It was no small undertaking to carry out a trip to Guatemala with our not so little family of six. I think the planning and preparing probably took me months in advance…mostly for the airplane ride (and boy, was I freaked out about taking all of my young children on an airplane!). But I'm so SO glad we did it!
Jeff's parents have been living out of the country for the past 15 years and they happened to be in Guatemala for the last three of those years. With it almost being time for them to return home for good, we figured this was our last chance to take advantage of a free hotel and awesome tour guides. 🙂
And what an adventure it was. In planning it, Jeff and I had hopes that we could give our children an opportunity to feel gratitude and to serve. Sure we would have a fun vacation, but we also wanted this to be an experience that would open their eyes and help them to see life beyond our little world. I can't say that the little boys will always remember this. But I hope that maybe through pictures, they will remember the feelings we shared together as a family.
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Our first stop was Granny and Grandpa's home in Guatemala City. It was such a treat watching their eyes light up to see us and listening to their stories of serving the people in this country they love. The day after we arrived they whisked us off to an amazing waterpark. The waterslides were surely larger and scarier than any we've ever seen! Best part was that there were hardly any lifeguards on duty, only signs saying "Parents watch your children." The next day we headed to the most breathtakingly beautiful place in Lake Atitlan. We stayed in a home tucked away in a green hillside with views of the lake and volcanoes in the distance. The home was spectacular. We all wandered around exploring it with childlike excitement, finding beauty around each corner.
