The Dream Vacation

I left Philly this afternoon in a van full of kids, with Shera behind me in a car full of kids and we embarked on what I told everyone was going to either be the best week of my life, or the worst week (there will be no in between). If today is any indication of how the week will go, it will definitely be the BEST week of my life!!

We have had so much fun so far!! Sadly, Dario decided not to come with us (17 year old boy, wants to be with his friends...), but we have already talked to him and he already regrets his decision. Unfortunately, 5 hours is a bit too much for me to turn around and pick him up. I feel kinda bad for him, but it made me think how many times I miss out of the good things God has for me simply because I don't know what they are so I stick with what's comfortable. Anyway...

The car ride here was fun. I had Pedro, Miguel, Luis, Lindsay, Tasha and Linda in my car. The boys spent a good amount of time on their portable play stations while the girls and I enjoyed music. We did have a lot of fun as a group as well, playing some silly games, and laughing constantly at Miguel and Luis. They are both SO funny, and so clever!!





(Miguel is playing with Lindsay's hair in this pic)

I hear the other car (with Shera, Zuley, Bonita and Monique) also had fun, mostly dancing and singing.

I have to tell you that I think I have some of the most hilarious kids in the world with me on this trip. Here are some highlights to prove my point:

* As we are driving into Delaware we pass several neighborhoods that do not have corner stores (which are very common in Philly). Pedro asked, "How to they get milk if they don't have corner stores?" Miguel responded, "They each have their own cow". (He was completely serious).

* Apparently I like the car a bit colder than the rest of my crew, so at one point during the trip the kids decided to turn the heat on with the rear controls in the van. As the heat hit his face, Luis yelled: "Viva Mexico!" (This one made me laugh so hard I cried).

* In the great state of Maryland, there is a city called Pokomoke. The name made us all laugh hysterically and we decided to turn pokomoke into a verb. So, when someone is doing something extremely annoying, they are now pokomoking you. Aren't we creative?

This is just a sampling of the hilarity that comes from these kids. We also got to drive on the Chesapeake Bay tunnel/bridge which was pretty sweet. It takes about 20 minutes to cross it, which makes you feel like you are just driving on the ocean. We were all in awe of that.

(This pic was taken from the bridge)

We finally arrived at our beach house around 7, and discovered that it was even nicer than I thought!! Its not huge, but perfect for us. We have 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and its all on one level; and we even have a small screened in porch. To the kids, this place is paradise. Shera and I were so excited by how nice it is, we just screamed. :)

Of course, the first thing we did (after unloading the cars) was take a walk to the beach. Our house is not on the beach, but only about half a row back, so its a quick walk. Since it was getting late, I didn't want to deal with swimsuits and such so I decided we would just go put our feet in and tomorrow we would actually get in the water. That wasn't a good idea...

The minute they all saw the water they took off running and much splashing ensued. It wasn't long before we were all soaked anyway, so we just went swimming. The water here is PERFECT. We are right on the corner of the Chesapeake bay and the Atlantic Ocean, so we don't really have waves, its very calm. I actually like waves, but the calm waters are perfect for my group of small, inexperienced swimmers that are scared of the ocean.

At one point, Monique looked at me, laughing and splashing and said, "Trish, this feels like a dream!". Shera and I had actually already labeled this vacation the dream vacation because of Martin Luther King Jr's speech. We felt like this trip was such an example of the dream he had. Monique just gave us another reason to keep the name. :)

We have had a few hiccups in getting along, but they came later at night when tiredness was setting in. Overall, they are all doing GREAT! Tomorrow and Monday we will simply spend the day at the beach, hanging out. We can't wait!! We have some other fun activities planned throughout the week, so stay tuned! (I'm so excited we have internet here!!)