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.

Easter on the Island…Cristo es resucitado (Christ is risen!)

April was a bless-ed month for several reasons, not only with the celebration of our risen Savior, but getting to see one of my children from home as we welcomed Skylar the week of Easter. We did all the regular things: beach, shopping, and more beach. She is always so sweet to come with few expectations other than, in her own words, wanting “to just be with you guys”.  She would come across the ocean if only for Nanny’s rice and gravy…throw in the chocolate pie and she’s set!  What’s better is she gets Nanny and mom’s cooking all in the same visit, and that on top of the tropical island! Skylar is nearing the end of her major at Sam Houston State. When she’s not in school, she’s working, and when not working, she’s in school; add driving the back and forth from College Station to Huntsville and you have one tired young lady that I am so proud of. I just wish I could ease her load. And so I tried, for only a few days…This goodbye was hard, they all are, but not near what the others were, since we knew it would be a much shorter time between our next reunion.

Picking up sister at the airport!

 Me and my girls!

Easter Sunday Family Photo (missing 2 of my men!)

 ~While speaking of the Easter season, I wanted to mention one particular evening Naomi and I walked down to the park on the beach to discuss a paper she was writing for one of her classes. The park is a lively place in the evenings with parents just in from work taking their little ones to the playground (being a high-rise area, recreation space is limited, except that of the beach of course), teens and young adults on skateboards and bikes, joggers cooling down from their run on the street taking a glimpse of the ocean, and people coming to and from the beach. There is always a breeze, and people-watching is at its peak. We watched as a group of locals gathered in a large circle and began to pray. Then they moved over to the sand on the beach, it was now dark with park lights giving way, and they made another large circle where they started to sing. I asked a local sitting next to me and Naomi what they were specifically praying/singing about and was told, “For the island…for young people on the island”. Their singing was to a bongo drum only and was the coolest island praise music ever. Naomi and I moved closer and clapped along with them. It was an amazing show, and sharing, of Christ’s spirit in our little part of the world---Puerto Rican style! After the singing they broke up in groups and approached random people in the park, including us, to ask if there were prayer needs. They prayed for us in broken English and Puerto Rican Spanish. Proof that our Lord is Alive and Everywhere! His remnant remains and is ever faithful from sea to shining sea!

Locals Praying in the Park

 Holding up placards while they sing...Jesus Saves and Jesus Loves You

...And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."  Revelation 5:9

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I'm sharing other random photos from my cameral roll.......just too many to include them all in my blog posts, but here are some good ones...

Mom and Wyatt at local market



Hunter's birthday breakfast....Krispy Kreme! mmmmm.......



Love this photo! Nomi and vintage bug on cobblestone streets of Old San Juan

Painted by the Lord of the Universe!



Just after sunrise....the camera caught what my eye could not see; a pretty awesome shot!





This little guy was literally taking a parking place at the local mall! Just an everyday iguana sighting.  The locals call them "pests". We still think it's crazy!



Always a treat and a must have every time Dad comes in; mallorca sweet bread, tarts, chocolate custard pie, and cafe leche........Kasalta!



Just in from snorkeling....If I remember correctly, this was taken right after Hunter was face to face with a stingray and said he was ready to leave:)



On the steps of La Fortaleeza, the governors mansion in Old San Juan. We were on a tour.

Naomi with the "Conn" family that she babysat quite often. She loves those kids!

This is how they haul horses! No kidding. Not many horse trailers to be seen. Crazy!!!



This is just cool! Down to the surfboard and vintage coca-cola cooler on top.



Look real close......this is one of the tree coconut climbers that climb the palms on the beach. It's a real science. He puts on a type of workboot and leg braces, and up he goes. Plop, plop, plop fall the coconuts. Then he's off in his cart to the next tree.

The local dog walker. I think I counted 14 on this particular day.

A Mountain View To Die For!

Where do I begin filling you in on the last 4-6 weeks? It’s been a whirlwind of fun and adventure as we have just finished welcoming our last round of family visitors before we are headed back home, as well as the sad good-byes that come with those dreaded airport departures.

~Before I post on our time with family, I must tell you about our trip to the mountains that began the month of April for us. Yes, I drive into the mountains on a weekly basis to get Hunter from the Academy, but never have I/we been to the TOP of one! As I’ve reported before, we have been so blessed with safety, great experiences, and circumstances that can only be explained by our God who has gone ahead of us every step of this journey, and that includes the wonderful people with which we have come in contact that are just as much a part of our story as anything else. One of those people is John Lombardo, the owner of the beachfront apartment we rented on our initial visit to PR last summer. Having several rentals, John welcomes visitors to the island on a monthly basis; however, he has been so nice to extend an extra show of support toward me, my mother, and the kids since we set ourselves up here in August. He had invited us to his mountain home early in our stay, but it was not until Spring Break that it fit in to everyone’s schedule. I have marked this as one of MY favorite adventures of our time on the island. Perhaps the most amazing part of this story is that my old van made it! We followed John, his son, and mother-in-law some 3,000 feet above sea level to a destination point that took our breath away! As we exited the main highway, it took us another 45 minutes to an hour on the winding roads to the top of the mountain. To get the feel of it, I must explain that we were in the heart of pure, Latin/Caribbean culture. No new architecture, but what would be considered poor housing by most standards, in all colors of concrete, porches and balconies with hanging clothes, and dilapidated cars along the side or front yards, but most always a friendly face when you see one. There’s the occasional panderia (bakery) that may look old and run down, but serves up the best pastries, fresh bread, and coffee you’ve ever tasted.  All this, with the backdrop of lush, tropical greenery, and your only thought is, “what a cultural experience”!  We were entering the islands coffee region and drove past hillsides of coffee growers, as well as orange and grapefruit trees; we even came across a free-roaming peacock to add to the beauty and wonder of it all. As we finally reached Johns little mountain home, I was convinced we weren’t in PR anymore, but somewhere in the Alps! Not just the heights we had reached, but the charm of the little Swiss style chalet that awaited our afternoon visit. It was splendid!! The views were AMAZING!!! Lunch was all fresh meats in the outdoor brick oven, fresh bread from the panderia, and fresh salad greens with walnut oil and vinegar dressing. Hunter and Wyatt took off immediately with John’s son Angelo exploring this mountain vista we had all to ourselves, or so it seemed. Mom and I were in awe not only at the views but with the grounds and what he grew: coffee, wild raspberries, blackberries, grapes, passion fruit called “parcha”, mulberries, lemons, guava, plantains, bananas, and spices of all kind. Within an hour, and thankfully after taking all the pics we wanted, we were literally in the clouds, as the white air came wafting through the door and windows and we could literally see only in front us of. It was awesome!  

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hands are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is his for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.   ~Psalm 95

A stop at the panderia for fresh pastries before heading uphill! This is mom and our host for the day, John. Look, mom's already taking a bite. It's that good:)

The beautiful peacock we spotted along the road. It jumped on the gaurdrail as we took the pic.

The wonderful little "chalet" we finally reached! Not all houses in the mountains of PR look as charming.



Hunter walking among the coffee rows --- it had already been harvested for the season

   




Wyatt look on lunch in the brick oven!



Mom shows off the spoils of wild fruit the boys brought back! (holding wild raspberries)



Bye for now........j.

CHECK BACK EVERY FEW DAYS FOR BLOG INSTALLMENTS AS I TRY TO CATCH UP FROM THE PAST MONTH OR SO. I DON’T WANT TO “BLOG YOU DOWN” IN ONE POST!

Spring Break in PR...

~ I must admit, it feels a little like Spring Break here just about every other day, and I was reminded again how fortunate we are to be enjoying the sand and the sea, and living the life of a tourist, when my dear friend Misty flew in to spend her break with us in PR.  Misty and I taught together at AOA where she still teaches second grade; our kids are the same age and went to school together. What a pleasure it was for the both of us to enjoy some “girl time” together and renew our friendship. It’s not that often that two wives and mothers are lying on the beach together on a tropical island, having nice dinners, walking the streets of an historic Spanish city, and snorkeling in the Caribbean. Yes, we did all that and a little more with only a short rest back at the apartment to refuel for the next outing.  We took nothing for granted, often thinking amongst ourselves, “two small-town girls from Shiro and Huntsville…only a great and mighty God can make this happen!”  It was a much anticipated time for us all as we welcomed someone from home, a place we are all longing for at this point in our venture. Mom cooked a few small meals for us and one really good chocolate pie. Naomi and Wyatt enjoyed the fun with “Mrs. Lampson” as well. We even took Mrs. Lampson with us to a performance by the Harvard Glee Club at the Conservatory de Musica de Puerto Rico (Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico). Naomi had to report on a classical concert in an elective class she is taking online.

~While we were having fun in San Juan, Hunter was off with his baseball team on an excursion that most men and boys can only dream about. They spent the week in and around Orlando where they visited different MLB Spring Training practices and took in a couple of games between the teams --- Cardinals, Tigers, Mets, and his infamous Yankees.  They did play two games themselves while in Florida, but did not come out victorious. The only concession was that they played against a college team and stayed within 4 runs. Still, Coach Rivera does not take a loss lightly as all eyes are usually on the boys from PR to make a showing of some kind! They played on the Miami Marlins minor league field; what a  treat that was, but then again every game he plays, even here in PR, is played on what would be a college field to us back home. Baseball in Latin America is a big deal and by the time they reach high school they are playing in stadiums around the island.  It certainly was a trip of a lifetime for Hunter. He didn’t want to come “home” to PR, imagine that. When asked if he was ready for college ball after 4 straight days of watching MLB practice and play up close and personal he said, “Are you kidding mom? I’m ready for the majors!” I guess that’s the attitude, but he agreed he must pay his dues.

~I know for many back home the countdown to summer has officially begun now that Spring Break has come and gone. Well, Spring Break has not officially come and gone here in PR. For the kids in PR it’s the week before Easter. That’s when Hunter will be out of school and he’ll enjoy an easier week here at the apartment and on the beach with us. Nevertheless, we too have begun counting down  for when we return HOME! Ah, that word HOME sounds so nice even in spite of the fact that my dear friend and neighbor back in Shiro likes to send reminders of the dusty roads I will return to and the Gulf Coast that is a far cry to what I walk down the sidewalk and see right now when I gaze out at the turquoise ocean. My response to Ann Marie is this: What did Dorothy say? “There’s no place like home!”  Notice, I added the explanation pointJ.  So, for Naomi and my mother, the return date is set for April 20^th. Naomi is returning sooner to take standardized testing for her online schooling and is looking forward to staying with big sister in College Station who will get her back and forth to her testing. This will leave me, Wyatt, and Hunter behind for a few more weeks in PR until Hunt finishes at the Academy in mid-May.  We have not nailed down our plans for returning next year, although Hunter will return for sure to finish out his senior year of training and for opportunities of being scouted for college ball. He is very close to being finished with his academic studies and has taken both the ACT and SAT while here in PR. We ask that you pray for our decision and plans for next year.

Enjoy the pics because we enjoyed taking them! What a great time we’ve had the past few weeks!!
 

Old San Juan....the beauty and historic charm never get old!

Just too good of a photo-op to pass up...Naomi with the Harvard Glee Club! They were on a special Spring Break tour and were quit a treat singing both classical and modern peices, mostly acapella.

Let the snorkeling begin!



Does it get any better??? On a catamaran in the Caribbean getting served fresh fruit from those cute little Puerto Rican boys...I had to keep my eye on Naomi for sure! There were about 35 people on board which made for a lot of fun!

 



 The boys and I toured the MS Bounty, the actual ship made for the 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty starrting Marlon Brando. It was also in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies as well as the Sponge Bob movie. It is on a sailing tour around the world and currently docked in Old San Juan.



There's my pirates on board the Bounty...but they're good pirates!!!!



Picnic at the beach...mother, daughter, and granddaughter



El bautismo en el Caribe...Baptism in the Caribbean

 Jesús está vivo en Puerto Rico! Jesus is alive in Puerto Rico! Today was a wonderful Lord's day as we celebrated the baptism of 5 people along the northern coast of Puerto Rico at Dorado Beach. The church we attend is a mixture of both Americans and Puerto Ricans; however, the majority are from the states as it caters to those who are living here temporarily on business, with the military, and the occasional family from small town Texas whose son came to play baseball:)  For the baptismal celebration we traveled caravan style after the morning service to a beautiful private beach community where we gathered down at the water for the most wonderful believers experience, participant and observer alike.  Baptism, although not a necessity to salvation, is indeed a testimony to others of our new life in Christ as we follow the example that was set by our Savior.

The pastor briefs everyone on what is going to take place before we "gather at the river" as the old hymn says

What a moment for a mother (or the father whose standing by)! Participating with your child in the most important decision of his life has to be the experience of a lifetime! These are our dear friends, the Conn's, who Naomi stays with once a week to help with home schooling, Amy and her son Jacob.

The kids run to play in the water! Wyatt and his friends

Sweet little onlookers.......




My mother enjoying the view

It was a really fun day for all of us. Below is our friend Abner. I say "our friend" because we all enjoy Abner's company. He has the best personality and is teaching us so much about the Puerto Rican culture, but for some reason he seems to like Naomi much more than he does us:/






“Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”  Luke 3:21, 22