45under45: Fresca!

English Translation of FRESCA

from Merriam Webster

1. fresh

2. cool

The name of our house is Fresca. There's something just so wonderful about places where homes are named! (But, not as in lock-jaw, "We summer at Beauregard Hills.") Island house names are clever, memorable, usually corny and cliche, and always just something that transports you into a whole other mindset. Over the years we've stayed at: Sea Level (Lubbers Quarters), Mer Soliel (Marsh Harbor), Oceanview (Elbow Cay), Sandpiper (Green Turtle Cay), Sunrise (Great Guana Cay), and Slack Tide (also on Guana).

Because check-in wasn't until 3:00 and we "reached" much earlier, we flew here in our bathing suits with the intention of just grabbing a can of sunscreen and heading out to da beach. Luckily, the housekeeper (Miss Melanie) wasn't opposed to having us wander through the house while she finished up. (Apparently there was a water main break before we arrived and that altered her laundry schedule. So, she was basically done except just waitin' on da washing' t' finish.)

I find that it is always best to take house pictures BEFORE getting settled in. Because...getting settled in just really means messing up the place. If you want to see proper real estate photos of the house click here. Following is my tour starting with the living room on the main floor:

Living room with an ocean view.

The opposite side of the living room has a niche that might normally house a TV. But, nope. =)

One of the "goodies" that I packed in my extra large suitcase can be seen in the pitcher on the right of the niche. These are paper photo booth props that I bought and made for "Summer's Sweet Sixteenth". Unfortunately, she and her friends were having so much fun doing other stuff that they forgot to take selfies with the props. They are luau themed and will go on to have a good life here at Fresca. I hope that the home owners and future guests enjoy many an evening with some island drinks and funny photos!

No TV 'ere. We in de islands. I don' wanna 'ear all dat squawkin'!

Standing in the living room looking at the dining room table.

Diagonally, across the main floor, is a sitting room where we found this house actually does have a TV. It's in this little den/family room that is just off the kitchen. Nicholas tried the TV. After some fiddling he reported, "There's two channels. Neither of them work. One is just black and the other is snow. Mommy, I find watching the snow to be somewhat soothing." (Ummmm....Poltergeist much?) In this room there are books, board games, puzzles, etc. We set up Millie's crate here.

Sea fans and sea biscuits on display as you enter the sitting room.

Millie's crate by the bookshelf.

Opposite of the sitting room is the kitchen. Necessities have been purchased: coffee, Cheeto's, and Doritos!

Summer found the $ beads and wore them like a boss.

My boy, ever the Clark Kent, bespectacled and buttoned up.

This house has one giant set of spiral stairs leading from the main floor to the other living areas. Up one flight is the master suite.

TMI: I'm an obsessive stair counter. Fifteen steps up.

The top floor is just the master suite. Normally, we travel with my folks and they get the master. Now, I'm the master and it feels kind of weird to have an entire floor just for Shawn and myself.

King sized bed.

Huge walk-in closet and bathroom!

Sitting area in the master.

Back down the fifteen stairs to the main floor and then (thank you builder for making the flights even) fifteen more steps to the ground floor. Here, there's access to the pool, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and laundry. I told the kids that they could run in the house and grab any bedroom they wanted (apart from the master upstairs).

Nicholas chose the queen bedroom with a pool view. CB, Spencer, and Nee Nee were also happy to return to the Bahamas!

Nicholas' pool view.

Emma and Zack in the twin room (also with pool access).

Summer chose the other king bed/master with en suite bath.

Back upstairs (15 steps) to the main floor, there's a huge porch overlooking the even HUGER pool deck! Needless to say, both kids asked if they could jump from the porch into the pool. Ummm....NO!!!

To the left is the pool.

To the right is the outside table.

Here in Abaco, everyone (EVERY business, home, boat, person, bar, store...) uses the VHF. You use call signs to hail. Since we are former cruisers, we monitor 68 - the cruising channel - even though most businesses monitor 16. In general, our house and its occupants are Fresca. When I'm out, most likely with Millie, I'm Millie 'n' Mommy. Emma and Zack are Colonel.

In the mornings at 8:15 AM is the Cruiser's Net, a VHF radio network broadcasting various handy pieces of information: weather, community events, crossing and cut conditions, trivia, announcements of departures and new arrivals, and an open mic session for just general questions. The format is ALWAYS the same. Thank you for this service! It is one of my great pleasures to sip coffee and listen.