Caribbean Cruise: Puerto Rico (2.9.25)

San Juan, Puerto Rico holds memories for me. On February 9, 2025, we visited El Yunque, the national forest outside San Juan.  Dave and I also visited El Yunque with Jonny and Michael when they were teenagers, on our first cruise.  As I remembered that fun adventure with Jonny and Michael, I was proud of the strong, capable men they have become during the last twenty-five years.

Our ship cruised into the San Juan port early in the morning, past El Morro, the huge fortress guarding the harbor from pirates since the 1500s.  

 

El Yunque is an hour from San Juan.  We drove higher and higher into El Yunque, up a narrow, winding road through tropical forests to a tower on a mountain top.  I climbed to the top of the tower for spectacular views of the mountains and forests on one side, and San Juan on the other, far in the distance, with the sea behind it.

We stopped at a waterfall, and then wandered past bright tropical flowers surrounding it.

We searched for the LDS San Juan Temple, in a suburb near the capital.

We finished the day by wandering through the cobblestone streets of Old San Juan, and taking one last look at El Morro, from the city square.

Caribbean Cruise: Dominican Republic (2.8.25)

The first port on our Caribbean cruise was Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, where we stopped on February 8, 2025.  Bright pinks, yellows, blues, and greens adorn Caribbean cities and countryside.  One of the most photographed sights in Puerto Plata, the second largest city in the Dominican Republic, is the pink street honoring Dona Blanca, a booster and developer of Puerto Plata who died of breast cancer.
 

Puerto Plata is full of old colonial buildings and many, many scooters.  As we learned in Africa, a scooter is a sign of entry into the middle class in developing countries.

Another charming sight in the city is Calle de las Sombrillas, where more than 170 rainbow-hued umbrellas cover an alley in the shopping district.

We stopped at a chocolate and coffee shop on Umbrella Street, where we learned about how those primary exports of the Dominican Republic are grown and processed.

I was served some of the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted.

We also stopped at the main square of Puerto Plata, decorated for the Dominican Republic's Independence Day.

We finished the day at Monkeyland, where troops of small monkeys roamed within a huge enclosure.  Their keeper spread food among tour guests, seated in a circle, and the monkeys clambered around and over the guests. 

Caribbean Cruise: Miami (2.5.25)

We knew we were in Miami as soon as we checked into our hotel on February 5, 2025.  Our hotel screamed "Florida!" with its pastel murals, interior garden guarded by a flamingo, and turquoise-colored stairs and pillars.  We were passengers on a ten-day cruise on Royal Caribbean's Emperor of the Seas, leaving Miami for the Caribbean on February 6, 2025.

 

With a day to sightsee before our ship sailed, we drove south to Homestead, Florida, a rich farming area near the Everglades.  Jonny and Jenny introduced us to this delightful spot, discovered when they lived in Miami.  Our first stop was the Knaus Berry Farm, where we bought the iconic cinnamon rolls and key lime shakes.

Our next stop, near Homestead, was the "Robert is Here" farm stand, selling Florida fruits and jams, as well as lunch.  "Robert is Here" got its name many years ago, when the father of the present owner set his son by the side of the road with fruit to sell.  The son, only five or six years old, made a sign, "Robert is Here," to advertise himself and his fruit.

I enjoyed seeing all sorts of tropical fruits that I never knew existed.

We also visited Zoo Miami, which we came to love through visits there with both Lisa's family, when they lived in Ft. Lauderdale, and Jonny's family, when they live in Miami.

We walked several miles through the park, as other visitors pedaled 4-person bikemobiles past us.  We got in our 10,000 steps!

We made time for a session at the Ft. Lauderdale LDS Temple.

We finished the day with a seafood dinner at a Ft. Lauderdale restaurant.  Dave and I laugh about this photo of Dave solemnly viewing a huge slice of key lime cake, as if pondering the enormity of the challenge of devouring it!

Much Love from Gretta (2.2.25)

I held a Valentines Day dinner for my family a bit early, on February 2, 2025.  Everything was pink--pink lilies on the table; pink, hand-embroidered tablecloths; pink packages of Lindor chocolates at each place setting.  "I love all of you," I told my family, "and the sole purpose of this dinner is to tell you that."

I gave a valentine to each guest, with a personal note inside, saying what I loved about that family member.

Dave got a note on his valentine, telling him, "I love you! You are my best friend.  I also admire and appreciate the love you show to our family, and the testimony you have strengthened over the last few years."

Jonny is another of my favorites.  A friend once told me, "You love all your children, but Michael is your lamb."  I responded, "And Jonny is my baby."  Each of my children has a special place in my heart.

We were glad that Shauna felt well enough to join us, so soon after Alan's death.  We told Shauna she will always have a spot at our table.

I also adore my grandchildren and the "greats."  I keep adding to my collections of dolls and stuffed animals, stored near the dining room, so the children can play with them when they come for Sunday dinner.  Audrey chose this German doll, bought when I was a little girl.