i just got really sad to leave this place.

i worked on lesson plans and did random things around the apartment all day. literally...i got up and got to work, stopping to eat and bake banana bread hahaa. i didn't see any of the kids all day, and after dinner i went down the street to buy newspapers for something we're doing in class tomorrow.
on my way back, i was walking down to my house when pilar yells my name and runs toward me, her arms wide open. i gave her a hug and then she ran back to keep playing. and then i passed the boys' room where jaime sleeps right next to the window. i said hi to him and he reached his hand out to touch mine through the window screen and started laughing. well of course i had to go in and play with him for a little bit, so i did, but it was so hard to not cry. daaang. i didn't think i would be like this. hopefully the month i have left will help me get more and more used to the idea...

eliseo and i went back to el mirador tonight...but this time with cameras. so pretty. this is level with the ocean, and then later we drove up...

...to see the city from above!

later at night. i had mole for the first time tonight at with eliseo's family...it's a sauce that goes over chicken that's sweet and spicy at the same time. not bad; it had a nice kick!

guess where we went tonight...THE CIRCUS! first time the sisters had ever been...it was so awesome.

we were the first ones in and got to watch them set up. they put us in the very front row! the guy in charge came by while we were waiting and goes, 'where are the rest of the kids?' i explained how they didn't fit in the van, but that we'd be back later in the week with more. he was so nice and hospitable...he said anytime, whenever, just come, and bring everyone!

ely laughed the whole time. no joke. here's a video. it was awesome...i think i watched her more than the circus!

he's from the dr!

so you may remember waaaay back in october becky and i went to church with lerma, a woman who works at gabriel house. today we went back to the same place, but this time with roca de salvacion for a kid's day celebration (i'm telling you...this day is a big deal here. crazy that it doesn't even exist in the states!). cande and his family and a couple other families camped out the night before, and the rest of us got there this morning. abram decided he wanted to ride his bike, so whenever he wasn't holding on to the back of the truck the rest of us were in, he was jumping across rivers and careening down rocky hills while we watched and gave him helpful tips (that way! watch out for the rock! water up ahead! i think he went faster just to get away from the peanut gallery hahaha)

there was a tire swing...what was i supposed to do? look at it?

a bunch of us climbed up this mountain! eliseo and i are in the middle, and higher up is rosario, ana, jonathan, and josue. sandals were not the best choice. but such a beautiful view up top!

worship in the park/valley/clearing...whatever you want to call it! it was great to be with people from church in a place other than, well, church. lots of good conversation, friends, and sun makes for an awesome, joy filled day. woo hoo!

so saturday we took the kids to a party at church (the one we go to on thursday nights). it was for kid's day, so there was a bouncy castle, a pinata, food, and lots of people. the church is also an alcohol/drug rehab center (for people who are already clean, so i guess it's kind of a halfway house?) the guys are wonderful and help so much with the kids we bring. they also have some animals...pigs, chickens, and ducks, and nene and i spent most of the day with the pigs. at first she wasn't sure if she liked them - in this picture she's saying no, no! but then they grew on eacho ther and she was enthralled by the way it was eating...

love.this.face.

well, it's a party, so obviously oscar the grouch and the doctor that stands outside of all the pharmacies in mexico are going to come...

ruben found a babysitter! he loved her, she took such good care of him (and he LISTENED to her)...a match made in heaven.

waiting for becky! i pulled a fast one on the kids...all this time they have been told that becky was coming back on saturday (today). well she wanted to surprise them and come to gabriel house a day earlier, friday, which also happened to be kid's day. it worked out perfectly, because we had nothing planned and the kids were bummed. they were like, it's kids day! how can we not have a party! and i was like, i'm really sorry, guys, but there's just not a lot of money. i'm sure we'll figure something out. so i said i wouldn't be around friday night or saturday morning because i had a friend in ensenada who needed help, so we needed to set up for becky during school on friday morning. they went along with it, because they're great...and then i told them to celebrate kid's day, we could read a story outside at the end of our school day. (what a treat, right? ha. they weren't exactly thrilled.) as we were reading, who pulls up but...becky! they were stunned. the first thing marcos says to me is 'why did you make us put her name in the calendar on may 1st?! she's here a day early!' i said, 'i tricked you...she wanted to surprise everyone!' it was so fun.

some cute videos of becky getting here, and jose seeing her.

reunited with her marcos, wearing the new clothes and shoes she bought him (shorts: size 5T. falling off of him. he's 7 and a half...)

so instead of having a cake to welcome becky back, i decided fruit salad was a better choice. (the kids love me, really. no but seriously, this past weekend two groups came and each brought huge cakes. more cake = unnecessary! even if it was kid's day...)
i put a little bit of whipped cream on top, and thelma looks at her bowl, scoops the entire spoonful of whipped cream up, and devours it, leaving only a tiny bit on her face. i was laughing so hard...so sad i didn't get that on video hahahaha

we went for a walk, and pilar got tired :)

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.