In March we took a day trip to Ocean World. I had wanted to visit here since I found out they had dolphins (for those of you who know how much I love dolphins).
We started off with a shark show. Little ones of course. They still kind of freaked me out, especially when they picked them up and shoved them toward us.
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| You'd have to have awesome balance to do this holding a child! |
Then we went to, my favorite, the dolphin show. And as much as I love dolphins I got A LOT of pictures of them throughout the day. I could have watched them forever. They are such graceful creatures.
We looked at some birds, but I wasn't able to do the whole "birds landing on your head" area.
The sea lion show was another favorite among our group. I will admit, they know how to pull in the crowd.
After the shows it was time to relax at the "beach" and try out some water-slides. One was so slow I got stuck halfway down. The other one I tried was so fast I think they heard my screams across the park. I only did it once. 
It was cool to be able to see groups swim with the dolphins in the pool area right next to the "beach". Overall it was a very good day and I enjoyed it with some great friends.
For Spring Break 2016 I was so excited to go with Carrie (a fellow teacher), her grandparents, and a few other ladies down to La Romana (in the Southeastern portion of the Dominican Republic). We were incredibly blessed to be able to stay at the mission house for a few days. One of the highlights of the week, for me, was seeing Ryan and Erin Vandelinde, even though it was just a short visit. I was able to catch up on what is happening with their family and their upcoming plans. I've sure missed this family. Hard times come, but He gives us glimpses of the bigger plan, which brings refreshing to our soul. The next day we went to Casa de Campo. We walked around Altos de Chavon. It is a replica of a 16th century Mediterranean village with a view overlooking the Chavon River.
The stonework is so beautiful! There are shops, restaurants, and museums. We walked down to the Marina, discussing which yacht we'd love to own and how we'd be able to afford it (most likely by marrying someone who already owns one).
We ended the day at the beach. Ice cream and the ocean on a beautiful day. What could be more relaxing? The following day we drove to Bayahibe to catch a boat to go to Isle de Saona. We stopped briefly for snorkeling. The water was so clear. There were several varieties of fish. The world below the water is so different than what you can see above the water. It is so peaceful.
We continued our trip to Isle de Saona on a beautiful catamaran. We laid on netting about 2 feet off the water. It was so relaxing- it took about 2 hours to get there, not that any of us minded.
The colors of the ocean were stunning. We arrived at the island and ate lunch. Then we all took a walk down the beach, finding shells and so much coral. We hung out in the water until it was time to get back on the boat.
This time we boarded a speedboat. On the way back we stopped at a lagoon- a wildlife protected area. We saw a huge sea turtle along the way. The water was so green- it was breathtaking. A lot of boats were already there with groups of people. They actually limit the amount of time each group could be there. The water was only 3-5 feet deep.
Then we continued back to Bayahibe. The trip back was much quicker. The last day of our adventure we packed up and said goodbye to La Romana. On the way home we stopped outside La Romana at Cuevas de Maravillas. It was 25 meters down into the cave. There were some very interesting stalagtites, stalagmites, and cave art. It was well worth the stop.
After stopping at the caves we drove on to Santo Domingo. The traffic back was crazy compared to the drive down. At one point I decided to never drive through Santo Domingo again. In Santo Domingo we stopped for dinner at the Agora Mall. I can now say I checked out Screamland (a kid's dream of arcades and rides). It was a fantastic trip, but I was glad to be home. It was sad to say goodbye to Carrie's grandparents, who had become like my own grandparents. I knew I'd be visiting them in Pennsylvania this summer.
But, we still had one more full day of spring break. So the next day a few of us headed to La Presa (the dam) de Taveras.
We took a small boat to the other side of the lake to a small restaurant. It was quite a windy day and we almost had our food blow away a couple times.
When we finished lunch, we took the boat back across to where we had parked. The waves were sloshing over the side of the boat. We decided to go to Jarabacoa to get some ice cream, using a back road. It was an interesting ride- very bumpy, but the view of the lake and lush greenery was an excellent reminder of the beauty of God's creation yet again.
After Jarabacoa we drove around until we found the old ruins in La Vega. The tour was in Spanish, but the girls filled me in on the important things.
We drove back to Santiago through Moca (where two of my students live). I love being spontaneous and the adventures that we find. It was quite a full week! I was glad to be back in school to share what I did and hear what my students had been up to.
In April several of us decided to take a weekend away for some rest and relaxation and headed up the mountains to Constanza.
One of the former SCS staff owns a house there and rents it out.
It has a beautiful overlook. I spent the weekend playing games, napping in hammocks, journaling, and snuggling with an adorable 3-legged little dog.
Everyone tried to convince me to bring it home, but I'm gone too much to have a dog right now (and it wouldn't be fair to take him away from his home). It was the perfect weekend to refocus and prepare for the rest of the school year. Many of the student teachers went and it was fun to connect with them outside of school before they left.
These last couple months of school have been very busy. The end of the year is fast approaching. This is both my favorite time of year and my hardest time of year. It is my favorite time of year, because as we wrap up academically we have more time to remember our top memories of the year and look back at how far we've come. It is my hardest time, because there are many end of the year things to do and much preparation for next year that has to be done. I also know these precious students are moving on soon. I will miss seeing their smiling faces walk through the door every day. Earlier this week we had a picnic in the classroom. It was a wonderful opportunity to chat about favorite memories of the year and talk openly with no place to rush off to. I was serenaded by one of my students who is usually very quiet. I had another student recite me a poem. One of my girls said if we didn't stop she'd be in tears thinking about how much she'd miss us. I found out that many of the students' top memories involve me doing crazy things. But, at least they learned what lessons they needed to learn! We laughed together and put another amazing memory in the books. Yesterday was field day. The 1st-5th graders rotated stations that included relays, games, and sports activities. Each class was split into red and blue teams for some friendly competition. It was an exhausting day, but very rewarding. I got the opportunity to run alongside the last runners of the long distance race and see the smiles of accomplishment as they crossed the finish line. I cheered, until my voice was hoarse, with and for every student on my team. I watched the surprised look on my student's face as they were announced during the award ceremony for earning the spirit/sportsmanship award. I saw one of my students succeed at something that others thought was not possible (reminding me to never set limits!). I experienced everyone coming together for a single purpose. Finally, I was able to have meaningful conversations with students from the other 3rd grade classes that I wouldn't have been able to have without a day like this. The final countdown is on- 4 1/2 days until these third graders are officially fourth graders.
I am thankful for the community that God has provided for me here in the Dominican Republic, specifically Santiago. I have been blessed time and again by friendships God has provided for me over the last year. For much of my life I've tried to be strong and face things on my own. But, in a place that seems so foreign some days, I have learned the absolute necessity to rely on these friends. They have truly become my 2nd family. They continually point me back to the One who is enough for me in any situation. They face the unknowns right along with me, reminding me I'm not in this alone and that nothing is a surprise to Him.
So as my first year teaching at Santiago Christian School comes to an end, I choose to finish strong. I choose to make every moment with my students memorable. I choose to lay aside my questions about the future and focus only on today. I choose to find calm in the chaos. Why? Because it's too important for me to choose not to.
