You would think that living just a block from the ocean would mean we swim in the ocean all the time. We don’t, as a matter of fact. The coast in town is rocky and polluted with motor oil and trash. So! When we want to swim the ocean we drive about twenty minutes outside of town to a resort that sometimes has a sandy little beach. Sometimes the tide covers it all up, but either way the swimming is great. The jungle encased mountains are on one side of the road, the sparkling sea on the other, and as Ray noted yesterday… we will never get tired of the beauty of that drive. There are mangroves all along the coast, and this spot is no exception. Next to the sandy area is a fat tree with roots deep in the water and thick branches overhanging the ocean calling young and old to play. There’s a rope hanging for those with a bit more gumption and a desire to swing and flip into the water, but that is not us. Our kids have shirked that tree. It has not called to them and instead they only see the intimidating height and slick bark, branches full of kids doing things they just don’t have the confidence to do. That is, until last week. Both girls conquered their fear of the tree and now revel in its many delights!

One of our teammates caught both girls with his excellent camera just before they made leaps. He sent the pictures to us with a comment on how brilliantly their personalities shine through, and it’s true! We’re excited for both of them, but especially Ray. She is a lot more cautious about life (as you’ll see in her photo), but she is ever so joyful that she did something she told herself she would never ever do.

Photo credit: Maclain Silvey