As I went running this morning I comtemplated how delicious land is when I know I won't be in touch with it for a couple of weeks while we're sailing...and that led to how one never knows if it's the last time you see someone or someplace when boats depart and all go their separate ways. The same thing applies in life regardless, which led me to remember two dear ladies that were Godly influences in my life throughout different seasons, and although they are no longer here in their physical form, I know that their heavenly form must be unimaginably beautifuland I am thankful to have known them as I did. This letter is dedicated to them; Gay, and Paula. Hope you're enjoying your adventures with the angels!

Now that it's fall I am finally getting around to mentioning what we did this summer, before we shove off from Fiji tomorrow on a different adventure.

The boys and I spent 6 weeks in America while Allen stayed onboard in Fiji, suffering the first two weeks with a horrific staph infection and without a nurse. Once recovered he took advantage of at least half of the crew gone to varnish the floor. It's bad enough to paint or varnish with dogs onboard, but next to impossible with the boys and I present, as it's a guarantee for them or I to grab onto or step in it if it's fresh paint!

We stayed a whole month in Seattle, actually arriving in time for Father's Day, celebrating my dad's 90th birthday with family, and ending with my 25th high school reunion. My brother and nephew took me to the gun range for a shootout, I spent the night in my parent's old motorhome in the back yard with a bunch of little kids just for fun, and ran a lot in the rain! The boys were super excited to use the amazing new Lynnwood pool facility with its' waterpark slides and fountains, where they also took swimming lessons for 2 straight weeks. We enjoyed Independence weekend at the Sedro Wooley Logger Rodeo Parade complete with two rodeos, the first we've ever been to. Then there was "Pandamania" Vacation Bible School, the highlight of another week that we were very fortunate to be a part of something so special and fun.

Very little shopping was done, but my dad did accompany me on a nice drive to Shilshole Bay Marina's West Marine and to buy specialized fabric for new boat curtains. He crawled around on their living room floor for days helping me measure and cut! My mom seems to have more energy than I even have, and she baked and required us home in time for dinner every night or we'd get in trouble!

Despite all the fun without much sun, we made up for it in a week's worth of Phoenix's summer heat. My talented mother in law kept me company and helped me sew beautiful trim on the new boat curtains, and my sister in law and I hit a few Goodwills. We also spent a few days in San Diego with one of Allen's brother's and got to go to Legoland for a day!

Arriving back to Fiji the beginning of August, we were so happy to be reunited with the darling dad/husband, who was even thinner than he was before we left. I guess the no alcohol, no wife, staph infection weight loss program has it's rewards. He quit drinking a year ago when we left Fiji and I'm very proud of him! I could say he's like a fine wine though, he just keeps getting better with age! It's still fun to swoon over him after 10 years of marriage!

Wyatt celebrated his 5th birthday with some other families from boats at Musket Cove. Even the adults joined in the festivities for tug of war in the sand, using the giant Fiji Day rope to pit kids against adults, and women and children against the men. The kids even dressed up in costumes, had their faces painted, and had a blast playing kickball and pin the tail on the donkey!

Since Wyatt's passport was under the 6 month expiration date when we re-entered Fiji, we decided rather than make a simple 4 hour bus ride to Suva to take the boat on a road trip around the whole island. It took exactly a month, with several lovely places to stop along the way: Vatia Bay, Nananu - I - Ra, Viti Levu Bay, and Levuka, Fiji's original capital of colonial days. We met a bunch of really wonderufl people, the boys made new friends, including 3 puppies whom they fell in love with, and made very special memories celebrating Allen's and my birthdays.

My birthday was spent aboard at Nananu - I - Ra with friends who brought 8 homemade frangipani leis. I made Icelandic pancakes with some local fruit jam and they were gobbled up! Allen's day was spent motoring the eastern side of Viti Levu to Levuka where we wandered town and spent the roughest night at anchor since La Cruz, Mexico.

Homeschooling resumed the end of August as well, and the routine has been welcome. Wyatt has commenced Kindergarten and is starting to read, and Morgan is gung ho for studying history, "The Story of the World", among other subjects for second grade. They are off to a great start.

Once in Suva, we had lots of options for things to do while we waited for the renewal of Wyatt's passport through the US Embassy there. We were reunited with our Canadian friends who had also been in the RMI with us, spent time at the downtown library, mall, market, and shops, and watched World Cup Rugby at the Royal Suva Yacht Club. There was also another remote anchorage off the side of Suva's Walubay harbor, called Tradewinds, which we found to be the calmest place we've ever moored. It was a remarkable little bay where you'd wake up to billions of chirping birds. We also enjoyed a week there with a Kiwi boat that had two very fun little boys nearly the same ages as Morgan and Wyatt. The town of Lami was within walking distance so we were able to enjoy the small town next to the big city.

Now we are ready to go. The fish tanks have been cleaned (whom by the way had 14 babies so the jars are bursting at the seams), the cookies and goodies have been baked, the veggies have been canned and pickled, the laundry's been laundered, the provisions stowed (still looking for a place to stow the pumpkin and watermelon!), and only a few things remain to be tied down and secured, like the dinghy! After much deliberation, we decided to return to the Marshall Islands once more, as Allen has been offered a great job again with the Aussie man he worked for last year. Our "cruising kitty" suffered horribly this year between the stock market and huge boat repair expenses. However this time we'll be out island at Ailinglaplap atoll, 150 miles NW of Majuro, where a surf resort is being built. If we thought there wasn't much nightlife in Majuro, there certainly won't be a thing to do but count coconuts or stars out there. I am actually looking forward to it and am ready to get this show back on the road Monday! It should take between 12 and 14 days, depending on the weather.

So, in the meantime your prayers will be greatly appreciated! Thank you! More pix have been uploaded from our time here in Fiji if you want to see what we've been up to:

www.flickr.com/photos/sunshinesimis and you can follow our progress through yotreps:

our Yotreps ID# is, WDA4372 or Love Song. The sailblogs that are posted under way can be read on Facebook or at www.sailblogs.com under Love Song. As if you aren't busy enough!

If you have our sailmail address, please write to us while we're underway, otherwise we'll look forward to hearing from you at this hotmail account upon reconnecting to an ISP!

with love to you and yours from all of us on SV Love Song, Kathy, Allen, Morgan, Wyatt, dallas and dulce