From snow to sand!

Yesterday we returned from an 8-day vacation on St. Croix, our first vacation together as a family of three. Ryan was a *great* traveler. He loved being on the airplanes and was so well-behaved during our two long travel days. Flying into San Juan (one of our layovers) and St. Croix brought back memories of the last time we had flown to an island -- when we went to Taiwan to meet Ryan in July 2007. When we told Ryan that we were going on vacation on an island, he automatically said "Sodor!" (the island where Thomas the train "lives"). Same response when we told him that he was also born on an island. So we've been teaching him that he was born on the island of Taiwan, and he will repeat "Taiwan" after us.

We had to leave for the airport at 5:00 am, so we left Ryan in his sleeper, and just put his coat and shoes over it for the first flight. What an outfit!



After he overcame his grogginess, he enjoyed watching the airplanes outside.



Later, he amused himself by tucking in his teddy using his security handkerchief as a blanket, often pulling it up over teddy's face, which looked rather morbid :-), and by practicing his jumping skills (with Rob's assistance).





We received a LOT of overt stares as we walked through the San Juan airport during our final layover. It was the first time since we became a family over 18 months ago that people looked at us to an extent that made me uncomfortable/annoyed. Fortunately, we did not have that experience in St. Croix, where people did not seem shocked or stunned by the concept of a mixed-race adoptive family (or at least did not feel the need for prolonged staring). Everyone there who commented on Ryan simply said that he was adorable or asked how old he was. There was one very friendly shop owner who first said how cute he was and then started talking to him and expressed surpise that he spoke English, which I found amusing.

We finally arrived at our resort around 9:30 pm last Wednesday. Ryan was very excited about his traveling "big boy bed" (a kids' aerobed), which we got him for the trip since he will climb out of a crib.



The warm climate also meant that he got to wear his "Kick Panda" pajamas from Santa for the first time.



We'll post our pictures of St. Croix over the next several posts.