Happy Birthday to Me!

It's that time of year again - another birthday!  This year we celebrated a little earlier with dinner the day before my birthday. 

I attended a meeting the evening of my birthday.  When I arrived home, Katy ran/bounced to greet me at the door.  She was exploding with excitement and a giant smile, and she was saying, "I have a gift for you, I have a gift for you!"  She then ran to her room to retrieve the gift from its hiding spot under her bed and behind her cash register.  As she carried the wrapped gift to me and placed it in my hands she asked, "Is it the camera you want?"  Chris immediately cried out, "Katy!"  I couldn't do anything but laugh and give Katy a big hug.  Katy, however, was completely unaware of the impact of her prior words.  She just looked at me very calmly and stated, "it's a camera," and then offered to open it for me.  

Thank you Chris and Katy for a lovely birthday!  I can't wait to use my new camera.  And yes, it was the one I wanted. 

This and That, Here and There

Patiently waiting for a snow cone at Bahama Bucks.

We found a turtle at the convention center.

Visiting La Sal Del Rey.

My last class teaching Baby Birds.

A short trip to San Antonio.

Exploring downtown San Antonio.

Downtown San Antonio.

Downtown San Antonio.

Bouncy house with cousin Evie.  Celebrating Elijah's birthday.

Gigi sewed another dress for Katy.

Katy's recently received her first lego set and loves them!

A trip to South Padre Island.

Time for yet another impromptu fiesta. 

Celebrating Ian's Birthday.  We love this little boy!

Casa Cama

Back in March, Katy moved out of her crib and into a new bed Chris built just for her.  She calls her bed "Casa Cama" (house bed).  Chris designed the bed with space for her play kitchen below and plenty of safety rails above, which are spaced according to building code (he is an architect, after all).

Disassembling the crib.

The new bed, ready to be used!

Shortly after installing the new bed, Katy discovered the hope chest my dad built for me.  The chest is filled to the brim with blankets.  After lying down on the cozy blankets inside the chest, Katy claimed the chest as her bed.  Her disinterest in her casa cama, which was still fairly new, made Chris a little sad. 

Discovering the chest and playing in it.

No more playing, just sleeping.

A week or two after Katy began sleeping in the chest, we took a trip to North Texas to visit family.  During this trip, I showed my grandma a picture of Katy sleeping in the chest.  I joked that my child was a vampire.  My grandma was not amused.  The next day, after a sleepless night of worry, my grandma urged me to make Katy sleep elsewhere for fear Katy's new bed should cause her serious injuries.  

As luck would have it, or more likely as an answer my grandma's prayers, Katy had no interest in sleeping in the chest when we returned from our trip to north Texas.  She was ready to return to her casa cama.  I immediately informed my grandma that Katy was no longer sleeping in the chest.  I did not, however, send my grandma a picture of Katy's casa cama.  I'm not sure how she would react to the ladder and elevated sleeping platform, even if the safety rails meet building code.     

Saying Good-Bye to Neighbors and Close Friends

Shortly after Chris and I moved to the valley, we saw a couple walking in our neighborhood who looked familiar.  We recognized them as visitors we met at church one time, so we stopped to say hi again.  That meeting in the street was the beginning of a close friendship with neighbors Michael and Heidi.  Together, we explored the valley, ate countless meals, swapped house-sitting duties,  gathered for game nights, shared holiday celebrations, and even supported each other during some of our most private trials. 

This week, Micheal and Heidi left the valley.  It was a honor to host them at our house for their final couple of nights in the valley.  We went exploring (in Mexico this time), we shared meals, and we even shared some of our trials with each other.  I can't wait to hear about their new adventures in California, and maybe see them there sometime too!

Modeling our souvenirs from our day trip to Mexico! So fun!

Underwater Classroom Scene

Well, Katy and I didn't participate much in VBS this year because of our trip to Nuevo Vallarta.  But, I did decorate one of the rooms for VBS prior to leaving on our trip.  It turned out super cute!

The Time I Climbed a Play Structure

During our recent trip to Nuevo Vallarta, we found a shopping center with a large play structure in the food court.  When I say large, I mean really, really tall.  Taller than any play structure I've seen in the United States.

Look at that play structure soaring past the second level sky bridge!  Katy is sitting
at the top in the bubble window.

One afternoon, I took Katy to play in the play structure.  She played for quite a while without any trouble.  She even went down the biggest slide. Then I heard Katy crying.  I began searching for her and spotted her at the very top of the play structure.  When she spotted me down below, me she began calling for me as she cried.  I tried to coax Katy down, but she didn't move.  She just cried and cried. 

A mom next to me sent her son to help Katy down and a few minutes later, I sent another little girl to help.  After several minutes passed without any progress, I knew what I had to do.  I had to climb through the tiny tunnels and passageways to help Katy down.

The first part of the climb required me to pass through narrow openings that I could only fit through if I turned my body on its side and slid through.  There were lots of steps that required me to do this in alternating directions, so I was a bit winded by the time I reached the half-way platform. 

Next I had to climb up a winding tunnel.  There was absolutely no ventilation in the tunnel, it was hot because it was very high-up, and it smelled of sweaty kids.  I suddenly felt extremely nauseous.  My goal quickly changed from rescuing my crying child to finding ventilation.  I was the only white person in the play area, and I was the only adult climbing the play structure.  The only thing I could do to draw more attention to myself was throw-up inside the tunnel.

When I finally reached a platform with narrow slits in the plastic wall, I pressed my face against the slit and breathed in the fresh air.  Kids kept telling me there was a crying girl up above, but all I could do was sit there and breathe until the nausea passed.

When I was finally able to continue climbing, I found Katy perched on the highest shelf, crying hysterically, and clinging tightly to a little boy who was trying to comfort her.  It was actually very sweet to see all the kids surrounding Katy, trying to comfort her.

Carrying Katy down proved to be quite challenging because I barely fit through the tunnels and passageways.  Luckily, Katy let the little boy who had comforted her help her down as long as she could see me in front of her.  At last, we made it to the bottom and gracefully slid down the double slide together. 

Several parents were staring at Katy and I as we slid out of the play structure, but we didn't really care.  Katy wasn't stuck anymore, and I didn't vomit in the tunnel.  Success!

Just a Few Days in Nuevo Vallarta

Chris, Katy, and I just returned from a two-and-a-half-week vacation in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.   I know,  a two-and-a-half-week vacation sounds a little extravagant, right?!?!  Sometimes life puts you in situations you never expected, situations that push the limits of your comfort zone and make you wonder, "how did we get to this point?"  We made the most of one of these situations by choosing arrangements that required us to take an extended vacation at the same time.  We have absolutely no regrets about this decision!

We rented one of four suites in Casa Leta, a house located in a quiet residential area in Nuevo Vallarta.  The property owners, Bill and April, live on-site and were super hosts.  They went above and beyond in making our stay comfortable.  After one particularly important day, Bill and April left fresh flowers for us in our room for us.  Their kind gesture made my love cup so full that I couldn't do anything but cry.  They really were super hosts!

The Bird of Paradise bloom reminded me of Hawaii!

We spent most of our vacation relaxing in the beautiful home where we stayed, taking advantage of the on-site services, the sounds of and sights of the wildlife, and the occasional pizza night.

Our room was filled with hanging parrots, a few of which you can see here.

The gorgeous patio overlooked that lovely garden space.  We spent a lot of time here reading, playing games, and even napping a bit.

Enjoying the hammock in the garden.

The garden was lovely in the cool evenings!

Katy with Coco, one of the resident dogs at Casa Leta.

Katy enjoyed having a chair just her size!

Exploring the neighborhood via bike.  How awesome that Casa Leta had a bike with a seat just for Katy!

Jackfruit growing in the neighborhood.

We saw so many iguanas in the garden during our stay.  This is one of the larger ones.

The iguanas came in search of food from their habitat in the mangroves growing along the canal that ran behind the house.

Feeding the iguanas healthy spinach.

Happy to feed the iguanas!

Lovely views of the canal from the back of the garden at Casa Leta.

April saved a pizza crust just for Katy to make.

Bill working the wood-burning pizza oven.  It only took a few minutes to cook a pizza
in the 700 degree oven! My favorite pizza was ceasar salad. 

Katy preferred swimming in the pool at Casa Leta over the nearby beach.  Several days, she swam multiple times.  By the end of the trip, she was so much more comfortable in the water than when we arrived.

At the local beach.

Eating at a restaurant on the local beach.

The view from  the restaurant - not too shabby!

Who wouldn't love a pool like this?!?!

At first, Katy would only leave the shallow water on the stairs if someone was holding onto her.

1...

...2...

...3!  At the end of the trip, she jumped in without anyone to catch her!

The pool was stocked with lots of fun things!

At the end of the week, Katy was proudly swimming (floating and doing the doggie paddle)
 by herself. 

Bill and April also hosted a kid's party while we were staying at their place, and they were kind enough to invite Katy to attend as well.  Katy loved the craft table at the party, and she finally overcame her fear of taking a turn at hitting a pinata!

Someone was excited for the party to start!

Katy spent a lot of time at the craft table decorating hats!

Katy tried to fit her hat in her suitcase when we returned home, but it just didn't fit. 

The party scene.  Katy was excited about the brincolin until she realized it was wet from kids fresh out of the pool.
My girl is all about order.

The pinatas.

Actual clay inside the pinata.

Adorable dinosaur cupcakes.

We did leave the house to explore a bit.  First, we took a series of buses to Boca de Tomatlan.  Although long, the bus rides were scenic and cool since it was early in the day.

Boca de Tomatlan.  We waked across this little river that flows into the ocean to access the start of our hike.

So many water taxis!

From Boca de Tomatlan, we hiked about a mile to a small beach called Colomitos.  Katy did well with the hiking, which included lots of uphill stretches and a narrow foot bridge.  Chris carried her a few times, but she didn't like it much because he was sweaty.

Crossing the foot bridge.

Katy hiking like a big girl!

The hike followed the shoreline.  It was very scenic.

The stairs to Colomitos - Katy did well on this hike!

Colomitos was very pretty, but it was also packed because it was Sunday, the one day during the week most Mexicans don't work. We quickly tired of all of the competing, portable stereos blasting what seemed to be the same song over and over.

Colomitos is a small beach cove.

The sand was not fine or soft, which made for very clear waters. 

The water taxis coming to shore to pick-up people would bounce around in the waves right next to swimmers.  It was a little crazy to watch.  This water taxi is picking up a group of students from our hometown!

A very pretty little beach cove.

We planned to continue hiking to Las Animas, another beach further up the coast, but Katy was too tired to continue.  So instead, we took a water taxi back to Boca de Tomatlan.  The bus rides home were equally scenic as the rides to Boca de Tomatlan, but it was hot and we were tired.  We wanted to be anywhere but on slow-moving bus after slow-moving bus.

I got excited as this bus approached because it was a Mercedes and I thought surely it would have AC.  I was wrong.
Katy was equally unimpressed.

Our last bus took us in a different direction than we expected, so we got off and found a taxi to take us the rest of the way.  Katy's sense of relief at finally being in an air-conditioned space was instant - she collapsed into my chest and sighed the rest of the way home.

The next time Katy and I ventured into Puerto Vallarta, we opted for a taxi.  We started our day at the Los Mangos Library.   We sat in the children's reading room for about an hour and read several books.

Mango trees surrounded the library.  Actual, Mango trees were everywhere we went. 

The children's reading room.

Colorful mural on an exterior wall.  Mexico is full of color!

We found a playground across from the library, but Katy was in no mood to visit it.  I have to admit, it didn't look anything like the playgrounds Katy is accustomed to visiting in Texas.

After walking to a nearby super market to pick-up some groceries and eat lunch, we took a second taxi to a bookstore, where I loaded up on some new Spanish books for Katy.  And then it was time to head home.  It was a nice day, although not exactly an average tourist outing.

Our second Sabbath in town, Katy and I visited the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Puerto Vallarta.  I felt somewhat odd arriving in a taxi, but it beat taking a bus.  The teacher for Katy's sabbath school class was an elderly woman who couldn't operate her CD player well.  As a result, she spent much of the class searching for the right song while she mumbled to herself.  At one point, as Katy squirmed and asked to leave, the teacher asked Katy if she was bored.  Poor Katy - even I was bored by that point!  But, it was nice to hear the same lesson and songs (translated into Spanish, of course) and even see some of the same props we use at home.

There are lots of cobblestone streets in Puerto Vallarta.

Felt bibles - a sabbath school staple across the world.

Bells and tambourines - another sabbath school staple!

The church service was very simple and thankfully in the only air-conditioned space.  I was also thankful the pastor annunciated well so that I could understand most of what he was saying, especially when he stopped mid-sentence to ask me if I could understand him.

Chris rented a car for three days during our final week in Nuevo Vallarta.  Our first day with the rental car, we visited Bucerias, a small beach town north of Nuevo Vallarta, and Playa de Destiladeras.  Playa Destiladeras was our favorite beach we visited.

Charming Bucerias.

Paletas!

There were so many cool murals on buildings in Bucerias.

Another pretty mural. 

An local artist's studio filled with colorful pottery.

Bucerias.

Lovely Playa Destiladeras

Making a sand angel...?

So wide, clean, and empty. 

Our second day with the rental car, we explored the mountain roads near Mismaloya.  We  stoped for lunch at a lovely little restaurant perched over the ocean, and we also visited the Puerto Vallarta Zoo.  The Puerto Vallarta Zoo is easily our most memorable zoo experience!

On our way to the zoo. 

Lunch with a view!

We took our time at lunch because it was so beautiful. 

We found a tiny town on a mountain road. 

Los Arcos

The Mismaloya River

This place advertised the filming location of the movie Predator, which excited Chris.

We finally made it to the zoo!

At the entrance, we bought a bag of food to feed the animals. 

We were the only guests at the zoo.  It was awesome.

The free-roaming geese begging and hissing for food.  

Katy was excited to find the giraffes, her favorite animal. 

Katy enjoyed feeding the little gerbils.

These monkeys took peanuts right out of Katy's hand.

Feeding a bear!

Holding baby tigers!

The baby tigers were only one month old.

At first she was scared.

But she finally came around!

Our third day with the rental car, we visited the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta.   I was looking forward to visiting this iconic Puerto Vallarta sight, but it turned out to be a bit too populated and developed for me.

The food was nothing special, but the view was nice.

The waiter brought Katy water in a cup from the bar.  She looked a little silly.  

We tried to visit the Malecon the day before but it was packed for a 100 year celebration.

I was excited to see this dome up-close!

It's always risky when you ask a stranger to take a picture for you. 

Sometimes you just have to take a selfie.

During our final days in Nuevo Vallarta, my timid little Katy finally warmed up to Bill and April's eight-year-old granddaughter, Eva.  Katy and Eva spent our last two days in Nuevo Vallarta playing together, and Katy loved every minute of it.  Katy was so enamored with her new friend that when Chris and I left the house one day to eat lunch, we had little choice but to bring Eva with us as well.

We ate some wonderful, inexpensive meals in Mexico.  One of our last meals was breakfast in a small, cozy, outdoor restaurant.  Three courses, including fresh bread and fresh-squeezed juice, for about $7!  It was delicious!

Our seven dollar, three course breakfast. 

When it was time to head home, it was hard to say good-bye to our generous and loving hosts.  So instead, we promised to return someday.  Hopefully this is one promise we keep. 

One final view of the canal.

With Bill and April.