jose, very proud of some work he did in math. marcos just wanted to be in the picture hahaha

marcos decided he wanted to take an angry picture...i decided to take an i-just-ate-something-very-sour picture.

at church tonight - teddy reading along with the pastor.

praying after the sermon. note marcos playing with the car...although this was after he prayed and was prayed for. he's 7! very short attention span...and he did great. we brought josue along this time, too, and he loved it. every time the preacher said amen, josue yelled amen! and clapped and hugged whoever was nearest to him. so adorable.

getting ready to welcome becky home!

teddy being teddy :)
i told him today that he can go to kids camp, at rancho el refugio in july, and his eyes got huge and he started asking me a ton of questions. the thing that he was most excited about is that he isn't going to sleep in his bed for 2 whole nights! he asked me to make him a calendar so that he can know how far away camp is.

nene, on the other hand, asks me every few minutes: kakey? (becky) i tell her becky will be here in a couple days! and then, always, ana? (hanna) me: one month. nene: oh.
so funny - today nene and i were reading i spy together. we looked for a bunch of things on one page and then she kind of goes off to do something else, and i said wait, nene, there are still more pages! and she looks at me, at the book, turns the page, and goes, WOW! which is hilarious because we read 2 or 3 books every single day. maybe a big book confused her. i don't know...but priceless either way.

there are some new videos i've put up lately...if you go to youtube and search "hilaryholbrook" (in quotes, no spaces) it will bring up all the videos i've posted.

marcos and jose playing being before school starts...

nene and ruben LOVING the big books that i brought back from mexicali...an esl program in the states had shut down and the books were donated to mexico outreach, or they ended up at the mexicali camp somehow. we were packing up at the end of the week and i saw this PILE of spanish books, and some big books too. i was like ron, where are those going and can i please have some! he let me take a whole box! chica chica boom boom, tiki tiki tembo, i spy, and tons of great books. the kids were excited to see some new ones :)

eliseo was/is having some major girl problems so i went to his house this afternoon...there's this place he always tells me about but i've never been to. it's called el mirador - it's like a lookout point. oh. my. goodness. i saw ensenada like i've never seen it before. first we were level with the ocean and walked along this beautiful path, right next to the water, while the sun was setting. there wasn't a sandy beach, just big rocks, and so when big waves came up we got wet - the pathway was that close to the water.
then we went up to the lookout point, way way way up this one mountain. there's this stone ledge that you sit on and you can see the ENTIRE city. since it was dusk and then later completely dark, we could see all the lights and everything. there was a full moon and it was reflected into the water, we could hear the seals barking or whatever they do, and we seriously were looking out over the entire city. of course we both forgot out cameras, so we're going back in a couple weeks to take pictures of everything. i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e. i wish i had known about this place sooner! everyone needs to go.

today was a good day!
i woke up this morning just not feeling it and was trying to get over that. i kept telling myself that i could just slog through the day or i could make the most of it. then i found out the boys broke the cd player that we use ALL DAY at school...i love to have music playing in the background and i was like, dang, this is just going to be one of those stinkin' mondays.
but it turned out to be a pretty good day! the kids worked well and we did a LOT. they knew they were working hard and well and were proud of themselves (and rightly so!)
josue is with his mom for a few days, so preschool was much more calm and i was able to work one on one with all the kids (again...rare).

i just got back from dinner with dan and ivey, a couple who live at rancho el refugio and are working on a school that's being built at the ranch. it was great to spend time with them - they're such a sweet, solid, Godly couple. it was nice to speak english with people in person and not on skype, too!

rocio's nephews went to a birthday party on saturday, and rocio invited me to go with them. it was so fun! i love being a part of life down here. not the cruise ship, tourist area where everyone speaks english part of life. the part where people look at me wierdly because i'm so white, and then look at me even wierder when i answer the questions, in spanish, that they ask rocio because they don't think i understand or speak spanish. never a dull moment! this was a legit party, though. the kid turned 5, and there were TWO pinatas. apparently 5 is a pretty big deal :)

eric, rocio's 3 year old nephew. adorable...

pinatas could be an olympic sport here. not kidding. these kids know what's up.

church today! i taught sunday school to the young adults. it was interesting. but i brought cookies and made everyone stare at them until i was done teaching, and to please pay attention in the meantime. it worked.

tonio hanging out, getting ready to clean the bus. the boys LOVE to be around anything that has to do with cars, so they spend a lot of time wiping down the bus. every since i got back from mexicali, i have been the main teacher and chuy has been my aide. up in this point, chuy technically was the lead and i was his aide. i did a lot behind the scenes to help him, but he still had the final say. that has changed, and one thing i did when i took over was start our school day with a prayer. after a couple days, the boys wanted to pray too, so teddy and marcos prayed. yesterday, tonio wanted to, so he did. we usually pray before lunch, too, and when one of the brothers prayers my eyes are usually closed...i know they're praying silently, seeing as how they can't speak. they'll smack the table or get our attention somehow to say amen. well yesterday, i was watching tonio, and he was signing. it was beautiful. he was thanking God for the rain, even though it meant we couldn't go to church, and asking that God would not let it rain next thursday so that we could go to church. he signed about everyone, and school, and the whole time had such a big smile on his face. it was so cool.

pilar helping, as usual. she LOVES to be the momma bear.

i know this shouldn't be a rare sight - preschool, with everyone in their seats - but it is. i was so happy to see it.

nene doing my hair. painfully funny.

no internet last night - it was super windy and i think it knocked something out of place...

yesterday in class we got into a pretty solid discussion among an 11 year old who signs (tonio) and a 7 year old who can't sit still for more than 5 minutes, so instead doesn't use a chair and sporadically does laps around the room when he needs to (marcos). we were looking at a picture of a playground, with kids doing all different kinds of things. some of those things showed respect, and others didn't. we were talking about each situation and if it showed respect or not, and there was one picture of a girl on the ground with a banged up knee, and someone standing over her. tonio and i thought the boy had pushed the girl on the ground, but marcos said because of what the girl's face looked like and how the boy hand his hand out, he was helping her up after she fell. i watched tonio think about it for a little bit while marcos kept explaining why he thought it was showing respect, and then tonio nods enthusiastically and points to the boy's hand that was helping the girl up. it was so cool to watch them go through that! normal students having a typical classroom discussion :)

we sing a song that says 'si señor' in the chorus, and either that or someone else has been teaching the preschoolers to say, 'si señor' when someone asks them to do something...it's kind of funny when i ask them to start cleaning up and nene and josue salute me and say 'si señor!'

working hard during art...


lots of rain today, so the kids had indoor recess...we've never had that before! class always got canceled when it rained because, well, our classroom was outside.

everyone's getting very excited for becky to come back...we put her name in the calendar on the day she's coming back. the boys, who never forget anything, tell me first thing in the morning how many days until she gets back.

i also made the mistake of telling nene and josue that hanna's coming back for the summer...well, not necessarily that it was a mistake, but now nene looks at me a couple times a day and goes, 'hanna?!' and then i have to explain that she won't be here for another month. nene understands yesterday, today, and tomorrow, but the idea of a month isn't easy for her to grasp. it's going to be a long month for that girl :)

at the end of preschool we always go for a walk around the neighborhood, and today we had a little bit of time when we got back so we played outside. it was so fun. now that all the kids who lived down below are upstairs and we are short staffed, they don't get to be outside that much. nene jumps up on a table, lays on her stomach, and goes, 'massage! massage!' i started karate chopping her back and she was laughing so hard it took me a second to realize she was trying to say pipi...i stopped quickly...
josue ran laps around the yard for a solid half hour, pushing a car in front of him...i brought jaime out and nene pulled him in the wagon, which jaime thought was just the funniest thing ever...sergio pushed ruben on the swing until his feet touched the sky...
there's something about playing outside after it rains that is just awesome.

i went to eliseo's for dinner last night and got back and fell into bed...too tired to do anything! i think i still need to catch up on sleep from all those late nights in mexicali...
his family always ask me to make cookies, which i love to do. but to caleb, eliseo's younger brother, i'm convinced i'm nothing more to him than a plate of cookies. i told him that on sunday - caleb, what am i to you?! - and he goes, oh but you're my favorite sister who sometimes happens to bake cookies! hahaha.
so i was making cookies to bring over yesterday and i checked on the first batch about 5 minutes in, and they looked strangely unbaked. i discovered that my propane ran out. in the middle of batch #1! unbelievable.

yesterday in class, marcos apparently discovered his muscles. i caught him flexing and had to take a video...

i love these kids. ruben, who i got an email about when i was in mexicali about his bad behavior, has been so affectionate lately. just runs up to me and gives me a huge hug and then sticks his cheek out, waiting for a kiss. i'm so happy to see him like this.

the kids who lived down below - nene, marcos, josue, ruben, and pilar - are spending their first night in the big house. the women spent all day moving their stuff and the guys were ripping beds apart, making bunk beds, and other manly things that alex and jose couldn't tear their eyes away from...

we'll see how it goes! there have been so many changes lately - moving houses, people coming and going, groups visiting - that it has messed some of the kids up. hopefully with time, love, and consistency things will settle down, but in the meantime, send some love our way!

saturday some people from carpenteria, california, spent the day with us at gabriel house. brittni and darryl came with the mexican medical group a couple weeks ago, and brittni's brother cody came this time, too. it was so fun! great to hang out with people my age :)
we spent a lot of time with the boys making jewelry to sell. they love doing crafty things like that, so it was great.
later that night, i went to eliseo's graduation. he's been taking voice lessons for 2 years and had his recital. he did so well! he and his brother, caleb, lead worship at roca de salvacion. their dad is pastor cande.

it was great to be back at church today and see everyone!

on the left is bryan, the son of the abrahm, the drummer at roca de salvacion. he may quite possibly be the only 3 year old in ensenada who can say my name hahaha. he's adorable and has been my shadow since i started coming to roca de salvacion. i love it! he already plays the drums. and he's incredible. here's a video of him playing along while his dad warms up...

this is the classroom! i realized today just how awesome it is to have a room. i feel like i'm student teaching all over again. i think the kids do better too...there's a lot more order and sense to the day.

josue had a much better day today. here he is in class...

i found out the circus is back in town! i went to talk to the boss but he wasn't around...we are so going. it's just a matter of when and how much it will cost. the way they advertise here is by bringing the circus to you...literally. trucks drive around, blaring an ad for the circus while pulling circus animals behind them...zebras, horses, camels, tigers, monkeys, and more. it's crazy but the kids absolutely love it.

jose and i in our matching tshirts...his is from patrick boyd! he was so excited to wear it and when he saw i had mine on too he could hardly contain himself. the simplest things bring such a big smile to his face :)

nothing like diving in headfirst...we're in our new classroom, finally! the boys were in the process of moving when my mom was here, and i haven't been here for school since then. the classroom is no longer outside (my farmer's tan will definitely suffer), but inside the boys' old house. it's nice to have an actual room that isn't affected by wind, rain, or small animals!

i'm glad i'm back for the boys. they don't have someone who is with them like i am - almost all day, working intensely with them to bring out their best. i don't say that to brag, at all, but it makes a difference for them. as their teacher, it's my job to figure out how to help them learn and grow, and they thrive on that (as most kids do). as their friend, i get to love on them in all different ways...at any given time i'm a mom, sister, aunt, cousin, counselor, therapist, punching bag, or tissue :)

josue, the 8 year old who wears a helmet, had a horrible day today and it sounds like that's how he's been lately. he's been so angry. throwing chairs, kicking and hitting kids and adults, slamming doors, and being really disobedient. i'm so sad for him. when the kids hit lows i realize just how tough their lives can be sometimes. i sat with him today in a bear hug as he tried to hit and kick me, and after awhile he just gave up and got limp in my arms. it was good, eventually, but i hope we can help him so that he doesn't need to be like this anymore. pray for him, please!

i'm back! dang...if you ever want to feel so much more love than you deserve, just walk up to gabriel house after being gone for a couple weeks. teddy started screaming my name as soon as he saw me and the rest of the boys raced to the gate to meet me. the first thing marcos says to me - 'hilary! hilary! i behaved very well!' it was awesome.

you know, it's funny. i was excited to get back, but until i stepped foot across the border, i didn't realize just how much i love mexico. i crossed and the smells changed, the sounds changed, and i felt different. i felt like i was home.

i'm glad to be back. it sounds like the boys are having some trouble adjusting to their new living situation, among other things, and some behavior that we don't want to see is happening. having physical disabilities and not being able to speak can lead to some frustrated teenagers. please keep them in your prayers!

my beautiful mom with lidia at gabriel house :)

oh my. i'm so far behind it's overwhelming. still not back in ensenada so not a lot of pictures to post, but it was an incredible two weeks working with azusa pacific university and their mexico outreach program in ensenada and mexicali.

the camp that i was working at is located 40 miles outside of the epicenter...needless to say we felt the earthquake. i was playing scrabble inside an rv on sunday afternoon when it started shaking. someone i was with goes, 'aw someone's just messing with us and shaking the trailer.' then we looked up at each other, looked outside, and ran for the door. cars were rocking back and forth, alarms were going off, kids were crying, lampposts were swaying back and forth, and the earth was literally rolling around. it was so weird. at first it was a trembling feeling, but then it was like waves were moving through the ground. some people i was with got nauseous, and we heard that the initial earthquake lasted for almost 2 minutes. it was insane. the craziest part, though, was the aftershocks that happened all week. there were hundreds. some of them were just a couple seconds of the ground quivering, and it was hard to tell if it was an earthquake or not. other times we had to decide if it would be over soon or if we needed to evacuate the building we were in.

we went into town the next day and saw lots of damage...mostly broken store windows and some roofs that had caved in or fallen down. there was a lot of water damage from water being pushed up through the ground, but only 2 deaths.

we worked at the zoo the next day, helping clean up, and the damage there was pretty crazy. there was a new walkway that had recently been commissioned by the president's wife, and it was absolutely destroyed. just split right in half. we heard that a tiger and a hippo got out while there were 15,000 people at the zoo as the earthquake was happening. they caught them and no harm was done, but even the day after as we were walking around cleaning up there were birds everywhere who had gotten out of the aviary exhibit and were just hanging out all over the zoo grounds. it was kind of funny to see random peacocks walking around the playground...

this is at the zoo...this used to be a beautiful path meandering along the water, but half of it has fallen into the lake...and that's concrete, not dirt.

i miss my gabriel house kids so much. sonia was in the hospital but is doing a lot better and is back at gh. regular updates, i promise, once i'm back there on wednesday!

it was so great to have my mom here! the kids loved her and we had such a good time.
i'm headed to mexicali to help out with the mexico outreach camp there and will be back next weekend. lots of updates and pictures when i get back!