Un Viaje We Will Never Forget

We had such a wonderful time in Bahia de Kino. The kindness of so many was such a blessing along each step of the way. A special thanks to Larry and Mary Beth who so kindly donated their beautiful home for our use during Mexico's Spring Break!


Wednesday morning couldn't come fast enough for the girls! They were out of bed and dressed well before I went to wake them, ready to go with bright smiling faces. Gloria and I had a little more of a busy morning (including almost flooding CVE) so the girls waited patiently in the packed van.


Soon after we arrived, the girls hit the waves. They aren't very strong swimmers and used every life-jacket and floatable device they could find at the house. They got braver through the week, but Blanca's face is evidence of their initial thoughts.


A view from the porch.


One morning, girl after girl came and piled in the king-size bed that Gloria, Claudia, Katie and I were sharing.


Jaqueline takes a break from the waves for lunch. The only way to get the kids out of the water was to offer food! :)


Lupita shows off her great "surfing" abilities.


Eli takes time for a slice of pizza.


We went to the small fishing village of Old Kino where the locals make a living fishing and we walked the pier. Some of the local boys were fishing for sardines by ingeniously capturing them in old pop cans. Then they were catching large flounders with their fishing gear of plastic soda bottles with fishing line wrapped around it. In the 20 minutes we were there, they caught three large flounder.


All the near neighbors were absolutely incredible with the girls. One couple gave us free access to their well-equipped beach-toy bodega. In this picture the girls were going on a ride in the waves in a borrowed boat.


Another neighbor family hid Easter eggs in front of their house and as the sun set in the distance, the girls ran around finding eggs in the sand.


The neighbors on the other side of the house had a cute little dog named Lita. They were around a lot during our time on the beach and the girls had a chance to get to know them. Jerry, Lita and Lili smile at the camera. When we went over to say goodbye, Jerry and Pat had packed a nice treat bag for the ride home!


On Friday afternoon, we were watching a Sport Natique in the water and couldn't believe how low in the water it looked. The girls started saying, "Amy, look at the boat, it is sinking." "No girls, it just looks like it is sinking," was my calm "I-am-the-mom-and-I-know-what-I-am-talking-about" response. After a few more minutes, we decided it was indeed sinking. Oh what an afternoon!


Most of the girls went barreling in the water to pull things out of the boat. What a huge contrast from their fears a few days before. We sent them to the sand where they joined a growing crowd of police, firefighters and marines that watched as Gloria and I battled the waves with the owner and a nearby housekeeper. Eventually a few of the Marines jumped in the water.


This picture is taken about two hours later...oh my, what an adventure. Their was still about another hour of being stuck, (first the trailer, then the jeep, then the trailer, etc, etc) It was intense, thrilling and now I can hardly move a muscle.


The girls jump off the neighbors seawall before they make a mad dash for the water.




Our last night with group pictures in the sunset. Yaneli wasn't happy because of her chickenpox and was hiding in most of the pictures.


Goodbye to Bahia de Kino!

Thanks to all who helped make the week such a great one! The boys had an awesome time too, they just didn't have four cameras on their trip.

1 Chronicles 29:11
Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.

P.S. I think we are currently at 8 children in some stage of chickenpox...