Puerto Freako, Round Two!

I can't believe that I've been home from the Dysfunctional Family Vacation - DFV - for a week and a half and still haven't blogged about it! That's what having the stomach flu will do for you. Stupid stomach flu.

Anyway, for the second year in a row, the DFV took place in Puerto Rico and a grand old time was had by all. Since we had already been to this hotel, we knew the deal - days were spent laying on the beach reading books and magazines, periodically we would dip into the ocean to cool off, everybody went to the spa for a massage at some point, and every night we reconvened for a big family dinner topped off by some gambling in the hotel casinos. Not a bad deal - here's where I could be found pretty much every day, beverage in hand:

And this is what occupied my attention - World War Z! Ram lent me this book and I freaking LOVED it. I am NOT a fan of zombies or sci-fi usually but this book was like pretend historical fiction. Awesome. I can't wait to reread it.

One day it rained for a few minutes - hilariously, my mother and aunt refused to leave their comfortable chaise lounges and instead just covered themselves with towels and read their magazines from underneath. I took a photo from where I was cowering under the beach umbrella to shame them - I laugh everytime I look at it. My mother is literally COMPLETELY COVERED.

Here's a fab surprise: the first day we arrived I took the picture above and Instagrammed it. Within minutes I had a comment that I never could have expected: "Are you in Puerto Rico?! I'm here too!!! It was my friend Alyssa, from Texas, who I hadn't seen in almost two years! Turns out she was at the hotel right next door - we were literally sitting on the beach thirty feet away from each other. We met up a few times throughout the week, once for lunch, and once in my hotel's casino. She's so cute! I look weird, yet am enjoying my new leopard Claire Vivier purse :)

I love my cousins - I'm the oldest of 7 on my mom's side and we all have so much fun together. Here's our side of the table one night at dinner:

That night we went to Il Molino for Italian and I had the best chicken of my life. YUM.

And here I am with the Littles! My two youngest cousins are six weeks apart in age and 3,000 miles apart in distance - needless to say they never leave each other's sides the entire week when they are reunited. I was lucky enough to even get in the middle of them for this photo:

Another delicious meal a different night - spicy tuna on rice cakes, tiny burgers, and an amazing octopus dish. Mmmm, my stomach is growling.

Four days into the trip Bailey and JM FINALLY arrived! I was excited for several reasons - 1, their presence meant that we could finally open Hanukkah presents, and 2, I now had my partner in crime back. 

Silverman women, reunited:

Probably the craziest dish ordered: tiny pork belly sliders in a salted caramel sauce. Soooo good, sooooo decadent, soooo not ordering that again. #toomuchofagoodthing

The white pants crew! My cousin Sam, my darling grandmother, and yours truly:

On the last night we went to an authentic Puerto Rican paella restaurant and took this blurry yet awesome group shot. Here we are in all our glory! 

Puerto Rico, you sure are pretty...

... But I think we're all ready to conquer a new place. Wonder where the 2013 DFV will be!?