Day 2 of Team Noles visit...

It started raining as we were driving downtown to take in the pre-Independence Day festivities. So we detoured and visited the Bible school. This is Sarah, the kids minus Austin & myself having a snack.




We finally made it downtown and took them to the Cathedral. This is Keith (whose first name is Gregory) posing with a statue of St. Gregory.




This is a mannequin of a little girl, but those are her real hands. She is a saint. Many people pray to her and leave pictures of the kids believing that she will heal them.




The kids were having fun splashing around outside.




Sarah & I being silly which is us really being ourselves. Which takes me back to another memory...



Us in 1999...pre-marriage, pre-children, and pre-post-pregnancy figures. What fun times we have had together.



That night we took them to dinner at Garibaldi's. It's in the Guiness Book of World Records as being the fastest serving or something like that. You usually get your food before you get your drinks. Everybody that we take there L-O-V-E-S it. It is such good food. We take everybody that visits us there. So if you plan of visiting us, plan on eating there.






The boys sucking on limes.



Jude quickly learned that he doesn't like radishes.




These chips & beans are starters and the rest are garnishes for your meal.

Update in pictures...

Our oldest and Solomon are checking each other out.





Grandma and the kids.




PaPa Brooks and the kids.





Aunt Katie got the prize with the baby's smile! The 2 older kids love hanging out with Aunt Katie and messing around in her room.





Gabby and our baby falling in love with each other. Did I mention that Gabs & her family are moving down with us in January (wink, wink)? I think our baby is already smitten on his future babysitter.





Cassie & I! I love her so much. She has discipled me in so many ways...both taught & caught. I've learned so much about being a Mom from her. I met Cassie right around the time that I met Derrick. I spent many Friday nights at her house just watching her with her kids, listening to what the Lord has taught her, and eating some delicious food. I can't wait for us to be together in Mexico.



Seriously, I don't think that Guadalajara knows what it has coming to it with Derrick & Ben together. I think Caleb has learned a little too much from his Dad.



Ben trying to imitate our baby's cheeks. And doing a pretty good job I think.


Update on Peru: Derrick arrived last night in Peru. Today they had a fun day and went to the beach. As a spur of the moment deal, Derrick & Scott went surfing! How cool is that? I can't wait to see pictures. Derrick said that it was the most intense aerobic workout that he's ever done. I'm so jealous because I really want to learn how to surf. Now that my hubby knows how maybe he can teach me :-). I'll update more as I get more info. throughout the week.

Wordless Wednesday...

~ MAKE-UP ARTIST FOR HIRE ~







Most of the time I look like I've been beat up. She went light on the blush today :-).

VBS Part 2...

Whole lotta kids there...about 135!



Once again, this is our daughter's 5 minutes of participation. We thought putting her on the same team as her brother would help, but it didn't. Our son was a trooper and had a blast, as usual.



She decided she would put rocks in the drain. I then had to stop her so that Jer & Kelley don't have a flooded church.



When she found out that you needed an art project to get a snack, she quickly participated.



Valarie wondered where the baby was. He was with us, just in the background of most of the pictures :-).


SHRINES TO MARY...

As most of you know, Catholicism is the main religion here. They are very devoted to Mary and they have shrines and altars to her everywhere. These are some pictures of just a few within a 5 block area.











We finished off VBS today! It was fun and crazy all mixed together. Now it's time for a nap.

Vacation Bible School...Part 1

Taking a head-count before we walked to the park.



As a friend of mine put it when she saw this picture, "VBS, brought to you by Corona". This is us walking to the park for VBS.



These boys swarmed Chuck and wanted him to take their picture so that they could look at them.



Our son & Monica doing the moves to the song.



Kelley (with Sophia in toe) and I helping with the moves.



Our little girl singing but definitely not dancing.



She actually stayed in her group long enough to participate in a game.



He's a pro!



The group from Florida leading in "The Great Adventure" by SCC in Spanish.




They got some swing time after it was over.



My little princess & Brittany.



Crazy kids!



Anna looking cute as always.



Monica swinging with her friends. Her Dad was one of our language school teachers.



This past week has been VBS for a friend of a friends ministry. We are friends with Jer & Kelley. The have a Saturday Awanis program for kids in El Colli and they also planted a church there about a year and a half ago. There is another Saturday kids program that's on the other side of El Colli run by some other missionaries, Chris & Julie. This year they combined their VBS's. And to make it even better, a missions team from a church in Florida has come to do all of the work. Tuesday and Wednesday we took our kids to the VBS. We will probably go again tomorrow. Our daughter stayed with her group all of about 15 minutes. However our son L-O-V-E-D it! He loves playing with other kids. That is why he understands & speaks more Spanish than his sister because he just gets out there, plays and listens; that forces him to communicate with the kids without us to translate.

These pictures are courtesy of my father-in-law, Chuck. He was able to come the first day. Tomorrow I will post my mother-in-law's pictures. She came on Wednesday. There are just too many pics for one post.

Los Cielos...

Stormy day...



Pretty day...

Post of Pictures...

Precious baby




Silly face.




My boys' silly faces.




Me & my baby girl.




Now it's my turn for a silly face.




Burping her baby.





Nursing her baby. Yeah...she pays attention.





My little girl decided that her baby brother needed some decoration. I didn't see her doing this because I was behind the couch. It was a funny surprise to come back around and see my baby boy covered in dolls.