Puerto Rico Trip

I'm so sorry I've been AWOL lately.  David was traveling and I was trying to prepare for our trip, so Thankful Thursday posts took a back-burner to spending time with him, packing us, packing Audrey, cleaning house (am I the only one that has to have it clean before going out of town?), last chance work-outs, etc.

To reward your patience, allow this post to take you on a mini vacation as I describe our amazing time.
If you close your eyes and imagine it, you can almost see the ocean...just keep your eyes open long enough to finish reading and check out the pictures in the gallery!

David came home from work early on Wednesday afternoon and we drove out to his parents' house, where Audrey would be staying.  We ate dinner there and played for a little while before I (probably rather abruptly) decided I couldn't drag it out anymore, and told her it was time for Mommy and Daddy to leave for our special trip.  I'd been explaining it all day, complete with a Little People roll play session.  I'd considered telling her sooner, but I proved myself right since she'd asked about a thousand times that day when she was going to Grandmom and Granddad's.  I think she had a pretty good grip on the situation since David had just returned from two consecutive trips.  We hugged and kissed her until she squirmed to get free and I barely made it to the car before I started crying.  I knew she'd be fine...it was me I was worried about.  Besides, I'd laid out the rules very carefully:  1) Keep her safe.  2)  Keep her healthy.  3)  She'd better still be calling pajamas "ja-moms" when I come back.  It's the one word I never want her to learn how to say correctly.

We started the drive home and decided frozen yogurt would help cheer us up.  I already noticed a tiny perk about being kid-free when I was able to eat all of mine, complete with toppings I chose without considering anyone else, and didn't share any.  Plus, David and I were able to have extended conversation without being interrupted.  And listen to our own music without whining protests.  Hmmmm....this could be a nice break after all.

We got home and finished packing and straightening up.  My heart ached as I put away some of her laundry and saw her empty crib.  I picked up her blanket, smelled it, and immediately wished I hadn't.  I missed her already.  We climbed into bed and turned out the lights.

On Thursday morning we got up, got dressed, and drove down to the airport.  We got there super early as usual and tracked down some Starbucks and Chick-fil-A...the breakfast of vacation champions.  Around 8:30am (our flight didn't leave until 10am) we called David's parents to see how Audrey slept and check in with her.  I spoke to her for just a minute and barely managed to hang-up before the tears started flowing.  Who knew that her telling me about her blueberry yogurt could have that effect?  I imagined her sitting there in her adorable teddy bear "ja-moms" with the little built-in bear footies and wondered what on earth I'd signed up for.  Of course, once we got on the plane and I was able to sit still for three and half hours and sleep, read, and watch the movie in peace, I remembered I'd signed up for a much-needed break with my husband.  Oh yeah.

When we landed in San Juan, the rainy forecast we'd seen was suddenly a yucky reality.  We got our bags and our rental car, ordered two "numero unos" from Wendy's, and headed to our hotel, promising to be super patient with each other as we navigated.  (Me reading from David's iPhone maps and trying to direct him usually results in some of the few arguments we have.)  The rain, Spanish signs, and unfamiliar territory made it all more difficult, but we found a Walgreens for bottled water and an umbrella and then our hotel without so much as a sharp word.  Success.

We checked in and I immediately appreciated my decision to go with a big, brand name resort.  The accommodations were very nice and they even upgraded us to an ocean suite.  We kinda had to squint to see the ocean past the giant pool, but it was still a very nice large room.  We unpacked (yes, even for three nights.  It's just how I roll) and settled in.  The company that we'd booked our Bioluminescent Bay kayak tour with had left us a message saying we could cancel without penalty if we didn't feel comfortable going out in the bad weather, but we agreed to show up and see how we felt once we got there.  We changed clothes and hit the road, ready for a new adventure together.

When we got to the park where the tours depart, it was hardly sprinkling but more rain was headed our way.  The guides promised to call it short if the storm began to roll in earlier than expected.  We decided to go for it and are so glad that we did!  We kayaked a short distance in the ocean then over to a narrow canal that took us to a large open bay.  I have terrible night vision, so the most nerve-racking part for me was the pitch darkness, but I could see the little red light on the back of kayak in front of us and just focused on it.  Once in the bay, we saw the bioluminescence in its full glory, which was incredible.  If you've never heard of this phenomenon, it's caused by microorganisms in the water (720,000 of them per gallon) that emit a blueish light when they are agitated.  We couldn't get out and swim, but just swishing our hands and paddles around created an other-wordly, amazing sight.  The coolest by far was when it began to rain and the drops hitting the water made tiny sparkle shows.  It was such an experience!  That, and the fear I felt as we kayaked back through the narrow canal as the rain picked up and the current fought us.  I spent the first half of our tour praising God for His creativity and the second half begging Him to get me out of it alive!  Okay, I'm being dramatic about the begging, but I was definitely praying and was way out of my control-freak comfort zone.  We drove back to the hotel soaking wet from the tour and the rain, showered, and ate ridiculously expensive hotel pizza in bed watching Parks and Rec.  This vacation was off to a great start!

We woke up the next morning and checked the forecast.  It was raining with a 80% chance of more rain.  So what did we do?  We decided to go for a hike in the rainforest!  We decided if we were going to get drenched, we might as well be looking at pretty scenery while we did.  It turned out to be another great call, because it wasn't crowded at all.  I can't imagine why more people didn't want to hike on super slippery rocks in low-lying areas that are prone to flash floods. Wusses.

It was only about a ten minute drive from our resort, and we opted to pay the $4 per person price tag to stop by the visitor's center and get a map and some information before forging our way.  An old man who looked like he'd done his share of rainforest trips briefed us on several options and through his broken English, we were able to figure out which trail we wanted to take.  We got back in the car and drove a ways up the mountain, stopping to take a few pictures of a huge waterfall by the road (covering the camera with the umbrella, of course) and climb the top of a historic look-out tower along the way.  We came to the La Mina Falls trailhead and set out on our hike.  Thirty minutes and only a few near-slips in and we stood at the bottom of an amazing waterfall.  When the weather is better and they haven't had so much rain, you can actually swim in the pool at the foot of the falls, but that day it was more like a raging river.   We didn't dare step foot in it lest it sweep us under the bridge and down the other side.  We had to draw the adventurous line somewhere!  We took more pictures, admired the view, and began the mostly uphill hike back.  We stopped to take closer looks at the moss, ferns, wild impatiens (my favorite), and river that ran alongside most of the trail.  We didn't get to see any wildlife as I think they were all taking shelter from the rain.  We made it back to the car and then drove on to the visitor's center to catch the film, some authentic Puerto Rican lunch (quesadillas and fried plantains), and buy a "Coqui" whistle for Audrey.  (The coqui is a Puerto Rican species of frog that makes a unique "coqui" call that you can hear all over the island, especially at night.  It was a sweet lullaby to fall asleep to!)

We made our way back to the hotel, cleaned up, and lazily laid around reading and relaxing since the rain was coming down too hard to hit the beach.  We got dressed up for dinner and headed down for our 6:30 reservations at the award-winning nice (read: expensive) Italian restaurant at the resort.  We went all out and ordered everything from appetizers to dessert and every bite was delicious.  My favorite, of course, was the complimentary bread.  It came with a dipping sauce made of sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic and I came close to devouring the whole basket by myself.  After dessert and coffee, we rolled ourselves out the door and strolled over to the casino, where we (mostly) broke even before calling it a night.

The next morning we awoke to cloudy, but dry skies.  We grabbed breakfast and ate it outside before walking down to the beach.  We called Audrey for a minute and I only slightly teared up when she said, "Come back Mommy."  She wasn't upset about it, just making her request that we come over to Grandmom and Granddad's to be with her.  I mean, the place is practically her Disney World.  Who wouldn't want to be there?!

Since it was so early (8:30ish? Neither of us could sleep past 8 despite our best efforts) and still cloudy, we practically had the whole beach to ourselves.  We read, napped, walked, and repeated.  Finally, around lunchtime, the sun made an appearance.  It heated things up quickly!  We ate burgers at a small cafe/bar on the beach and hurried back to our chairs to apply sunscreen.  Unfortunately, it was a little too late.  I have since turned brown.  David is still lobster red and I suspect will begin peeling very soon. We soaked up another few hours under the umbrella for a grand total of nearly seven straight hours of doing nothing and answering to no one.  Aaaaahhhhh.

Once we showered, dressed, and at least thought about packing up a few things, we went for a drive and ended up at a local Puerto Rican restaurant that the concierge had recommended.  I ordered a sampler platter and was served the most amount of fried food I have ever seen in my entire life.  Fried corn sticks, fried "spiders" (the best way to describe them were mounds of fried onions somehow clumped together), tiny fried pies...some with fruit, some with ground beef and you didn't know which until you bit into it, fried cheese balls, fried zuchinni-like chips, and two chicken wings.  David had chicken, beans, and rice.  We did a fair bit of trading.  After we finished, we decided to head back to the hotel and settle our stomachs with some ice cream.  We ate it out on the big patio veranda and talked about what an awesome trip it had been.  We headed up to finish packing and went to bed, trying to get some extra rest before our 5am wake-up call.

We woke up and got ready, checked-out, and drove to the airport.  Just as we got there, it began to rain again.  I'm so glad we were able to enjoy a full afternoon of sunshine and didn't let the showers ruin our trip, but I must admit I was glad to hear there weren't any storms in the forecast for Atlanta!  The flight home was fine and seemed to pass more quickly than the fight down.  Even still, I must have checked my watch a hundred times because I was so excited about getting back to see Audrey.  We landed and I made poor David and his aching, sunburned feet race to baggage claim and then our car so we could try to make it before she went down for her nap.  His parents had brought her over to the house and I called and asked them to keep her up until we got there.  We pulled in the driveway a full thirty minutes earlier than expected, and found her outside holding her toy trumpet.  I think the story was that her microphone was still in their car and they'd stepped outside to go get it, but I'd like to think she was welcoming us home with a tiny parade and a trumpet blow.  I got out, grabbed her, and squeezed her as she squirmed, sure that she'd grown at least an inch in the 3.5 days we'd been away.

We went inside and played and talked for a little while before they left and we put her down.  I began unpacking and starting laundry immediately (hate that part) and then we fell asleep for about an hour ourselves.  When she woke up, I raced to her room and barely put her down the rest of the night.  Even the next day, I decided we both needed another day of vacation.  David had to work, but she and I went to the park, ate lunch out, and played ourselves silly.  Chores and the rest of the unpacking had to wait.  

I'm so glad that David and I got the opportunity to take this trip and especially in honor of this 30th.  I strongly encourage all couples with kids to carve out some time and money to do the same.  Even a two nights' stay in the nearest big city or a camping trip can do wonders.  Of course, you can't go and mope the whole time.  Get out and enjoy being adults together!  Yes, leaving AJ was hard.  But I was amazed at how easily we fell back into being "us"...something we were long before she arrived and will be long after she moves out.  I think seeing and doing new things together helps ensure that.  We missed her, but we knew she was in great hands (thanks again, Grandmom and Granddad)!  We also knew that what we were doing was important for us and, therefore, for her.

Even though it was just a couple of days, we both feel so refreshed and rejuvenated (four pound weight gain aside, of course.)  We will forever remember hiking the rainforest together and stealing kisses under the canopy, holding hands and strolling the dark brown beaches, and our little inside jokes about things we saw and did.  It may be his 40th before we get another opportunity like this one, but we'll live on the memories until then!

David came home from work Monday night and gave me a huge hug.  "Missed me, huh?" I teased.  "I really did," he answered.  We love each other AND we like each other.  I'm so blessed we had a few days alone to be reminded of that!

Don't forget to check out the gallery for pictures!