Puerto Rico
There are so many perks to having a baby! One of those perks was paternity leave for Nathan. His work gave him 2 weeks off and he had up to 6 months after Turner's birth to use it. With Nathan's mom being able to come out for the birth and then our trip out shortly after that and then Nathan's time off for Christmas, there was no need to use the leave immediately. Kennedy and Nathan decided they would rather save the time off to go somewhere warm with the kids when they were tired of winter and Turner wasn't too young to travel. Meanwhile, Nathan had already started the long process of getting Top Security clearance for his work (he works for Northrup Grumman as a financial analyst for government contracts on satellites, missiles and rockets). This complicated travel plans for the fact that anytime Nathan wants to travel outside the USA he has to give 30 days notice to the government and then after returning home, has to be interrogated about all he did, where he went and who all he saw. With having no idea if and when he would be cleared for this and risking not being able to give them 30 day notice, Kennedy and Nathan decided to go as foreign as they could without technically leaving the USA...Puerto Rico!!!
They had hinted that grandparents or great-grandparents were welcome to join them but my travel log around this time was just crazy. Scott and I went to Arizona in November for our anniversary, then we went to Virginia at the end of November through the first part of December for Turner's birth, then we went to Hawaii over Scott's birthday and had a birthday bash for Butch Parker planned for the first weekend in March. Puerto Rico was planned for the end of February, arriving home a day and half before it was time to leave to Arizona for the birthday bash so I didn't really even consider it...at first!
As it got closer and closer to their Puerto Rico trip, I started missing them more and more. I mentioned it jokingly to Scott about joining them and he said I should do it! He even offered to teach one of the two days of seminary I would miss by going. Getting subs for my seminary class is the hardest part of leaving town! I mentioned it to Kennedy and she assured me I would be welcome and a help with the kids. That was all I needed to hear! I booked my flights that night. Unfortunately, there is no good way to get from Portland to Puerto Rico! All flight options were terrible and included flying overnight. I flew out a day after the Hughes so I could teach seminary one more day.
Our trip was divided by two different locations and accommodations. Our first five nights were spent in an Airbnb rental. It was a high-rise condo with a little patio overlooking the beach and a hammock on which to relax and enjoy the view. But that was about all you could do with that beach, was enjoy the view. While beautiful to look at from way up high, it was not a good beach for swimming. Kennedy and Nathan found a beach not too far away that was better for swimming and playing in the sand and that is what they did that first day before I arrived.
After flying over 16 hours and all night, I arrived on day two of the trip around 10:30 am. I quickly found a bathroom to change out of my travel clothes to my summer clothes then looked for the Hughes in their rental car. Holland was so excited to see me and that made the long flight all worth it and little Turner gave me a grin as soon as I spoke to him! Since the airport is near old town San Juan, we took advantage of being there and explored San Juan a bit. We walked around some of the walled city and saw the fortress of Castillo San Cristobal.
Holland enjoyed seeing people flying kites and running free all over the big yards, until she fell and scraped her knee. But no worries, nothing a couple bandaids and an ice cream couldn't fix!
And then shortly after we had our first iguana sighting! Holland was all about the "lizards"! I was surprised she wasn't afraid but then Kennedy said she loved lizards cause there is one in the movie "Tangled" that she loves.
Another favorite stop was the splash pad fountain. Holland was mostly curious about it the first time we passed it but was more adventurous and even getting wet the second time we went by.
Besides poking our heads in the Catedral de San Juan, we mostly enjoyed walking around and enjoying the beautiful streets and cute pastel-colored colonial architecture.
Our final stop in Old San Juan had to be the spot where the original Pina Colada was invented! The food at Barrachina restaurant was just ok but the Pina Colada was worth the wait to get seated. The biggest mistake was not ordering Holland her own drink!
Day three was one for the books! The plan was to take the Ceiba ferry to Culebra island. This is highly ranked on the list of things to do while in Puerto Rico and is known for its white beaches and non-touristy sleepy town. The ferry ride is about 45 minutes there and back but only leaves a couple times a day. By the time we got all packed up and to the ferry, we had missed the one we had hoped to take. That meant we had to wait at the ferry office for two hours for the next one. There was a shady spot to sit and wait but that didn't hold enough entertainment value for Holland. She preferred to stand right in front of the jeep rental store door, with her new-found friend and throw rocks, all the while blocking people from entering or exciting the store. So after she got in trouble for that and had to move, there was no pleasing or entertaining her. She was fussy and Turner was fussy. Poor Turner cried (screamed) the entire two-hour wait and most the ferry ride. Let's just say we were exhausted and done before we ever got started in Culebra.
The beach was nice, but quite crowded. We set up the shade tent and Turner finally slept and Holland was happy once she could play in the sand and water. The problem was we arrived so late to the island that we only had about an hour and a half at the beach before it was time to catch the ferry back.
Day 4 was hiking and swimming in the El Yunque National Forest and the kids were so happy and did so well on this outing. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed not only the beauty of the plush rainforest but the shad it offered on our hike. We took the Angelito trail which was not difficult or long but ended up at the most scenic clear water dotted with boulders everywhere.
Holland's favorite activity at the beach was exploring and finding "treasures". She found everything from cigarette butts to a really cool pink piece of petrified coral. We hauled all those sandy, smelly treasures with us for the rest of the trip!
Day 5 was time to check out of our "White House" (as Holland called it) and move over to Wyndham Grand Rio Resort. This resort was also on the beach, but we had all gotten our fill of beaches over the last few days, so the plan was to spend the next few days at the beautiful pool there at the resort. The hotel was gorgeous, beach right off the back of the hotel and the rain forest right in front of our hotel. They even had two parrots out front to greet you when you checked in! We had a little patio off our room and Holland and I would go sit out there at night to listen to all the sounds of the jungle. I asked her one night if she could hear all the birds out there. She replied, "No. No birds. Just monkeys and dinosaurs." We had one room with two queen beds so I shared beds with Holland again and we put the portacrib in the bathroom for Turner. I think sharing a bed with Holland each night is what I miss most about this trip. She was so completely exhausted each night, she couldn't even make it through her regular nighttime routine of singing "I am a Child of God" and "Child's Prayer" and her prayers. She usually zonked out during the first song or before we could even get a chance to start her nighttime routine. She was such a great cuddle-bug all night though!
The next three days were so relaxing as we did nothing but go to the hotel pool each day. The plan was that I would take Turner up to the room when he was fussy or over-heated or needed to nap so Kennedy and Nathan could play at the pool with Holland and dare we even say it...relax and sunbathe! But that never happened! Turner was the perfect baby! We had no problem finding plenty of lounge chairs near the kiddie pool and in the shade. So we would bring Turner down with his car seat and when he was awake I would hold him in the shade or he would go swimming for a bit with Kennedy or Nathan and then he would fall asleep so easily and sleep for hours in his car seat in the shade. It was everything we had hoped these last few days would be!
If Holland ever got a little tired or needed a break from the sun and water, she could play her iPad games. These would entertain her for hours if needed. Once I was watching her play and when she finished the game I cheered and clapped for her. She really liked that I guess because from then on, every time she would finish her game, she asked everyone to clap with her!
On Sunday we did try to go to church. We looked up the closest chapel to us online and it said it started at 10:00. We showed up about 9:55 and the gate to the parking lot was still locked and the parking lot was empty. So we drove to a nearby bakery to try some local pastries. When we came back at nearly 10:30 the gate was still locked and parking lot empty. We even came across another car of visitors there parked in front of the street. They said they even called and spoke with the bishop who confirmed church was there at 10:00. Not sure what happened but we are pretty sure we still got all the blessings of going to church by our efforts! Another perk was I got some cute pictures with these cuties while we were all dressed up! Their matching outfits were souvenirs Scott and I bought for them when in Hawaii the month before.
Our last night at the hotel the weather started to turn cloudy with chances of rain. We had perfect weather all week! Kennedy wanted me to take some family photos on the beach at the hotel so everyone got ready and we had about 10 minutes on the beach before the rain started but just look at the results! Such a cute family! I am so very grateful they let me tag along and help with the kids. I will treasure this time and memories with them forever.
They had hinted that grandparents or great-grandparents were welcome to join them but my travel log around this time was just crazy. Scott and I went to Arizona in November for our anniversary, then we went to Virginia at the end of November through the first part of December for Turner's birth, then we went to Hawaii over Scott's birthday and had a birthday bash for Butch Parker planned for the first weekend in March. Puerto Rico was planned for the end of February, arriving home a day and half before it was time to leave to Arizona for the birthday bash so I didn't really even consider it...at first!
As it got closer and closer to their Puerto Rico trip, I started missing them more and more. I mentioned it jokingly to Scott about joining them and he said I should do it! He even offered to teach one of the two days of seminary I would miss by going. Getting subs for my seminary class is the hardest part of leaving town! I mentioned it to Kennedy and she assured me I would be welcome and a help with the kids. That was all I needed to hear! I booked my flights that night. Unfortunately, there is no good way to get from Portland to Puerto Rico! All flight options were terrible and included flying overnight. I flew out a day after the Hughes so I could teach seminary one more day.
Our trip was divided by two different locations and accommodations. Our first five nights were spent in an Airbnb rental. It was a high-rise condo with a little patio overlooking the beach and a hammock on which to relax and enjoy the view. But that was about all you could do with that beach, was enjoy the view. While beautiful to look at from way up high, it was not a good beach for swimming. Kennedy and Nathan found a beach not too far away that was better for swimming and playing in the sand and that is what they did that first day before I arrived.
After flying over 16 hours and all night, I arrived on day two of the trip around 10:30 am. I quickly found a bathroom to change out of my travel clothes to my summer clothes then looked for the Hughes in their rental car. Holland was so excited to see me and that made the long flight all worth it and little Turner gave me a grin as soon as I spoke to him! Since the airport is near old town San Juan, we took advantage of being there and explored San Juan a bit. We walked around some of the walled city and saw the fortress of Castillo San Cristobal.
Holland enjoyed seeing people flying kites and running free all over the big yards, until she fell and scraped her knee. But no worries, nothing a couple bandaids and an ice cream couldn't fix!
Another favorite stop was the splash pad fountain. Holland was mostly curious about it the first time we passed it but was more adventurous and even getting wet the second time we went by.
Our final stop in Old San Juan had to be the spot where the original Pina Colada was invented! The food at Barrachina restaurant was just ok but the Pina Colada was worth the wait to get seated. The biggest mistake was not ordering Holland her own drink!
Day three was one for the books! The plan was to take the Ceiba ferry to Culebra island. This is highly ranked on the list of things to do while in Puerto Rico and is known for its white beaches and non-touristy sleepy town. The ferry ride is about 45 minutes there and back but only leaves a couple times a day. By the time we got all packed up and to the ferry, we had missed the one we had hoped to take. That meant we had to wait at the ferry office for two hours for the next one. There was a shady spot to sit and wait but that didn't hold enough entertainment value for Holland. She preferred to stand right in front of the jeep rental store door, with her new-found friend and throw rocks, all the while blocking people from entering or exciting the store. So after she got in trouble for that and had to move, there was no pleasing or entertaining her. She was fussy and Turner was fussy. Poor Turner cried (screamed) the entire two-hour wait and most the ferry ride. Let's just say we were exhausted and done before we ever got started in Culebra.
The beach was nice, but quite crowded. We set up the shade tent and Turner finally slept and Holland was happy once she could play in the sand and water. The problem was we arrived so late to the island that we only had about an hour and a half at the beach before it was time to catch the ferry back.
We made it home without as much incidence from Culebra and just decided to eat in at that condo. One thing Kennedy and Nathan wanted to do that they couldn't do with kids was do a Boibay kayak trip. Luckily they were able to book last minute and went out that night while I stayed home with the kids. I bathed both kids and got them to sleep while Kennedy and Nathan enjoyed a night out to themselves.
After our hike we were all ready for some good food. We went to an oceanside restaurant called La Cueva Del Mar and had the best fish tacos I have ever had! Like most places, this restaurant was covered with iguanas. They would crawl right up under your table looking for food scraps!
Since this was our last full day in this area, we spent the rest of the afternoon at Luquillo beach. We had quite the set up with our shade tent and kiddie pool and we practically had the place to ourselves. The perfect way to wrap up our stay in our airbnb location.
If Holland ever got a little tired or needed a break from the sun and water, she could play her iPad games. These would entertain her for hours if needed. Once I was watching her play and when she finished the game I cheered and clapped for her. She really liked that I guess because from then on, every time she would finish her game, she asked everyone to clap with her!
Comments