Sunday, August 7, 2011

Planking

Last week I met up with my family for vacation in the Caribbean! It was a week of bliss... the beach was wonderful, but best of all was hanging out with my sisters and parents! I cherish time with my family, knowing that the last few years have been a bit harder for us to see each other. Usually on each vacation or holiday, one or two things stick out and become a 'theme' or 'joke' that will continue for years to come. If I had to think of a word or theme for our Caribbean vacay, I think I'd choose 'planking' and 'owling.' If you don't know what that is, don't worry, neither did I until Laura and Dillon sat me in front of youtube the first night in the hotel. The rest of our time was centered around when and how we could plank!

Besides planking and owling, Laura and I walked and read on the beach for hours. Dillon focused on tipping our float each time we were in the ocean. My dad treated us to amazing meals every night and went with us out on the boat to swim with the string rays, despite his aversion to water sports. My mom convinced us to snorkel, and then she and Mollie were kind enough to go with me to see the final Harry Potter movie. Harry Potter was definitely a highlight since its impossible to see it in Jordan! (Jordan has been boycotting all Hollywood new releases.)

Here are a few fun pics! My sweet family!



Summer Students

This summer we had over 30 American students come to teach English, learn Arabic, learn culture, and volunteer at an orphanage. Summer is one of my favorite seasons because of these young, energetic, passionate, and encouraging faces that join us for a brief time. Here are a few pics of new friends that came into my life for a moment.

(Click on the pics to make them larger.)
Visiting a friend for a meal:


De-briefing back at their house after a long day: