Our last round of visitors…….

~Just two days after our sad good-bye to Skylar, we were headed back to the airport to pick up Dad who brought a traveling buddy with him, Uncle Chuck. This was my brother’s first visit to the island, and surprisingly enough, my other brother, Craig, flew in the very next day. I say, “Surprisingly” because Craig’s trip was a last minute decision.We did not see them much the first few days because they stayed in a hotel and were off playing golf on several occasions. So, while my brothers were off playing golf, and meeting Chi-Chi Rodriquez, the golf legend (he's a local at one of the top courses they played), we spent time with dad. Being with dad means going to the beach (this is Wyatt's time with dad) and then, just being with dad! We always take a trip in to Old San Juan while he’s here. He has his favorite cigar shop and we get to walk the cobblestone streets again. Of course, David and I always have our “dates” together, one more special than the other each time he comes. I’m not sure what life will be like when we return home and the quaint little Caribbean hide-a-ways are not just around the corner. I say this with thanksgiving and awe at the fact that we would never be able to experience what we have the past year if it weren’t for living here and it literally being right out our front door…okay, maybe a short walk or drive. David also had the rare opportunity to see Hunter play baseball while he was here. His trips don’t always fall during game time. His visits are bittersweet, but always, always, just what we need to keep our focus until the end when we are back together again.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens....He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:1&11

Serious discussion, or not, at the cigar lounge



Enjoying our time together............



 

 Hunter with his teammates....................leading off third......................and the team praying below

~Dads goodbye was not near as hard this time since we knew it would only be a few weeks until we meet again, when we are all back home together! With Uncle Chuck the only one left of our visitors, he came to the apartment to finish out the week and then return back to Texas with mom and Naomi.  

At this point there was still much more fun left to do on the last week of us all being together for the reality to set in that it was all coming to an end, our amazing journey in PR; mom and Naomi would soon be leaving me and the boys to finish the trek we started last August (Naomi had state testing to attend with her online school). And so it was, we had only 4 days left to take Uncle Chuck around on some awesome excursions, but what’s funny is that Uncle Chuck gave the kids as much fun as we tried to show him! What’s better is that mom was in on it all!!! We went to the rainforest, and mom tracked right along with us, up the slippery path with me in front and my brother in the back while the kids hollered, “Come-on!” We had to show my brother our favorite falls with pool at the bottom, not on the usual tourist path. Then we were back in the van. When in the car with one of my brothers, nothing is off the radar as far as what we can do and where we can go, and so he suggested we do a little “resort hopping”. There are several along the east side of the island where the rainforest is situated, so we did just that. We entered some of the most luxurious drives into tropical paradises that I swear I’ve seen on the Travel Channel from my living room back in Shiro. We walked the grounds and swimming pool areas along the beaches, even letting Wyatt take his turn on a water-slide a few times before getting back in the van for our next “event”.



Mom in the rainforest



Yes, it does look like a religious experience my brother is having, but the water was just that cold!!!!



           



Okay, so this beach bum took my mother by surprise! Funnny!



Haing fun with our waitress, Joy!



     

We were nearly home, after our long day out with Uncle Chuck, when he spotted the cockfighting arena and said, “The funs not over yet!” Yes, I do have a free will and was driving the vehicle, but I was outnumbered by the voices saying, “Come on mom, let’s go!” It’s a legal activity in PR (if you can call it an activity), in the middle of the tourist area. About 15 minutes is all we needed to say we did it…or at least for the kids to say they saw it and think Uncle Chuck is really cool, because mom would never have turned into that place on her own. Not part of the culture I care about…..

We had a grand time, but a most memorable day was just around the corner....



Here it is! A real cockfighting arena.....roosters going at it



A coqui! This little guy is the islands national symbol and boy are they loud at night.......Uncle Chuck caught one for Wyatt. They're rarely seen but always heard from sundown to midnight.