into the countryside

The kids and I joined a bunch of our foreign friends and headed out to the countryside today (Matt was on campus).  We drove into town to meet up with the crowd and all caravan out together.  The drive was less than 90 minutes, and we LOVE getting outside the city :)

I knew the final stretch would be narrow and curvy and very mountain-y .... and it was.  So grateful for my friend Sonya in the passenger seat who helped manage the 5-kids-under-the-age-of-five in the back seats just as the drive got long and the road got a little hairy!

We got to the very top of the road, the very end of the road, right where it dead ends at our friends' home and I had this ugh-feeling when I realized there was no way to back out of there, and a u-turn would be a little tight.  So we unloaded all the kids and I handed the keys to our local friend (a professional driver/office assistant) who turned the van around for me :)  

The day was just gorgeous and we had so much fun!

We visited the home of a local friend built in a really traditional style (for farming communities) - a two story structure built around a central courtyard.  Various rooms open onto the courtyard... a wood-fired stove kitchen and bedrooms and even (currently uninhabited) pig sties.  This is the view from the rooftop looking down into the courtyard area.

So bummed that I forgot my camera and had to settle for a few pics with my phone, but the quality is really bad.  I did just realize that I can set my phone to take better quality pictures, oh well... maybe next time :(

A big group of folks went hiking - younger kids needed to each be paired up with an adult for the hike, so our sweet friend Amy (who my kids really enjoy) went with Julianna while I stayed back with the littler two. 

Julianna and Lydia are still learning their way around this group of friends.  Lydia (sporting the purple boots again today) is becoming buddies with Sydney (the little blondy in the back of the photo) and Julianna really enjoys the two girls on her left - Madison (8) and Hailey (6). 

Isaac had a blast.  By the end of the day he was one dirty, happy little boy complete with scratches on his face and a pair of pants that will never be the same :)

He loved watching these "big boys" throw the football and they were so kind to him - every few minutes they would stop and toss the ball to Isaac and wait for him to toss it back. 

In this picture Isaac is looking down the road that leads away from the house, back down the mountain and eventually towards the big city.  The hikers climbed up to the left of this road and got to the top of the mountain (at least that's how Julianna tells the story).  The drop off on the right side of the road is pretty steep but it's amazing how much they are growing up there - right on the side of a mountain.

So, it was a REALLY fun day that left us all REALLY exhausted.  On the drive home Lydia said "I really liked it up there but I'm not even crying."  In other words, "I'm holding it together better than my big sis, who lost it when it was time to get in the car and head home."  He he he.... sweet Julianna, when she gets tired she has zero emotional control :)  We pulled in a little before six and I was SO grateful to see Matt waiting for us!  He's promised to go next time... Isaac is begging him to "come and take me up that mountain".  You know Matt can't resist a request like that!