DR vacation

We are back from the Dominican Republic, and vacation is over. I have to say... this was the best vacation we've ever had. I journaled about 30 pages in a notebook, but here's a brief summary for memory's sake:

• Spent the night before and after in Detroit, MI. The flights were good, and only 4 hours between Detroit and the D. R.
• We spent perhaps the best 8 days of our lives at the Dreams Resort in Punta Cana, DR. It was strange though, as this was the most luxurious place we've ever been, yet we saw the greatest poverty we've ever been exposed to. I wasn't prepared for the hour-long ride from the airport to the resort. It took me a while to get over. But the resort and the all-inclusive experience were incredible. I don't know that words can describe it. I haven't been that relaxed in a long, long time. I read Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men and Kerouac's On The Road while there.
  
• Afterwards we spent a couple days at my parents house in our old hometown of Buda, IL. We attended a Bible Study that we apparently started about 15 years ago and is still going on. It was nice to actually sit around with some people and pray and chat about things. This was also when Illinois had the earthquake, but we slept right through it.
  
• We spent our last night away in Joliet, IL. We attended the main Willowcreek Campus on Saturday night, and then went to a friends church in Plainfield on Sunday morning. It cost $4.50 in toll money just to drive from our hotel to Willow and back. But man I LOVE Willowcreek. This was my fourth or fifth time there. Nancy Beach gave a great message, but it's just the way they do their services that really captivates me. Understated excellence. I tried to sing, but I was choked up from the get-go.
  
• Both Sundays we were gone son Isaac took care of the music, and it was nice knowing daughter Carrie was around to look after things too. We were also happy that "the boyfriend" Drew was able to stay at the house and look after Bogey. It all made for a very relaxing, stress-free vacation.
• We did have internet access and our cell phones worked while in the D.R., but I resisted and didn't log on once.
  

Here are a couple more of the many pics we each took. The first one is the view we woke up to every day. This was taken from our patio. We had our own private lounge chairs and a table and chairs too.

Below is the lovely lady Jane with the sun rising behind her. We got up at 5:30 one morning to watch the sunrise, but it was a bit cloudy. It was still pretty darn cool though - even when the two guys with machine guns walked by. I have pictures of that too.