{"id":6777,"date":"2023-05-26T21:45:03","date_gmt":"2023-05-27T03:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/?p=6777"},"modified":"2026-10-19T22:03:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T04:03:12","slug":"aruba-2023-day-1-argentinian-steak-casino-and-first-dives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thevollmerfamily.com\/MajorMom\/2023\/05\/aruba-2023-day-1-argentinian-steak-casino-and-first-dives\/","title":{"rendered":"Aruba 2023 Day 1: Argentinian Steak, Casino, and First Dives"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We flew a JetBlue redeye flight to JFK, and then flew down to Aruba the following morning. Yes…matching shirts (I have a dress on). It was this or even-more-embarrassing custom printed shirts lol! At least the boys will wear these shirts again…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Greetings from One Happy Island! Tim asked for a dive trip for a graduation gift.<\/p>\n

We have been here about 24 hours and are about as relaxed as one could imagine. We enjoyed some shrimp and Argentinian steak for dinner last night and the boys had their first casino experience. Let me tell you…slot machines are way more complicated than I remember back in the 90s. But we were pretty tired from the redeye — none of us slept all too well on those flights — so we didn’t stay out too late.<\/p>\n

This morning Tim and I got to do a couple shipwreck dives and enjoyed hanging with the turtles and sting rays. And so…many…fish…. I included one of my favorite photos here: a very ornery turtle that gave us some serious side-eye as we swam past. Be sure to catch the two videos at the end! <\/p>\n

We are grateful Jacob got a flexible enough summer job that he could join us. That wasn’t certain until the beginning of the month.<\/p>\n

#graduationcelebration2023<\/p>\n

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The view from the front patio of our little condo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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This is at a restaurant called Pika’s Corner<\/a> — we had visited in 2022 and was the first place we wanted to take the boys to visit. Argentinian steak!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Marriott Hotel across from our AirBnB had a casino and the boys were very excited to check it out. “I got seven of those lucky symbols, how did I not win ANYTHING?” ~Tim Vollmer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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One Happy Gecko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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That turtle’s side eye, ha ha! That’s Tim and me in the background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n