Jamaica!!!! First Family Vacation!

Friday, February 27th we left Peoria for Chicago. We stopped at McDonald's on our way out and I was thrilled to see this cutout of a local basketball player (maybe local not sure). Anyway he's 6'8" and this was life-size so we thought we'd see how we measure up. I'm not even close to his height but don't look as short as I should because the cutout was leaning away from the camera. 

 That was fun. Here's how Peoria sky looked the day we left (noting for my sky scarf).

February 28th: The next morning it was -4 degrees fahrenheit when we drove to the airport. 

Brrrrr......

Joe 

The Fearon family we went with. Meriah, 12 by the window and Peter and Jeanna.

Behind Joe, is Brea Fearon, 18 or 19 yo, I think 18 but not sure. See the monkeys in the back row!

Rylie so happy when we landed in Montego Bay.

Rylie just wanted to be in ocean all the time. So she went in when it was dark! I don't think I would be that brave at her age.

March 1st

First full day, kinda cloudy and windy.

And only 84 degrees! LOL. So I drew with my markers a picture of a building in Jamaica.

Took Rylie's little braids out as the wind was whipping them all over and they all were coming out anyway and went with two big braids. 

Big mistake had a cup of REGULAR coffee with dinner that night and didn't sleep a wink. But at least here I could then walk the beach at sunrise.

March 2nd

I even recorded it some so you could hear the wind and waves.

March 3rd

So beautiful and so is the flower.

Much more beautiful day, this one may get painted.

Planning my new vegetable garden layout.

Sunset and the closest we got to the dive boat.

Enjoying the relaxation. Braided my hair as well.

March 4th

Full moon coming and tide is high!

Weather was overcast again 

But at least I had company

March 5th

Beautiful day again

Rylie in the water as always, even as sun sets.

On the way to dinner and the full moon.

March 6th

I had a friend, an Egret we named Bill. Rylie had a friend, named Ella from Canada.

Watching people kayak that probably shouldn't have drivers license.

Before they capsized. Also parasailer in the distance. Think I'm ready to try that next time.

Oh I love the deep blue!!!!!

March 7th time to go home, waahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Never hooked up with the driver for Couples that I hoped would deliver this to Aubin so mailing from home.

Worked out a schedule that Jeanna and I could work in two offices, one in Chicago and one here, in 5 to 7 years that includes 8 weeks of vacation!!!! I can't wait for retirement, I have to work until I'm 75 and then I'll be too old to enjoy it.

At least when we returned to Chicago it was 45 degrees supposedly although by the time we landed and got off the plane and home to condo it was 37. 

Last time when it was just Pat and I we took a cab and I would go back to that method. It was actually cheaper when you factor in gas, long term parking, and tipping the bus shuttle driver that took us to the red lot even though we got on the wrong shuttle. Sigh....

Then Monday we drove back to Peoria and the sun was out and it got up to 52 degrees!!! 

So I did a lot of drawing and garden planning and here's some pictures of it:

We decided to draw animal we had seen or heard. Rylie drew this Octopus all by herself and decided to add socks. Which then reminded us of her dad always complaining about the difficulty in finding a pair of socks..... I did the lettering for her and she colored it.

The "church" or some type of building that was in a Jamaican Guide.

The eel we saw and named after Joe. 

The ouchy sea urchins. She named phil. We traced her foot and then shortened the heel by an inch or so to fit on the page.

We thought it was a crane but later were told by Joe it was an Egret. Either way we named him Bill after Bill Barr. 

The tree frogs we hear all the time but can't see nor catch for Jeanna.

Missing Runway Allstars so working on my own designs. 

Didn't like this one as much.

Art Journal page of beneficial insects.

Bob Marley

My drawings of the same animals in my art journal. 

And my garden journal work...

Backyard layout

Apple tree guild

Pea plans

Germination requirements

Possible new veggie garden beds, this time stone walls!

Plant pages, this one is Blue Fescue

The cover

Verbena Plant page

Sempervivum that had a lovely watercolor pencil drawing that got ruined accidentally so covered with magazine clipping.

Oh and my "Garden Book" Calendar I used for birthday tracking since 1983. Yes and records my first car date as well. I decided to add drawings to it too. 

Overall it was a great first family vacation hopefully of many to our island home!