Today’s stats at their annual physicals:

Raine
height: 5’10.9″, 99%-ile
weight: 144lbs, 87%-ile

Carter
height: 5’3.9″, 78%-ile
weight: 84.5lbs, 17%-ile

Carter’s birthday took place over multiple days. He got to go fishing on the 11th in Puerto Rico. We flew home on his actual birthday but had his presents ready at home for him to open.

July 13 – birthday cake

July 14 – birthday party at WhoaZone! on lake Grapevine

Ayden (Lizzy’s friend), Lizzy, Carson, Will, Carter, Conner

July 11 was our last full day in Puerto Rico. Daddy, Carter, and I started the day with a quick trip to the water park.

Daddy tried and tried to convince (bribe) Carter to go down this slide, but he just wouldn’t do it. Daddy was the only one brave enough.

Once we got dressed, we drove back into San Juan. The boys went fishing out in the bay — Carter requested to go fishing for his birthday.

40 lb

30 lb

60 lb

25 lb

Raine and I stopped for lunch and then drove into the old town to look around real quick before we had to head back out to pick up the boys.

After dinner, Carter wanted to play chess.

July 12 we packed up, drove back into San Juan, and flew home. Poor Carter had to travel on his birthday, but we had all his presents ready when we got home. (And Tucker had left us a big circle of “presents” all over the carpet upstairs. Yuck!)

July 10 we headed back to El Yunque National Forest, this time with a reservation. First stop was La Coca Waterfall.

Next was a short hike to the Juan Diego Creek Waterfalls

We took the trail up to the upper falls too.

Apparently, this waterfall was a lot more painful to stand under than the last one!

After lunch we walked around El Baño Grande

Once we left the National Forest, we headed out to find Las Paylas natural water slides. We started out on the lower, slower slide.

Then Carter and Daddy took a few jumps from the rock. Raine and Daddy went off hiking while Carter tried to catch a fish with his bare hands.

Eventually, we worked our way up to the big slide.

That evening we went on a kayak tour to the bio bay, with its bioluminescent algae. It was the coolest thing to see it glow as you ran your hand or paddle through the water. My photos didn’t turn out, but this is enough to remember it.

July 9 we went back out to Palomino Island for some relaxation and snorkeling.

There were thunderstorms rolling through, mainly to the north of us, so we had to stay out of the water at some points. The kids went and “rented” a volleyball so that we could play while we waited.

We saw some really cool coral with some huge fish while we were out snorkeling. Of course my camera battery was dead when we saw it though!

The view from our balcony was fantastic and every evening the restaurant would have live music so we could sit outside and enjoy the view.

July 8 we drove out to El Yunque National Forest and looked around the visitor center because we didn’t have a reservation to drive into the park.

After the visitor’s center, we drove out to Yunque Ziplining for a few hours of adventure.

Trying the wild passion fruit

We got rained on for a brief minute

We had dinner on the rooftop at Bungalu

You can tell which meal is Raine’s!

July 6, we caught a 6:00 a.m. flight from DFW to San Juan then drove about an hour out to El Conquistador Resort.

July 7, after breakfast on the patio, we took the resort shuttle-boat out to Palomino Island for some snorkeling.