Bermuda!

 because my husband is a rock star agent for an awesome company, we are able to travel to fabulous worldwide destinations nearly annually.  you may remember last year's trip to the Caribbean, or 2010's trip to Austria.  we really are lucky (well not "lucky" because Jason works really hard and deserves these trips) but blessed.

we got into Bermuda on a late Saturday afternoon, staying at the Fairmont Princess Southampton a luxurious resort in one of the smaller parishes on the island.  this was our first view from  our room.  it was a hazy evening, but the memories are clear:

sunday, i was determined to go to church.  i had checked out all the info online and we'd even spotted the branch building on our way from the airport.  we were cutting it close because we still had to rent our scooter. we took a cab to the scooter rental and discovered that Hawaii and Bermuda share something in common: island time.  we had a long wait for the scooter shop to open, so we gave ourselves a self tour of a neighboring resort.  i'm a sucker for a pink hotel!

thanks to "island time" we were not late for church.  we got there just before the 3 buses of fellow state farmers rolled in.  we and the Bermudans were a little surprised to see 50 people crowd out the branch of 6. (i guess we forgot we were travelling with the Utah contingent.)

 after church, we started our tour of the island, starting with the caves directly next door.

so, i cannot get over how these caves were discovered.  two 12 year old boys lost their ball in some overgrowth and found an 18 inch opening in the ground.  since they were curious, they ran home, and a) told their parents, or b) grabbed some rope and a carosene lamp and lowered themselves down.  if you've ever known a 12 year old boy then you know the terrifying answer is (B).  

i can't remember the actual length they lowered themselves, but it was in the 100 feet range.  then they swam around for a while in the pitch black cave until they thought it was time to head home and tell their folks.  

if my son ever pulls a stunt like that, i will have a heartattack.  but, all's well that ends well, and the cave was an amazing find.  

 there are more churches per capita in Bermuda than in any other place.  this is the only unfinished one:

i just have to laugh at Jason running around with the scooter helmet on!  we had so much fun running around the island. 

we happened upon this cute little parade in St. George Parish.  we ended up having a nice chat with a proud parent who explained to us the rich Portugese Catholic history and culture in Bermuda.  

this is St. David's lighthouse, a beautiful spot we visited during our self tour of the island.  we had a lovely picnic lunch and panoramic views of the island.. 

i have a slight obsession with graveyards.  i think they are beautiful and full of amazing history.  whenever we spot one on a trip, it becomes a destination.  what a peaceful final resting spot!

Jason is a bit of a green thumb, so as we hiked through the nature preserve of Cooper's Island, he came across this huge weed.  he was fascinated.  

another beautiful spot was Gibb's Lighthouse, not far from our hotel.  again, the views were unmatched.  

i spotted this little house.  wouldn't that be a lovely place to live?

we saw amazing landmarks, beautiful churches, incredible monuments, and learned a lot about the origins and culture of Bermuda.  we had so much fun, Jason played a round of golf on a dream course, i ran my own  personal Bermuda Half Marathon (which ended at 11.5 miles due to road closures.)

but, the bulk of our time was spent on this amazing beach we discovered.  we had it to ourselves day in, day out.  we rarely saw another person.  it was literally paradise!

we were sad to say goodbye to this slice of heaven. but happy to come home to our little angels..  they had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa, but the amazing team of Rick and Terri were in desperate need of a nap!