Puerto Rico Trip - Day 3

January 8th - This was our first full day at the Paradisus Resort. I was so excited to get up and see what the resort actually looked like in day light! Dang, it was gorgeous!



This was Kristi and I in the morning...we decided to begin the week off right...by ordering ROOM SERVICE!! O baby! We did this all week long!



This was the first thing we saw after walking out of our room. Needless to say, we were pretty pumped!





This was the first palm tree I'd ever seen up close and in person. So I had to jump on it. Literally.





There are WAY TOO MANY pictures that we took this day. I'll just post some random ones...We ended up spending the afternoon at the pool, we signed up for our excursions, took a dance class by the pool side with Santos (we've got LATIN BLOOD!) and we went to Avacados, one of the "reservations required" restaurants, for dinner. It was a GREAT DAY!





In Puerto Rico they celebrate Christmas for about 3 months. Right after Thanksgiving they begin the festivities and they go till about January 9th or so. They do not open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day but on January the 6th (I think?!?) "when the wisemen arrived at the manger and give their gifts to Jesus". I love that idea!









Kristi and I ate every single desert that was on the menu at Avacados. It was brilliant!



This was Kristi relaxing in the posh bathroom.

Puerto Rico Trip - Day 2

Kristi and I woke up at the crack of dawn (3:30 a.m.) to catch our flight from Toronto to Miami. We had a layover in Miami and then flew onto Puerto Rico!






Kristi and I got UNCOUNTABLE comments (and stares) about being twins! This went on all week with the minimum comments per day being at 2...we got some pretty intense reactions.



The above picture is us on our way to the Paradisus all-inclusive resort. The buses and restaurants in Puerto Rico were always really cold!

This was our amazing bedroom! We had marble floors and counters in our room, a free (included) mini bar and room service any time we fancied!









When we got to the resort we headed off to get some grub.
After we had eaten Kristi and I were walking around with my boss' daughters when two guys approached us. They were quite intoxicated and asked where the fun was...I, so graciously and professionally, ended up saying "We're not fun and we're not interested!" and then we walked away. Yikes. Graceful wording was not in my favour at that moment.



The fountains and architecture of the resort was amazing and inspiring! Everything about it was gorgeous!






When we got back to our room we found a little lizard making himself/herself at home in the window of our bathroom. Embarassingly enough, I ended up knocking on my boss' door at midnight and asked her what we should do. We ended up calling room service and a guy came, wrapped his hand with a thick amount of toilet paper and swept that lizard out of our abode. However, not before the room service staff had a great laugh at me over the phone after I said, "Umm I have a lizard in my bathroom". I refuse to admit that I was scared of the lizard...I was just...wary. ; )



end of day 2.
I was enthralled with Puerto Rico thus far
-the ocean, the colour of the buildings, the apparent differences in the way of life from Canada, the palm trees, the weather, the beauty...

Puerto Rico Trip - Day 1

Friday - January 6, 2006


*WARNING - The following may seem repetative, girlish and over-zealous.*


This post marks the beginning of an 8 day adventure into the exciting lives of Kristi Farrow and Stephanie Reimer. We begin the journey in blustery Winnipeg, MB, then travel through the skies at unbelievable heights to Toronto, Miami, Puerto Rico and back again via Chicago. Pretty much, I'm going to be re-living the most awesomest vacation and sister time EVER over the next few days!!


*Discretion is advised!*


Our adventure began around 3:30 on January the 6th when the taxi picked Kristi and I up at our houses and whisked us off to the airport. We caught our plane from Winnipeg to Toronto with no time to spare. We were the last to board!




We spent our first night in the Double Tree hotel about 20 minutes from the Toronto airport. It was a gorgeous hotel and when we arrived we were ravenously hungry!





...so we ordered Room Service for the first time in our lives!!



I was so excited and felt so blessed to be spending this night in TO with my best sister and friend...and it was only the first of many days and nights!




At one point in the evening I had to go down to the front desk. On my way back up to our room I was in the elevator with two young men. One who asked me, "Are you wearing your pajamas?" To which I replied, "Yes I am." Then he stated, "I just want you to know, that's very sexy!" And then I ran out of the elevator...saying wee wee wee all the way home! (I was wearing the pajamas shown in this picture with my brown Reception sweater completely zipped up and I had shoes on)



After eating and settling in Kristi and I decided it was time to sleep. We got to bed around midnight in anticipation of the alarm ringing at 3:30 am to signify the beginning of Day 2.

Sonadora & deseo, anhelo (dreamer & desire, longing)

I'm having a hard time being back at home. I have this ache, this longing, to go back to Puerto Rico again...which I'm sure is normal after coming home from +35 degree weather, great people and no work.


I'm not even sure if this ache is specifically for Puerto Rico itself, or even the people we met there. I think this ache is a longing to be a part of a grand adventure that is bigger and more beautiful than I.


And even if I do go back to Latin America or go on some big grand adventure somewhere, I know that it will never fulfill the true ache and longing of my heart and soul. Nothing can fill or replace or soothe my ache for the touch and presence of Jesus. Only Jesus can make me whole.


I'm going to search and seek after God with all that I am. I'm not sure what it's going to look like and I've been at this place many times before, but again I say YES. I say yes to the process. I plan on searching the depths of Him, getting a glimpse of His heart for me (because I desperately need this revelation) and finding out what are the God-given desires He has placed deep inside of me. I want to move out of those God-given desires in me, not out of the Stephanie-I'm-utterly-human desires. Here I am again.


I also want to learn true humility. This I am afraid of. This means being open and honest with 1) God and 2) myself and 3) others. My heart that hates rejection is running in the opposite direction of this.


A question I've been asking myself lately:
Am I dreamer who is too afraid to make my dreams a reality? Or am I holding out for something that is God designed and in His timing? I want the two to blend - my dreams being brought to fullness in God's design and time. But I want to dream.


Those are my thoughts.


Pictures from Puerto Rico are still to come. I just have to find the technology needed to get my pics onto my laptop...all of my crap is hidden in the depths of my incredibly messy room.

We're BACK!

Kristi and I arrived home from our trip to Puerto Rico last night. It was so amazing! The people, culture, weather, etc. of Puerto Rico was incredible! I'm having a hard time being back...but I'm just so thankful for that opportunity to see new things, enjoy God's creation and be with my sister!!

I'm going to post some pictures and details soon...re-live the amazing week!

Quick highlights: BEING WITH MY SISTER, seeing Puerto Rico, dancing the Salsa and Merengue (Kristi, these hips have been set free!:), meeting new people, experiencing a different culture - I love the latin culture...I was told I have latin blood...hmmm, where'd that come from?!?! - hanging out with my work people outside of work, eating free amazing food, seeing palm trees and enjoying the weather!

THANK YOU JESUS, my amazing work people, Starkey and Kristi for sharing this awesome experience with me! I'm so excited that you could come, sister! I LOVE YOU!

New skin...

I got a new blog skin, as you can see.
Ren made it for me.
I really, really
think it's pretty.
Do you think it suits me?
... hee hee ....

Today I leave
for capital P (puerto rico)
yesssireeeee!

...Love the skin your in...

Welcome Home Joel!

We're happy you're back, Joel! It was so good to see you last night, look at your radical pictures/slideshow and hear your lovely voice!! Welcome back! Be you, be cool, keep seeking His face.

Tomorrow I'm heading off on my trip to Puerto Rico. If I wasn't tired I'd be freaking out right about now! ....Actually, I still am!

I leave work at about 1pm, go home, finish packing up and jump in the taxi with my sister and begin this awesome adventure. I'm pumped about RELAXING, giving each other back massages, eating yummy fruit and drinking virgin margarita's, taking free dance lessons, seeing more of God's beautiful creation, sleeping, wearing fun skirts in warm climate, reading my Bible, not really having an agenda and being with my sister. I'm excited about that. And more.

I'm also excited that today felt like a cold day walking to work - and it's only -4.9 degrees Celsius! (I'm becoming a lousy Canadian/Winnipeger!)

ciao.