Dominican

There's a comedian who always cracks Matt up who jokes about how much people DON'T want to see other people's vacation pictures :)  

If you're one of those people, you can skip this post!!  You'd probably have to be a missionary (or Craig) to really appreciate all of the food photos, but the Dominican is a beautiful country...and if you love travel, let me show you a new place!

Know who cooked this?  

Me either.  VACATION.

"Helados" is one of those 3 words I remember from high school and college Spanish.  And we ate a lot of it :)

The Rui Resort is SO beautiful.  It was truly hard to believe that we were a few hours from home.

The girls also loved non-stop fruit smoothies, and constant swimming, though it was a little chilly for the Ayars to be swimming.  My family from PA and OH?  They thought it was perfect!

The girls found this rather sad plastic playground and played on it for the whole two days we were there!

Just like Haiti, all of the DR is accented with beautiful mountains, but noticeably more trees.

They were also thrilled to find swings!

It doesn't matter how old Lily gets...she still cannot keep any shorts or pants up :)  No butt, my dear.

I had to pinch myself when this guy started making us stir fry by the pool.

Grandpa taught Lily to dive...

...but Sofie thought an Uncle Adam lawn chair was more her style.

Each night, we walked up to the lookout....just GORGEOUS.

Matt's been working on his "duck lips" for fantastic selfies.  I'm not as good... 

same place, Christmas 2011

So thankful for my little sister. 

I don't know how to explain the president of Emmaus Biblical Seminary, but...he makes us all laugh.  If you're not laughing yet, you haven't found him yet :)

This too-cute couple was in their 80's, all dressed up and in love...I couldn't help but take their picture :)

With very little celebrating of Christmas in Haiti, having this tree at our hotel made it feel a bit more like Christmas!

Grapes and apples and roasted pigs were selling like crazy for Christmas, all things we can't get in Haiti!  We brought home  a lot of the first two!

Our second day there was Uncle Adam's birthday.

same place, same cake, Adam's birthday in 2011!

Not quite a resort, but it's always good to be home (though I wasn't quite ready to get back to cooking, I must admit!)

Thankful to have such a fantastic family to celebrate Christmas with and to make memories with!

I can't believe tomorrow is already their last day...don't want to talk about it!