San Juan Vacation Photos

Warning: There are lots! If you've got something cooking or a child in the tub, don't start this. It takes awhile! On the other hand, I'll never know if you don't look or if you tire of it half way through. We had an absolutely amazing time. I hope I captured some of it in pictures. Enjoy!

Greetings from Friday Harbor!

This is the only orca we've seen...

Kendra and Felipe: Post Number 100!

I've been watching my number of posts creep toward 100 for a few weeks, wondering what what the big 100 would be about. Kendra and Felipe's day yesterday was 100% perfect. The flower girls were 100% adorable. How fitting their pictures get to be post number 100!

Lemonade

We're making gallons of lemonade in the Denney family this week. Life has given us tons of lemons lately. What I have learned is that when life gives you lemons, if you look close enough, you'll find plenty of sugar to sweeten it. I saw the corner of Steve's mouth turn up from his hospital bed for the first time in days when I told Diana that I felt a long blog coming on. Here goes! Feel free to skip or skim...We left McMinnville Thursday afternoon for what was supposed to be a long weekend in Gold Beach followed by taking the girls to Roseburg for the week. Steve and I planned (after months of discussion!)our first real child free vacation since, well, since children. We had reservations on Capital Hill in Washington DC for five days of sightseeing. Life had other ideas. Steve's aunt died of cancer about two months ago and a memorial was planned for the 4th of July morning in Gold Beach. The day before, Steve's brother took their mom, Steve and two cousins up the Rogue for several hours in his boat. It was a gorgeous, hot day, and the five of them had a wonderful time. Unfortunately as Steve got out of the boat, his back went out. Bad. He was frozen. He took it easy the rest of the day, but it was worse the next morning, so off to the ER we went. Yes, Gold Beach does actually have a hospital with an ER. In fact, they have two stoplights there now so don't be dissing it anymore. He was diagnosed with a "back sprain", given drugs and sent home. Big ol' bag of lemons. We made it back just in time to shower and leave for the memorial. It was a lovely service, up on a hill overlooking the ocean. My niece sang "Amazing Grace" as Aunt Sue's ashes were scattered on her father's grave surrounded by 23 family members. Each family left a red rose, and we went back to my in laws for good food and lots of shared memories. It was an emotional day. It pains me to see my mother in law so sad. She confided in me that it feels like a huge part of her soul is missing having her twin sister gone. Wow, big bag of lemons. I was struck by the sense of belonging I had there, though. The connectedness of the group was palatable by the end of the weekend. I am part of that family even though I wasn't born into it. Sugar! Somewhere in the middle of it all, I received word from our dog/house sitter that our first baby girl, our 12 year old yellow lab Ginger, had had two really bad seizures. More lemons! The next day, Steve was worse so I spent several hours on the phone canceling all the DC reservations. Lemons. Around 2:00, we somehow got Steve into the car and made the trek to Roseburg. My dad met me at the door with the best gin and tonic I've ever tasted. How did he know I needed that so badly? The next morning, Mom and I headed to Medford to be with my 89 year old grandpa while he had his pacemaker replaced. He was thrilled to have my mom, my aunt and me around him in the pre-op room, and we laughed a lot at his silliness after whatever they put in his iv kicked in. The surgery was a success, and I could see the improvement on the heart monitors afterward. Sugar! As mom and I made our way home that night, Jeanita (who kindly took my girls to her pool before the ambulance took their daddy away) called to say an ambulance was coming to take Steve to the hospital. He had gotten to the living room floor and couldn't get up. We flew the last hour (thanks, Mom!) home and she dropped me at the hospital. Watching Steve writhe in pain on the gurney was surreal to say the least. I wondered a little if that's what it's like for a husband to watch his wife give birth. I felt so helpless, but unlike labor, there sure wasn't going to be a sweet baby in a few minutes... In fact, I couldn't really see the light at the end of the tunnel for a while. Diagnosis this time: sciatica. More new and stronger drugs, specific directions not to ride in the car and we headed to my parents' house about 11:00. 25 pound bag of lemons. We couldn't be in a better place for this disaster, though. I'm enjoying my dad's cooking, Mom doing laundry and entertaining the girls. We're swimming every afternoon, getting dressed whenever we feel like it, and I've already finished one book. Sugar, sugar, sugar! I'm carefully documenting the muscle relaxants, pain killers and steroids I dose my husband. Lemons. But I'll finance our next trip by selling the leftovers on the Black Market. Sugar. So, in a week or so, when we're finally home, come on over. The Denney's will have the biggest vat of lemonade you've ever seen. And, we'll share!