Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico was a pleasant surprise.  Lush rainforest, pristine secluded beaches and warm weather...all of it delighted our senses. 

The best things, though, were the simple things:  munching fish tacos while overlooking the ocean, waking up to yet another sunny day, flip-flops and sunscreen, and our rented Jeep.  Togetherness.

Each day we hopped in the Jeep, fired up Shelly (our faithful GPS) and went on a new adventure into unknown territory.  We met some really nice people, saw all sorts of creatures you just don’t see in the Midwest, ate some interesting food, drank lots of Diet Coke with lime,  and took in the landscape.

Little G was such a girl.  Here’s what she thought about sand:

She experienced lots of firsts: glass elevators, the ocean, seashells and fried food and no schedule.   By the end of the week, she was okay with all of it and even stood by herself in the elevator and stood by herself in the pool...wow moments for a little 17-month-old!

Christian de-tailed half the lizards in Puerto Rico, accidentally, of course.  Chasing lizards, counting the snails on the trees and spotting iguanas...he loved every minute of it.    He and Ethan snorkeled on a beach tucked in a sleepy town in the northwest corner of PR, definitely off the beaten path.  We were the practically the only ones there.   They saw colorful fish, huge sea urchins and lots of coral...really amazing.

The rainforest was a highlight.   Waterfalls and green as far as you could see...

Another highlight: Dorado, where we stayed, was hit with around 5 inches of rain in one hour.  Sheets of rain poured out of the sky, warm rain.  My boys, of course, couldn’t resist and actually swam in the pool until I made them get out.  The pool ended up flooding and was closed for a couple days.  I will never forget peering out into the storm and seeing only two dots in the pool, tossing a ball back and forth, and willing them to get out of the pool with a prayer!   It was an amazing storm.  The picture below is before the storm.

Father, thank you for our trip.  We loved it.  You are an amazing creator of beauty and majesty.  Our time together as a family was priceless.  We are grateful.