Puerto Rico

Boogie-boarding-buddies

I am back to post a snippet from the last month. We were in Puerto Rico for a little vacation so I'll have to post those pictures next. I have wanted to go to Old San Juan and visit for longer than just our way through on an overnight flight. And now, I have some new insights about Puerto Rico, and have decided that for people wanting a Caribbean vacation without the big price tag (especially the @ $200. price tag for a passport for each family member!), that Puerto Rico is a great choice. Lots of culture, history, similar foods and traditions as the rest of the Caribbean, and clear blue beaches make the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico a perfect choice! Don't worry if you don't speak Spanish- you can learn enough words in a 15-minute session with a Spanish-English dictionary to get around in a car, and most people around San Juan speak some English. It's fairly cheap to fly from the States, and in my opinion is a great vacation spot with plenty of things to do.

So on to this blog post- we discovered the best boogie-boarding beaches that we've ever experienced right along the Isle Verde beach outside the Courtyard Marriott Hotel. The waves were consistent, and the beach was shallow- less than 2 feet- for at least 200 yards, so you can catch a good-sized wave and ride it all the way in. The two older kids, who had been fighting all day, had so much fun together on the waves that all was forgotten and afterward they were hugging and dancing around like it was the best day of their lives.

And last but not least- the little guy watched the older kids having so much fun that he had to have me rent him his own boogie-board. He insisted on carrying it out to the beach all by himself, and after one 40-foot ride on the waves, he was all done and ready to move on.

"It's Fall Somewhere"

You wouldn't know it because we are still in the middle of summer heat, but school has started and we've begun some of the usual "Fall" activities. The kids were in a performance of "The Jungle Book" with the help of the Missoula Children's Theatre who came back again for the second year. Brennan played a part of Kaa (the python) and Payton was a monkey.

We participated in the 2nd Annual 5K race/2K family walk held at the Marriott Golf Course to help raise money for the Children's Home. Brennan ran his first 5K and said it was pretty easy. He wished our friend, Dave, could have run with him again this year.

And since you've never seen the pictures from the first day of school- here you go. The little guy began full-day pre-K which is a combined class with kindergarten. He loves going to school and everyone there loves him too, with his handsome little smile.