Air Show and Karaoke!!

Well this week was full of new adventures, I guess you can say. On Monday we came to school to find that there was no electricity. Of course, this happens often, so we thought we would have to suffer a day trying to get the kids to work in the dark and with no air conditioner. We were wrong, the principal told us to have our students call their parents to come pick them up. Half of my class got out their razor phones( yes my third graders have nicer phones than I do) and with in an hour almost all the kids were gone. It was a short day for us, but actually made the week seem longer. Kelly had an interesting day that day. Before school started she told Courtney that she hoped for a short day because of electricity...turned out she got her wish!Kelly also found two tiny kittens hiding in the school. She found a home for them the same day though.

Friday was spent doing our new obsession....Karaoke. Brent found an xbox game that you can hook up to the tv and sing! It is so much fun! I am sure we will be having many karaoke nights.

Saturday we drove to the other side of the island to go to an air show. We got to go through different aircrafts and watch different air shows, including one of the blue angels!! Very neat, but after a few hours out in the sun we were ready to go. On our drive there we found a chinese buffet, Courtney alwasy talks about a chinese buffet! On the way home we stopped and ate there. That is the first Chinese buffet we have seen in PR so we were a little excited!!

We have a short week this week because Friday is Teacher's Day!! It is a big deal in PR! Yeah!!

Brent singing!

The Karaokers!!

Mendez posing

Kelly, me, and Bolmbie!!

us it the hummer!!

An Awesome Spring Break Vacation!!

Rick and Cathy are leaving tomorrow and it doesnt seem like they were here for almost 2 weeks!! We have been doing so much and having such a good time!

On Monday we went to Ponce to visit their beautiful town plaza and stores. We wanted to visit the pallace of Don Q, but it was closed on Monday( like so many places that day). Not only did Rick and Cathy get to see the really neat theater, they also got to experience a Puerto Rican birthday party. When Rick and Cathy visited the school last week, one of my students invited all of us to her party. It worked out so that we went to Ponce that day and were close to the bowling alley. This party was like the others, and just lasted a very long time. Brent and I bowled 4 games!!

This is an old fire station in Ponce

This is so fun!!

On Tuesday we visited the rainforest, El Yunque. We hiked to a really nice waterfall. When we got there we found that would have to share the waterfall with tons of other people. We decided not to get in the water. On our way back up, we stopped an get in the stream. The water was SO cold! I told Rick that if he dunked himself I would go under too. So , of course, he did!! Very refreshing though!

Lots of peole at Mina Falls

Burr!!!

On Wednesday we went to Old San Juan and toured both forts, San Critobal and El Morro. Both of these forts were built in the 1500's when the country was owned by Spain. They helped protect ships that were passing through the Carribean. After the forts we did a little shopping, lots of walking, and sampled some rum at Case de Don Q.

Does this look familar Dad??

Us infron of El Morro

Brent and Rick enjoying the free rum

Thursday and Friday were spent around Guayama. We spent alot of time at the beach searching for sea glass and sand dollars! The boys went fishing around here and you know what that means... yes, Cathy and I had to go shopping!! We spent some time hiking and trying the "real" Puerto Rican foods!!

Benny and Lola even got to enjoy the beach

Where the heck are we?

Doesn't this look like a postcard?

Rick enjoying is conch pastelillos!

On Saturday we had to wake up very early to drive to the other side of the island for our horseback rides along the beach. My mom found this place when she was here in November and we really wanted to do , but we just didnt have time. I loved that ride. It was amazing!!The worst part about the ride was that I got put on the laziest horse that barely moved and I got stuck in the back with a man from New York, and let's just say I've never heard anyone talk so much!! Mom, I thought about you while I was riding! When you come down next time, we will definetly do that, and you can even ask about riding bareback!!

After the ride we had a nice lunch at a cafe on the ocean and then when to the "blow hole" where you yell " Dame la vaca" if the water splashes, then you have good luck. The water did not splash on us, but the tide was very low that day!!

We had such a great spring break...now I think we need a break to rest. Don't think that will happen because school begins on Tuesday. Oh well!!

Me and Moca

There's Rick on his fast horse!

Riding along the beach

Hey wait for me...come on Moca!!

We hiked to the top of the cliff

Rick and Cathy overlooking the blow hole

Cheers!

Spring Break is here!!

Brent's parents got into Puerto Rico on Tuesday night! On Wednesday, they visited the school where the kids were SO excited to see them. The kids brought Rick and Cathy all sorts of things and, of course, had some pretty interesting questions to ask. On Thursday morning we headed to Vieques, a small island about 7 miles away. The last time we were there was when my parents came to visit in November! This time it was much more busy! We had such a great time!! On Friday Brent, Rick, and Courtney went deep sea fishing, while us girls ( Cathy, Kelly, and I) shopped, went beach hopping, and watched the wild horses. Kelly and I enjoyed snorkeling for the big conch shells. We were pround of ourselves for finding so many shells. That night we went to the biolumenscent bay, which is an amazing experience, it is very hard to explain though!! This bay glows at night when the micro-organisms are touched. It is a defense mechanism. It is neat to see all the fish jumping, and then you get to swim for about 20 minutes. After we got back onto the boat the everyone focused on this really big object in the water that was glowing. The tour guide said that it was possible that might have been a small shark. Thank goodness we already swam!! YIKES!! Our hotel was called Adventures Inn, and between just barely catching the ferries to the unique eating experiences, our $20 rings ( long story), car rentals, and sharks??, it really was an adventure!

Happy Easter Everyone!! There will definetly be more blogs throughout the week!!

Rick and Cathy at Blue Beach ( Rick swam here about 30 years ago when stationed in Vieques when he was in the Navy!)

Me and my crazy father-in-law

Cathy and I relaxing at "Belly Buttons"

The boys getting ready for their big trip ( Rick has more pictures of the fish they caught...yes..they did catch some!!)

Brent and his tarpon!

Here is a group of 18 wild horses

The snorkelers!!

So much for our picnic!

Our conch shells

Us getting ready for the bay tour!

This pictures doesn't show the glowing much

The glowing looks more like this picture from their brochure. It is a bright bluish color! Amazing!!

Leaving Adventures Inn