Our Mini-Vacation!

This summer was super-busy; not a bad thing (a good one in lots of ways!), but definitely a little wearing!  We decided that it would be a good idea to do a little "getaway" for a night with our six kids and just have some fun... ;)

We headed up to Nogales (Mexico-side) where we had booked rooms at a hotel with a pool.  As we pulled in, it started getting cloudy (right in the middle of rainy season) and I was afraid the kids would get rained out of their pool-side adventures... 

 ... and end up playing on the luggage carrier the rest of the afternoon... ;)

Thankfully, they are tough kids and can handle (most of the time) cold water... so they went for it even with overcast skies and chilly agua!!!

 Jumping into the very, very, very cold water... :)

 Diego being pushed to "safety" by Joel... who, thankfully, was willing to brave the water and play with the kids while I stayed nice and dry!

 Even Ithan decided to play in the water... he just couldn't resist even though his little lips were purple!

 There were a few other kids at the pool -- also hoping for warmer weather!

 Wonder why they're so still and perfectly attuned in this picture???

I did... until I saw...

 ... the TV through the windows!!!

Just defining the "AC glaze" once again... ;)

 "I love water.  

It's cold.  

I wanna go back in.  

It's really cold.  

Oh, what shall I do?!?"

-- he seemed to say.

 It's not Navidad yet, Aron... but this is a great idea if you need a shepherd costume!

 Eating Papa John's on the floor in the room (30 seconds before Ithan ate a pretzel, choked, and then puked all over Marcos... exciting stuff).

 Oatmeal -- hotel style!!!

[yeah for coffee makers in the rooms and a jug of clean water!]

 Did I mention that they have the "AC glaze?"  :))))))

 This corner was NOT Ithan's friend.

 Saturday morning breakfast at McDonald's!

 Mmmmmmm... salty, greasy potatoes in a perfect little hand-held bar.

Also commonly referred to as hashbrowns.  :)

 Pure, pure cheese.  :)

Maybe one day I'll get a pic of Marcos with a true smile -- it's beautiful!

 Eric looks so stuck up in this photo... maybe his heart rebels against McDonald's just like mine did for years.

Until they won me over with their cheap drinks, their oatmeal, and their PlayPlace -- all perfect for a toddler-toting family.  :(

After Mickey D's we headed to NOGASPLASH!!!

This is a water park that had been highly recommended to us by some other staff.  We had tried to go a couple Saturdays before, but arrived only to find that there was a private event going on and we couldn't enter... the lady directed us to another place which was "oh, only twenty minutes or so" away [insert "hour and a half" after asking directions twice and then driving through an INCREDIBLE rain and hailstorm, praying that our big, white robber van wouldn't be swept away and off the narrow, potholed road into the surrounding fields which all looked like muddy ponds].  Quite an experience... to say the least.

ANYWAY... NogaSplash was great!

Except for the music which was loud, inappropriate, and LOUD.

But a tired mama trying to let her baby sleep and quit screaming from the wall of sound will go tell anyone to turn their music down... :)

 Marcos and Andrea 

(one of Duane's interns for the summer from Oklahoma)  

Andrea was fabulous and really made Marcos feel special with his participation in cattle (to show for EXPO -- post coming soon!).  We would welcome Andrea back here anyday!

 A little tired and a lot dramatic, I think so, yes.  :)

 The "seven and under" play area... very cool.  

Ithan just liked hanging out in the shallows on his tummy and sipping up water whenever he wanted... while Candi had a great time going down the slides!

 The big pool with the older guys!

(We were fortunate to go with some of the other male summer staff and Uncle Seth -- our boys had a blast with them!)

 The "big kid" pool from a distance; behind the dragon head there are actually two pretty big slides that were the hit of the day!  Our boys would run up, slide down, shake off the water, run up, slide down, shake off the water, run up... you get the picture.

Two exhausted little boys... in improvised sleeping conditions!  ;)

Do what you gotta do, right?!?

Thanks for your prayers for the adoption -- we have an update!  Both Candi and Marcos' birth certificates have made it back, are correct (praise the Lord!) and should be turned into the right authorities in order to start the taking away of rights process.  Please pray that the court authorities will find the birth mother and Candi's birth father to advise them of the process and that God would smooth the way for the hearts involved as well as the handling of the case by our lawyer and the various authorities involved.  Thank you!