Bryans Family

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Gran comes to Quito!

At the airport the best words to hear are - I see her, I see her, here she comes!!  Luke, Jordan and Molly went running to the middle with their sweet pictures and flowers for Gran.  We had been counting down the days until her visit and it was finally here.  This is my mom's 3rd visit to Ecuador and when she comes, she brings lots of fun goodies.

The biggest marshmallows ever - how fun!!

The crazy busy agenda had been set for weeks waiting for Gran's arrival.  My poor mom needed a vacation after she was with us for 11 days.  Before the craziness began, Molly and I took Gran to a fun girls outing for lunch and manicures. 

That evening we went to the Jensen's house for a delicious dinner and to celebrate Nick's 11th birthday.

The kids were so excited to have Gran here for all of their end of school year activities.  First up, Luke's field day.

Next day, Jordan's field day.

And the next day, Molly's field day.

In between all the field days, we were thrilled to introduce my mom to our new ministry with Inca Link.  We took her out to Casa Blanca and Casa Elizabeth and one evening the Brown family and the Casa Elizabeth girls came over for dinner and bible study.  My mom loved getting to hold Benjamin.
 Molly, Maritza and Isaias
On the next to the last day of school we celebrated by driving to Cumbaya for lunch at a wonderful restaurant and then on to Tumbaco to let the kids play at Mini City. 


Jordan working at Supermaxi for some Minis (money from Mini City so he can play games there).
Making a music video dancing to Thriller!
Molly is all business when delivering the mail at Mini City.

Last day of school picture.  Jordan and Molly wearing their new clothes from Gran and Luke thought it would be fun to wear the same outfit as the first day of school.

Molly singing at her Pre-K graduation
Molly's Pre-K graduation party at her school

I love this picture of my mom hanging on our car at Parque Metropolitano as we drove around looking for tadpoles.  She is such a trooper and lots of fun!

Plane ticket to Quito, Ecuador - $950.00
Watching your only granddaughter in her first dance recital - priceless


After the busy week of end of school activities and The Big Night (dance recital), we loaded up the car and headed out of Quito to the Amazon Rain Forest.  We enjoyed an overnight stay at Arasha Rain Forest Resort.  We made chocolate, rings from nuts, played putt-putt, sat at the pool, and went on a night hike with torches. 
My mom made a new friend at the Toucan Hospital.

For Gran's last night with us, I made my first shrimp ceviche.  It was not near as good as the ceviche I had at the beach but it was okay.  We made Smores with those huge marshmallows and played a board game that Jordan had made.  A fun night together.  The next morning, not so much fun as Gran had to leave to go back to Paris, Texas.  Goodbyes are extremely hard.  I was missing her before she even left.  Casey took her to the airport (I don't do airport drop offs), the kids and I cried and then had Pop-Tarts to try to make us feel better.  Pop-Tarts are good but not THAT good.
Here is Jordan's fun soccer board game he created

Making Smores in our fireplace...

with the giant marshmallows!

Mom, thanks for taking almost all of your vacation time to be with us in Ecuador.  Thanks for loving and supporting us.  We are already planning things we can do on your 4th visit!  We love you and are so thankful for you. 

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Happy 3rd or 28th Birthday Louie!

Louie is one special and very loved doll.  He was a Christmas present for me when I was a little girl, and he was my favorite doll and I took him everywhere.  It is so fun to see my little girl now play and love on Louie.  She wanted to celebrate his 3rd birthday (even though it is really like his 28th birthday). 

My mom bought Louie the year Cabbage Patch Dolls were the hot Christmas item.  The funny thing is she bought him a couple of months before Christmas because she thought he was a cute doll.  Little did she know moms would be fighting in stores over Cabbage Patch Dolls.  Way to go, Mom!  This doll has also survived growing up with my big brother, Kyle.  He used to love to kidnap Louie and leave me ransom notes.  I can only imagine the stories Louie could tell.  With Molly, Louie now likes to pretend to be a girl and loves to wear pink.  For his birthday party, they chose to wear yellow together.  Happy Birthday Louie!  You are one loved doll! 

Lovin' on Liam

For a couple of months toward the end of the school year I had the privilege to get to keep Liam for a few hours each week while his mom went back to school part time.  I completely fell in love with this precious little boy and then had to say goodbye in June as he and his parents moved back to Canada.  Their family is greatly missed here in Quito!

Molly loved playing with Liam and helping take care of him.  He thought she was pretty great, too.

Loved kissing those chubby cheeks! 

Goodbyes are never easy.  I miss my little buddy and his sweet mom, Amanda, but thankful for the fun times we got to play at my house together. 

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

My Ballerina

Molly has enjoyed taking her ballet and hip-hop classes.  Friday's ballet class was a little more difficult because we have Pico y Placa on Fridays.  Pico y Placa is when you cannot drive your car in Quito on a certain day of the week according to the last digit of your license plate.  Trying to find a taxi on Friday afternoons is difficult enough but it seemed to often start raining on Fridays which makes finding a taxi almost impossible.  I remember one day Jordan, Molly and I walking home from her ballet class trying to find a taxi.  A car came by and completely splashed us and soaked Jordan.  Thankfully he thought it was funny.  Molly's reaction to the big splash was: It's okay Mommy, my tutu did not get wet.  Good to know Molly has her priorities straight.  My kids make walking in the pouring rain trying to flag down a taxi a little bit more fun.

I love this precious girl beyond words.  I always dreamed of having a little girl and sometimes when I see her leotard hanging on the clothesline, it just makes me tear up with gratefulness of the privilege to be her mom.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Inca Link's Amazing Race

Family is all hoodied up and ready to begin Inca Link's Amazing Race 2011!  The race started in Ecuador and finished in Peru.  Inca Link has 15 interns who will be serving this summer in Peru and Ecuador.  The race is designed to orient the interns with every ministry site in both countries and end with 3 days of training to help lead short term mission trips. 
What an incredible group of interns!!  There were 13 short term mission trip groups in Ecuador and 12 in Peru so these interns were definitely busy this summer.  Back to the Amazing Race...the interns were divided up into different teams each day and had various tasks to complete at each site before they could get their next clue.  There were 11 modes of transportation from foot to mototaxis to buses to boats.  And challenges from making their own taffy and selling it on a bus, eating worms, jumping off a bridge, guiding guinea pigs, surfing, carrying water to homes that do not have fresh water, and many more.
Here is Bri making taffy.  They had to package it and then sell it on the bus they took to their next destination.
A few of the different modes of transportation



Some of the judges taking a break for a quick lunch on top of the car

Luke learning to use a machete.  On this challenge, each group had a plot of land they had to clear.  They had 3 tools: machete, shovel and wheelbarrow.  The exciting part of this challenge is knowing you are a part of building a church in El Carmen, Ecuador.
Ben worked so hard and had the blisters to prove it.
This was definitely unfortunate for Robin's team.  A broken shovel is hard to use!

Another challenge: properly boxing up plantains to be exported to New York.

Here is Aaron, an Inca Link missionary from Peru servng in Ecuador and one of the judges of the Amazing Race.  The interns were always looking for the big bright Inca Link umbrellas to get their next clue. 
Reading the clue for the next challenge

When we got to to the city dump in Portoviejo, the race seemed to have stopped.  I am so thankful for our interns who did not rush through their day here but took time to talk with the people, share their testimonies, and play with the kids.  These families live at the dump and do not have running water in their homes.  The interns filled up these containers and carried the clean water to their homes.


Molly, the keeper of the clues for the next challenge
Molly loves animals.  It did not surprise me that she found a new buddy at the dump.  Molly's favorite challenge for the interns was the guinea pig maze.


Mandi and Annie making bricks in Peru
 
Matt pouring out the final 4 of the 20 bricks each group had to make.

Jessica sharing a little Inca Link Peru cheer at a red light

Finish Line on the last day of Inca Link's Amazing Race

Luke and Jordan's favorite challenge, surfing in Peru.
Jordan ready to catch a wave
Surfers Luke and Luke

This lady started talking to Jordan at the beach and they had a nice conversation in Spanish for almost 30 minutes.  I am so proud of the progress Jordan has made on his Spanish.  When we first moved to Ecuador, he did not have the desire to learn Spanish and over his time living here he has learned so much and is not intimidated to use his Spanish now. 
What an incredible experience to be a part of Inca Link's Amazing Race!  The top 3 individuals with the fastest time over the 10 days won one hundred dollars each.  This race is definitely designed for college students and not a family of 5.  Luke, Jordan and Molly loved being a part of this experience but we kept a fast and furious pace and travelled almost 2,500 miles by car and bus.  For me, it was great to get to know the interns and to meet all of our ministry partners and fellow Inca Link missionaries throughout Ecuador and Peru.  Casey has had the opportunity to visit all of these ministry sites and wonderful people before the Amazing Race.  I had only seen pictures or heard about what all God is doing, and through this trip I got to experience it and see it first hand.  We are so thankful to be a part of Inca Link!