Mara Wreck Dive

This was Gabi's second open water dive - and we saw some neat schools of fish around a wreck - which was an old sunken platform that went down during a storm a number of years ago.  It was very cool - as some of the platform had fallen apart - so you could look through the holes, see the steps where the boats would come in - and it was a super fun dive with all 4 of the Woodward family divers.  We had a neat time - and got a good group photo thanks to Musa, the amazing instructor.

 Tracy, signalling an urgent need to go up. . . .or maybe just two thumbs up.

Very cool views of the sunken platform underneath the water.

Above the Water

Between the morning and afternoon dives, we had some fun times.  The super snorkelers were photographed on the boat - and Tracy enjoyed some time by the pool. Nothing like a pool and a great book!

Gili Air Wall

Reeve and I went on a nice dive where we saw loads of turtles.  We had quite a bit of current as we drifted along, passing some nubibranches, a trigger fish and lots more turtles.  How fun to be diving with Reeve, who did super.  Beautiful and so amazing to consider the beauty that God has created under the sea.  Wow!

Morning Boat Ride

For the morning, grandma and Rania set off on the boat to Gili Air Wall, while Reeve and I went on a dive.  Tracy relaxed by the pool while Gabi continued her coursework. 

The boat ride was around the island, and it was calm waters and a clear day.  How beautiful to be out in nature enjoying the amazing underwater world.

Family Dive!

What a thrill to get to dive with the four of us together ( Gabi, Reeve, Tracy and Doug).  Meanwhile, grandma and Rania got a chance to do some fun snorkeling (and see a turtle!!).  This was Gabi's first Open Water dive, and she was pretty spoiled with a large number of turtles being seen, great visibility and some spectacular coral.  Fun!

The dive site was just off the shore, only a minute or so boat ride to where we dropped in. 

 Going down the line to practice buoyancy and a rope line decent.

 Tracy enjoying the great visibility.

 Gabi already has the lingo and strikes a pose on her first dive.

 Not too far from a turtle, Gabi and Reeve get to see some great views of the magical underwater world.

Reeve shows off his profile (and hair!).

Lunch View

It's a tough life when your lunch site looks out at the beautiful colors of a tropical island! Add in the delicious fresh fruit juices, and we knew that we were pretty spoiled!

Super Snorkeler!

Gabi was starting her Junior Open Water course, and Tracy and Reeve took a refresher course to brush up on some of the skills.  Meanwhile, Doug went for a morning dive. Rania and Grandma practiced their snorkeling skills in the pool and then got a chance after lunch to do some snorkeling.  It is such a great place for beginners - and with relatively shallow dive sites (lots of sloping reefs), there is also great snorkeling at almost all the sites.

Spring Break Arrival!

For Spring Break, we went to the Gili Islands - which is just off the north coast of Lombok, not too far from Bali.  We flew into the airport and after an hour and half van ride, made our way to a short (5 min?) speedboat ride across the channel to Gili Air, one of the smaller and quieter islands.   What beautiful water and great first impressions. 

There are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island - so you either walk, take bicycles or horse-drawn carriages.  For our arrival, a horse drawn carriage got our luggage to our bungalow.

Later that evening, we stopped by the dive shop, where we confirmed our plans for the next day, and Gabi got set to start her Open Water Dive Course.  Exciting!

A B'Day Girl

How fun to get to celebrate a certain girl's birthday.  This might be the last time we celebrate an immediate family birthday for someone in the single digits for quite some time.

We went to TGIFriday's for the birthday, and Rania was a good sport as the staff sang to her.  




Happy Birthday!

Grandma Arrives!!

How exciting to have Grandma Woodward arrive!  She will be here through Spring Break, enjoy the 50th anniversary celebrations and we are excited to get to spend some time together.  It's always fun, too, when she bears gifts, including quite a puzzle which Reeve will have to figure out during our Spring Break. 

Night of the Notables

Gabi and all the Grade 5 students presented at the Night of the Notables, which was a big event and lots of fun.  Gabi did an amazing job, introducing the entire show at the beginning, and having a role when her class presented.  It is amazing the practice and energy that goes into this big Grade 5 presentation.

Afterwards, we were able to see and hear her description about her major human rights issue, which had to do with women's rights, especially profiling those who had broken through the glass ceiling and achieved notable accomplishments which had previously been denied. 

Oobleck

The girls wanted to make some Oobleck, so with a bit of corn starch and water, we had some fun playing.  Is it a solid?  A liquid?  Something else?  We may never solve such an issue, but we sure have fun with the mysterious substance. 

#Reslience (Demo)

This is Doug, during the work day. Giving a presentation to Grade 6 students showing what a possible exemplar of their #resilience project might look like.

Birthday Sleepover

With Spring Break approaching, we had a girl who got to invite two special friends over for a birthday sleepover.  There was lots of fun, cake, and lots of yummy goodies! 

Happy Birthday!

Adaptive Schools Training

Doug had the privilege of being a part of ISKL hosting the Adaptive Schools Foundations Course.  It was among the best PD experiences that one can have, especially considering how much time we spend in meetings.

This was a fun break from some of the intensity and learning as I was a "docent" for a museum tour where our group tried to explain our artistic metaphor. 






Thanks to Megha, who was kind (and hilarious) enough to video some of the silliness.