Mountain Meanderings

My sister and her family moved to the Philippines in July, and spending time with them has been an incredible blessing to our family. Over fall break, we traveled with them up into the mountains to stay a couple days at our House in the Clouds. While one of our primary goals was just to have some fun family time (my sister was excited for her family to see where she spent her early childhood), we were also setting up the details for a team planning a trip there in December. Because of this, we hiked to the various villages to touch base with all the leaders and set up plans.

 On one hike, we stopped on the way for a picnic...and a quick swim the breathtakingly-beautiful mountain river.

 The cousins have had a blast getting to know one another better, and we love how they all do so well with the age gaps. One of Zach's friends is a boarding student at our school, and he wasn't able to go home to Nepal over the break, so he joined our family for the trip too.

 So many adorable kids in the  mountain villages!

 Our kids have been hiking since they were tiny, and it was fun for them to get to help their cousins on the new trails.

 No trip to the tribe is complete without jumping off the rocks into the river...

 ...or enjoying a hot dog roast together.

 The kids also spent many hours playing in the stream near our house.

 It's the perfect playground for kids of all ages!
(So maybe not all the typical safety features of a playground...but all the more fun!)

 So incredibly thankful for this chance to share this precious time with family!

Also so thankful for so many spectacular views that remind us of our Creator. Pictures never do it justice...which means you'll just have to come visit and see for yourself! :)