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"Susie St. John's" Trip Report w/pics - Final
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Jan&MikeVa
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: The Chesapeake Bay
"Susie St. John's" Trip Report w/pics - Final
Day 6, Thursday 5/31:
Today Mike & I are going to be selfish about snorkeling; it will be the first for both of us this week. It was raining all morning, but I got the troops to agree to try a beach, so we headed to Francis. Perfect, perfect, perfect! The water, the snorkeling, the weather, it was awesome! I put my snorkel mask on and swam away, literally! I slowed down long enough to let Mike catch up, but I was GONE!
We all had great snorkeling…saw plenty of turtles, rays, fish, and more fish!! It felt so good to snorkel; I love the waterworld! Judy & Susie were the only two that didn’t snorkel, but they saw plenty of fish close to the shore. It was getting pretty buggy so the 4 of them left after lunch and Mike & I hung out alone for a while. 
We parked our chairs at the waters edge and just stared at the water, totally limn’!!!! We reluctantly left Francis and headed back to the villa. I ran into town for some shopping and a chat with Ruth. On this trip I did a lot of driving and I feel 100% comfortable with it now, I am so glad I pushed myself. Susie and I had some fun outings to nowhere, just riding around looking for wildlife!
Susie and I were on dinner duty, but first cocktails of cranberry juice & Fresca! Then we dined on Caribbean chicken, rice w/tropical fruit, and salad. Yum, if I do say so myself! Susie was very proud of our meal, and we were treated to manservants cleaning up while we lounged in the pool!
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... edited.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Thunderstorms were rolling in so Mike & I headed to our room with a bowl of popcorn. We fell asleep to the sounds of thunder, rain, and tree frogs…………..pure bliss!!!!!
Day 7, Friday 6/1:
Our last day and we’re treated to more rain and thunderstorms. Susie is a bit scared of them and they had kept her awake most of the night. So she slept in until 10, too late for the beach AND Skinny’s for lunch (The troops must eat by noon). So we went to Skinny’s, had a good lunch……..no complaints or leftovers!
The troops at Skinny's
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... edited.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
After a bit of shopping Judy, Walt & Susie headed back to the villa so the rest of us could snorkel. After a trip out to Vie’s (she was closed)
we headed to Little Lamehsur. Great snorkeling: saw turtles, rays, flounder, conch, fish, more fish, and some family trying to destroy a reef while standing on it. It took everything in me to keep my mouth shut, but I did. We snorkeled for a couple of hours, kicked back on the beach then headed back to the villa.
Susie was in the back seat - she couldn't stop laughing!
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... 010810.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Dinner was leftovers from all week and we had a lot of good laughs. Susie was happily watching Little House on the Prarie, so she got to eat in front of the TV.
The last supper
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... 010813.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Susie & her "tv dinner"
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... edited.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Mike & I retired to our room early again, did a little packing, sat out on our deck, a quiet end to a busy week. We appreciated the privacy of the upstairs room and our own deck; it made a huge difference!
Day 8, Saturday 6/2:
Check out with DSJ was a breeze, dropped us gals and the luggage off in the park & returned the jeeps. I went up to St John Spice and did a little shopping. Ruth came down to say goodbye to everyone. Thank you Ruth for being so sweet to Susie, she asked me yesterday how you were! That means you are on “her list”, and that’s a GOOD THING!!
The airport was crowded but we did fairly well getting through Customs and security. Steve got caught up at USAir, seems that their computers were down. Judy & Walt wisely chose to do pre-boarding with Susie & those stairs. We said our goodbyes to Steve & headed for Miami, then on to D.C. All of our luggage arrived safely and then we had to say goodbye. Susie was ready to go home, so the parting was short and sweet!
Recap:
This was the first time we used Destination St. John and they were GREAT! Everything at the villa worked and it was very clean. I’ll post a review later and I have some great pics.
You all have been so interested in Susie; let me explain her handicap. Susie was a PKU baby, but they didn’t find out until she was a year old. It’s a mix up between the parent’s type of blood and it causes the liver to form differently. Evidently it doesn’t filter out certain proteins that caused damage to the brain. When she was born in 1965 the test at birth was not yet mandatory, it is now and has been for many, many years. Susie was put on a very unusual diet and still has to watch certain things. If it had been caught at birth Susie would have been 100% normal. She has 2 parents that have been devoted to her and she had a great childhood. She has lived in a Group Home since she was 27, with 2 other ladies and 2 counselors in a very nice environment. She works a little bit everyday, and has a good social life. She still has and always will have “her bedroom” at Mom & Dads.
Susie had a great time, better than I thought she would. Her patience at times completely amazed me, and she truly felt comfortable and at home at the villa. She got a real kick out of the windy roads and the tire squealing that often occurred on those switchbacks. All of the people we came in contact with her on Island were wonderful. The waiters and waitresses took their time and allowed Susie to order and spoke directly to her. The ferry operators jumped to help her over the ramp, and one of our taxi drivers asked her to sit up front with him. He joked with her all the way from Red Hook to the Airport! Ruth made her feel so welcome, thank you Ruth. Susie laughed at me with my continual talking to any and all animals. She gave me a hard time for giving table scraps to our resident cat and she was scared of the iguana by our pool. I am so glad that I had this time with her; you all have mentioned how much she will cherish this trip. Well to heck with that, this was a treat of a lifetime for ME!
Thanks, gang for letting me share my story of Susie with you and for taking an interest in our vacation. Here’s to the next one……………………….
Jan (akaCharlie)
Today Mike & I are going to be selfish about snorkeling; it will be the first for both of us this week. It was raining all morning, but I got the troops to agree to try a beach, so we headed to Francis. Perfect, perfect, perfect! The water, the snorkeling, the weather, it was awesome! I put my snorkel mask on and swam away, literally! I slowed down long enough to let Mike catch up, but I was GONE!
We all had great snorkeling…saw plenty of turtles, rays, fish, and more fish!! It felt so good to snorkel; I love the waterworld! Judy & Susie were the only two that didn’t snorkel, but they saw plenty of fish close to the shore. It was getting pretty buggy so the 4 of them left after lunch and Mike & I hung out alone for a while. We parked our chairs at the waters edge and just stared at the water, totally limn’!!!! We reluctantly left Francis and headed back to the villa. I ran into town for some shopping and a chat with Ruth. On this trip I did a lot of driving and I feel 100% comfortable with it now, I am so glad I pushed myself. Susie and I had some fun outings to nowhere, just riding around looking for wildlife!Susie and I were on dinner duty, but first cocktails of cranberry juice & Fresca! Then we dined on Caribbean chicken, rice w/tropical fruit, and salad. Yum, if I do say so myself! Susie was very proud of our meal, and we were treated to manservants cleaning up while we lounged in the pool!
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... edited.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Thunderstorms were rolling in so Mike & I headed to our room with a bowl of popcorn. We fell asleep to the sounds of thunder, rain, and tree frogs…………..pure bliss!!!!!
Day 7, Friday 6/1:
Our last day and we’re treated to more rain and thunderstorms. Susie is a bit scared of them and they had kept her awake most of the night. So she slept in until 10, too late for the beach AND Skinny’s for lunch (The troops must eat by noon). So we went to Skinny’s, had a good lunch……..no complaints or leftovers!
The troops at Skinny's
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... edited.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
After a bit of shopping Judy, Walt & Susie headed back to the villa so the rest of us could snorkel. After a trip out to Vie’s (she was closed)
we headed to Little Lamehsur. Great snorkeling: saw turtles, rays, flounder, conch, fish, more fish, and some family trying to destroy a reef while standing on it. It took everything in me to keep my mouth shut, but I did. We snorkeled for a couple of hours, kicked back on the beach then headed back to the villa.Susie was in the back seat - she couldn't stop laughing!
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... 010810.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Dinner was leftovers from all week and we had a lot of good laughs. Susie was happily watching Little House on the Prarie, so she got to eat in front of the TV.
The last supper
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... 010813.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Susie & her "tv dinner"
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p267 ... edited.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
Mike & I retired to our room early again, did a little packing, sat out on our deck, a quiet end to a busy week. We appreciated the privacy of the upstairs room and our own deck; it made a huge difference!
Day 8, Saturday 6/2:
Check out with DSJ was a breeze, dropped us gals and the luggage off in the park & returned the jeeps. I went up to St John Spice and did a little shopping. Ruth came down to say goodbye to everyone. Thank you Ruth for being so sweet to Susie, she asked me yesterday how you were! That means you are on “her list”, and that’s a GOOD THING!!
The airport was crowded but we did fairly well getting through Customs and security. Steve got caught up at USAir, seems that their computers were down. Judy & Walt wisely chose to do pre-boarding with Susie & those stairs. We said our goodbyes to Steve & headed for Miami, then on to D.C. All of our luggage arrived safely and then we had to say goodbye. Susie was ready to go home, so the parting was short and sweet!
Recap:
This was the first time we used Destination St. John and they were GREAT! Everything at the villa worked and it was very clean. I’ll post a review later and I have some great pics.
You all have been so interested in Susie; let me explain her handicap. Susie was a PKU baby, but they didn’t find out until she was a year old. It’s a mix up between the parent’s type of blood and it causes the liver to form differently. Evidently it doesn’t filter out certain proteins that caused damage to the brain. When she was born in 1965 the test at birth was not yet mandatory, it is now and has been for many, many years. Susie was put on a very unusual diet and still has to watch certain things. If it had been caught at birth Susie would have been 100% normal. She has 2 parents that have been devoted to her and she had a great childhood. She has lived in a Group Home since she was 27, with 2 other ladies and 2 counselors in a very nice environment. She works a little bit everyday, and has a good social life. She still has and always will have “her bedroom” at Mom & Dads.
Susie had a great time, better than I thought she would. Her patience at times completely amazed me, and she truly felt comfortable and at home at the villa. She got a real kick out of the windy roads and the tire squealing that often occurred on those switchbacks. All of the people we came in contact with her on Island were wonderful. The waiters and waitresses took their time and allowed Susie to order and spoke directly to her. The ferry operators jumped to help her over the ramp, and one of our taxi drivers asked her to sit up front with him. He joked with her all the way from Red Hook to the Airport! Ruth made her feel so welcome, thank you Ruth. Susie laughed at me with my continual talking to any and all animals. She gave me a hard time for giving table scraps to our resident cat and she was scared of the iguana by our pool. I am so glad that I had this time with her; you all have mentioned how much she will cherish this trip. Well to heck with that, this was a treat of a lifetime for ME!
Thanks, gang for letting me share my story of Susie with you and for taking an interest in our vacation. Here’s to the next one……………………….
Jan (akaCharlie)
Jan-
Thanks so much for sharing Susie's story with us. Seeing things through "her eyes" was fun. My nephew is 11 and is severely autistic, and I would so love to be able to share the kinds of things with him that you can with Susie. However, his disability is so severe that he simply can't connect and it's heartbreaking. The love you and Susie have just warms my heart!
Thanks so much for sharing Susie's story with us. Seeing things through "her eyes" was fun. My nephew is 11 and is severely autistic, and I would so love to be able to share the kinds of things with him that you can with Susie. However, his disability is so severe that he simply can't connect and it's heartbreaking. The love you and Susie have just warms my heart!
Last edited by AnyTing on Fri Jun 08, 2007 10:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Great report! Sounds like such a good time. Thank you for sharing your trip & Susie with us. I for one am so grateful how far things have come medically speaking. I know I wouldn't have my little boy if not for that!
On our recent trip to Va Beach I met a family with a severely disabled son waiting (eternally) for the elevator. We chatted and I found out he had gone parasailing that day! I was floored, this kid was braver than I am! He was having such an amazing time and though he could not tell me that with words, I could so see it in his eyes. It does make such a difference to the kids (or adults) with disabilities when you just take the time to connect in any way you can. What an amazing memory you've given her.
On our recent trip to Va Beach I met a family with a severely disabled son waiting (eternally) for the elevator. We chatted and I found out he had gone parasailing that day! I was floored, this kid was braver than I am! He was having such an amazing time and though he could not tell me that with words, I could so see it in his eyes. It does make such a difference to the kids (or adults) with disabilities when you just take the time to connect in any way you can. What an amazing memory you've given her.
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cypressgirl
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Kentuckygirl
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Robin in NC
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
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Man - I don't know what's going on but at the end of all of the trip reports lately, I am getting choked up!
Jan - I have been reading yours everyday and have loved hearing of all of Susie's adventures and your getting to be with her. That is so wonderful! I am so glad you guys did this trip; I know you will cherish it forever!
Thanks for the great report and the pics - loved every bit of it.
nothintolose
Jan - I have been reading yours everyday and have loved hearing of all of Susie's adventures and your getting to be with her. That is so wonderful! I am so glad you guys did this trip; I know you will cherish it forever!
Thanks for the great report and the pics - loved every bit of it.
nothintolose
