Breckyn's first camping trip!

As promised, here are a couple of shots of our camping trip.


Breckyn, in the truck ready to go!




Breckyn helping with the tent.

Trying to get out.

Dead dolphin washed up on shore. :(

Playing in the sand.


Another view from camp. Do you see the cows roaming on the left?

Yeah, that's firewood. It's pretty serious.



Turkey dogs! so good! It's hard to get a good hotdog here but turkey dogs seem to be the best.

View from camp.

Sunset from the campsite. Stunning!



Happy family :)





Volleyball in the a.m.

We're going camping now!

I have believed 3 things about how I want to raise my family.

1. We will always have a dog. (Right now doesn't count. We miss you Roscoe and wish you could be with us!)

2. We will always have a real, live, pine-needles-falling-on-the-floor Christmas tree.

3. We will going camping. In a tent.

I was raised camping with my brothers on family vacations and those are some of my fondest memories of being a kid and being with my parents and brothers. There is magic in smelling like smoke and hearing the noises of the night surround you as you fall asleep laughing and talking with your siblings. My absolute favorite sound is the zipper of my parents 60-year old army tent. And the smell of that old musty air fills me with joy!

Pure magic.

So guess what we are doing Wednesday night? That's right. Camping!

We are going for one night only with the students up to a beach about 1 hour away. The students went a couple of months ago for a week on their mission trip but I didn't want to deal with Breckyn for that long in those conditions. But this is the perfect opportunity. One night. At the beach. Can not wait!


Stay tuned for pics!

a quiet, quiet afternoon

It is another beautiful day in Maz and I am tempted to go to the beach but the house is empty and I am loving hanging out with Breckyn here all by myself. And besides, with a 15-month-old I can handle the sand about every other day. Removing sand is a chore! I thought I'd post a couple of pictures from yesterday.

Carnival!

I have been hearing about Carnival for a long time now. It's been mostly warnings of the chaos in the streets and how the traffic is horrible in town. I had no idea what it was until I looked up on Wikipedia. It's Mardi Gras, a festive season right before Lent.



Starting today, it's a 5 day-long party of parades and drinking in the streets. Well, it's a little more than that....

According to mexicanguru.com, "The tourism board touts Mazatlan’s carnival as family-oriented, and it’s true that there are poetry contents, literary awards, and ballet in the baseball stadium. Kids compete for prizes at school, and a couple is elected as diminutive king and queen to reign over the annual awards presentations. Extended families attend rock and ska concerts at venues throughout the city; they dance the tambora, the traditional oompah band music of northern Mexico.

Clowns stomp down the street atop peg-egged stilts. Adorable kids wearing grease paint and animal costumes snake down the avenue in conga lines. Marching bands rattle and hum.

Along with their court, the carnival king and queen ride in an impressive float of flowers, colored paper, and anything that glistens or glitters. Dressed to kill in tulle, organdy, velveteen, and other sweat-producing fabrics despite the heat, they herald the parade as representatives of cultural and community pride."

Although not quite up my ally, I would like to experience a taste of of what this city has traditionally been a part of for over 100 years. The spectacular colors and decorations and people in costume will be a thrill to see.