Family Vacation 2008

First off let me inform you that I am writing this blog while still sitting in the Philedelphia Airport waiting on stand-by to get back to Buffalo. It is now 6:46 on Sunday March 9th, we were supposed to get into Buffalo at 9:57pm, yesterday. Due to mechanical troubles with our plane in Puerto Rico which caused us to miss our cancelled connection flight from Philly to B'lo, and after a VERY LONG wait at Baggage claim and a few choice words later, we were put up in a hotel in New Jersey for the night. The night was made a little easier, however, because we spent a good deal of it with our new famous friends, Ed Kilgor of Channel 2 news in Buffalo and his wife!

Other than this "set back" that will leave me never flying with US Air for as long as I can help it...we had a FANTASTIC vacation.

I won't take you day by day, but simply hit the main excursions and adventures that we found ourselves laughing at only AFTER the fact that we made it back alive. We were ready this year to go to an "American" destination after our interesting and informative jaunt to Jamaica last year...but we always seem to find an adventure or two to keep things interesting and us appreciating all that we have right in our own safe, comfortable backyard.

We hit a lot of the major "things to do while in Puerto Rico": the beach, the rainforest, the bioluminescent bay, the reefs...

First off the views and water are amazing. Every where we seemed to go you could see crystal clear sky and water, lush greenery and even a rainbow or two! Whoever says God doesn't exsist has apparently never been to Puerto Rico. How can you doubt Him after seeing something this beautiful?

PJ is definitely the adventurous one, although i'm just not one to sit around and look at my nicely pedicured toes all day...

but i'm always up for an adventure or two and boy did I get an adventure! Monday we booked the biolumenescent bay kayaking trip, which entailed getting in 2 person kayaks (me & Kate, mom & dad, and PJ and Bri), kayaking 2 miles though narrow channels out to a bay that contained organisims that glowed when disturbed...it was a tough trip getting out there in the pitch dark, but as we sat in the middle of the bay, putting our hands and paddles in the water to stir up glowing thingys...it was truly amazing. We all agreed that we had no idea what we had got ourselves into, but looking back on it...just another memory! (sorry no pictures of this folks, my cameras aren't exactly the high-tech, waterproof type.)

Tuesday we continuted our adventures and went to the El Yunque Rainforest. We were able to drive through most of it, but there was one trail that lead to a hidden waterfall that we rolled up our pants and set out upon. So with me and PJ in our hiking gear, hiking backpacks, sneakers and water and mom, dad, Bri and Kate with their borrowed clothing and sandaled feet went hiking down a .7 mile wet, slippery trail (we got caught in the rain twice while there, it is the RAINforest after all!) we viewed the waterfall but all passed on jumping in and getting soaked. (may I also mention that monday i woke up sick as a dog with a sore thoat, cough, and a fever!!?!?) so after a few minutes at the bottom, started on the hike back up the mountain!

The next day we decided to downplay the day so we spent all day on a boat, snorkeling in the crystal clear jade water and chill-axin and sunbathing all day. The day would have been perfect, except for one minor mishap called "seasickness" on the account of mama. Poor mama! No more reading on the boat!!!

The rest of the time was spent eating, drinking, sleeping, reading and sunbathing. It was mostly a relaxing trip, with some "memories" to keep forever.