Agua Caliente: Quema!!!

This past weekend, ten kids and eight adults loaded up into the big, white van and headed to Agua Caliente (Hot Water) [I'm not sure if that's plural, actually... :)]. There are several natural hot springs there, as well as a waterfall (which was really a water-trickle this time).

Other than the winding, windi-ness of the road to get there (and the subsequent tossing to and fro of my stomach, and the stomachs of several other passengers)... it was a good day.

This pic of Ramses was on our walk to the water-trickle... above him (graffiti was all over these rocks) it reads, "Christ lives."

Jenna, Poncho, and Julissa enjoying a lonche (snack) before we headed to the water-trickle.

Aaron -- geared up in his oversized swim trunks. :)
Actually, they're not too big for him, but the elastic has stretched out in the waist, so they sag quite a bit... I know, I know Joan! I will get them new ones before next year, I promise!

As we hiked (that's a relative term here) to the waterfall, Diego and Candi found this little niche that they fit right into...!

The group crossing the rocky barrier to get back to the water-trickle; Limon graciously hoisted Candi into his arms and walked over these with her... ;)

After we arrived at the water-trickle, there were plenty of big rocks to perch on; (above) Kristi and Julissa stay back from the ice cold freezing take-your-breath-away water.

In other words... it was a bit cold. :)

Nereida avoiding the water as well... :)

Jenna and some of the kids clambered up earlier, and then Todd and Limon climbed over the slippery slope to explore up above...

The kids - of course - found whatever bottles, cans, etc. that were lying about, and promptly turned them into water-carrying vessels... :)

(Above, left) Jose pours freezing water over his head, and (above, right) Candi had to copy... of course!

We'll be lucky not to come down with colds... all of us.

Then again... we did all go get in bath water afterwards! Seriously. The pools with hot water felt like a very large bath... and I envisioned pouring tons of bubble bath in and seeing the foam spill over the sides, carrying small children with it. :)

(Above) This small trench ran from the main pool area to a side pool, and the kids enjoyed laying down in it -- and they actually fit inside it... sheesh.

After swimming (and burning) at Agua Caliente we went to a restaurant in the nearby town. With all 18 of us, we certainly filled up the place! It was a nice place, the food was good, and the workers were super-amable (super-nice).

(Above) I'm not sure where these sunglasses came from, but they were suddenly on our table. Candi wanted to exchange glasses, so we did... and this was the photo result!

Seated around the table during comida: (l-r) Kristi, Limon, Todd, and Sarah Hodel (down visiting Kristi & Limon).

Another table (there were only four in the restaurant, and we filled all of them!): (l-clockwise) Katrina Stoller (down visiting Nicole), Nicole, Jazany, and Nereida.

After our day's outing, the kids weren't the only ones who were tired!

As evidenced by this photo of Todd... :)

We talked about how it would be relatively amusing for the waitress to come out with our food only to find that all her patrons were zonked out on the tables, snoring... lol.

After we left the restaurant there was a line for the bathrooms. I wandered over to the other side of the parking lot to take pictures of these beautiful yellow flowers, and the kids ran over wanting their pictures taken! Sometimes they're totally camera-shy, and other times they just ham it up... :)

Kids above: Alexia (top), Nereida, Jose, and Candi (bottom)

All in all, it was a nice day, and I praise God that we can have trips like this, and good friends to accompany us all! (And provide human "pillows" for the kids to sleep on... [grin]).

A few prayer requests:

*Please pray for an upcoming trip of older kids and adults to San Jose this coming weekend. Also for patience, learning, and discernment amongst staff members as we continually learn how weak we are, and how strong He is. And please pray for each of the children, that Jesus Christ would become their all. Thanks!

p.s. (DaBid... yes, the title was in honor of you. ;)

"It's Independence Day..."

If you are singing the Martina McBride song in your head right now... congratulations.

We must think alike... :)

And since she grew up fifteen minutes from where I did, maybe that gives me license to quote a [gasp! shock! oh no!] country song -- which I have rejected in almost every other moment in my life... :)

So. Last Wednesday (the 16th of September) was Independence Day here in Mexico. The kids weren't in school, so we celebrated here at CVE with a special lunch, activities, Easter egg hunts (ask Jenna, not me... but the kids loved it!), weird patriotic "hats" [see above picture], and... The Little Rascals -- which the kids ADORED. Seriously. But it might have given them some bad ideas for future pranks... ;)

A not-so-normal photo... a.k.a. "a more realistic one."

The night before Independence Day, we had a special dinner of... Mexican hot dogs and brats!!! Limon & Kristi and Todd Stoller joined us for dinner, and guess who got the brats...

kids or adults? ;)

Above... the kid table.

And here... the adult lounge. :)

Limon was kind enough to grill for us -- and the kids were especially impressed with the two-foot fire that erupted from the grill at one point with the advent of demasiado lighter fluid... :)

These ladies were the organizers of the special lunch for everyone; and they did an amazing job! Traditional Mexican food, decorations, music, and all the kids and staff decked out in their red, white, and green... :)

(l-r: Carissa, Nicole, Rohde, Pau, and Bere)

Thanks ladies! It was a good time.

Before lunch started, the older kids marched a salute to the flag of Mexico, and then saluted the flag with Lupita as the pledge-leader.

The younger kids paid attention for the most part during the "official" ceremony... ;)

At left: Jose with the ever-present skateboard... his best friend, but worst enemy as he constantly has new cuts, gashes, and scrapes from his frequent "meetings" with the pavement.

And right: Diego holds up the flag he colored and made in school -- that was shortly ripped to pieces (surprise, surprise) after he got home... :)

This was his "annoyed" face...

It just makes me laugh when I see Yaneli toting Gloria around -- Yaneli is still SO small and they are getting a lot heavier! And yet she carts around the younger girls like you wouldn't believe. Apparently, they don't have legs for walking when she's around... ;)

I told Jenna tonight that I don't think I've ever had a picture of Keith & Emily Schambach on my blog -- que terrible of me! So -- without further ado -- dejame a presentar our first houseparent couple (who have been here for over a year now, and take care of the girls). And [cute "awwwing" noise, please... Keith, don't gag!] they even match in this photo... ;)

Jenna had white, green... and luckily red with the sticking-outage of the tongue... :)

I think she's part bovine/anteater with that kind of elasticity!

Right before lunch commenced, Limon pointed out that Jose Mediano was "cashed out" on Joel's Lazy Cart (did I call it that?!?) -- so I got a picture of the cowboy in repose!

Gracias for Los Prayers

I am so thankful for all of you who prayed for us this weekend; it was a beautiful testimony of God's grace -- whether it appears rapid or gradual -- that turns a life around!

Above are my six kids and Doña Rosa after the baptism on Sunday.

As we were eating lunch at the church, I took this photo of Candi -- who looks so weird with her long little legs, and (in this photo) her short upper body!

On Saturday our house went out to lunch at a hot dog stand... and this is what it looked like from inside the (relatively) small space... and with the television on. :)

A couple weeks ago the boys (Ramses, Ponch, Aaron, José, and Diego) went to Limón and Kristi's house for supper... and so the girls and I had a night out! We went to Momo's (their choice) for supper, and then for ice cream (my choice)... ;)

Besides having a new puppy, we also have (had) three baby rabbits [insert: since beginning this post, I have been informed by three serious young children that one baby rabbit is now missing... most likely snatched by the strange and mysterious people who insist on always stealing our baby bunnies that were in their LOCKED cage all night and morning until the kids got home. Hmmmm...].

Mike Zobrist found them while mowing the other day, and handed them over to the kids -- who, of course, wanted to keep them! They have teeth, and eat grass so we're going to see how long they stay alive drinking water from a medicine dropper, and being jostled, handled, tossed, etc. five hours a day... ;)

Mike and Deb Leman were down for the baptism and communion weekend, which is always nice. Mike is (always) immediately set upon by my kids, who BEG him to tell stories... :)

Obligingly, he does so... and they love it!

(I think maybe he does, too... :))

Sunday morning a couple weeks ago, Nereida got up really early. I was sitting on the couch reading (or trying to read... I was super-sleepy myself), and she just came and sat down on my lap. We then proceeded to fall asleep... for an hour. :)

I finally got up to get breakfast around, and she just kind of slid down to the rug and stayed konked out on the floor for awhile... lol.

We've been having some issues with our fridge, and so yesterday we let it "thaw out."

And what should I find after the cleaning out?

Well, really... what else?!?

Candi's bear had found a new (and empty) "bed" to take a siesta in... :)

It was a day for amusing photos yesterday, and here's another one!

Seth was on the porch and directed me toward two of his boys (Daniel and Armando) who had decked themselves out in as many clothes (a.k.a. protective coverings) as they possibly could in order to look inside the bee hive that's in the tree house outside their dorm.

Needless to say, this hive has been the bane of several people's existence!

Seth agreed to their inquisitiveness with two stipulations:

1) If the bees started attacking, they were not to run into the dorm, nor anywhere near other people, and...

2) They would get no mercy from him if stung!

*p.s. We are place of such LOVE, aren't we?!? Tough love!*

This morning Candi and I were playing with Rito, and she stole his bone-chew-toy-squeaky-thing... which looked pretty amusing as a big Minnie Mouse bow! :)

And speaking of Rito... I have a paper that the adoption agency gave me that says, "There is no such thing as an over-socialized dog."

I think... we will have no fears with that particular aspect of training! I mean, he is living in a house of eleven kids, three adults, and two rabbits, and in a place with constant activity, coming and going of new people... and the strangest animals of all -- other children!

(Above) Candi decided that Rito wasn't eating enough of his food, and decided to hand-feed him... which means [ahem] shoving it down his throat. :)

We're all learning... ;)

Back to School & More... ;)

We just finished the third week of school -- which is crazy. I sometimes am flabbergasted by how quickly time passes. It has been nice to get back into the school routine, and though there are lots of changes with schedules, homework, new teachers, etc., I am really enjoying it!

(Above: The grade school three -- Nereida, Poncho, and Aaron -- on the first day of school.)

Poncho (left) is in third grade this year, and (of all the kids) struggles the most with school. Please pray that he would continue to learn, to be obedient and respectful with his teachers, and to be actively pursued by God.

Aaron (right), or "Ruben" as he is called at school, is in second grade this year. He is a very intelligent child, and therefore can get easily bored at school -- which leads to more play-time than work-time... :)

Please pray that he also continues to learn, is obedient, and that one day he would use his learning abilities for God's glory.

Nereida is also in second grade with Aaron (and Julissa... the youngest girl that Jenna cares for). She enjoys school a lot (maybe more for the social aspect than the learning aspect!), and is a quick learner.

Please pray that she would be obedient, and also that she would be a good example for the other girls in her class -- not caving into peer pressure (amazing how young that starts, isn't it?).

Diego (left) is in his second year of Kindergarten -- a "big kid" at the school. He is also very quick to learn, and has a fun teacher this year who challenges him.

Please pray that he will continue to grow and mature, and that he would keep his soft heart that is very open to God's spirit -- and that one day he would use it for His glory!

José (right) is also in his second year of Kindergarten, and doing much better this year than last -- praise God for His healing!

Please pray that he would continue to learn social skills, and that he would be obedient to his teachers and here at home.

The two boys on their first day of classes -- ready to head to Kinder with their backpacks!

And Candi -- is still at home! :)

She turned three this past year, and technically could have been enrolled in classes; however, I thought it would be best to wait another year so that pronunciation, interaction with others, etc. wouldn't be as much of a struggle. A few of us speak "Candi-talk," but the teachers might have had a little bit more of a struggle... :)

(Above: Painting a mural for she and Nere's new room)

And while Candi is home, she is never lonely! Gloria is walking, playing, and grunting a lot now, so that gives Candi a great play companion (a.k.a. someone to boss around... [snort]).

She also has playmates in the form of animal friends -- here she is (above) pictured with Mac (Limón and Kristi's dog), whom she lovingly calls "Mac-aroni"... :)

And then...

... we have a new puppy!

It seems a little weird to be blogging about a new dog right after blogging about our last puppy going to the Kennel of No Return... but there it is. :)

His name is (are you ready for this?):

Rito Aslán de la Cruz

Oh, but that's the shortened version! It's actually:

Rito Aslán Bojorquez Arcoverde Guerrero Soto Cervantes Mueller Bahr de la Cruz

It's a lot of name for such a little pup, but... it is Mexico, you know!

Rito is from Green Valley, Arizona, found on the streets with his five siblings. I found him online through an organization called Animal League of Green Valley and went up to adopt him on Thursday morning. He's a German shepherd/lab/retriever mix (although he looks like there might be some Beatle in there somewhere), twelve weeks old, and the new entertainment in our front yard! :)

So far he's done really well, and I pray that he continues to grow and to become a good (and obedient) companion for these kids and all of us in the house!

*Also... we have Communion and a baptism this weekend -- please be prayerful for the ministering brothers, and that God's Spirit is poured out on this place... that this would be a weekend that glorifies Him, and shows how His mighty power works in each of our lives -- no matter where we begin!