Chocolate Covered Katie Pumpkin Bars Recipe

Today, we made Chocolate Covered Katie's recipe for pumpkin bars... I think I might like them a little more than our default recipe!  Those of you that have tried our recipe know first hand that those are hard to beat!!!  We followed her exact recipe and added two tbsp of mini chocolate chips. :)

They were so good that, after about 10-20 minutes, the whole pan had been licked clean!!!  They were that good!!!  (Just for the record, I had help from my cousins too...  I promise I didn't eat the whole pan myself!  But I wish I could have!)  As you can see, they didn't last long enough to get a nice, pretty picture.  Bummer.  Guess we'll have to make some more...

After that, I took the kids swimming.  Aiden would run around the pool, stop, roar like a dinosaur, repeat. Meanwhile, Audrey decided to clip on her shark fin lifejacket and swim around the pool singing the Jaws theme.

Question of the day:
What is your favorite dessert?

Mine:
Magelby's Chocolate Cake...  Mom claims that it's "death on a plate," but somehow, I don't think it would taste anywhere near as good if it was 'healthified'.

Last Day

Today, is MY last full day here at Grand Cayman.

*Sniff sniff*

I'm excited to see my friends and start acting and tumbling again.  But, I'm going to miss the warm weather and the new friends I've made.  

During my stay here, I have developed a love for snorkeling, paddle boarding, line dancing, boating, and finding new things to see and do here.

Meanwhile, Audrey has developed a love for... Jaws?  

Yes, Audrey the three year old adores Jaws...  She is the child of no fear.

Aiden, on the other hand, has a passion for hitting things with sticks.  It is extremely rare to see him without a stick in his hand...  

And, he thinks he's a dinosaur, he's quite "ferocious".

Question of the day:

What are your passions?

Mine:

Drawing anime

line dancing

paddle boarding 

snorkeling 

tumbling

 acting

 boating 

 cooking

 baking

 swimming 

 tubing

 sledding

 snow boarding

 goofing off 

 hanging out with friends 

 reading

 writing

 (My list could go on) 

DONE! DONE! DONE! :)

GUESS WHAT!?

Choices:

a) I'm done with my math book (Only one Test left)!!!

b) I cut open my first coconut with a machete

c) I went paddle boarding again

d) I made chocolate ice-cream (looked more like a runny italian ice)

e) Scored 100% on my science quarter 2 test!!!

f) Finished my grammar book

g) All of the above

Correct answer... g... :)

I'M SOO HAPPY!!!

It's the most wonderful day of the year! :)

a) I finished my math book? AWESOME!!! I only have one test left and then, I'm moving on to an 8th grade math book! Maybe by the time everyone else is in 8th grade, I'll be onto 9th grade stuff!

b) I cut open my first coconut with a machete... I was so scared that I would cut off my hand.  It's definitely harder than it looks... but way better that cutting it open with a hack-saw.

I couldn't believe how much water was inside that sucker... but there was only a little bit of meat.

c) I went paddle boarding again... of course!!! I love it!!!  Perfect way to start the day.

d) I made chocolate ice-cream that resembled an extremely runny italian ice (frozen hot chocolate flavor).  It was still yummy though.

e) Whoop whoop!!! I don't have science all week!!!

f) I finished my grammar book... SWEET!!! I only have to finish my report on the Cayman Islands. :)

OH MY GOSH!!!
BEST DAY EVER!!!
(I just barely sounded like Rapunzel... LOL)

Question of the day:
What's your good news?

Paddle Boarding... and MILKSHAKES!!!

Today, I got to ride the paddle boards we got yesterday... another thing to add to my "addiction" list.  The one thing that I would recommend is to learn to paddle board in calm water with almost no current... and no wind.  That would be way easier than what I'm doing... 

It has been a while since Mom and I have made something.  Dang!  I feel out of place!!!  So, to make up for it, we made a milkshake!!!  

 Ohh man!  I couldn't wait to try the small glass of complete yumminess. 

The verdict is...

YUMMY!!!

How to make the Cake Batter Milkshake:

- 1 large frozen banana (as ripe as possible) 

- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

- 1 - 2 tbs melted coconut butter

- 1/2 - 2/3 c milk

Optional: 

Handful of sprinkles

A Note: We didn't have a frozen banana so ours looks a little different than Chocolate Covered Katie's.

Question of the day:

What is you favorite kind of milkshake?

Boredom, and (Line) Dancing, and Kayaking... Oh My!

*My announcer voice*
 HI peoples!!! This is the one, the only, AWESOME ALLI :)
*Crowd goes crazy*

K, sorry about that, I just had the biggest urge to do it.

Today was my only day that no one else besides my family was here visiting.  We are kind of in between guests, so I didn't exactly do anything...  It was more of a kick-back and relax day, especially compared to last week when we were constantly going places.  In addition, everything was closed because today is the Cayman holiday, Hero's Day.  During my long day of almost constant free-time, I realized I am addicted to line dancing... Why?  I have no clue.  I did the Macarena, the Bunny Hop, the Cupid Shuffle, the Cha-Cha Slide, Footloose, and Hoe Down Throw Down (I don't like the singer, but the dance is fun).  It was sooooo much fun!  I feel free to be as crazy as I want when I am dancing, and I feel alive!  I LOOOOOOVE it!

I also found that I really like kayaking.  It's way fun once you get the hang of it.  I took the kayak out this morning and paddled around a bit.  I like it because it's a challenge to get through the waves and the current... and the turtle grass.  I wish I could continue this new-found hobby when I get back to Utah, but I think it's probably pretty hard to kayak in the snow...  Oh well!  I'll live it up while I can!

Question of the day:
What's you favorite line dance?

Mine is either the Cha-Cha Slide or Footloose... even though I still don't really know how to do it :)

George Town Grand Cayman

Today, we had a fun day of walking around downtown George Town and chilling at Seven Mile Beach.  While driving to George Town, we passed by a shoe-tree.  It was covered in shoes of every shape and size.  Ridonculous, I know!

After admiring the shoe-tree for a while, we finally reached George Town.  It was interesting, our first stop was the national museum.  We first watched a little video about the history of the Cayman Islands.  When that was done we walked around the museum... well... for me it was more find the kid area and goof off in there.

There was a room with this robotic dude telling you about Grand Cayman... I HATE those robotic dolls!!! They're sooo creepy!!! BUT in the kid's area there was this freaky native mask thing on the wall that was even freakier than the doll dude!!! But once I got into the dress-up department (making myself look as ridonculous as possible) I forgot about mister freak-show.

 Anywho, when we were done with the museum, Audrey and I got new flip flops!!! Audrey was having a hard time cause she only wanted the ones that didn't fit her.  But, after a while she finally settled for these pink doggie flip flops, but, I thought that she looked best in the flip flops that were white with gold butterflies on them.  As for me, I got a blue pair that had a dimond/paisley design on them.

We then left for Seven Mile Beach.  The kids and I played along the beach, splashing water at one-another.  But, we started to get hungry, so we had a seaside picnic.  Then, us kids went back to playing, and a few minutes later, Dad came back with ice-cream... unfortunately, after we had finished our ice-cream, it started to rain, so we had to leave.      



 

Stingray City Tour

Today, we had the opportunity to go to Stingray City. We took Fat Fish Adventure Tours. First, we stopped in a scuba diving spot. It was filled with exotic fish and amazing coral formations... Not to mention a few stingrays here and there. We also got to feed squid to the fish.  I was fine with the fish, but the stingray was HUGE!!!  I did not want to be even close to her, no matter how much of a "sweetheart" she was.

Any-who, after that, we left for Stingray City, a shallow sandbar in the middle of the ocean that is infested with rays.  I was too intimidated to go into the water.  I felt kind of bad afterwards, though, because everyone else went in, including the kids, and I was the only one who stayed behind.  But, it was still fun to watch everyone freak out as the stingrays came up and touched them.  They kind of reminded me of slimy underwater cats.

A little while later, Aiden started to cry because he was tired.   So, we left for our last stop, Starfish Point.  We found a BIG, FAT, RED starfish.  We took turn holding him.  Audrey and Aiden had a blast looking for starfish.  Unfortunately, Aiden started to get antsy again, so we had to leave for home. :'(

Audrey really liked her hotdog. 

I had a great time today... and maybe next year I can ease myself into the "treacherous" waters of Stingray City.

Question of the day:
What is you BIGGEST fear?

Mine:
Sharks... and stingrays just happen to be relatives of the shark family.

 

Rum Point

Today, I spent an awesome day at Rum Point Beach.  It's called Rum Point because rum barrels used to wash up on the shore a lot from stranded ships.  And they serve lots of drinks there with rum...  I promise I didn't drink any!  Honest!!!!

The beach at Rum Point is... How do I describe this?  Alluring.  Captivating.  Enchanting.  Tantalizing.  Mesmeric.  The ocean is many shades of blue and green, and the water is crystal clear.

I could see little silver fish swimming in schools near the shore.  I tried to catch some, but it didn't work.  They must be psychic or something!  They seriously were strategizing against my sneak attacks.  I even tried jumping on them, and they STILL got away!  Seriously, they knew every move I was going to make before I even did it!

After I got tired of chasing those little suckers, I splashed and played with my brother, Aiden, my sister, Audrey, and my somewhat little sister Miaya.  We made sand castles, had water fights, and tackled the grownups... well... maybe just Angela. :)

 A little later, Dad took me snorkeling.  The fish were gorgeous!!!   We saw a variety of varicolored fish, ranging from hues of blue, green, yellow, pink, and a cool, dark purple "Dori" fish (like in Finding Nemo).  We saw three stingrays during our little breathtaking excursion.  The first time we saw one was when we reached a semi-shallow area and stood up... Little did I know that I was about to step on a stingray!!!  Good thing it move out of the way at the last minute... OH MY GOSH!!!  It freaked me out!!! One minute I was swimming when BAM! A stingray pops up!!! REALITY HITS YA HARD BRO!!! (Sorry couldn't help it!  BTW, this is one of the best videos ever if you've never seen it!)

After all that swimming and playing, we all felt pretty hungry, so we enjoyed a fantastic beach-side lunch at The Wreck Bar.  I promise I didn't get any rum, but I did get an awesome strawberry-banana smoothie and some really scrumptious chicken fingers and french fries.

I highly recommend going to Rum Point if you get the chance.  It is very laid-back compared to 7-Mile Beach... and on the complete opposite side of the island, but well-worth the drive!

Question of the day:
What is your favorite beach to go to?  Or what is your fondest beach memory?

BONUS question of the day:
What is the most interesting/odd snorkeling experience you have ever had or heard of?

Pedro St. James Tour

Today, we toured Pedro St. James Castle, the oldest building on Grand Cayman.  It was built in 1780 as a private home for William Eden, who moved to Cayman from Wiltshire, England.  He built his home with thick, stone walls and wooden patios surrounding it on a beautiful 7.5 acre lot, overlooking the ocean and perched up on a small rocky cliff.  It really is a beautiful setting!

Our little helper. 

View from the top deck.

Miaya on the extremely old stairs.

In addition to being a private home, it was actually the birthplace of the Cayman Democracy, established in 1831 in the dining room!  Cayman continued as an independent democracy until 1972, when it became a British colony.  The government meetings were held in the home until 1845.

It actually caught fire in 1908, burning down all the woodwork and surrounding patios.  In 1964, Tom Hubbell, a US Air Force pilot, bought the home and rebuilt the top to look like a castle.  He actually made up a whole story that the castle was built in 1631 and used as a pirate hideout for Buccaneer Morgan to attract tourists!  I like this guy!  I think it's pretty funny that he was able to make up a story like that, took the effort to carve the date 1631 on one of the stones, and market it as a great pirate castle!  That's my kind of imagination!  Unfortunately, he died before all of his plans for it were completed, but others followed his lead and built the restaurant that he had planned.

In 1989, Pedro St. James burned again!  Well, at least all the wood structures burned.  Good thing the actual home was made out of stone!  It was rebuilt and restored to look like the original home built by William Eden.  All the wood used in the remodel was mahogany, and some of the mahogany furniture inside is 200 years old.

Since I always save the best for last, here's a crazy story.  It's called:

The Girl with the Bucket (oooohhh... That's a scary title...)

The Joseph and Samuel Eden families were living in the home at the time.  They were William Eden's grandchildren.  A terrible lightning storm struck the island, and Joseph's 17-year-old daughter, Mary Jean, and her brother ran outside to collect rainwater in some buckets.  They always did that because freshwater was hard to get on the island.  They were walking back up the stairs with their full buckets of water when... CRACK!!!!  A bolt of lightning struck the kids, knocking out the boy and killing Mary Jean!  The house also caught on fire, and the families quickly moved out...  They thought it was bad luck to live in a house where one of the kids had died.  CRAZY!!!

I give the tour a 4 out of 5 star rating, mainly because I really couldn't understand the tour guide.  He had a strong accent, and I wasn't always sure he was speaking English... BUT, everything else was fantastic!  We watched a movie re-enactment of a lot of the history and it was very well made.  As we toured the actual home, there were lots of signs telling about the history of the home and Cayman.  So, even though I hardly understood the tour guide, I was still able to learn a lot.

Question of the day:

Have you ever been struck by lightning or know anyone who has?

BONUS Question:

What is the craziest true story you have ever heard?

Cayman Island Dolphin Discovery

Guess what I got to do today?  I got to go to the Dolphin Discovery Swim on Grand Cayman, and I am biting my nails because it was THE BEST THING EVER!!!!!

I want to go back so badly!

The first part was really boring.

I had to wait with the rest of the group while wearing my lovely life jacket.  Then I watched a rather entertaining orientation; the guy was serious yet funny...  He taught us all the different hand signs we would need to do for each of the dolphin tricks.

Then we finally got to go down to the water.  I got in and... BRRRRRRR!!!  It was pretty chilly!  It sure didn't help that the wind was blowing and the sun was behind thick clouds all day...  But then I got used to it... and the peasants rejoiced...

Once I was in the water, I got to pet the dolphins, kiss the dolphins, dance the cha-cha with the dolphins, AND use my hand and a ball as a target for the dolphins to come up and touch.  
[Dolphin Talk: Eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eh!]

Then it was time for the more adventurous tricks.  The first time, I hitched a belly ride on the dolphin.  I had to hold my hands out to one side, like I was dancing a hula, and wait for the dolphin to come sneak up on me.  Once he did, he flipped over onto his back, I grabbed onto his two flippers, and he pulled me back safety!  Whew! I thought I was going to drown out there!!!  (NOT!)

My favorite part came last.  You know, save the best for last!

I got to be pushed by not one, but by TWO dolphins!  I held onto a boogie board and both dolphins swam up behind me, each putting his nose on my feet, and sent me rocketing through the water at lightning speed!  I felt like I was flying!!!  Woohoo!!!  It was awesome!!!!  I could have done that all day!

Audrey and Aiden got to participate too, though they were too young to ride the dolphins.  But, they did get to pet, kiss, and dance with the dolphins.  They LOVED it!!   Audrey was begging to get out, though, because she was so cold.  She was shivering all over and her lips were blue by the time we got done...  I guess a little body fat is a good thing!  Aiden, on the other hand, in pure 2-year-old fashion, was basically making out with the dolphin during the dolphin kiss part.  I think he liked it a little too much...

After our time with the dolphins, we got to go into a stingray tank and pet some stingrays.  That was a little freaky.  I really don't like water creatures brushing up against my legs like little sea cats.  [Meow!]  Ok, I like water creatures, but not really stingrays.  We also got to see a big, red starfish and a really cool conch.  They say it's like a snail.  In my opinion, it looked like part snail, part alien from another shell-niverse.  Yeah, I don't think I'll be trying those conch fritters any time soon...  That's just disturbing, now that I know what one looks like...

Question of the Day:
Have you ever swam with a dolphin?  If not, would you if you got the chance?

BONUS Question of the Day:
What is the funkiest looking sea critter that you have ever seen?