The Houstonian Hotel, Resort and Spa hosted Santa Claus for an underwater photography session. The Houstonian staff were on hand with Hot Chocolate complete with marshmallows and the Oceanic Ventures staff were in the water taking the photographs and entertaining Santa! People of all ages joined us and even a little rain did not stop the festivities. To see what you missed…
Children
The 12 Days to a Scuba Christmas
As you may know, I just returned from a short visit to the Cayman Islands. Diving in December could not have been better and I did not have to wear a drysuit! Today, while I was cleaning out my email inbox I stumbled upon a note from the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism – are you sensing a theme here? It seems that they are having a Christmas contest for crafty and culinary divers. The prize is roundtrip airfare for two on Cayman Airways and they are giving away three sets of prizes. The contest, “12 Days to a Cayman Christmas” seems like a fun way to get your entire family involved in diving without leaving home! Of course, that is not the idea behind diving but the water is a little cold here right now even if the air temperature is not (I love living in the South!)
There are twelve different projects and you post your entry in a photograph to facebook by the 21st. Then, from the 17th to the 24th t everyone votes for their favorite entry. So you are asking what do I have to do? Well, there are twelve challenges to complete. You only have to do one to enter the contest but the more you do, the greater your chances of winning. Here are the challenges (remember, you only have to do one to enter):
- Challenge #1: Bake a Gingerbread House in the form of an old time Caymanian House
- Challenge #2: Make a Cayman Catboat out of any craft items from your local craft store.
- Challenge #3: Make a Christmas Ornament pertaining to anything in the Cayman Islands
- Challenge #4: Make a Christmas Card representing the Cayman Islands
- Challenge #5: Create a Christmas logo for Sir Turtle
- Challenge #6: Create a Cayman Islands Christmas T-Shirt
- Challenge #7: Bake a cake inspired by the Cayman Islands
- Challenge #8: Use shells from your local craft store and design them to represent the Cayman Islands
- Challenge #9: Make a Caymanian dish for dinner.
- Challenge #10: Decorate a Christmas Tree inspired by the Cayman Islands
- Challenge #11: Design a Cayman Islands Christmas Post Card
- Challenge #12: Design a Stocking stuffer in a Cayman Islands Theme
So, if you can’t get wet right now, why not think about the islands and have some fun with your family? You can enter the contest by visiting www.facebook.com/visitcaymanislands. And, be sure to let us know you are entering so we can go out and vote for you.
And of course Dive Mom can help you set up the rest of your adventure in the Cayman Islands…
See you in the Islands!
New Scuba Divers
There is really something special about babies and our diving family has been expanding a lot over the past few months. Oceanic Ventures is a family oriented dive store so we have a special appreciation for the new divers joining our diving family. Remember it will only be a few years before they are ready for our Star Fish program and their first diving mask. Ann is always quick to ask new parents when they will be bringing their new dive buddy to the dive store for a visit and a photo with her and maybe even “Al.”
Most recently, one our staff, David Morris and his wife Marissa brought Morgan Morris into the world. David even laughed that she was already becoming a nitrox diver because she was on elevated oxygen (i.e. nitrox) while in the incubator after her delivery. She is still a few weeks away from her first visit here, but we are anxiously awaiting her arrival.
Another of our diving clients, Giles Adam brought his beautiful baby girl, Genevieve, who was born on 25 October, to the dive store to meet Dive Mom and to start learning where to buy her father some scuba Christmas gifts. Giles is one of the members of Team Ice Cold and went to Antarctica with us last March.
Ann and Eric were also priviledged to serve as God Parents for Anna Coussirat, the daughter of long time customers and friends Dan and Angie Coussirat.
It is always special when children come to visit, especially the newest member of our family. Congratlations on the birth of your children and we really look forward to their first Star Fish class!