Category Archives: Food

Our Baby Aeden’s First Year Celebration!

Where has the time flown!? Our baby has officially turned into a one-year-old! We decided that we had a lot to celebrate after this first year, and that we should throw a party in honor of making it through (literally since I almost died)! Our property is like a sanctuary to us and we are sort of hogareños (home-bodies) and don’t often have events or people over. But we have the space and we also very proud of all the work we put into it and wanted to showcase it.

Before the party, not only did we mow and clean both the houses, but we also removed another section of fence that we have always wanted to take out in order to open up the meadow area and connect it to the upper courtyard. This took many steps, including a tow rope and the truck, but it turned out great and will look even better when the grass grows in.

We also had fun going out and finding the craft stores and party stores around. There was one I noticed close-by in Aguada and just had to check it out. We got all sorts of fun party supplies and then stopped for ice cream. And of course we went a couple of times to the All Ways 99 stores. They have pretty much anything you could want for cheap but fun home and party fixings.

Raising a baby really helps you to see time go by much differently. And it is like a marker point for reference now (before Aeden, when I was pregnant with Aeden, when Aeden was ___ old, etc). It is not always easy and the challenges always change, but I’d say having a one year old is much better than having a newborn! Holy smokes we can sleep again! We are so grateful that I am alive to celebrate this milestone of life that the party was more than warranted.


Aeden Cakes!

For the party, we rented a big white tent and chairs since we don’t really have entertaining space and it was a good idea since it was both roasting hot in the full sun and then we had a downpour for about 20 minutes in the middle! Aeden enjoyed his little smash cake that we bought from a local small business “reposteria.”


Nice tent at the party


Fun at the party!

   
Memories in the making! Thanks to some friends for some of the photos/videos

Here’s a fun video of the party and highlights of the first year and before!

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Hacienda El Jibarito: San Sebastian, Puerto Rico

We are always on the lookout for new cool places to see. Hacienda El Jibarito was a great new find. We also like to scout out places to eat for lunch or brunch on the weekends and this place will meet the requirements for that as well. It’s a nice boutique resort with a “Jibaro” or old style Puerto Rican countryperson vibe. I loved the outdoor pool (and it even had an interesting indoor one!), the poolside bar/restaurant and the coffee shop and restaurant. There were even some small waterfalls/creeks flowing. San Sebastian locally called “Pepino” is quickly becoming my favorite little mountain town in Puerto Rico.


Front of Hacienda El Jibarito


Cool windy staircase


Hammock on one of their country style cabanas


Large, sprawling grounds


Cute little shed! Looks like our chicken coop!

Here’s a fun video of our time there.

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Anniversary Trip to Guanica: Lighthouse Ruins and Copamarina Resort


Copamarina Resort

We have been trying to check out new places that we haven’t seen in our time in Puerto Rico. We tend to stay close to the west coast because we can make it a day trip and get home before it is too dark so as to put Aeden to sleep. Since it was our anniversary we decided to head a little further south to Guanica thanks to a suggestion from some readers! (PS if you ever have a place you’d like us to check out, or a topic you’d like us to discuss, send us a message and we’ll do our best to make it happen.)


First stop: Guanica Lighthouse Ruins

We stopped at the Guanica Lighthouse Ruins on our way to the Copamarina because it was literally just on the side of the road we were driving. It reminded me of the Aguadilla Ruins except that it isn’t directly on the ocean. The view was beautiful and if we hadn’t been a little dressed up I might have scrambled around the area a bit more. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.


Fun in Guanica

Hey!


Family pic


Smile!

Next we were off to the resort. It was only about 5-10 minutes down from the lighthouse and super easy to find. A lush oasis in the desert. The most striking thing about the Guanica area in general is how very, very dry it is. For people who are looking to live in an arid environment, this southwestern region of Puerto Rico is where it’s at. For me, while I loved the way the resort maintained a tropical and lush environment with what must be a LOT of watering, I prefer it to be that way a little more naturally. The resort itself had all the classic feel with loungers, pools, hammocks and even a pier that they use to take people on sunset boat rides and you can rent kayaks to go to nearby Gilligan’s Island which I still very much want to see.


Beautiful setting


A little bit expensive ($30 for a tiny pizza and 2 beers) and they didn’t let us use their pool, but we enjoyed the ocean instead and they at least let us use the outdoor showers

I enjoyed their landscaping/gardening a lot and it gave me ideas for our gardens


We drove home and caught the tail end of a beautiful sunset in Mayaguez. It was a wonderful day!

Here’s a short video of our time there.

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Living Abroad: Our Life Recently Around Western Puerto Rico


Having fun at Villa Montana in Isabela on Valentine’s Day

Raising a baby takes a lot of the extra time I might be writing a post and puts it onto him. So please forgive all the photos and lack of text, but I just wanted to get a flavor of the times as we have been out and about in western Puerto Rico these last few weeks.

 
Visiting La Playuela, Wilderness and Pena Blanca in Aguadilla


La Playuela was considered for a mega hotel and a lot of protesting has (thankfully) stalled/ended it. It is such a cool area


Pena Blanca is just down from it


Cliffside beaches and coves

Save La Playuela

Like a throwback to a different time


Out to lunch at Tamboo in Rincon. Tuesday is Mexican food day! My fave!


Britton and Aeden at Tamboo


Fun at the lighthouse in Rincon


Lighthouse Park, Rincon


Fun at Sandy Beach


Another turkey girl hatched out some chicks!


Steps Beach babes! 🙂


Working on building another staircase into the jungle with friend Chris


Turkey and chicken inspectors


Lots and lots of wagneriana heliconias!


We’ve had great sales at the market on Sundays! It’s been fun to share the fruits (and flowers) of our labors


We like to go out to lunch/brunch after the market – Gastropark in Rincon


Britton and Aeden at the gastropark


Another fave restaurant is Picoteo in Anasco- check out that overlook!


February is about as cold as it will get to put baby A in clothes! 🙂


February has also been especially smoky! Lots of burning going on. (Check out the hillside behind me in this pic)


More hillside fires in the distance combating pica pica generally


Since things aren’t growing as fast we can work on some projects like clearing the paths of old fallen trees from Maria


Cutting a path through the jungle of the property to the backside of the cabin


Beach break at the Marina -a social and fun playa


Having fun shopping with the bebo -haha


Happy Baby yoga pose


Taking Aeden out for strolls has been a new development since he can hold his head up now


He is such a doll and loves being outside with us

Well that’s a lot of life in a few pictures. Life has been rolling forward. With a baby we notice it a lot more! Every day is precious. Here’s Aeden’s 5 month update.

We were also featured in another news program about people from Colorado who have moved all over the globe -Puerto Rico, South Korea, Tunisia and Vietnam. It’s called “Living Abroad” and I think it does a pretty good job of capturing the essence of our life here. I am not sure I would call it “abroad” exactly, but it is hard to describe the move from the states here any other way. And like this sign says of all these choices: Rincon is the best place to live!


Rincon el mejor lugar para vivir!

Living Abroad from Jeremy Hubbard on Vimeo.

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