Thanksgiving in Tonga

We did Thanksgiving last Thursday, it went great!  We found an expensive turkey, had stuffing, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, homemade mashed potatoes, etc.  Everything was nice.  Turns out, those in the states celebrate it next week, but we had a nice celebration, watched history channel "mayflower" movie for education, etc.

We got $230 of groceries this morning - a lot for around here!!  Included some spoils like chips and cookies, and meat, which cost more than our usual fresh fruit, eggs, etc.  Since we ate 30 pineapples last time we were out, I got closer to 40 this time.  I also bought a whole stalk of bananas, and then there was a second one for $5 Tongan, which is about $2.50 - $3 US.  So I had to get it.  A whole stock on bananas for $3?  So, when they ripen, we are set on bananas too!  At the market, I bought a single bundle of yellow ripe bananas for $5 Tongan also; the kids ate it before we even left the store.  It was about 15 bananas.  So they can do some real damage when it's available and ripe for them.

We are back out at the islands for another week or so.  Great island just over an hour from Neiafu- Nuku, has a big white sandy beach on one side with a steep drop off from the shore.  You can dive right off the shore into the water.  We had a nice walk, great swim, and play on the beach this afternoon.  We snorkeled and saw a small coral reef with lots of colorful fish around it, a sea anemone with clown fish around it, and little garden eels all over one little area.  Integrity drew many megalodons onshore then, with Valiant's help, they speared them.  Intrepid, Innocence, and Vitality made a sand castle intermixed with swimming.  

Tomorrow Courage is thinking of going to anchor on the beach since it's all soft sand and a nice drop off.  He snorkeled the area to make sure there were no surrounding reefs.  He hopes we can pull up onto the beach, drop the front ladder, put the anchor onshore, and let the back hang off.  Certainly pictures will follow if it works out.  Then we can clean the bottom, a much needed task as we are starting to grow some little muscles on it.

So we are still enjoying our surroundings and finding everything very convenient here.

Cassidy and Wolfie had a great weekend, Friday going on a motorboat with 2 teens, ex-Texans, and a 16-year-old girl from Idaho here on missionary work.  They hit 3 islands, lots of swimming, climbing, running and beach play.  Then on Saturday, we took our boat for a trip to a nearby island for some surfing behind the boat on the way out, volleyball at the beach, a game of "wipeout" obstacle course for those who dared, some swimming, more volleyball, then home for the evening.  Fun weekend, perfect weather, wore ourselves out, enjoyed the teen posse!

Goodnight, off to rest for another big day tomorrow.  Tomorrow looks to be busy, active, and mostly outdoors.

Shannon