A Special Visitor

I've spent the last hour staring at the computer screen, trying to find inspiration to write our quarterly newsletter. I looked back at our calendar, I scrolled through pictures, and then I came to this conclusion: We have done a LOT since September. I don't even know where to begin! So to get my creative writing juices flowing, I thought I would blog about the most special time I experienced these last few months...

A visit from my MOM!

Anyone who knows my mother knows a few things: #1 - she is the hardest worker I have ever met. #2 - she never wants to be a bother, or trouble to anybody. #3 - she is probably the most encouraging person I know.


So when we were planning her time here, I heard over and over again, "I don't want to bother you guys. I just want to help you work around the yard." Which is all fine and good, but mom, do you REALLY think we would let you fly halfway around the world just to work?!? I don't think so.

In the end, we planned several special things to do with her, but we did leave her plenty of time to help us out with our endless projects as well.

We picked monster-sized mangoes with our neighbours (by monster-sized, I mean each one weighed over 2 pounds!)

We went grocery shopping 

 

We sewed curtains for our guest rooms

We installed curtains, hanger rods and a bunch of other stuff

A highlight for me was getting to go out on a schooner ride. We soaked up the rays as we took in the spectacular city sites. At the halfway point, we even took a dip (intentionally!) in the high seas. 

A local fisherman

Loving the breeze

I'm not entirely sure why they needed a bike on the raft, but it made me smile!

 

And of course, you can't visit us and NOT go on a dune buggy ride! 

Each time someone comes to visit us, we try to go to one place neither Karl nor I have been to before. We really want to know this area well, and, hey, we like having new experiences too! With my mom, we decided to head into the interior of the state. Setting out, we actually knew very little about our destination, except that there was a giant reservoir, which provides water to a large part of the state, as well as a rock shaped like a rooster. 

Reservoir

It really does look like a rooster, doesn't it?!? 

The landscape around Quixada was stunning. Our hotel happened to be a little ways outside of town... on it's very own mountain. We couldn't believe how quiet and dark it was up there at night. The hotel owner was really friendly, and apparently a bit of an astronomy nut, so one night he pulled out his telescope and we got to examine the moon as well as Venus and her moons from the southern hemisphere. 

Vista point just above the hotel

I realize this is a completely random photo, but these are typical cowboy hats in this area.

The resident parrot at our hotel. He LOVED having his photo taken.

What a great time!

Karl and I felt so privileged to be able to have this time together with my mom. She brought us so much encouragement and energy. In the end, we played lots, sweated lots, laughed lots, and even got a whole bunch of work done!