El Salvador:

In mid-August; Dustinn, Bradshaw and I went with my family to El Salvador. We were fortunate enough to be hosted by some very magnanimous family friends. This trip was monumental for 3 reasons:

1. We got to see Nelson for the first time in TWO YEARS! He returned from his mission to Long Beach, CA just days before the trip. What a happy reunion!

2. The entire family (all 13 of us) were able to be there! Coordinating all the demanding work schedules was quite an accomplishment.

3. While we were there, we celebrated my parents 30th wedding anniversary. Way to go Mom & Dad!

The house where we stayed was right on the edge of a volcanic lake. The water was very clear, smooth and warm.




They have a dock out on the lake and we spent most of our time there: talking, reading, eating, diving off and watching family members get towed behind the boat. One of our favorite activities is tubing wars: 2 tubes are pulled (and thrown around) behind the boat. The goal is to have your opponent fall off while you remain strong.

At one point, all 8 of my dad's children were on the boat and we decided to see if we could get everyone on the tubes. Lorin, Nelson and Colton were on one tube; while the five girls (me, Katy, Genny, Lindy & Polly) were piled on the other. We didn't last long.

Later on, we watched the video of "the spills" and laughed until our eyes were watery (especially Nelson's superhero move: his 6'5" body flying straight up into the air and then flipping and bouncing across the water.)

(I really love this beautiful little face)

While we were in El Salvador, Bradshaw began standing up on his own. (Since this video, he has mastered standing and has begun taking steps.)

Do I have a positive, encouraging family or what?

Next posts: Dustinn Befriends a Hippo and The Miracle Baby