congratulations on your 100th dive farmor!
way to go! you're a diving queen!
way to go! you're a diving queen!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
our last hurrah with acem
today was acem's last day with us, so since they are flying tomorrow, there was no diving today, instead we all headed into manado for a little adventure, angelina, the female half of the owners of bunaken village, where we are staying came with as a bit of tour guide. blond heads and blue eyes are still a bit of a rarity around here, so i think that moa and zoe recieved way more attention then they would have preferred, but they were good sports about it. we rode in horse taxis, check out the shopping areas, bought a few souvenirs, and did our best not to overheat.
after a few hours we all crowded into a small mini-van called a bimo, and headed back to the boat.
zoe decided to do a little bit of posing on the boat before we reach the island.
after the hot day in manado it was great to get back and cool down in the pool. and finally on acem's last day here, zoe started swimming around the pool with only her puffers. no more squeezing my thumbs until the fall off! way to go zoe! we are proud of you.
then of course it was time for the final group shot. bye bye acem, we are going to miss you! it has been a ton of fun!
after a few hours we all crowded into a small mini-van called a bimo, and headed back to the boat.
zoe decided to do a little bit of posing on the boat before we reach the island.
after the hot day in manado it was great to get back and cool down in the pool. and finally on acem's last day here, zoe started swimming around the pool with only her puffers. no more squeezing my thumbs until the fall off! way to go zoe! we are proud of you.
then of course it was time for the final group shot. bye bye acem, we are going to miss you! it has been a ton of fun!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
a day with the girls
did some diving this morning, but decided to stay up with the girls and cilla in the afternoon. we were going to go for a walk down the beach, but then of course, it being rainy season and all, it decided to start raining, heavily. so it was back to the resort, but i did manage to get a couple cute shots of moa and zoe on our very short walk. 
while waiting for the rain to stop, the little ones thought it was great fun to empty our foot rinse bucket with their shoes. buse flickor!
even emma decided to get in on the fun.
then i had to put this shot up, not only for the reflection of the girls in the pool, but zoe's attire. there are ladies that come along the beach selling bracelets and sarongs, etc. and one day we were down checking out there wares when i look up and there is zoe with a hot pink sarong around her neck, smiling sweetly saying,"me här den sarong mamma". what could i do. so we bought it for her, and ever since she has been walking around like a princess in it. also note the socks. we finally found a use for zoe's socks in the tropics. they have that grip stuff on the bottom and around the pool was super slippery tiling, so after a few head meeting tile accidents, cilla came up with the great idea of socks!
i guess it was a lot of work today playing hard, the girls passed out early, and we all thought it was so cute that zoe had her arm on moa.
while waiting for the rain to stop, the little ones thought it was great fun to empty our foot rinse bucket with their shoes. buse flickor!
even emma decided to get in on the fun.
then i had to put this shot up, not only for the reflection of the girls in the pool, but zoe's attire. there are ladies that come along the beach selling bracelets and sarongs, etc. and one day we were down checking out there wares when i look up and there is zoe with a hot pink sarong around her neck, smiling sweetly saying,"me här den sarong mamma". what could i do. so we bought it for her, and ever since she has been walking around like a princess in it. also note the socks. we finally found a use for zoe's socks in the tropics. they have that grip stuff on the bottom and around the pool was super slippery tiling, so after a few head meeting tile accidents, cilla came up with the great idea of socks! 
i guess it was a lot of work today playing hard, the girls passed out early, and we all thought it was so cute that zoe had her arm on moa.
Monday, January 12, 2009
happy birthday emma! (and bryan too)
happy birthday emma!
you too bryan, hope you had a good one, though i am quite sure you will never read this!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
some water fun
living it up in my dive dreamland. everybody seems to be getting the dive fever, even moa and zoe, those crazy girls.
took emma for another bubblemaker session yesterday, went really well, she even managed some really nice summersaults.
then, in the evening, anders, cilla, anita, and i went on a mandarinfish dive, since we never really saw them at lumbalumba. We certainly did here! i even got a couple of shots of them mating. fishporn, you gotta love it!
then today we finally got zoe to swim in the pool without holding on to somebody, she was not happy and it was less than a meter, but it was a milestone! tomorrow we head over to bunaken for our last days of luxury and family.
took emma for another bubblemaker session yesterday, went really well, she even managed some really nice summersaults.
then, in the evening, anders, cilla, anita, and i went on a mandarinfish dive, since we never really saw them at lumbalumba. We certainly did here! i even got a couple of shots of them mating. fishporn, you gotta love it!
then today we finally got zoe to swim in the pool without holding on to somebody, she was not happy and it was less than a meter, but it was a milestone! tomorrow we head over to bunaken for our last days of luxury and family.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
saying good bye to lumbalumba and a family portrait soaking wet
we left lumbalumba today to head to the other side, lembeh strait. since it was our last day we took advantage as much as we could. there was diving and a crazy fun time in the pool, where we had quite the time trying to get a family shot, but i think we finally nailed it. 
then ended the day with a bit of a party saying good bye to the dive staff,which involved sampling many the crazy local moonshine varieties, can't say we will do that again! now we are staying at a super fancy hotel, kungkungen, in one of my dream dive destinations. yipee!
then ended the day with a bit of a party saying good bye to the dive staff,which involved sampling many the crazy local moonshine varieties, can't say we will do that again! now we are staying at a super fancy hotel, kungkungen, in one of my dream dive destinations. yipee!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
north sulawesi tour day
yesterday we all went on a tour around the northernmost area of northern sulawesi. how is that for north? we went to a market, but we were a little late, so most of the stuff what closing down. then we drove around the countryside a bit, until we arrived close to the top of a volcano. we had to climb the rest of the way up a muddy path, but we all made it. it was really foggy while we were there, but just as we were about to head back down, it suddenly cleared up and was beautiful, you could see clearly all the way down into the crater.
after climbing back down we headed off to find some gado gado (a delicious local dish made with vegies, tofu, and peanut sauce), but we never found any, but luckily we did find some food, then we drove through more amazing countryside, and around a big lake with fish farms.
i have a million and one pictures, but i will control myself and only torture you all with a few. we were so many people, the big thoren family and guides and family members of guides, that we had two cars. thought this was a sweet moment of zoe waving at the car behind us that had emma and moa in it.
we even went to a pottery village, where anita got to check out all the local techniques. we arrived back at the hotel around 1930, hungry and tired, but happy. of course lumbalumba provided another delicious meal. then today we went diving, and i finally got to see pygmy seahorses again. when they say pygmy they mean pygmy, tiny, miniscual, maybe the size of zoe's little fingernail, and then they are hiding out on a coral that looks exactly like them. you take your eyes off the seafan, it can be quite difficult to see them again. i will close with a shot of one of the little guys.
after climbing back down we headed off to find some gado gado (a delicious local dish made with vegies, tofu, and peanut sauce), but we never found any, but luckily we did find some food, then we drove through more amazing countryside, and around a big lake with fish farms. 
i have a million and one pictures, but i will control myself and only torture you all with a few. we were so many people, the big thoren family and guides and family members of guides, that we had two cars. thought this was a sweet moment of zoe waving at the car behind us that had emma and moa in it.
we even went to a pottery village, where anita got to check out all the local techniques. we arrived back at the hotel around 1930, hungry and tired, but happy. of course lumbalumba provided another delicious meal. then today we went diving, and i finally got to see pygmy seahorses again. when they say pygmy they mean pygmy, tiny, miniscual, maybe the size of zoe's little fingernail, and then they are hiding out on a coral that looks exactly like them. you take your eyes off the seafan, it can be quite difficult to see them again. i will close with a shot of one of the little guys.
Friday, January 2, 2009
happy birthday pappa!
happy birthday thomas! lumbalumba has been great. there has been a lot of pool time, and even emma tried blowing bubbles in the pool, she is a real fish.
i think zoe is really getting the kick of snorkelling!
we even all went for a dive today. though only one, cause thomas wanted a lie-in for his birthday.
they had made us an amazing buffet dinner for thomas' birthday tonight. not too mention he got a huge flower arrangement of orchids and a HUGE cake! happy birthday pappa, you old man!
i think zoe is really getting the kick of snorkelling!
we even all went for a dive today. though only one, cause thomas wanted a lie-in for his birthday.
they had made us an amazing buffet dinner for thomas' birthday tonight. not too mention he got a huge flower arrangement of orchids and a HUGE cake! happy birthday pappa, you old man!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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