Girls' Weekend

     I was inspired by Leif's blog about his hike with Ike, and thought I'd post a blog about our mother-daughter weekend, too.  On Friday, right after the guys left, I told the girls if they helped me clean the house really well, we could completely play the next day.  They were hard workers and the house was sparkling clean by evening.  Melly and Thomas (from Germany) came for dinner, and it was really lovely to spend the evening with them.

     Melly lived here for several years until she met Thomas (a pastor in Germany) and married him.  They have made a decision to come back here every couple of years to continue connections with people Melly has invested in. We all went for a walk together in our village.  The kids had fun teasing Thomas.

     The next morning was a sunny, happy day!  Our special mother-daughter day!!  We woke up and shortly thereafter walked 1/2 mile to the bus stop (as Leif had the car).
     

     We needed to switch buses for our special plan, and where the buses switch was a place that serves breakfast (not usual here for cafes).  They even had hot cocoa!  I brought along a list of questions to guide our conversation in meaningful ways.  I love to hear my daughters' hearts, and it was so fun to see their excitement with the breakfast and time together.

     We got on another bus and traveled to the only outdoor pool (that we know of) that is open just for a couple of months in the summer.  We had always wanted to come here.  Since Ike had been wearing his cast for a month (and couldn't get it wet) and was supposed to go easy on it for a few more weeks, I thought it would be perfect to bring the girls here.

We swam and swam and played and played.  The slide was a fun addition to the pool.

     We then headed downtown and walked and walked all over.  I'd be interested to know how many miles total we walked that day!  We ate street food and enjoyed the beauty of the fountain.  We had planned to go home and finish our day with a movie, but I realized we were right next to a movie theater.  We decided to check and see what was playing (movies here are much less expensive than in the States.  The price of three tickets is about the same price as renting a movie).  The girls were absolutely bursting with excitement!  They couldn't believe we would do SO MANY fun things, all in one day!  It turns out that Toy Story 4 was playing at just that time!  I just loved how happy the girls were, and I was happy, too.

     By the time we got home, our feet were sore, and our hearts were full of special memories that we'll always cherish.

    The next day we went to church.  After church, we went to Sara's for lunch.  

   

     She took us all on a hike on the hill behind her apartment.  It was fun to think about us hiking the same time as Leif and Ike!  It was hot, and it was a bit of a challenge for the girls to climb,  but they all had a sense of accomplishment afterwards. 

Here's the view when we were almost at the bottom on our way back.

     Then each of the girls brought a friend home and they had a sleepover.  They played and played while I caught up on some things.  ;)

     I feel so blessed to have Anneka and Ella as my daughters!  They are such treasures, and I love getting time with each of them.