Carmencita, Ale, and Gaby

Wonderfully, we had our family from El Salvador visit us again this summer! Edwin's mom, Mamá Carmencita, and cousins, Alejandro and Gabriela came for a 3 week visit!  As usual, we hit a few water parks in the area...

Then, we had our yearly run with the slip-n-slide. This was the first year that the slip-n-slide did not rip apart after the first 5 slips down its slide.  We were tight in our budget, and I was hunting online and at stores for a slip-n-slide on sale with no luck.  One day I went to visit my parents, her neighbor, Nancy, came over to visit and casually asked me if I was interested in a slip-n-slide someone had given her.  She was not going to use it, she said, and I would get more out of it, if I wanted it.  She had no idea in what condition it was in, but I could have it.  WOW!!  The generous, loving hand of my Jesus once more!! Thank you, Father!! :)

Here Gaby and Tory are trying to earn a few coins for helping me around the house. :)  

Rolling out and then decorating sugar cookies is always a great entertainer, plus they are so fun to eat! :)

We loved having Gaby added to our nightly reading routine.  Ale, Gaby, and Mamá Carmencita are always in awe of how bright it is when bedtime rolls around, since the sun sets between 6-6:30 all year round in El Salvador.  I am still getting used to it myself, but it is easy, since it is warm and bright, unlike the cold and dark of a 4-4:30 winter sunset.

Mamá Carmencita and I making tortillas, Salvadoran style (small and fat) one night! Yummy!! :)

Here we are at a hunting store here in the Tri-cities, looking for live worms to feed to our baby robins (more on that below).  The girls were fascinated with all the mounted animals on the wall all the way around the store (I can't remember the name of the store, but it is near Michaels and PetSmart).  We circled the store three times at least just to look at the animals.  The ones from Africa were especially neat to see.  It is great entertainment! :)

So, another day at my parent's house, I was walking under their trees and almost stepped on a baby robin in the grass!  Walking around some more, we found two more babies, then the broken nest!  Well, we couldn't just abandon them, now could we? :) Tory got really good at feeding the worms to them.  And they wanted to be fed every 2-3 hours! We went through a ton of worms!  Eventually we took them back to the "Farm" and they flew off!  It was a fun time.  Tory had been wanting a pet bird for a long time, but we don't want to have any caged birds, so we said no.  But God let her have a pet bird, anyway, if only for a short amount of time. :)

Fun in the hammock, enjoying a popsicle on a hot, summer day! :)

Another tradition, is going camping! This year, we went for two nights instead of just one, still to Memaloose Campsite, in Oregon.  It was a great decision.  For some reason, the girls thought it would be fun to eat some ice.... 

Having fun while waiting for the camp to get set up. :)

Don't you take my picture! >:(

You can do it, Edwin!

I'm such a stud!

Yes, yes, for some reason I could not find Natalia's swimsuit.... sorry, girlie.....

Sorry, I couldn't resist.... she was not like this for long,  only getting dressed..... :)

I LOVE this picture that Edwin took!

Yes!! He did it! :)

Soooo tired!!

I did not get any shots, unfortunately, of our fun times around the campfire, roasting marshmallows, shisquebobs, and pancakes.  Our second night was really fun... after the sun went down, we were still all gathered around the fire, enjoying the light and heat unique to a fire.  Tory asked "Papi" to tell her a story, and he told a little one.  Then, she asked me to tell a story of when I was little, so I did.  Then Mamá Carmencita told 3 or 4 different stories of her childhood and of Edwin's childhood.  I wish I could have recorded the stories, because I have forgotten them.  But it was such a cozy time sitting around the fire listening to stories. Natalia actually fell asleep in my lap and it was so nice holding 

After we got back to the Tri-Cities, we went to a favorite spot: Chuck E. Cheese's, for Gaby's 8th birthday! :)

Yet another tradition was to walk down to Canal Ave. to watch the 4th of July fireworks!

We spent our last day together visiting Spokane for fun.  Such a cool city.  The kids really enjoyed the Carousel and playing in the huge fountain.  

Natalia seriously wanted to move that block! So, her cousins were helping her out! :)

Natalia actually took this picture! I was impressed with the lack of bluriness. :)

Enjoying a last play time together....

Until next year, God willing.... :)