We didn’t fall of the face of the earth…we were just visiting a different part of it, and now we’re back! We had a great trip to the U.S.A. to visit our families in Maryland and in Pennsylvania. The kids had a blast, and it was a much needed break from our life in El Salvador.
It was so nice to catch up with friends and family, and we met with a few of our sponsoring churches. It was so encouraging to hear the excitement of those who support our work!
It was difficult to say good-bye, and that won’t change no matter how many times we do it. The time with friends and family was exactly what we needed, and especially what I needed personally.
The kids loved getting to know their cousins all over again, and visiting exotic places like the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. As Tori said when we were leaving she felt “happy and sad.” Sad to be saying good-bye, but happy to be back to our life in El Salvador.
Here are some pictures from our adventures abroad….
Acting goofy with the Maryland cousins
I know this picture is blurry, but I had to include this photo of Ian with his long-lost twin. Well, not really, but his cousin Christopher looks like he could be his twin.
The kids checking out the Inner Harbor in Baltimore while standing in a shark’s jawbone.
Waiting for the dolphin show to start. The best part of the Aquarium was Tori correcting the rainforest tour guide about the proper name for the National Bird of El Salvador.
Tori and her cousin at the American Girl store in D.C.
Happy Birthday Tori! Tori turned 7 on our trip and she got to celebrate quite a few times!
The weather was unseasonably warm in MD, so the kids got to ride bikes all week!
The kids with their Pittsburgh cousins. They were especially excited to meet their newest cousin Penelope!
Spending time with great-grandparents.
Playing outside at Nana’s house
The Star Wars fan at the Science Center
Tori climbing the rock wall at the Science Center SportsWorks complex. She made it fourteen feet up!
FunSlides skatepark. The people who invented those things you slide furniture around on invented this kids place. The kids put carpet squares on their feet and then slide around a carpeted room. The kids loved it!
We finally got snow on our last weekend there! It was down to ten degrees and Tori was not a fan!
Ian loved sledding!
It was so great to have you here and you are much missed! Glad you had so much fun and hope you returned home feeling somewhat rested and refreshed.
I can’t believe how much Ian looks like your side. Ian and his one cousin do look like twins. You can definitely tell that they were all related. As for Tori, I always knew she looked like Jon’s side.