quarters below were pretty tiny, but it didn’t look too terrible. Plus, the view from the deck is fantastic– I could totally look at that every day. An unobstructed view the the ocean is just unbeatable. R, of course, is all about that ship life. He’s excited about a future in the Coast Guard. I think he’d do it even without the view. Of course, it doesn’t hurt…

The other two ships, Frederick Chopin and the Wylde Swan, were a bit smaller, but no less impressive. They also had more interesting steering wheels, which was all that mattered the the four-year-old.

The Wylde Swan also had a great kitchen area, and whatever they were cooking down in the galley smelled delicious.

The Wheels

The most important part of the entire tour, according to the four-year-old, was the steering wheel on each ship. I think she would have stayed there all day if her dad had let her!

Each wheel was a bit different. I was surprised that the wheels still looked like old-fashioned wooden wheels. I wonder if that is standard, or if most ships (even sailing ships) have more modern wheels.

I have to say that I was pretty thrilled to see the typical old wheels still in use! They have a distinctly nautical beauty about them.

Other Instruments

There were other interesting ship’s instruments, too, beside the wheels. The baby loved the compasses, which were pretty cool.

I really liked the ropes. There were so many of them! I’ve read a lot of books about ships, but I haven’t been on too many of them. I’m always surprised at how much rope holds the ships together.

I really wanted to climb up into the rigging. Of course, I didn’t (seriously) consider it. We estimated that I’d get about halfway up before somebody dragged me down. You know, they did say that we could go anywhere on the ship, and they never said the rigging was off limits…. ah, if only I didn’t have a reputation to worry about!

These are the kind of days when I wish I could stay here forever. I want to spend my whole life wandering around ships and looking at the view!

The island life is a wonderful life, and the sea is a glorious place to be! If my adventures have taken me to the deck of a ship in the Caribbean, where else will they take me? Only God knows. Too bad he’s not spilling the beans yet!

For now, I’m loving every moment of this Caribbean life. What a fun afternoon! Ships are pretty cool. Thanks to everyone who made it possible for us to explore these ships for free!

 

 

 

 

Salines d’Orient: Come Explore the French Salt Pond

American University of the Caribbean, Caribbean, Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, Nature, Saint Martin/ Sint Maarten, Spouses Organization, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Visit a pond on Saint Martin and find out how beautiful they are! There are plenty of beaches in Saint Martin, but many people forget to appreciate the ponds. The ponds are just as significant to the well-being of the island; while they don’t draw in tourists to sustain the island financially, they do sustain much of the island’s wildlife. The Salt Pond on the French side– better known as Salines d’Orient– is a wonderful place to visit. Here’s how to get there and why you should go.

Why go to Salines d’Orient: 

Unlike the Dutch side’s Great Salt Pond, the smaller French version has not been polluted beyond recognition. This makes it a wonderful place to explore and enjoy. You may never have known it, but there are lots of walking and jogging paths criss-crossing the area behind Le Galion Bay and Orient Bay. In fact, the Le Galion Bay area is completely filled with paths! They have recently received the excellent addition of  an obstacle course, too, but that it a post for another time.

The second reason to enjoy the Salines d’Orient is that it will give you an appreciation for nature and the ecosystems within the pond. Here, all humanity seems to melt away. There’s nothing to see but the gentle ripples of the water, nothing to hear but the crashing of the waves on the tide pools behind you and the occasional call of a marine bird. Behind the pond, mist rises off the mountains, creating the perfect backdrop. You’re nearly convinced that you’ve traveled backwards in time four hundred years, and that you may meet an Arawak gatherer at any moment. This is a beautifully untouched place.


St Martin Canoe Surfing at Le Galion Beach – $69.99
from: Viator

It’s no secret that the ponds on Saint Martin are in big trouble– just look at the Great Salt Pond and other ponds that are threatened by development. Perhaps one of the reasons that these ponds have been polluted is that not enough people recognized their value. Go and see the Salines d’Orient for yourself, and take your children so they can love it and protect it tomorrow. Maybe someday, it will be a protected wetlands area like Mullet Pond. 

I was recently informed by Seagrape Tours that this pond is already a protected wetlands area! Hive five, French side. By the way, after hearing from Seagrape tours, I checked out their website and they give bird watching tours in this area of the island. Pretty cool.

How to get to the Salines d’Orient:

It’s really easy to find the Salines d’Orient. Here’s how to get there:

  • Drive to Le Galion Beach on the French side, just south of Orient Bay Beach.

  • Park. Make sure you park within the gate, not in the sandy lot before the gate. That’s for surfers or boaters generally and it’s further away.
  • Instead of going to the beach, walk to the far end of the parking lot. You’ll see a trail going into the trees.

  • Take the trail. You should pass a sit-up bench.

 


St Martin Supsquatch Surfing at Le Galion Beach – $59.00
from: Viator

  • Turn left.
  • Follow the trail to the pond, which is just to the north of the beach. There’s a path that goes right past it. It’s so lonely and deserted!

Walk around, look for wildlife, and skip stones. Revel in the natural beauty!

Don’t forget to check out the tide pools and the waves crashing against the rocks at the coast while you’re there. It’s not exactly a beach, but it’s a wonderful way to witness the power of the sea.


St. Maarten Combo Tour: Butterfly Farm and Orient Bay – $55.99
from: Viator

As always, pack out your trash and be respectful. The ponds are the island’s heritage, and we need them for our grand children to enjoy one day.

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Lovers Beach: How to Find It

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If you live in or have been to the island of Saint Martin, you have surely heard of the elusive Lovers Beach. The rumor is that the beach is hidden somewhere between Galisbay and Friar’s Bay, and that it’s worth searching for. I am here to put these rumors to rest: they are true. Here is how to find Lovers Beach.


UPDATE: Thanks to a commenter for providing post-Irma information on Lovers Beach. Although the beach is still there, it’s a lot smaller than it used to be. Plan to visit at low tide. 

Why visit this dinky little beach?

There are 37 beaches on Saint Martin. What’s the point of visiting one the size of your bathroom when great, big, beautiful beaches are so much easier to get to? Well, other than achieving the goal of hitting every beach on the island, You should go to Lovers Bay because it is STUNNING. Seriously, it’s a tiny slice of Heaven nestled into the lonely cliffs. You won’t understand until you see it for yourself.


St. Martin Sunset Sail – $40.00
from: Viator

There is a serious lack of info about it this beach on the web. I have yet to find a good description of how to get there, so I thought I’d write one myself to help y’all out. You’re welcome.


How to find Lovers Beach

Drive toward Friar’s Bay. Friar’s Bay is north of Marigot, about halfway to Grand Case. You’ll see this sign at the turnoff on your left:


St Martin Kayak Rental to Pinel Island – $15.00
from: Viator

When you get to the place where the paved road takes a right turn over a bridge, go left. If you go straight, you’ll end up in a rich lady’s front yard, and she’ll think you’re a crazy trespassing tourist. So go left.


Next, take a right. Don’t go up the ridiculously steep hill.


Drive to the end of this path. Here is a place on the seashore where millions of stones make the sound of rain on a tin roof as each wave laps at the shore. Cow paths wind through the forest, and vines with pink flowers wrap every tree, inviting the butterflies to play.

You’ll park here:


Walk to the left until you come to a gate.


Go through the gate and follow the path. It will go through a lot of tall, swishy grass.


If you find yourself here, you’re doing it wrong:


The path is beautiful. I saw a couple flowers that I have never noticed on Saint Martin before, and we saw some massive orange iguanas that don’t look like the usual green iguanas, which are actually an invasive species. I wonder if the orange ones are the indigenous iguanas.


The path turns off to the right a couple times. You can take either way, I think.


Snorkel Tour from St Martin – $54.99
from: Viator


The path will take you through some thick grass. Suddenly, you’ll burst out into the open, where the sky stretches on forever and Anguilla is a green jewel in the endless blue ocean.

Below you, you’ll see it: Lovers Beach! Maybe you’ll cheer ecstatically like I did.


It is as tiny as they say, but it’s also as beautiful as they say. You’ll be so glad you came!


Scramble down the rocks and enjoy the perfect sandy hideaway.


Welcome to paradise.

Remember, this beautiful beach can only stay nice if everyone cleans up after themselves. It’s easy to pick up and pack out your trash. Make sure Lovers Beach stays gorgeous for your kids and grandkids to visit someday.

Christmas Cookies!

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Ok, it’s officially Christmas. We made Christmas cookies! 


I’ll have you know that these were made 100% from scratch INCLUDING the cookie cutters. Actually, the cookie cutters were a total fail. I’m too cheap to buy actual cookie cutters, so I found directions on Instructables to make them from a soda can. This is a fantastic idea, except that I definitely did not do it right. I have no idea how the cookies ended up looking (sort of) like trees and stars.


Other than that, the cookies turned out pretty darn great. R had never made sugar cookies before, but he caught on quickly and even got creative. Check out his emoji cookie!


He wasn’t to keen on decorating them, so he made the frosting and I did the frosting art. We used some powdered drink mix to color and flavor the pink frosting, and it was pretty yummy. I tried to stick with the emoji theme as much as possible.


Despite our lack of red and green and messy edible glittery stuff, this was quite a success for the first cookies of the season. Next weekend, we’ll be attempting gingerbread. If we’re really brave, we’ll even try gingerbread houses! 

Well, that’s it from the Johnson house today. We also went to a Christmas street fair with R’s friends this weekend, which I’ll post about soon.  Merry Christmas!

First Party of Christmas!

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It’s finally that time of year! Time to roll out the wrapping paper, put up the tree, and decorate way too many cookies. To kick on the season right, the Pediatric Interest Group at American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine put on a fantastic Christmas party for some of the kids in our area.

red noses

One of the groups that was invited to the party was Player Development Program, which is the baseball program that I volunteer with. Today, the team had a Little League game before the party,. The dugout was buzzing with happiness during the whole game! The kids were in high spirits as they anticipated the party, and they played with such gusto that they ended up winning nine to seven.
playing games

After the game, we all piled into cars and vans and got ready for the fun ahead. When we arrived, students and their spouses welcomed us with treats and games and loads of fun. The Pediatric Interest Group obviously put a lot into the day, and there was so much to do! The kids sat down for a yummy lunch from Jules and then dug into the pie, cookies, candy, and homemade goodies that the students and spouses brought.

table

When the sugaring up was finished, and when all the kids had received their shiny red Rudolph noses, it was time for crafts and games! Glitter, glitter everywhere. I’m pretty sure we’re all going to leave sparkling footprints behind us for the rest of the week. Too bad fairy dust doesn’t really make you fly. I’m going to think some happy thoughts just in case, though, because you never know.

crafts

There were coloring pages and paper crafts and games galore, but the one I thought was the most fun was the paper snowflake station. I taught the kids how to fold and cut snowflakes. I’m not sure they understood the connection between snowflakes and Christmas (or even snowflakes at all), but they absolutely loved the lacy paper and creativity. We ended up with snowflakes, boats, and paper shapes of all kinds.

paper snowflakes

The kids even got gifts! Jackie, a spouse at the school, and her kids made incredibly adorable presents. The girls got crowns and wands, and the boys got superhero masks and arm bands. Needless to say, they were beyond thrilled!

superhero masks

Just as the glitter glue and paper shreds  threatened to become a magical snowstorm, the party’s hosts took the kids outside to play and run off all the sugar. I helped clean up and waved goodbye to the kids. Thanks, Pediatric Group! We had a wonderful afternoon.