Puerto Rico Day #2 - El Yunque

Day 2 and we were up bright and early (for teens anyway) to hike El Yunque rainforest. First up was Juan Diego Creek and waterfall. 

The boys went in for a swim. It was too cold for Mak, though. I don’t blame her. I sat this one out, too. 

From here we hiked up a slippery, steep mud trail to the top of the falls.

We made it down safely with no torn ligaments, rolled ankles, or muddy backsides - even though we had some close calls. It was an adventure for sure that left us all covered in mud.

Next we climbed the lookout tower called Yokahu for panoramic views of the coastline and forest. I might be on vacation but I can still use my teacher voice. To the dismay of the fam, I tested it out today. 

Our third stop was Coca Falls. No hiking was needed this time; just a pull over for a picture. 

By this time, we had worked up an appetite, so we stopped for lunch at a questionable shack that probably had the best food we will eat this week. 

Keagan ordered his drink with rum and then Wes overruled him. Good try, Keagan. I ordered mine with a double shot - one for me and another for me.

Our adventure continued to the local fruit stand for fresh pineapple and vegetables to go with our dinner. According to Keagan, you aren’t on vacation if you don’t hear a foreign language or have the ability to stop and shop at roadside fresh fruit stands. He’s so bougie. 

The hottest part of the day was spent napping under the palm trees at the beach.

And going for swims in the salt water. Can you spot the boys?

Perfection! 

Puerto Rico Day #1 - Bio Bay Fajardo

After a two year hiatus, we are returning to our Christmas vacation tradition. There’s nothing better than traveling to new places, experiencing new things, and eating new foods. We left home on Monday afternoon. Mak was so nervous about flying that she researched the planes (737 and 737 Max) we would take to get to San Juan. She spent one hour looking out the window observing the men at work. 

Unfortunately, the flight to Miami was very turbulent. She was a nervous wreck gripping the arm rests while the guy next to her tried to reassure her that the plane was safe because it had back up engines in case one malfunctioned. The adventure had just begun. 

We finally landed at 1:00 am and then had to wait for a team of airport workers to unload the luggage. Meanwhile, Evan decided masks were not necessary even though the local government said otherwise. This was the beginning of murmuring bad words because no one dislikes wearing a mask more than my 19 year old. Next we headed to the car rental office where we got to play Tetris with the six bags, five people. and the guitar case in our economy car rental. We were all tired, all cranky, and all saying bad words at this point. 

We made it to our house at 3:00am and crashed. Except Keagan. He unpacked and organized his closet.

Because who doesn’t do this?

At lunch time, we woke up to this! The beautiful blue sky, 83 degrees, and the rain forest in the background. 

We spent the afternoon at Coco Beach.

We drove to Fajardo for dinner of mofongo, sky fish, conch, and shrimp.

And then we kayaked through a mangrove forest in a lagoon to the bay to experience bioluminescence. 

Keagan got to partner with me in the kayak, and true to form, we had the very best experience turning 180s in the water. 

This was not done on purpose but due to someone’s bad sense of direction. It was like we were in traffic circles in water. I told him it was all on purpose to add some excitement to an otherwise calm and peaceful ride. Sadly, I’m not sure he viewed tonight’s adventure with the same eyes. 

And it’s only day one! Six more days of this family fun is sure to be had by all!

Christmas Communion

Tonight was our church’s Christmas communion service. It was just the four of us this year because the girls had other plans. I was afraid we would miss it this year, so I’m glad it worked out for us to go. As traditions typically repeat, Keagan had to help his old pa again this year get the communion wafer out of its packaging. Those pesky things give old people such a hard time. 

After church, we opened presents. Evan requested a fishing pole and a Cowboys jersey. But he said the best gift he got was his air purifier for his dorm room. We realized he has stopped coughing after being home for a week, so maybe this will keep him from the constant, nagging cough he’s had since September. 

Keagan requested new cleats and a ManU jersey. The jersey is held up in the UK and will hopefully be here in January. His favorite gifts were his new joggers and his chain. Had I known he would love these joggers so much, I would have made sure we purchased one in every color. Unfortunately, they are sold out now. 

Tomorrow we take off on a jet plane to warm weather, sandy beaches, and adventure. I plan to eat, drink, and be merry with my some of my favorite people!

Champions

This weekend we played some more soccer. We were up earlier than a school day and we sat through some miserable weather, but I’d do it again to watch this guy. 

He can play defense in the cold. 

He can play offense in the pouring rain.

He can win championships.

Maybe it’s the new pink shoes? Nah, he could do it all in his duct taped shoes, too, 

Finals Week

This is Keagan’s junior year of high school, but only his first time to have a semester exam. His freshman  year school was closed for final exams, and last year nobody took exams due to equity concerns with virtual students. So he’s had to study this month. A lot. Especially algebra. After missing one half of algebra 1 due to school closures and 1/4 of geometry due to multiple quarantines, this year’s algebra class has caused us both an enormous amount of stress and angst. He’s gone to tutoring to fill skill gaps. He has an ACT class where he gets extra practice with math. He watches videos to try to learn how to solve inverses. It has been a struggle. 

On Tuesday, though, we learned he earned an 84 on the exam. This was big news for us and such a confidence booster for him. We celebrated Tuesday night - all six of us - with cookies. I may have also drank half a bottle of champagne. 

It was short-lived, though, because three more finals followed on Wednesday, and he had to hit the books again for AP Lang and US History. The countdown to winter break has begun!

Gang’s All Here

Evan is home! I’m so happy that we are all back under the same roof again. 

Indiana Was Good to Us

We were up so early today that the neighborhood Christmas lights were still shining brightly. We were on the turf for half an hour when the sun began to rise. 

We had a hard fought game against Michigan that ended in a 2-1 win! 

We would have loved to have hung around and soaked in the win a little longer, but the real feel was 24 degrees. Instead, the team captain gave it a strong, “1,2,3 Nashville” and we ran for the cars. It took me 2.5 hours to defrost. Keagan said this morning’s game reminded him that he has no desire to go to school in the north.

After playing all weekend in shoes that were duct taped together and after hearing the team make fun of his ripped shoes for weeks, Keagan came home to his early Christmas gift. 

This face means the shoes are perfect! 

Merry Christmas, Keagan! Let’s do this again in two weeks.