Friday

We did a little more packing on Friday - hard to believe there was still something to pack, but there was! I also did my last loads of laundry, so that everything would be all set to pack in our luggage for the trip to Mexico. It was our last day in our house. (We'll be staying at a guest house here in Shell Saturday and Sunday). I have to say that it isn't really all that hard to say good-bye to this house. It has been a good house, but now that it is all empty of our stuff and all the things that made it "home," it is just like any other house. We are basically living out of suitcases, (actually, trunks, in our case) and have nothing left but mattresses on the floor and a couch...I think we're ready to move out - even to a room at a guest house, which will feel like luxury after the camping out we've been doing the past few weeks! I know it will take a while to feel really at home in our new (new to us) house in Mexico, but I much prefer homemaking to hometakingdown (I'll write a post later to tell you about our future home in Mexico!)

We ate Chinese food for lunch (can you tell that we don't have any food in the house?) and then went on a little stroll through Shell. Hard to believe we won't be here in this crazy jungle town much longer. Sad too. Anyway, Brooklyn did a little playing at the playground at the park while Sean and I sat and just enjoyed the rare sunshine peeking through the clouds!

Sean got some great shots of Brooklyn and Madison...

When people ask us what we'll miss most about Ecuador, the first thing we think of is our friends and co-workers here in Shell. If it weren't for them, I doubt we would have taken so long to decide this move was God's will for our lives! There are many things about Ecuador that we do love and will miss, but friends like what we've had here in Ecuador are irreplaceable. We know God is in this move, and that we'll make new friends in Mexico - even great ones - but that doesn't make it any easier to say good-bye to our good friends in Shell. We went out for one last dinner out with our best friends, the Dunbars and the Irwins. We left all our kids with babysitters and pizza and went out to eat at El Jardin in Puyo. It was a great time! We laughed a ton together and none of us (girls) even cried! I can't stand the thought of not having our Taco Tuesdays or Friday Night Fun with our buddies...so I just don't think it.

At El Jardin yummmm.....

On El Gusanito (The Little Worm), a ride that has been making the rounds around Shell lately. It is a train of carts pulled by a little car - made to look like a worm of course - and driven all over town doing all sorts of swerves, turns, figure 8's and circles. It is more of a ride than you might imagine. You've never really lived until you've taken your life into your own hands and had a ride on El Gusanito. You may have wondered what missionaries do for fun...now you know.