Spontaneous Indoor Day of Fun

The days between Christmas and Epiphany are...relaxed in Latin America. 

I got home from South Carolina on the afternoon of Tuesday, January 2. While simultaneously having a panic attack about the fact that I'm hosting FOUR teams before home service which is now THIS year...and oh yeah, welcoming 24 out-of-town guests for a conference starting in a WEEK, I embraced the final few laid-back days of a de facto break. 

Spoiler alert: they did not go as planned. 

Four of us were supposed to hike Montaña Plana Wednesday after Tirzah & I had a quick conference powwow; Kelsey was already on an early bus from the capital to come with. Enter a drizzly morning and Katie waking up with a cough, and we needed a new, indoor itinerary (Kelsey was already en route and Katie had to work the next day, so simply postponing was out). Our collective brainpower concocted the following Spontaneous Indoor Day of Fun:

1. Checking out Santiago's newly remodeled IKEA location. I've since been back to order a floor lamp and some recycle bins (more on trying to live green in the land of plastic and Styrofoam soon). 

2. Pedicures that brought new meaning to "no pain, no gain."

3. A fashionably early dinner at Calcalí. 

4. Rummikub (Kelsey & I, while Tirzah put her recently fumigated apartment back together). 

5. A Hallmark Christmas movie + stovetop popcorn. 

Tirzah had also been talking about a beach day Thursday. I hesitated because work and probably would have bailed, but Kelsey's plans to stay overnight made my decision for me. In keeping with vacay mode, I ran with it and checked off one of my #Dominicangoals: drink a piña colada out of a pineapple!

Even after five years here, I was still taken aback on actual Epiphany - a Saturday - to see stores and business closed. Whether truly in honor of the Magi's visit to the infant Jesus - and its implication that He came for all people - or not, it's a holy day that bleeds into the secular in this part of the world. After striking out at the regional office, TWO closed copy shops, and my own home office, Tirzah helped me print game handouts for a baby shower the following day. A lovely group of ladies enjoyed honoring Jamielynn (center, 2nd from left) and 3 1/2 mo. old Elena after church at Pueblo Nuevo...but agreed that, based on our biblical parent/baby matching skills, we need to study the OT!

       

Until next time, blessings in Christ!