Beach Day

Today was beach day at Casa de Esperanza.  We have not done this in three years and it was definitely time to do it again.  Some of the kids had never seen the beach because they were too little to go last time.  This time, everyone went. 

None of the kids had been paid for three weeks so when they got their money and got to buy in the store yesterday, that took two hours. 

We have planned this for over two months.  The anticipation level was high all week.  Haley and Emma spent the night here last night.  We came out of my house at  ten minutes after 5:00 to go pack the coolers.  There were kids everywhere.  Carrying stuff.  Packing stuff. 

There were 25 kids and 8 adults.  It was going to take three vehicles to get us there.  I decided to ask Willie if we could rent the bus that day.  That was a good decision.  It was fun for us all to be in one vehicle.  At ten minutes before 6:00, the kids asked me if they could start carrying stuff to the front.  At 6:00, I heard the bus blow its horn and a roar of delight immediately following.

Desired time of departure: 6:00 a.m.  Actual time of departure  6:15 a.m.  I was impressed.  Those kids loaded that bus and we were off.

I expected the excitement to be noisy.  It wasn't.  Some of the kids even went back to sleep.

 The twins were ready for the beach.

Yair looked out the window the whole way.

Two stops, a slight misunderstanding with where the driver thought we were going and where we thought we were going and we were finally there.  And not a single soul puked a single time.

It was beautiful.

First thing we had our morning devotional.  What a great place to have devotional.  And we had worked so hard on the bus ride, it was time for baleadas.

Then most everyone was in the water.

 When the tide came in, the beach disappeared.  We just moved to higher ground.

Emma wore herself out.

Some ate the whole time we were there.  Some played the whole time we were there.  Some found time for both.  Everyone had fun and everyone was tired.

Many of the kids slept on the way home.  Most of the sleepers got a second wind about 45 minutes from home.  It was 7:30 we we got back to Casa.   A very long day.

I cleaned up all the coolers and went to start some of the laundry.  There was no water.  Someone turned it on and I heard the tanks began to fill.  With everyone wanting to shower, I knew it pointless to take about laundry for quite a while.  I came down here, where I was sure I would have water.  I was right.  And my shower felt so good.  And, I got my laundry started, too. 

A long day.  A tiring day.  A fun day.  A good day.