For those who haven’t heard yet, Traci, Susie, and I are heading west. Long story short, we’ve been given an opportunity to move near some of our best friends, as well as a great job opportunity. So we said yes, and are moving next week to Louisville, KY. Over 4th of July weekend we made a trip out to do some house hunting, and were very fortunate to find a beautiful home. I figured I’d take you on a tour of our new home. (these pictures are ones taken for the listing of our house, so this is not our furniture, and probably not how we’ll decorate).

Standing on the front sidewalk, you have to look up to see our home. The house is built on a pretty steep hill, with the driveway to our right as it enters the 2 car garage on the side. On top of the retaining wall is a walkway up to our front door. As you step through the front door you’ll see to your left what will probably be a music room (great place for a piano), the stairs to the second floor are in front of you, and just to the right of the stairs is the main hall to the living room and kitchen. AS you walk down the hall you’ll pass doors to the Half-Bath, Basement , and Garage (plus a closet I think).

When you enter the great room, the Kitchen will be to your left, the Breakfast Nook in front of you, and the living room to the right. The kitchen is large and we can’t wait to have space for EVERYTHING in our cabinets. The breakfast nook has a wonderful view of our back yard. And the living room is very open and spacious, with a gas fireplace and plenty of windows. There is also a door between the Breakfast Nook and the living room which goes outside to a small deck and a beautiful back yard.

Now we’re going to go through the kitchen to the formal dining room. It’s surprisingly big with a large doorway to the Music Room, in case of overflow during meals. Our only complaint here is the ugly chandelier… we’re going to try and change that somehow. As we continue around the first floor we’re back in the Music Room, off the front Foyer.

Let’s head upstairs. As you reach the landing, if you turn to the right you see the master bedroom.

We have a lot of space, a built in fireplace, storage in the eaves, plus a large master bath with his-and-hers closets. What a wonderful thing!

The small bedroom next to the master will be used as a nursery, and has one of the 2 doors to the upstairs guest bathroom (the other door comes from the hall).

At the opposite end of the hallway you’ll find the last 2 bedrooms, though we’ll probably use the Green one for our office, since it has a wonderful view of our back yard, and the Red one as our guest bedroom. The back yard is a little sloped, but not nearly like the front. We love the trees that go right up to our fence line, which with help from the house, will provide shade to our back yard through most of the day.

So that’s going to be our Home. As you see, we’re very blessed, and look forward to starting a new life in KY.

Alright, it's taken weeks, but I've finally posted all the good pictures to our Flickr account from our trip to Puerto Rico. I've also updated the blog entries with pictures too. So if you're interested in seeing what we saw in PR, check these pictures out.

Sunday morning breaks the same as we've been having on this trip. Susie doesn't need to sleep in, not here, there's just too much to see. So Traci initially get's up with her. However, I can't get back to sleep, so I trade off and let her catch a bit more sleep. Once everyone wakes up, we head down to the beach for one last swim before heading for the airport. The surf is still high and fun, and the weather is a bit drizzly, but it's not going to stop us on our last day.

After splashing in the surf, and riding the waves for hours, we head up to the pool for a few minutes. We splash around in the pool, but opt to leave shortly cause of a looming dark cloud. Also, we still had packing to do if we were going to leave by 1 to get to the airport and stop by Luquillo Beach. So with a frenzied pace, we shower, pack, and eat lunch. Unfortunately, it took us too long, so we opt not to go to the beach, and instead head on to the airport.

We make it to the airport with no issues. Dad drops all of us with the luggage at the terminal while he goes to return the car. Traci and I go ahead and check in while Susie waits with Michelina and Jeremy. When dad arrives and goes to check in, again we run into an issue where I'm checked in, and he can't. After a little explaining, they finally get it sorted out again, and we're off to the security line, and then to our flight.

The return trip doesn't go quite as good, but we can't complain. Susie was awake for the takeoff, but this time she gets a bit upset. She ends up nursing for almost an hour, but after that she's golden. The landing is perfect, and Susie doesn't complain again. Unfortunately, Dad's sick. So we catch a sky cab, and they drop us off at the exit before taking the rest of the family to their gate. An hour later, we're in our car and heading for home.

What an amazing vacation. I have to say, Puerto Rico wasn't what I expected, but it was still a lot of fun. I am very glad we did it, and did it with the family. Thank you Spike for a great trip. We all really appreciate it.

Sabbath began again like the rest of vacation. Susie's up early again, so I get up with her. We wait for everyone else to wake, as this morning we're heading to El Yunque Rainforest, one of the National Parks on the island. This park is high up on one of the tallest mountains on the island, and provides you with views of the coast, splashing in waterfalls, and hikes through tropical rainforests. Once everyone is awake, we pack up our cooler with sandwich stuff for lunch in the park, and hit the road. It's only a few miles away, but getting up the mountain to the visitor center is slow going.

Once we reach the visitor center, we get directions to the sights from a park ranger, and then take a few minutes to look around the building. The open-air building has many displays of things we'll see in El Yunque. There's a wonderful little gift shop where we find a few PR souvenirs. After shopping, we go into the little theater to see a short film on the park (the film was all in Spanish). Now that we're educated on the park, let's go see it.

So we hop back into the van and decide to head to the highest hike to see climb a tower near the peak. We find a parking spot, and begin the hike up 500 feet to the tower. Michelina starts with Susie on her back. About half way up, she switches with Jeremy.  As we near the tower, the fog is pretty thick, and we start to worry about our view from the tower. A little more hiking and we reach the base of the tower. We take a few minutes and wander around the tower, and then it's up to the top. Unfortunately, we were right.  The view was pretty obstructed by the clouds, so not much to see really. As we start heading back down, we hear thunder in the distance, and not too much later, rain. It began to pour. We quickly made it to a shelter off the path, and hid there till the storm ran its course. Then we continued our descent back to the car.

From here, we drove to a picnic area for lunch, and then it's on to La Mina Falls. Another hike, this time only a 250 ft climb, but still not easy. We make it to the falls, and place our feet in the water. These falls were beautiful, but they were a favorite of all the hikers, so it was pretty crowded. So after about 30 minutes down here, we make the return trip back to the car.

From here, we start heading out of the park. We stop for one more set of falls. These falls (3 of them) belong to a small stream and are fun to play in. Susie has fallen asleep in the car, so dad stays with her while the rest of us head up to the falls. We quickly find the smaller first falls (perfect size for a young child). We continue on, and find the other two falls. Jeremy quickly decides to get in and play under the falls. After braving the cool water, he manages to convince Michelina to try also, so the two of them play in the middle falls.  Michelina and Traci go ahead on back, but Jeremy wants to see if he can reach the higher falls, so he heads up the side of the hill while I wait behind for his return. He finally comes back and reports that there was no clear way down to the falls unfortunately, so he and I head back to the car where everyone is waiting for our return.

We hop back in the car, and begin our return trip back to the condo. El Yunque is a beautiful park, and nothing like anything I've ever seen in the states. If you ever get a chance to go, it's well worth the time. On the way to the condo, we decide to stop at Luquillo Beach Kiosks, which are basically small shops that sell fried food, alchohol, and play music. There are 60 some of thes all along the beach, and very much a part of PR culture. We get a few items and share, plus 2 coco frio's (chilled coconuts). The food was pretty good, and the coconuts were interesting. The milk was good, but the insides... did you know that green coconuts insides are slimy? Still good, but different.

We finally return home, get some pizza for dinner, and spend a quiet evening just relaxing at the condo. What a great Sabbath day.

Friday starts like every other day, with an early morning for Susie. Today we are supposed to get together with our other cousins Luisito and all of his family for the afternoon. So the morning is ours. Some head down to the beach. Others opt to hang out in the condo. Once Susie wakes from her morning nap, we head into San Juan to find Luisito's house.

Luisito and his wife Migali have a wonderful home that they open up to us. When we arrive, most of the grandkids are already in the pool. We get to meet Michelle, Luis Javier, and Nicole. Ingrid will arrive later, and the last one to show up is Laura who is actually flying in that afternoon with her new husband.  There is something about their family, because instantly, we feel like we've always been a part of it, even though for most of us "kids" it's the first time we've even met.  Luisito prepares a huge paella for us.  Two in fact, one with seafood, and one with just chicken. They also share some fresh fried breadfruit.  Lunch was wonderful. After lunch, come more swimming. The whole family gets into the pool and splashes for hours.

Finally we have to say goodbye, as little Susie is tuckered out. It was a wonderful afternoon, and we look forward to seeing the whole family again sometime.

Thursday began as usual with Susie waking around 6AM. So I hop up and take her to the living room. The morning is pretty, and the weather is supposed to be nice today. Shortly after getting up, Dad get’s up too, and we setup a blanket on the tile floor where Susie can play, and hopefully if she topples over, she won’t hurt herself.

Today’s plans are to play in the beach in the morning, and head to Old San Juan and see some of the sites in the afternoon. After everyone get’s up, we head down to the beach at Playa Azul. This beach is really awesome. Luquillo, which is just around the bend from us, is very calm and shallow, but our beach actually has waves from the Atlantic Ocean. There was also a storm last night, so the surf is especially high. In addition, the sand is nothing like anything I’ve seen before. It’s actually almost soft to walk on. No shells. This beach is just fun.

Since the surf seems a bit too much for Susie, we take turns sitting with her in the sand, where the waves almost stop. She jumps and bounces happily in the sand, and enjoys the water, while everyone else body surfs in the waves. After an hour or so of that, we decide to head to the pool for a bit of quiet time before going back upstairs. The Pool is wonderful, and Susie takes to it like a fish. She happily splashes and kicks and even sticks her face in the water. Unfortunately, we should get her down for a nap if we want to go anywhere, so reluctantly we all head back upstairs for lunch and a nap for Susie.

When she FINALLY wakes up around 4, we quickly get ready and try to get to Old San Juan before everything closes (which we didn’t do). By the time we got down there, all the forts were closed, and the tourist sites are locked up for the day.

So we wander around the small cobble-stone streets, just soaking in the city. We park near the pier on the south side of the city, so we load up and strike out to see what we can see. We head for the north-west point, where El Castillo San Felipe del Morro lies. We wander through a couple of squares, seeing some of the old buildings and people of the city. As we get to the fort, darkness is filling the sky, and the lights illuminate the outer walls at the other end of the long grassy knoll. We make our way out to the fort (which has been closed for a couple hours now) and get a great view of Old San Juan, and the new San Juan across the bay.

It’s getting late, and we’re hungry, so we go in search of a restaurant suggested in our guide books. We find it, and are treated VERY well, and we feast on Tapas, and just enjoy our evening.

After dinner, we have a 5 block hike back to the car, and from there a 30 minute ride back to our condo.  Again, we all just pretty much head to bed, since Susie will probably wake early again tomorrow. *sigh*

Yet another early morning for Susie (sadly I’m beginning to see a pattern here), and this time it’s Traci’s turn. When I emerge, most everyone is awake. We eat breakfast, and start packing with hopes that we’ll be able to leave Playa Santa by 10. The plan is to head to Balneario de Boqueròn, one of the premier beaches in PR, just so we can say we’ve seen it. From there we’re driving to Maricao where there is a hospital with a plaque dedicated to my great grandfather. And then we continue on to Luquillo, where our next condo is for the remainder of the trip.

When Susie wakes from her nap, we load everything into the Van and we’re off. Again, on our way to Boqueròn, we get lost. We kept driving passed this little side street we were supposed to turn on. Once found the turn, we make it to Boqueròn Beach with little more trouble. The beach isn’t as amazing as it looked in the books, but it’s still pretty. There is ample space for picnicking, and the water is very calm and peaceful. Very tranquil.  There are Mango trees all around, but unfortunately their fruit is weeks away from being ready (we did try). After an hour on the beach, we get back in the van and begin heading to Maricao.  We stop for lunch a what was a bar & grille outside of Cabo Rojo. It was a hole in the wall, with some of the best food. Now back in the car we go to find Maricao.

Maricao is a small coffee town in the mountains of PR. Our family used to have a coffee farm up there, and as I mentioned before, my grandfather was a doctor at the local hospital. In addition, he served as Mayor of the town for a while.  After an hour of windy curvy roads up and down the sides of the mountains, we stop for a break at the Parador La Hacienda Juanita, a fancy hotel in the mountains. They have an amazing view, and the hotel is very quiet, but it’s not much of a luxury resort. The rooms are small and simple, and there isn’t much to do here.

We hop back in the van and are in Maricao shortly. We are able to find the hospital, and the plaque is still there. We take photos with it, and then hop back in the car. We had intended to find the old farm, but Jose didn’t know how to give us directions to it, and we’re not even sure it hasn’t been abandoned.

Not much after leaving town we stop at a tower. From this tower, on a good day, you can see 2 of the coasts of the island. It's not the best of days, so we can't see well, but you can make out some of the coast line. We only take a few minutes here before we hop back in the car and get going again.

The ride down the mountain only takes 30 minutes this time, and we’re soon on the highway towards San Juan. We stop at one point for gas, and when we get off we hear music and notice these huge speakers on the street corner. As you listen closely, the music is actually a promotion for Senator Barack Obama. See, they were here campaigning cause they were preparing for the upcoming primary this weekend. So a small rally was occurring on the side of the road.

Anyways, we make it to Luquillo, and our hotel in Playa Azul, sometime after 9. We’re all a little cranky and tired, but glad to be there. Tomorrow we'll explore the beach, but for tonight let's just go to bed.

It’s Day 4, and Susie is once again awake at 6AM. It’s my turn this time, so we head out to the living room. While playing, Jeremy comes out and runs to the bathroom, multiple times before anyone else gets up. He’s sick. We’re not sure if it was something he ate, or if he picked up a flu, but we’re not going anywhere today.

Instead we opt to have a day at the beach. So after breakfast, Traci, Susie, Michelina, and I all head down for some fun in the surf. The beach is a mess from all the people that were there the past two days, but the water is refreshing as always. This time, Susie loves the water and happily plays for an hour in the surf. We play around with Michelina’s water-proof camera, getting pictures of Susie in the surf, but eventually we’re chased inside by a storm.

We spend the rest of the day napping and playing around the condo. Jeremy starts feeling better by the evening. And the day ends with a spectacular sunset this time. We enjoy it from our condo balcony, looking out over the water at the mountains in the distance. We were sorry Jeremy got sick, but the day ended up being just what we needed. Tomorrow, we have a lot planned as far as stops along the way as we head across the island back towards San Juan, so it’s going to be a long day.

Day three began similar to day two.  Susie woke up around 6AM again (we couldn’t block out all the light in our room, and PR is technically 1 hour ahead of EST, but they aren’t observing daylight savings time this year, so it get’s bright early).  This time, Traci get’s up with Susie and heads to the living room.

It’s the Memorial Day Monday, and the beach is going to be crowded, so instead of hanging out at the beach today, we opt to do some sightseeing in Ponce. The weather today is mostly sunny, with bright blue skies. It’s going to be a warm, but a beautiful day.

After making the 60 minute drive into the city from our condo (we kind of got lost again), we find parking on a tiny one-way street, and walk three blocks towards the Plaza de las Delicias. Finally, the street opens up to a beautiful, tree filled square, with a white Cathedral glowing in the sunlight. We head over to the Parque de Bombas (Fire Station) to tour that first, as my Dad has been talking about it a lot. It was an old fire station that is now just a museum. To be honest, it could have been better, but it was still fun to see.

After the Fire Station, we try to get into the Cathedral, but unfortunately it’s already closed for the day, so we settle for Ice Cream. King’s Ice Cream is a small hole in the wall that serves some of the best Ice Cream I’ve ever had. Actually, it’s really more of a Sorbet, as most of the flavors have to do with local fruits. I had Guyanabana, and Traci had Coca (Coconut) which was the unanimous favorite of the bunch. We take a few more minutes to enjoy our ice cream and the nearby fountain before heading back towards the car to find some lunch. We find a wonderful little restaurant (with Air Conditioning) and delight in a nice meal before heading out to find the old Oms’ home on Christina Street.

This is the house where my Grandfather grew up, once they moved from the farm in the Maricao. The building is still there, but it’s now a daycare. It’s in a cute little part of town, where the houses nearly touch one another.  From here, we go in search of the Oldest Ceiba (Kapok) Tree. Again, we get lost, but after almost giving up, we find it. It’s a gnarled, and knotted tree, but still amazing. I think they said it was like 350 years old or something.

Finally, tired and hot, we hop back in the van and head for home. We get back in time for Sunset, and decide to head to the roof of the tower to watch. Unfortunately, there were a lot of clouds today, so it’s not very magnificent. After watching for a while, we return to the elevator, and back to our condo.

Traci has volunteered to stay at the Condo and let Susie sleep, while the rest of us head about 10 miles down the road to catch a tour boat. These boats take guests out to a lagoon where you can see glowing plankton. The Phosphorescence is a cool experience, but sadly it's been dimmed by polution. There are 2 swimmers that jump off the boat and agitate the plankton and it causes them to spark and glow. It's pretty amazing. Sadly the best part of the boat ride for me was actually the night sky. Moonless and dark, the stars were spectacular.

Finally, we return to the condo tired and worn out. Tomorrow brings with it more hopes of sights to see, as we plan to go back to Ponce.

We are woken early by Susie who at 6AM decides the suns up, she should be also. I pop up with her and we head to the living room so Traci can sleep some. Everyone else is sleeping in their rooms (Jeremy and Michelina on bunk beds in on room, Dad in the other room on a queen bed). Everyone else wakes (everyone that is but Michelina), and the morning begins with no fanfare. Jeremy heads down for an early swim at the beach, and Traci, Susie, and I get ready and join him. Dad comes down a little later.

We couldn’t wait to get Susie in the water, which was pleasantly cool. Her first touch wasn’t very happy, kind of startled by the cool water. She spends most of her first moments kind of grimacing, and fussing a bit but eventually she warms up to it. The beach is slowly filling with people, and after about 30 minutes, Susie has had enough. So we head back to our pool, only to find it’s hidden in the shade by the building. So we end up returning to the condo for breakfast and just some relaxation. The AC’s running from the bedrooms are doing a decent job of cooling the entire condo.

 After breakfast, Susie goes down for a nap. Lou and Traci opt to join her, while everyone else heads down to the beach for some fun in the midday sun. It's crowded (since it's Memorial weekend) so Traci and I don't miss too much.

That afternoon we get together with our cousins, Jose and Ilka, and her mom Titi Nene for dinner and some socializing. Jose is a fount of knowledge, and Ilka keeps him humble. It was a great evening, with good food, and great company.

We return to the condo late in the evening, and that was our second day in PR.