Surprise Summer!!

Out of sheer ridiculousness, on March 21 and 22, Maine experience a record high of 26°C (79°F) for two days in a row!!  INSANITY!!!  With the average high for March expecting a dismal 6°C, this kind of warm weather is so atypical and wonderful that I spent the entirety of this "summer" heat wave at the beach!  I got a little bit of my tan back, am looking slightly less sickly pale, and am completely refreshed and rejuvenated!  This warm streak should hold me for the next couple months until it warms up for good!  Best Spring Ever!!

Even Andee made it to the beach for a little R & R and Vitamin D!  And so did the majority of Maine!  People everywhere as if it were an actual summer's day!  Wonderful!!

That is all.  I just couldn't resist an excuse to talk more about the amazing warm weather and to post beach pictures of people wearing bathing suits as opposed to winter coats, mitts and scarves.  So Happy!! :)

Spring Has Sprung!!

With the recent heat wave the Northeast has been experiencing in full swing, the temperatures have well exceeded the average highs and have even been nice enough for somewhat enjoyable walks!  Unfortunately, living on the ocean almost guarantees a pretty significant wind chill, so the temperatures feel much cooler than they state on theweathernetwork.com.  But I will take what I can get!  This early Spring has gotten me so excited and optimistic not only about the lack of future snow, but the possibility of continuous above seasonal weather!  And after Spring comes SUMMER IN CANADA where Andee and I can enjoy beautiful weather, cottage trips, Jays games, and of course family and friends!  SO EXCITED!!!

As exciting as this next move is, we have grown quite fond of our new home!  Maine is absolutely beautiful, especially when you live on the ocean!  And the warm weather has escalated this beauty by allowing us to actually experience Maine outdoors!

And with The Rock Church and all its members and God at work here, it will definitely be hard to leave.  Who knows, maybe our journey will take us back!  This church is definitely special, and it is clear that Jesus is on the move in Maine!

Another amazing event that happens every Spring - BASEBALL SEASON!!  This weekend past, Andee and I were able to enjoy some Blue Jays Baseball on mlb.tv!  The new blue jerseys look great, and it was wonderful catching up with the players!  It has been a long winter without them, but with the summer ahead in Ajax, we will be soon seeing much more of them!

Countdown:  Just over a month until the arrival of the Aldridge Family!!  And with the arcade and amusement park beside us opening up in April, there will be many claw machine opportunities in our future!  With warm weather and such fun activities coming up, everything is so exciting!!

"Warm" Winter

So, a couple days ago we had a big snow storm.  However, it rained all the next day which completely rid us of the snow covered ground, leaving the giant mounds of snow caused by the plows as the only survivors.  Since it is March 5th, it is somewhat reasonable to believe/hope/pray that this snowstorm was indeed the last of its kind until next winter, and that we are in for a smooth transition to Spring!  The weather this week is supposed to spike to a whopping 17°C (62°F) on Thursday, so I am remaining optimistic!  **Side note, If you noticed that I did in fact use the word "whopping" to describe a mere 17°C, you can reasonably assume that I have effectively made the transition from St. Kitts tropics to Maine in the winter.  Well, sort of.  I would still much rather be lying in the sun looking at palm trees and monkeys....optimism, optimism, optimism.

This Winter has been an especially warm one, says The Weather Channel.  So warm, in fact, that there have been multiple days in February that I have willingly spent some substantial time outdoors!  And as for snow, only a few snow mounds remain, with absolutely none on the ground or on the beaches!  And with the window for snow this season quickly coming to a close, I am ecstatic!  PTL!  Now when I go outside my thoughts are merely "it is cold out" rather than "I want to kill myself".  PTL again!!  One of my favorite things to do when it is "warm" out?  Walk along the beach!  Some things never change!

As well as a little bit of outdoor time, we have also enjoyed some indoor Maine activities that we really enjoyed!  Last week, a few of us went indoor go-karting just down the street from our condo!  It was an intense course, with really fast go-karts, and it was really fun trying to keep up with everyone!

Andee and I have also gotten into the wonderful American tradition of eating!  There are a few places on the street that contain typical American grub that we just can't get enough of!  And with one portion generally spanning two meals, we definitely get great value too!  Yum!

Guess what else I have done?  The claw machine champ lives!  I challenge anyone who thinks they can outnumber my growing collection of claw machine animals!  Of course, that means you have to come to Maine and play, so come on down!!

We are also getting more and more involved in the Church, with weekly Women's Bible studies and couples small groups, a newcomers lunch with some of the staff, and myself starting to help out with some church events and fundraisers!  It really helps with all the moving around to find ways to contribute, especially when you can't work!  Pictures to come!

P.S. I apologize for the lack of interesting pictures, the cold weather seems to cause a lack of photo inspiration!  With the warmer weather headed our way, I promise to become more conscious of possible photo ops and fun activities!  Hurry up Spring!