Hyatt Family Blog

Hannukkah

What a busy Hannukkah we had this year. We lit the menorah and had presents for the kids each night. We had Hannukkah with the Hyatts where they got tons of toys and pancakes for breakfast, a Hannukah party with our playgroup, a Hannukkah party at Uncle Gary's temple with the whole Chervitz family where the kids danced, ate, watched belly dancers, did crafts and more, and finally, Hannukkah at Grandma Bevie's house with even more great gifts. Plus, two Holiday parties at school! Unfortunately, I only had the camera with me at the parties at school and at Grandma Bevies, so here are a few photos of the Holiday Fun.

Trip to the Bahamas

At the end of November, for my 35th birthday, Steve and I took a trip to the Bahamas for a long weekend. It was really great to get away and even though it was a bit chilly to get in the water (about 80 degrees, cloudy and windy) we still had an amazing time. Here are some photos.
We stayed at the Wyndham Crystal Palace Resort and Casino which was pretty nice. We had an amazing view from our room.

At our hotel, we enjoyed playing the slots, going to their variety show, eating at the adjoining hotel, shoping, getting massages, going in the hot tub, taking the bus to shop downtown and having a nice dinner at their steak house which featured a glass piano.

One of the best parts of the trip was visiting the amazing Atlantis hotel. It was so beautifully decorated with Chihuly glass sculptures, gorgeous gardens, fascinating ruins and aquariums and even coconut drinks on the beach.

After our trip, we celebrated on my actual birthday with a great dinner at P.F. Changs, a movie and a surprise dozen roses, balloons and presents waiting for me at the restaurant (here they are at home). What a great birthday! With our trip to Cancun last year for Steve's 40th and this one for my 35th, I think we're done for awhile!

A Great Thanksgiving Holiday and Chin Family Reunion in Trinidad!

After a particularly hectic time in October -- imagine Andy and I being too stressed out to do anything special to celebrate our Fifth wedding anniversary -- I felt I just had to take some time out for some fun and relaxation by visiting my family in Trinidad for a week during Thanksgiving. This was my first visit back to see my family, relatives and friends in Trinidad in over five years, so it was very exciting for me. The trip was made even more special because 1) it was the first time that we took Marin and Annelie back to visit our home in Trinidad, and 2) my sister and her husband Ahmad travelled with us to give me a hand with the twins, so it was a wonderful family reunion for all of us. Andy wanted to come along with us but could not make it because we felt it was best that he should not use up too much of his precious vacation time.

The week flew by quickly and the girls had a marvelous time with lots of new experiences. They would get up early in the morning and go downstairs to play. There Marin discovered the joys of helping her Grandma water the plants with her new toy watering can. Annelie quickly developed a fondness for our dog Buffy and would hang out all the time in the garage talking to Buffy. When we drove around the place and saw egrets along the way, the girls made us laugh when they would point them out to us and say "Duck!". When we passed sugar cane fields along the highway, Annelie said "Bush!" . It was just amusing.

We were all treated to the sweet tropical fruits that were in season this time of the year -- mangoes, baby bananas, oranges and fresh coconut water. The girls gave no trouble at all in eating and they ate very well (my benchmark for a successful trip anywhere), as their Grandma cooked lots of fish and fresh vegetables, and she also made her special fish cake and pastelles. We spent a lot of time eating out too, as we got invited to my cousin's home for lunch where he and his wife cooked a huge spread. We also got invited to a family friend's home for dinner where we had delicious Trini roti and curry. For dessert they served home-made coconut ice cream which the girls loved, and Marin kept saying "More ice-cream" to me until I removed her from the dinner table.

I also took the opportunity to get in touch with a couple friends in Trinidad that I had not talked to in a long while and it was heartwarming to find out about more people who live in the NY area, so I was able to expand my Trini support network in NY.

Also, I am happy to say that a milestone was reached in Trinidad, when Grandma potty-trained Marin during the last two days of our stay. Annelie needed a little more time but we had to leave for NY, so I have to work with her on my own now. Anyway, it is great as Marin has not had one 'accident' since coming back to NY from Trinidad, and I am so pleased with how easily my Mom trained her, because I have heard about the difficulties others have encountered with their toddlers.

We took lots of photos and video footage, and perhaps later on I will post a few pictures up when I get a chance to upload them. All in all, everyone had a wonderful time together, and though it was only one week we had there, I appreciated the time I was able to spend with my dear mother, brother, sister and brother-in-law under one roof. Thank you all so much for your help -- in NY, on the plane rides, and in Trinidad. You above all, understand how tough it is to look after twins singlehandedly all day long for months at a time without a break. I feel much better after spending time with you all. God willing, we'll see each other again soon, and I can't wait till then.