Chris and Frank are here!!

The last three weeks have been very busy. Bob and I recently completed a week of training at school. We took a course called TCI (Therapeutic Crisis Intervention). This is an excellent course and we feel really good about what we learned over the week. Right after the course was done, Chris (Bob's sister) and Frank came out to see us. They left their four children behind to spend time with us. They brought lots of good stuff from home and lots of love and hugs from friends and family. It was SO good to have them here. The first picture on the blog was taken by Frank from our balcony. We are so lucky to have such a great view to enjoy all the time.
Terry and Jill, Chris and Frank and our family got a chance to do some really fun things together. We took some time off so that we could spend three days (two nights) at the beach together. We were fortunate enough to get a good deal on the coast. We spent a lot of time getting smashed by waves on the beach, playing in the pool and enjoying the shopping experiences. Good times!! Brodie and Drew had a chance to learn how to surf. Thanks Uncle T.
We just got back from experiencing a place called 27 Waterfalls! What a blast! It was more beautiful that you can imagine. The water is the perfect temperature and crystal clear. There are many, many pictures! Enjoy!!

The Daily Sights

Here are some random things that me and kids see on a typical day when walking downtown in the friendly city of Jarabacoa.

A dad and his young son (5 years oldish) parked outside the bakery on their motorcycle. The boy was leaning over the gas tank- sniffing. Brodie taps me on the shoulder, "Uh, mom?!?" What can we do?

Dogs- everywhere, there are dogs. They stand outside every store, surround restaurants and wandering the streets. They are everywhere. "Domini-dogs" as we so fondly call them have a very distinctive look. They are typically very "mutt"-like. They are smaller and usually have a black snout (regardless of the rest of their colour) and have HAIRY chins. Oh, yes the Domini-dog. Man's best friend?!?

There may be as many as 4-6 people on a motorcycle at any time. This is the main mode of transportation. A family of 5 is quite the site, and we still comment on this as we see the families wizzing by us.

People aren't the only ones piling on a motorcycle (concho). We have seen lawnmowers, propane tanks, large piles of wood, washing machines, you name it.... It can be carried on a concho!!

Did I mention there are a lot of dogs??

CHICKENS- yes, there are a lot of chickens as well. Everywhere, in our yard, walking down the sidewalk, on the roof of shops, even in trees. Chickens wander around, but if you accidentally kill one, then the owner suddenly arrives, and debts will need to be paid.

Rain, pretty much everyday, it rains. Lightning, thunder and rain. Today, we saw the sun briefly. It was exciting, but then it rained. Right now it's 79 degrees, but raining. It's amazing how quickly we can become accustom to this weather.

Be sure to check out the boys' post, because they really mentioned most of our most recent stories.

Last week, Bob completed his CPR and first aid training and next week, we both will have TCI training (therapeutic crisis intervention). Here's hoping we won't need to use either of our new skills.

We are really looking forward to having Chris and Frank come out and see us. We are planning lots of fun adventures. I hope to have pictures to share.