Summer Vacay in the U.S. of A!

We have been away from our computers for so long now that we are starting to forget passwords, which must mean that its time for an update! During the school year we are on our computers daily, so things like blogposts, emails, and "facebooking" are much more a part of our routine. This summer has been a refreshing break from all of that technology business, but it has left you (dear friends, family, readers, and creepers) in the dark!

This summer we tried to make an effort to take pictures with everyone we saw, and we did a pretty good job! We are going to do a photo update, and hopefully you make the "Blogpost of Fame!" If not, and you read this, you can draw us a picture of your family and email it to us. I promise we will post it! :)

Robbie and I started our American Summer with a road trip to Colorado. Robbie's new position at Doulos this coming school year as Expedition Coordinator will require him to lead groups of students and adults into remote areas of the Dominican Republic. He attended a 10 day, 80 hour training through NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) in Colorado Springs, and is now a certified Wilderness First Responder!

Our wonderful friends and hosts in Colorado!

Ted and Amy, pup Lucy, (and Baby A. on the way)!

Thanks guys!

I got to spend some time with my college girlfriends in Colorado. Time with these ladies is precious, and good for my soul!

While Robbie was learning all about rescuing people in the wilderness, I went to Virginia for an ESL (English as a Second Language) Academy with 2 other Doulos Staff members. Sara (in the pic) teaches ESL to grades 3-5 and is from Virginia. We are on an ESL committee at Doulos and will be sharing about different ways we can instruct English Language Learners better!

My awesome new T-shirt. All I'm missing is Robbie!

Hiking in Colorado!

Back in Minnesota we got reunited with our high school friends! 

We went camping with Robbie's family! 

We made calzones with our pie irons!

Cooking breakfast!

Thing 1 and Thing 2.

We shot guns on a hot day!

S.W.E.A.T.Y.

We visited with our grandparents!

We celebrated Robbie's 27th Birthday. Twice!

Ellis men.

Monkey.

We watched and cheered for Sean during a golf match (silent cheers of course)!

My favorite professional golfer!

Lightening the mood.

WoW! (Sean's in the background with his caddy).

We went camping with dear friends during the hottest weekend of the summer. 
Welcome to the D.R. folks, we get this weather daily!

We played some games and ate some lunch with Joel and Crista before they moved to Colorado. 
Who would leave friends like us?!

Robbie went for a motorcycle ride with his Dad!

We grilled out at a Drive-In with Steve and Amy!

Couples.

Buds.

We went to our first Twins game at the new stadium!

Free hat give-away day! Yes!

Golden glove picture. Worth the wait in line!

We had a delicious Italian dinner downtown Stillwater with both of our families!

We have been blessed greatly to spend so much time with our family and friends. As I post this I realize how many people we got to spend quality time with that we forgot to take pictures with.

Some non-photographed highlights:
*Wonderful homemade dinner with Mark, Melissa, Jackson, Benaiah and Kathy G.*
*Robbie played softball with the "Business Time" team!*
*We made homemade pizza with Sean*
*We got schooled in Skip-Bo by Grandma Barrett*
*We played Settlers of Catan with Ben and Laura R.*
*Robbie shot sporting clays with "the men"*
*We watched fireworks at Mahtomedi Beach*
*I had brunch with my Godmother, Sharon*
*Had a family dinner and good cup of coffee with the O's*
*I got to see Amanda, Mary, and Christine--some of my awesome YoungLifer's!*
*Coffee Cottage "catch-up" with Jeanne!*
*Family Birthday Party for Judy and Grandpa Ellis in Farmington*
*Visited Alex and her miniature horse in Kansas*

We have been poured into during our time back in the states and feel rejuvenated and loved. Thank you so much for hosting us, caring for us, praying for us, and asking about our ministry in the Dominican Republic. God continues to amaze us as he teaches us about how big He is and how He is active all around us. What an amazing God we serve!

Pirate Party

Sunday was Whitney's Birthday. We celebrated Pirate Style.

me. abby. baby asher. jess. whit (birthday girl!)

one of the "lost boys" chowing on a kabob!

the Scars chowing their kabobs!

more "lost boys!"

our pirate costumes. people told Robbie he looked like a Dalmatian. someone even said a cow. no one told me that. maybe they didn't want to hurt my feelings. good thing.... 

pirate glares.

sword fighting. with machetes.

more pirates. where's waldo?

me. erin. baby ezri.

more pirate fighting. find waldo?

macallister fam. 3 lost boys from peter pan. love it.

paces. love them.

A Lesson in Cooking

So for a few weeks now we have been talking with our high School friend Glenys about teaching us to cook "Dominican Style," and finally last Thursday we made it happen. She rounded up the troops (who happen to be Columbians), and made a valiant effort to teach us how to cook. While the food turned out to be absolutely delicious, I am not sure that we are at an independent sufficiency level yet...we'll get there one day. I hope.

Ladies in the kitchen! Me, Paola, Glenys, and Erika

She told me to poke the chicken so the marinade soaks in better.

Adding chicken to the hot pan!

Before.

After.

Ingredients. 

Arroz. Habichuelas. Pollo. Staples.

Dinner served. Thanks ladies!

Outreach Event

My bible study is reading Gospel in Life by Timothy Keller. Its been a super challenging and transforming study to go through especially with the wonderful women in my bible study. As part of the study, and because we appreciate all that they do for us, we held a special "Movie Night" outreach event for the "shoe-shine boys" of Jarabacoa. These precious boys have created a small business for themselves as a way to earn money for their families. Many of them go to public school in the mornings and then in the afternoon shine shoes, or cuidar de bicycles, cars, or motos. Robbie and my friendship with many of these boys started after we got a car, and they started asking us if they could "guard" it for us while we ran into the supermarket.

We held our outreach a few Saturdays ago, and I'm just now getting around to blogging and posting some pictures about it. Since the event we have had so many more boys running up to us to give us hugs and ask us if we will do it again soon. We had so much fun hanging out with these kiddos and hosting an event just for them! Enjoy!

Loading some of the boys into our car. In the front is Alexander, whom Robbie and I have known the longest. In the upper right corner is Kiko, and many of the others I met for the first time! We had around 25 boys come!

Before dinner and the movie, everyone tried the zip line. It was definitely a favorite!

As a Kindergarten teacher, I was so proud of their nice line!

Robbie teaching some baseball skills.

Between the zip line, tire swing, baseball game, footballs, soccer balls, and running around, we were able to feed the whole group hotdogs, chips, and pop.

And of course popcorn and suckers before the movie!

MOVIE TIME! 

Weekend Adventures!

Friday night was a fiesta for Rachel's Birthday! 

Love Daniel's hat! 

There was a lot of dancing! Merengue, Bachata, and the good 'ol Texas 2-step!

Me, Rachel Q., and Lorraine!

Rachel breaking open the piñata!

All the girls did a special little dance for Rachel, complete with creepy mustaches!

Weekend Adventures!

Friday was a Staff Development Day! Our entire staff (about 60) headed to one of our students homes for a day of worship and fellowship! Robbie and I offered our car for transportation...we packed in 9! On the far left of this picture is Minerva, our host mom!

The view!

Awesome Staff! (L to R) Amanda-4th grade, Abby--HS Math and Science, Me, Leah--3rd grade, Maggie--Workteam Host

Hiking down to the river (in the backyard!) (Top to Bottom) Leah, Tyler (a friend visiting), Kerrie--Art Teacher, Robin--MS Math 

God's Beautiful Creation

Large group gathering before worship!