Into the Volcano

After we got back from the beach, we decided to take a trek into the nearby volcano. We have been wanting to do it since we arrived in country, and our friends were game for the adventure. We drove about 1/2 an hour first to the nearby lake, Taal Lake. Then we hired 3 VERY small bangkas (those same outrigger boats - except these only seat a few people). The trip TO the volcano was rough enough - the trip back was absolutely unbelieavable. The waves were massive, and the boats were tiny - a bad combination! Nothing like a near-death experience to bond people together, and we feel very bonded to Jonathan and Kelley now! We were drenched but happy to be alive when we finally made it back from our trek. But that is telling you the end of the story first (which may be just as well for those grandmas and grandmas-at-heart out there)...Once we landed on the volcano (Taal Volcano for all you volcano buffs out there), this was the sight we saw. That is the rim of the volcano popping up behind the trees. We had to hike up to the top, then down into the volcano - oh yeah, then back again. Quite the trip with 4 little ones. :)
And we're off! Our friend, Walter, came along to help us carry Zach (he couldn't very well hike with a broken leg). We also hired a guide to show us the trail up there. What we didn't know is he had not been up there himself for more than a year, and we were coming up the opposite side from where tourists normally come - so the path was very questionable.
Steve carried the pack, and he and I switched back and forth carrying Ben. As you can see, the pack and Ben was quite the load. Mikayla did a great job hiking the whole day without help.The closer we got to the rim of the volcano, the denser the cogan grass and thorn bushes became. The path had become overgrown, and we ended up just clearing a path as we went. It was hard, painful work, and we all ended up with dozens of thorn scratches and grass cuts before it was all said and done. They held a blanket over baby Kiran to protect her from the underbrush. Mercifully, she slept through the whole ordeal. We definitely got more of an adventure than we had bargained for. We all felt like this at some point or another as we were skewered by a thorn or sliced by a sharp piece of grass. Poor guy. After we arrived back at our car after a very long day, Steve took the bags of Zach's cast - and then pulled a large thorn out of his toe. His response? "So THAT'S why it was hurting so bad!"

When the thorns weren't too thick, we tried to let Ben walk a while on his own, but the grass swallowed him alive.

Once we battled our way to the top of the ridge, we were rewarded with this amazing view into the volcano itself. It is called Crater Lake, and it is located inside the volcano.
The view down into the volcano was amazing, but as we stood on the ridge, so was the view back the other way, over the path we had just come and across the lake. You can see the view behind our friends in the pic below. They were such good sports about the whole clearing-a-path-through-the-thorns thing. Once we worked our way along the ridge for nearly an hour (the path the guide was going to take down into the volcano was too overgrown so we had to hike along the rim to get to a different one), we came to a little clearing. Kelley and I decided to stay there with the little ones (Kiran and Ben) and get lunch going while the rest hiked down into the crater. Here they are wading in the very hot, sulfuric water in the crater. In some places, it was too hot to stand in; but in some you could wade. On the other side of the lake, you can even swim in it!
What an amazing experience for our kids! Talk about an educational field trip!
I had gotten a fire going so once the crew hiked back up to the ridge, we enjoyed a great lunch of hotdogs and chips. The view from our picnic spot was spectacular.
We had such a wonderful time with our friends while they were here; it was such an encouragement to us in the midst of some tough times. The beach was amazing, and the Taal Trek an adventure we will never forget.

At the Beach!

Hello again! Sorry to it's been so long...

Our New Years went great - hope yours did as well. On the 5th of January, some close friends of ours who live in South Asia arrived for a visit. We had an absolute blast with them and their new baby daughter. The day they arrived, we drove down to the pier about 1 1/2 south of us and took a small ferry (a bangka outrigger boat) over to the island of Mindoro. The waves were pretty big, and the trip was an adventure, but we arrived safely to a gorgeous beach getaway. We had a wonderful time there - exactly what we needed.

Our enjoyment of the time was tempered though when we found out that Gizmo, our beloved golden lab, was sick again with a liver disease he he gotten several times because our neighbor keeps throwing sick cats over the wall into our yard (yes, we have talked to him, and, no, it hasn't helped). Our coworker went and bought the expensive meds for Gizmo again and started treating him. However, our helper had failed to tell us right away when Gizmo started getting sick so the disease was further advanced, and the meds didn't help this time. Gizmo died before we got home from the beach. He was a wonderful guard dog and a real friend to all of us. We miss him.

That being said, we did have a great time at the beach, and here are some pics.

Here is the bangka we crossed the channel in. Exciting!

This is the sight that greeted us as we pulled up to our resort. Isn't it amazing?

Zach's casted leg made a trip to the beach a little more interesting to say the least. This is how he spent most of the time - with a plastic bag over his cast, then a sock over that, then pajama pants over that to try to keep the sand out. Then he sat and played in the sand for hours on end. He has been such a little trouper about this whole thing - such a great attitude. He didn't even complain as his siblings jumped the waves while he just sat and watched. What a kid!

We brought a kite with, and the kids had a blast with it. I love Ben's smile in the pic above. While we were there, Zach hit the 4-week mark with his cast and was allowed to start walking on it again. He celebrated by flying the kite.

Before, Ben has been a little nervous of the waves. This time he was fearless and kept running in and out of them, having a ball. Go, Ben!Climbing is life for Zach, and he has been denied for a month now. As soon as he was allowed to walk on his cast, he was climbing again - all over the rocks and even up in trees. He looked pretty funny climbing while hauling his leg behind him, but he had a blast.
Our kids also had fun having a baby around again. This is Zach with our friends' precious little girl, Kiran. Between the 3 kids, I think the question, "Can I hold her now?" was a continuous one throughout the weekend.We bought this raft so that Zach could ride the waves at the beach. We bundled him up in garbage bags and tape a couple times so he could take a ride, but he ended up being nearly as happy just playing in the sand or climbing on the rocks. The other kids enjoyed the raft as well though - this is Ben taking a turn.
Mikayla wanted to pose for some beach pictures - her idea (but I was not complaining!) This one is my favorite. Our little girl is growing up so fast!
Ok, so if you are not already convinced that you simply must come visit us in the Philippines, these next few pics will change your mind. How can you say no? Wonderful people AND breath-taking scenery... go book your tickets! :)

What an amazing weekend! Check back in a few days for pics of our hike INTO a volcano.

In the meantime, please be praying for our families in central Missouri as they are currently being slammed by a severe ice storm. My (Jen's) mom and grandma are home alone as my dad is at a speaking engagement out of state. Please pray for their safety and warmth as they are supposed to lose power in 0 degree temps. Also, my parents are supposed to leave out of St. Louis next week to come here for a visit. Please pray with us that this does not affect their trip!