This past week we packed up our vehicle and trailer to head out on a four-day trip to the coast. The kids have been asking to got to the beach since we first returned to Mozambique six months ago as their memories of Mozambique had most definitely included sand and water.
Cohen (now seven years old) has been enjoying more and more responsibilites and seems to sit just a bit straighter and taller every time he his given a man-sized task--like helping to lock up the trailer withe all of our food and supplies for our get-away.
Alex said her goodbyes to her very good friend, Jacinta.
Spirits high, the children pleaded for one "crazy" picture. And then we were off...
...and this is not the beach.
This is us broken down on the side of the road.
Although a majority of the two and a half hour drive to the coast is pretty smooth, the last half hour the roads are quite terrible and on one particularly bad jolt, the trailer hitch broke. Thankfully, it was ONLY the trailer hitch and nothing serious on the car. And thankfully, we had friends who were only an hour and a half behind us who had planned to meet us at the beach. So we made the best of it and the kids played in the sand on the side of the road while we waited.
Apparently our being stranded on the side of the road was THE sight to see for all passing by. I kid you not, people count our kids every time they see us out as a family. Although Mozambican families always have a passle of children, they are not usually accustomed to seeing "white" people--let alone "white" people with four children.
We did finally make it to the beach, after our friends came along and picked up our trailer.
It was just as much fun as the older ones remembered. Alex got to experience the ocean for the first time as I got to re-live the panicky feeling of my babies being completely unafraid of the water.
We found hermit crabs and starfish and all manner of other sea creatures.
When not at the beach, we relaxed at a cabin while the kids explored.
Wesley and Alex found the hammocks and claimed them for our stay. (Don't let this picture fool you--most of the time they were screeching at eachother for their turn).
We spent the evenings around a fire with our friends and co-workers.
There is nothing quite like huddling around a fire on a cool evening after a day in the sand and water.
We brought back little red noses, towels loaded wtih sand, and a few hermit crabs destined for an untimely end at the hands of over-zealous keepers.
Love the ocean.
No comments:
Post a Comment