Change of Plans

My husband took the week off so we could take the kids off to explore more of this beautiful island. While kayaking a few weeks ago a kind gentlemen came up to tell us about a beautiful lake. Once we found someone to translate for us we found out the general direction of the lake and its name. So after a little research we ventured off to Lago do Guajataca.  The road there was very curvy but eventually we came to a beautiful lake. As we neared the entrance we were met with disappointment as the gates were locked and there was no way to go around, under or through.  I'm sure you are wondering why we would even consider going through a locked gate....well here a locked gate sometimes just means continue with caution.

Since we were already a way from home we decided to check out Guajataca Forest. Getting there is an adventure in itself. For starters, the road is basically one and a half lanes for two lanes of traffic with some hairpin turns. Thankfully, we have a very loud horn as we made good use of it.   Our kids have a pretty good sense of adventure or maybe the Dramamine was just doing its job?  Eventually, we came to what we thought was an information center but all the doors were locked.  Not willing to give up and with a little more investigation we found a sign for a trail head that would take you on about an hour and half hike. (We've become pretty good a translating signs.)

Originally, we decided just to walk 1/2 km to the observation tower and call it a day as we really weren't prepared to do  much hiking. However, we decided we all had on "ok" shoes and plenty of water so we continued to follow the trail that led to the cave. Remember, this trip wasn't planned so it wasn't until we were half way to the cave and one of the kids asked,  "Who has the flashlights?" that we realized how unprepared we were.  I had one flashlight on my key ring so we knew we weren't going to get very far into the cave.  We may be adventurous but we aren't crazy.

View from observation tower.

Along the trail we found various lizards, birds, fungi, some bromeliads  and at one point we thought we heard a monkey...or maybe a bird that sounds like a monkey. Whatever it was it was loud and either wanted our attention or was telling us to go away. It must be a girl thing because Bethany and I quickly moved away from the sound while the boys turned around and started walking to see if they could find it. We never did see what made that sound and once Sammy started making his own monkey noises the animal became silent.

Before entering the cave we came to a platform that leads to stairs to take you down into the mouth of the cave. Here we met a group that had just finished their adventure.  Their "guide" was very helpful and gave us a few pointers. However, without flashlights we didn't make it very far into the cave. Just exploring the first room was amazing. We discovered camera flashes make great lights but not trustworthy enough to go very deep. Without adequate lights we didn't stay in the cave for very long but it was enough to wet our appetite to plan another trip back.

We have been in several caves as a family. Some of these caves have been tourist traps,  National Parks and Puerto Rico's do it yourself trips. I'm amazed at how much the kids remember about caves. What better way to learn about stalactites, stalagmites, finding cave curtains and popcorn than hands on experience?  So while many students are on summer vacation, our little school was exploring nature and on the way back the boys had their own discussion about creation. Pretty amazing day!

Salt Water Therapy

Last night before going to bed I lost my voice. So when I woke this morning I had second thoughts about spending the morning at the beach. Knowing the kids were excited about taking the kayak out, I put on my big girl panties and off we went.

When we arrived at the beach there were a total of 12 people including my family of 6. It was so peaceful I couldn't help but immediately feel better. My voice didn't come back above a whisper but my spirit soared.

Steve and Stevie were the first to head out on the kayak. This was one of those teaching opportunities because there is nothing like having a teenager trapped in a kayak, on the ocean who has no choice but to listen. Actually, it was a great time for both of them. They went farther than I would dare go or if they had one of the younger children.  

One of the things we stress to our older boys is to guard their hearts. We encourage them to have female friends but we don't allow them to have a girlfriend. I know this may seem old fashioned but honestly, how many relationships make it through the teenage years? I know there are a few but those are the exception not the norm; and if you're one of those exceptions congratulations!!!  So while they were on the water, without any younger siblings to torment, Steve stressed the importance of  having a relationship with God and  being friends first as the foundation of  any long term relationship.  My prayer is that all my kids marry their best friends and have long, healthy, happy marriages.

After they returned I went out with our middle son, Bobby. This was an adventure since he couldn't hear a word I was saying. Bobby is naturally patient (except maybe with his younger brother) and we work well together. I love having that one on one time with the kids even when I can't talk. This gave him an opportunity to lead the kayak as well as our discussions. He was able, without interruptions, to tell me all the things he has recently created  with his Legos and what he plans to build in the future.  While we enjoyed our time together, the only thing that would have made the trip better is if we had seen the sea turtle that usually hangs out in that area.

The final trip was with Steve and the younger two. They have been dying to tip the kayak and since I'm usually with one or both they haven't been able to do it. Of course, my husband being the biggest kid couldn't wait. So with everyone wearing life vests they tipped the kayak. I think that was the highlight of the trip for Bethany. Sammy's favorite part was being dragged back to shore behind the kayak and Bethany had her first opportunity to paddle. 

We left the beach feeling ready to take on the day feeling blessed and rejuvenated.  Unfortunately, the roofers are here and are now drilling on the concrete roof/house. I think it is time to head back to the beach!

Beach Combing

As we've gotten to know our little island we've discovered that different  beaches offer different treasures.We love to look around at the beach and see what we can find. It seems there is always something interesting.

A short hike down the cliff is our favorite beach (so far) for shells. This beach is called Survivor Beach! I think it is because you are thankful you survived the hike down the cliff. Of course, there is always the hike back up! We have found some amazing shells here. On one trip Sammy, Bethany and I were playing in a tide pool and  there were so many shells. What was even more amazing was that they were all perfect. It was like someone came and just dropped them all  there for us to find. We were quickly filling our bags and within minutes we started becoming a little more particular about what we actually put in our bag. As we were searching we were talking about how shocked the others would be when they saw all we had found.




Our treasures


While we were beach combing, Steve went snorkeling with Stevie and Bobby.  They weren't sure how long they would stay in the water because it was a bit rough. I don't think it had been 15 minutes when Bobby came running towards us yelling. I thought for sure someone was hurt and started heading in his direction. Then I saw he had something in his hand...a big something. I also noticed the big grin on his face.  He had found a conch shell which put our perfect shells to shame.



Bobby's find

We have made numerous trips to Survivor and seem to always find something interesting. On another trip my husband found a broken oar and this too  found  its way to our house. It wasn't long before it was transformed into something new.

The beauty of this piece is that we all found something glued to the oar. I just wish Steve had warned me that he was gluing on the crab. The piece had to spend some time in the garage to make sure the smell was gone before it entered our house.

When I look at all the shells and how they are all so unique I'm amazed. It shows me God's creativity. How He cares even about the smallest details of nature. If He cares so much for these things you know His love for us is far greater.

So, now the kids and I have a new project this summer. We want to look for driftwood or bamboo and see what new things we can create with all our shells and sea glass. Oh, I forgot to mention sea glass....I'll have to save that for another time.

The Power and Beauty of the Ocean

Yesterday I took the kids to the beach for the first time without my husband. I didn't go completely alone as a friend went with us and several more met us there. This may seem insignificant to many of you. Most mothers gather up their kids and friends and head off to the beach. For me, this was one of those baby steps to get over my new found fear of the ocean.

I have always had a deep respect for water. However, one Sunday in March my respect turned to fear. We were at Sea Glass Beach with some friends collecting sea glass while the kids played in the water. I'm really big on counting heads and making sure I know that everyone is safe. At one point I heard some commotion and saw a group of people pulling a man and boy out of a current. I looked again and saw there were other children in the current. That's when I started getting everyone out of the water to make sure we didn't add any more victims.

Then my heart stopped. I saw my husband in the current with one of the boys and a friend of ours. The men were working together to get the boy to safety. Time literally stopped. I felt like I was in a movie and everyone and everything started moving in slow motion. People were yelling but you couldn't hear what they were saying. I remember thinking, Steve will drown before he lets that kid. I can still close my eyes and see the three of them in the water.

At  that point I went to get surfboards and my oldest son helped me to get them to the water.  When we got back a group of people were lined up perfectly to shoot the boards quickly to those in the current (You would have thought we practiced all this if you were just a spectator.) Probably within a minute or two after receiving the boards,  they were on shore.

As I looked at the event all the participants in the rescue were either Coast Guard, CG dependants or other Department of Defense employees and their families. A lady who lives in Puerto Rico came up to me and said had our group not been there that day they probably all would have been lost. While everyone "played" the part they were suppose to the real heroes were Steve (my husband) and Chris (our friend) as they risked their lives by jumping in to save that child.

Before we left and after everyone calmed down, we had the kids get into the water with us just so we wouldn't leave afraid. I remember thinking that it was about this time last year that my aunt drowned. When I got home and checked, it was a year to the day that she died.  I had goose bumps and felt nauseous.

Then the dreams started. You know when you experience something how your mind plays tricks on you. The fear of the water increased and we didn't go back to the beach for a long time.

Thanks to the power of prayer and some amazing friends that have prayed for me I can now go and relax at the ocean. That was one of my first baby steps...just going and enjoying the ocean.

The next baby step was taking the kids without my husband. We live on this beautiful tropical island and we can see the water daily. It seems terrible not to enjoy it more often. So yesterday we went. The day was perfect! The first thing my oldest said was, "I'm off to check out the aquarium." His brothers quickly followed.  Snorkel masks and flippers on they set out on their adventure.  You know what,  I felt peace! I still counted heads but I wasn't  fighting that fear of "what if."  When they came back they all had such joy on their faces and they had a few pretty good "fish tales" as well.

Then Bethany and Stevie sat on the shore while I went off to explore with the younger boys and our friend.  What we saw was amazing.  I wish I could tell you the types of fish we saw but I'm not really sure. I do know that they were created by an amazing God who loves us enough to share his beauty with us.

Once again  we all learned something new on our island school. I learned that fears are real and can be conquered one small step at a time.  The kids learned to play with fish in their own personal aquarium.  We all learned a little more about our great God that day! We are all so truly blessed, let us focus on those gifts from God.

Picture taken by my youngest son Sammy (10).

So much to learn

Our family has been blessed in so many ways that when things go wrong we tend to forget how fortunate we are. I think that is why I decided to start this blog. You see we have lived in Puerto Rico, a tropical island, for 9 months.  Yes, 9 months, the same amount as a pregnancy. Now ladies, those of you have been pregnant no how looooong a pregnancy can be when you are miserible.  Yet, we really aren't (for the most part) miserible for the entire 9 months. It just seems we tend to focus on the negative. That is what I've been doing on this beautiful tropical island....focusing on the negatives.  That changes today!

We are a Christian, homeschooling, military family with 4 kids (3boys, 1 girl), 2 dogs, and a whole lot of craziness. Because we keep our kids at home for their education we tend to be a little different than the average family. For us, education isn't just 8am to 3pm, 5 days a week, 9 months of the year but a lifelong journey.  We are also going on a "field trip" or an adventure.  Overall, our family really enjoys learning (because we make it fun) and being together.

I'm learning myself. I'm learning to focus on the positive because we have had some incredible experiences in those 9 months. I'm learning to get over my fears.  Fear of flying, fear of the ocean (I developed that fear after we got here), fear of blogging,  fear of letting my children run free in the neighborhood, and fear of driving. I have all those fears but I don't let them stop me. I do fly, I do enjoy the ocean, I'm attempting to write a blog, and my kids run wild around base. Driving? Well, I'm working on that one...one mile at a time.

One of our fun experiences in PR involved tree trimmers. Before hurricane season the base hires a local company to remove the coconuts to prevent damages if we experience a tropical storm or hurricane. The company works in stages. The first crew comes around and trims the fronds and the coconuts and they move rather quickly. The second crew separates the fronds and coconuts. Apparently, the coconuts are then sold to a local for Coco Frios.  This group moves a little more slowly...and we had no idea they were coming.

So, when my kids saw the treasures that lay before them they didn't hesitate. They quickly pulled out coconuts and all the various stages of coconuts. Man are coconuts bunched together heavy!  What fun they had! They broke open coconuts and saved the liquid in 2 liter bottles.  They took apart pods and found "baby" coconuts and then lined them up, in order to show the various stages.  Then I  heard another truck coming and I got the "look." The workers arrived and weren't happy with us...apparently we had enjoyed some of their profits. Since our Spanish is limited we just smiled and waved and kept playing with our pile.  I'm sure they thought I was crazy as I was having as much fun as the kids!

The experience was amazing. We had a great time outside just being together. We all learned something new about coconuts and even showed the neighbors.  Even the trimmers learned something new because I'm sure next year when they trim the trees they will know to move faster in front of the house with the crazy homeschoolers.



Bethany found this and called them baby coconuts.



Coconut Stages



Collecting the "juice."



We still have much to learn on this island. I hope you continue with us on our journey. I'll try to make it fun and honest! God Bless!