We're still here!!

I know, I know...it has been a few weeks since we have blogged. This should probably be a really good one....but the truth is we haven't been doing that much worthy of taking pictures!

The last two weeks have been pretty rainy here ( one month left in the "rainy season")...we have managed to get out to the beach and enjoy a little sun. And last night Brent and I drove into the city to eat some italian food at Macaroni Grill...YUMMY!!

Brent and I started tutoring kids after school to earn some extra money! The next two weeks we are working with our 2 plus another teacher's 5 kids because she is going to be in the states: Brent will work with 2, I will work with 2, Kelly will work with 1, and the other two kids just hang around to be babysat. Fun, Fun, Fun!!! The extra money will be really nice since I am going to buy an airline ticket to visit my sisters and family in TX over Thanksgiving.

Next weekend we are planning a little get away since it is a 3-day weekend. And then two weeks from today is Kelly and my big race!!! We are getting anxious for the 5K. We bought our matching outfits yesterday!! We are such dorks! The race will be in San Juan and last year 7,000 people raced. Brent and Courtney are going to stand at the finish line and cheer us on, while taking pictures!! You will get to see those pictures in two weeks...let's hope we cross that finish line! We have been training for 10 weeks now!! If you ever want to start running there is a great plan from coolingrunnings.com called "from coach to 5K"!! It works people!! Well the next few weeks we promise we will have good pictures...so keep checking back!

The beach dogs..again!!

How am I ever going to leave this life???

Pep Rally and Visit to Castillo Serrales

This week seemed especially crazy! Our school had its very first pep rally...and this was the first time that grades 1-12 would have an assembly together. Before the pep rally they told us to have our kids make posters and then they came by and gave them all whistles. The little kids were clueless as to what was going to happen at this pep rally??? While my kids were making signs, this girl asked if she could draw a pizza on hers. Uhmm...okay...well turned out that she thought I kept saying we were going to have a "pepporoni" instead of "pep rally". During the rally, each class did a little performance and then "cheerleaders" called all the teachers to the middle of the court to do "jump shake your booty" : ) So funny...but the best part was just watching the little kids faces...they just looked shock ( but then again, can't blame them after watching your teachers having to dance : )
The afternoon was so crazy ( the sound of 6oo kids blowing whistles) that Kelly had to call of an emergency party at Casa Benny!! Kelly's sister and two friends were also in town visiting, so it was a nice way for them to meet our friends.

On Saturday we drove to Ponce to visit the Castillo Serralles, a castle that was built by the Serralles family ( owned one of the biggest rum distelleries in PR). The second generation had built the castle in the early 1900's and then the grandaughter sold the home to the government for 400,000 dollars about 40 years ago. Today the home is worth 30 million!! It was beautiful!!

The teachers wearing purple and orange

Go Tainos!!

Castillo Seralles

Brent standing under this fabulous flamboyan tree

view from the balcony

view of Ponce

3 Day Weekend Road Trip!

Three day weekends are the best!! Actually, we kind of had 4 days off, because Friday was just an inservice! After school on Friday we went out with the teachers for the opening of a new restaurant ( yes, us teachers do go out a lot....we are all having a pretty crazy year so far!) On Saturday one of the teachers invited us over for a pool party at her house. She lives up in the mountains in a beautiful house. We swam and played dominos! It is very Puerto Rican for everyone to be sitting around playing dominos while listening to music and drinking rum!
Today the "Casa Benny Five" decided to go on a little road trip venturing to the other side of the island. When I talked to my dad tonight...he asked if there were still things that we haven't seen or done yet on the island. It is a small island, but there is so much to do...and YES there is lots we haven't done yet!! One of those things was visiting Cabo Rojo and San German, which we saw today! San German is the second oldest city in Puerto Rico. We were amazed at what a beautiful and clean little town this is. So many neat buildings and history in the town. The church that I took a picture of was built in 1606!
After San German we headed down the highway to Cabo Rojo...well first we stopped along the side of the road for some pizza!! Cabo Rojo is amazing! The cliff-side views of the ocean were so beautiful. We hiked around for a while, tooks lots of pictures, then jumped in the ocean because we were so hot!
Such a fun weekend!! Hope you all had a great Labor Day!!

Old Church

Brent got tired after climbing all those stairs..and to think he used to be able to hike the Rocky Mountains : )

This is our "signature pose"

Cabo Rojo

Light house

My cute husband...scaring me by getting a little too close to the edge!