We just returned from a little family vacation -- we'd been planning it since the end of April. Two of our dear friends and fellow Children's Cup missionaries, Mitch and Char Hildebrant (soon to be bound for Swaziland 8/30!) have been involved in coordinating "Hills Alive," a huge music festival in Rapid City, South Dakota for the last eight years. This was their last go at it and final official duty -- Mitch being 'the man' of the event as president of Bethesda Christian Broadcasting, and Char being an incredible wing-woman with Mission of Mercy. Needless to say, they are an awesome team, and we're so excited at the thought of doing life with them in Africa.
We're always up for a roadtrip and have been blessed with three awesome travelers (which is great, because we have a HUGE one coming up as early as this fall!) So, last Friday morning we packed up the kiddies, took Bambino to his own little hotel for the weekend, and hit the road after Steph finished nine holes with his lifegroup. In all, we spent three nights in Rapid City, a night in Mitchell, South Dakota (and no, we didn't visit the Corn Palace -- we opted to skip the experience!), and arrived back home on Tuesday afternoon.
Here are glimpses from the getaway:
The cute captain of our ship...
Sleepy faces on Saturday morning...
Iliea and her painted face... before and after...
The 25th anniversary of Hills Alive was amazing -- lots of incredible bands... this is
Tenth Avenue North...
And, of course, NEEDTOBREATHE... even the kiddies know all of their songs!. We
have previously seen them in concert last October and March. So, when we heard they'd be in Rapid City, we were a little thrilled. :) Those dear Hildebrants gave us the 'hook-up' with priority autograph bands
and even a backstage pass for Mommy. I think we become bigger fans each time we see them -- we left them with a prayer card, a magnet (hopefully now on their tour bus fridge!), and their own personal invitation to come play Swaziland...
Ave was pretty hooked up all around... pictures and autographs with one of his very favorites,
Thousand Foot Krutch...
Along the way we stopped in at Mount Rushmore and Wall Drug...
And, one last evening at a waterpark. After a little coaxing and a test run, we couldn't get Ave OFF the slide... he loved it, which is great. Mommy is never a fan of anything thrill-seeking, so I'm glad when Steph has a partner in crime so I'm not always forced into being it...
We're so thankful for the amazing memories made and the foundations of beautiful friendships that God is weaving together for when we are able to share our lives together in Swaziland. We have been sooo incredibly blessed by you, Hildebrants, and it goes without saying that the kiddies have two new favorite people to add to their ever-growing lists. Siyabonga gukulu! Siyakutsandza! :)
