In LaPaz and getting settled in.  Mandy and I have worked out a plan for getting our boat done and back in the water.  As usual, there seems more work that we can get done.  We are staying at Casabuena with our friends Milton, Susu and their daughter Michelle.  Vianne is so happy to see her friends again.  Watching all the crisis in the US with a crashing economy and an upcoming election, I can honestly say that I'm glad not to be there! 

We have been taking every opportunity to get Vianne in the water.  She is kicking much better and she seams much more comfortable then before.  I really hope that she will be swimming with in the next year.  Every one is happy to not be stuck in the car anymore.  I think we will have to have a little family party when we finally move back on board! 

As much fun at we have had visiting all our family and friends, we are happy to be our own family again.  

So as you can see Mandy and Vianne are happy to be making our way down the Baja.  I've promised for months to show Vianne a Dr. Suess trees, which really exist! This is a Cirio cactus which grown only in northern Baja. Very Cool!  
We also stopped in San Ignacio to have breakfast, great place to see when you are driving through the desert.  Always good to see an Owasis.  Driving through the desert after the recent rains was awsom! The whole desert bloomed and looked like the tropics once was passed into souther Baja.  We couldn't believe how beautiful it is! Also it's nice to be back in warm weather! Tomorrow we are heading to the beach!!

We find another Park?

Vianne on her trusty steed, ready to vanquish the evil dragon, she has her sward in hand.  Ok, maybe a duck isn't the best steed but it's do the job when your little.  

Parks are always fun, and we seem to have an obsession with finding the best one.  On our way, driving home to our boat in Mexico, we have been on a journey to find the best parks on the West Coast.  Vianne is particularly fond of the "magic" park w/ castles and dragons. Which her friends Juliet and Sarah introduced, while driving through Or.  The 

big slide park was also a good one.  Which Mia and Ruby and their mom and dad Jake and Sarah took us while in Valejo Ca.  however, I think dad liked the slide more. 

Now Passing through San diego Vianne has been able to meet a whole new group of friends.   She has been having great

 fun with Anya and Lilly.  As a dad it's been fun to watch Anya and Vianne become such good little friends.  It's great to watch them play so well together.  Though I don't always understand their stories, they are inventive.  Cute kids! 

New Blogging for the Longlys

Ok , 

For all the Friends and family. We've moved to this Blog format for two reasons.  One this one is easier to use, and two it's cheeper! I found that with our last blogging tool, I stopped writing because it was not user friendly.  So I'm hoping that this will be easier for me to keep in touch with all of you.  It will be even easier for you all to get a Facebook account as well.  I'm planning on using that format to pictures and video.  Here is to keeping up w/ this blog!

Nice fish hey?
I shot this while free diving at 30ft! The only bummer was that it completely destroyed my spear and now I have to build a new one! The visibility was really bad, about 7 feet, and I thought this was a small Pargo. Instead, this guy had his back to me and I had only seen his fin when I pulled the trigger. The Cabrio is close to twenty pounds. Not bad for a days work!
In other news, I'm happy to report that work is finally paying off! This week we have officially payed off the last of the debt we aquired while in the yard. Now we are only adding to our sailing kitty. It's been rough trying to catch up, but it feels good. Also Mandy and I are working on our game plan, trying to focus on our goals and making our next step. While we have made no official plans as to where we will go next, we are getting a good idea as to when and in the next couple months we will see more clearly when and where we should go.
I'm finding that living this type of cruising lifestyle, we spend much more time in port then actually cruising. I suppose that working your way around the world is simply going to take much longer then I thought it would.
I wouldn't change a thing!

Nice fish hey?
I shot this while free diving at 30ft! The only bummer was that it completely destroyed my spear and now I have to build a new one! The visibility was really bad, about 7 feet, and I thought this was a small Pargo. Instead, this guy had his back to me and I had only seen his fin when I pulled the trigger. The Cabrio is close to twenty pounds. Not bad for a days work!
In other news, I'm happy to report that work is finally paying off! This week we have officially payed off the last of the debt we aquired while in the yard. Now we are only adding to our sailing kitty. It's been rough trying to catch up, but it feels good. Also Mandy and I are working on our game plan, trying to focus on our goals and making our next step. While we have made no official plans as to where we will go next, we are getting a good idea as to when and in the next couple months we will see more clearly when and where we should go.
I'm finding that living this type of cruising lifestyle, we spend much more time in port then actually cruising. I suppose that working your way around the world is simply going to take much longer then I thought it would.
I wouldn't change a thing!

Well,
LaPaz has been good to us. We continue to thrive here and are enjoying our friends and family. The summer has not been too bad, however it is hot. Mandy, Vianne and I are getting used to being cockroaches hiding from the sun.
I'm pleased to say that last Friday Mandy was able to perform her first dive since before Vianne was born. It was a beautiful day and the water was very clear for us. Unfortunately we did not see the hammerhead sharks we were looking for, but there were a lot of fish.
Vianne has discovered the power of the word THAT. Everything is THAT. It's amazing to see how fast she is growing. She isn't saying NO yet, however whenever we want her to do something that she doesn't, she shakes her head back and forth. She diffidently has her own mind. She is also getting very fast and running all over the place.
We continue to play with Vianne in the water as much as possible. She is slowly making progress in being able to swim. It will be nice when she does.
We are hoping to have the new netting for the boat this week. Vianne will be happier being able to play on deck.
Work is well. It's good to be able to provide for my family. We have no immediate plans as to when we will set sail again. We are simply trying to continue saving money and make repairs and upgrades to the boat.
The major projects include new standing rigging, Mainsail, autopilot and painting the deck with non-skid. In addition we will be getting or building a new dinghy before we set out again. Our old one did not fair well over the past several months. I'm convinced that the solution is to build a nesting dingy, however, in due time.
For the meantime, I have been continuing with minor projects, that do not cost too much and that can be finished in a weekend.
Last weekend I put new Formica in the head and Mandy is pleased to have a new looking bathroom. The new stone green looks much better then the alarm yellow that was there.
We have also been able to get the boat into condition of day sailing, which we have done a little. It's good to remember why we are here in the first place.
As always we are doing well and enjoying life here. I'm still playing music with the local English church here, when I can. It's has been good. We are very thankful for where we are and how life has been treating us.
We are very thankful that summer is almost over. Cooler weather will be nice! As well, is the prospect of seeing our friends on other cruising boats who headed north for the summer? We are also looking forward to seeing family, which will be making their way south sometime soon.