roatan cowboys and cowgal

This afternoon I ran into my cousin Lenny McNab (C) and his daughter Yaneri (R) riding their horses with a buddy on a rural island road near Paya. Lenny has loved horses since we were kids growing up and going to school together. Yaneri has inherited this love of animals. She's currently studying veterinary medicine in Costa Rica.

Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

a special moonlit dinner

Dinner under the full moon with friends and family on the Main Deck at Paya Bay Resort. Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

happy 40th birthday, jason!

My good friend Jason, of Arizona, chose Paya Bay as the venue to celebrate his 40th birthday! He, his partner, and several members of Jason's immediate family (including his father and step-mom) did a "resort takeover" to celebrate Jason's BIG birthday. "I couldn't think of a better place to celebrate my 40th birthday than Paya! I just wanted to be in this awesome place surrounded by the people I love." In these photos, Jason and Luís enjoy blissful afternoon moments in the seaside plunge pool on Bliss Beach.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

paya babies

Sarah and her husband Paul are long-time supporters of the Paya Bay project, visiting us practically every year of the last five. Here Sarah and her sons Jack and Max enjoy a late afternoon swim on Bliss Beach.

the camp bay series

My sister, Connie, is visiting from the U.S. She shared some photos she took on Camp Bay beach.

Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

the appreciation frequency

If you have a problem with a member of your family who is negative, begin by writing a list of all the things you appreciate about that person. Remember to include gratitude to them for giving you a great desire for positivity in your life; because that is a gift they are giving you. As you focus with all of your strength on appreciation, you will not only reduce your exposure to the negativity, but at the same time you will be attracting positive people into your life.

Get yourself on to the appreciation frequency, and the law of attraction can only surround you with people who are in a positive state.

- lessons from The Secret

sunday lunch at the happy house

Yesterday Mom and Dad had Brooke, Fernando, and me over to their home for Sunday lunch. My niece Michelle and her boyfriend Andrés later joined us as well. We call my parents' home "The Happy House" because that's what it is. I hope this becomes a Sunday tradition!

Photos: Brooke and Fernando

my bro

My brother, Tom, sports a new look. Tom has one of the biggest hearts I've ever known. Along with being one of the owners, Tom is in charge of the snorkeling program here at Paya.

many special guests

Some of the many special guests that joined us in the celebration of this milestone event.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

...and boy did we celebrate!

Photos of events surrounding the celebration of my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

tropical beauties

Special guest Peter Van Aken shot these awesome photos. These beautiful flowers came into our lives by way of my maternal grandmother, Doris. Interestingly, lavender was one of her favorite scents.  Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

"the fort"

My cousin Virlene is visiting from Houston with her sons Elliot (far left) and Max. The boys play with my niece, Jasmine, in their "fort" under a grove of palm trees. I recall when, as a kid, a clearing under a grove of palms could be a "fort" for me. Some of the most vivid, exciting, happy, and amazing days of my life! Every single moment was thrilling, electrifying, and full of discovery. ...And those days lasted forever! A "day" in my childhood seemed like it took a year to go by. Children can become so "completely present in the moment" that time virtually stops. Each and every nanosecond is lived and savored to the maximum.

There is so much we can learn from baby humans. Their Operating System 'software' remains as it was intended: logically perfect and "virus-free" (no racism, no hate, no judgment, no bitterness, no religion, no prejudice, no fear, no 'rat race,' no materialism). We adults ought to pay more attention to how kids embrace life and live it so intensely. Who says we have to grow up?

count them

Count your blessings, Davi. You hear what I'm saying to you? Count your blessings, my son.

- timeless, loving advice from my Grandmother Doris (who has transcended)

can you say "feliz cumpleaños"?

Come on! Vamonos! My niece, Jasmine (a.k.a. "Jazz"), turned 8 today and got a "Dora, The Explorer" piñata for her birthday (thank you "Tia" Ana and Isabel!)  

As Dora would say, "We did it! We did it! HOORAY!!!!"