Taking Kids on An Extended Volunteer Vacation

This is where we live in the USA. Fall is coming on and the trees will be beautiful in a couple of weeks. Every morning I come here to see the view which changes everyday. It was hard to leave it.

Here are the kids who came with us this time. Our five youngest. They are homeschooled so free to travel. They did not want to come

So we are trying to do fun things for them. Their trip started with the drive to Atlanta. 7 hours from home. We stopped at a fabric store and let them each pick out a piece of fabric to make a pillowcase for their new pillows at the guesthouse in Lomas. Then we stopped for supper. At the hotel that night, they had an adjoining room which meant they got to watch tv all night. We do not have tv at home so this was a treat. Next we headed to the airport at 6 in the morning and they had to suffer thru a movie and soft drinks which they also do not get at home. Then the shuttle picked us up in Guatemala and they started having a little culture shock. Pricesmart was next where we loaded up on USA food.

Then the drive to Lomas and landing there at 8pm that night. Kids had a hard time adjusting to their new bedrooms as most of their treasures were in their bedrooms in the states. But they are doing well. They went to the elementary school programs with us on Fri. and met all the kids. The whole time they are here [ 7 weeks] they will help with all we do, so their lives will be school work and volunteer work. We took them to Lake Atitlan on Fri. for their dad's birthday and to buy an ice cream cake.

Monday they start gymnastic and yoga and art classes.

JODY AND VICKI

The swinging bridge that has to be crossed when we go from San Andres to Panajachel. It is the only way across when Cerro Lec has mudslides that block the road

 This last picture is Lake Atitlan. We will do a family boat trip with lunch out while here and celebrate 2 birthdays. The kids also got a surprise the first morning. They were upset they had to leave their dogs in the USA. The first morning here a dog showed up at our door and has not left. he eats here and plays here and the kids now have a Guatemalan dog.

We love family teams. My daughter Erin is trying to put one together for either the end of Feb. or later in the spring.

write us at 20.vicki@gmail.com

Vicki
www.casadesion.org