Jamaica 2008

Allen and I just got back Saturday from Jamaica. As you can see from these pictures, it really was beautiful there. We had a really good time. (once we got through immigrations at the airport, that took 2 1/2 hours of standing in line). The weather was great. It clouded up every afternoon about 3:00, but it never lasted long and then the sun came back out. This is a view of the pools that were right by the beach. Eli told his Sunday School class that we went to "Jericho".

This is a picture of the beach. We went in the off season, so the resort wasn't crowded at all. We got lots of attention.


A view of the dock from where we were sitting. You could rent sail boats or go para-sailing, but we were content to just sit by the beach and read.(mostly sleep). It was definitely a relaxing vacation.


We were at the Japanese Restaurant in this picture. (Yes, a Japanese Restaurant in Jamacia).



We had a BBQ one day right on the beach for lunch. They made authentic paella with lobster, shrimp and all kinds of good things. It was really, really good. In fact, all the food was good.

Our own little band at the BBQ. (They were actually quite good)

This was the funniest thing at the beach. These peddlers floated around on these decorated kayaks and came up to you while you were swimming in the ocean and tried to sell you something. You had to run(swim) in the opposite direction to get away from them. They kept calling me "pretty lady" and wanting to show me what they had. (It was pure junk). We didn't buy anything, but a lot of people did. We about cracked up one day when one of them answered a cell phone. There were usually 3-4 in our part of the beach.

We went shopping one day downtown on the "hip strip". We had our own personal driver who took us to the shops and waited on us and then took us back to the resort. I could get used to that kind of service. These were native shops that were just little cubby holes on the side of a mountain. They all had the same things, but they practically dragged you into their shops. They even wanted to braid my hair. I definitely did not like that kind of shopping. They expected you to haggle for the final price and that was not fun for me at all. We got the kids a few little things, but what they liked the most was the $100 Jamacian bill Papaw gave them. (worth about $1.20 in U.S. money)

We went to the "Cool Running" bar where they have the acutal bobsled used in the Olympics when Jamicia won. You've probably seen the movie about it.

Sunset at the beach. The sun went down every night about 6:00 and it was pitch dark every day at that time. It would be bright one minute and the next the sun was completely gone.

If you want to see more pictures just click on this link

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2010406&l=2a4c0&id=1185750501

Trip to Virginia

We went to Virginia over the week-end to see the Thumm's. On the way back we stopped at a roadside market and the pumpkins were just gorgeous. The weather was beautiful the whole time we were there. It was a quick trip, but I needed to see Aaron. (the rest of them too, but Aaron is the one changing so much). He is getting so big and he talks non-stop. He has something to say about everything. He is even putting sentences together now, so it is very entertaining.
He loves this Pirate bat that the Morris's gave him. He is constantly playing baseball with it. I think we have another baseball player in the family.


He cornered everyone he could to "read" to him. He loves books and Jacob, Joel and Eli sent him a ton of new ones.
Danny and Aaron on the skateboard. Aaron chased him up and down the street. I sure wish I had his energy.

Isn't this a good family picture of the Thumms.
Aaron with the "loot" from his cousins. He wore this Tigger hat all week-end. It goes with a Halloween costume. He loved all the new toys. It was like Christmas and he had a ball and we had fun watching him.
He also got new slippers. He got these Mickey Mouse ones and some Winnie the Pooh's. He couldn't decide which ones to wear so he kept changing. I got Aaron some stickers so maybe he won't go through a box of band-aids every day!
Kerri got a new hair-cut. I really like it. Now I just have to wait until Thanksgiving to see them again!!