We're here!

We made it safely to Guatemala, although a bit later than planned...but we're here! Over all, it was about as uneventful a day as one might expect with 6 kids and two flights, a delayed second flight and late arrival in Guatemala City, our reservation being for only one room instead of two despite nearly daily emails with the reservation desk over the last weeks, and very overtired kids who are extremely excited and very overtired (did I say that twice? it's probably because it's very very true, and also because their mother is very tired, too).

All our luggage arrived with no problems, and we made it through customs faster than we ever have before- even with all our stuff! Wow, the airport here has changed so much! No longer do you disembark the plane and make your way up what feels like it's the back basement dark staircase of some old building.... it's now all windows and beautiful! What a change!

Arriving at the Barcelo, we were greeted with a wonderful treat: Velveth, the woman checking us in. Eight years ago we stayed here (back when it was the Marriott) for 3 weeks when we were bringing Kyler home. Each evening when we'd go to the business center to check email and send our messages home, a young woman was working there who immediately held out her arms to take our little "Jose" while we worked at the computer. Pretty soon, she was just scooping him up and taking him off with her to meet new people while we typed. If I ever came down without our baby, I was scolded! :-) Of course, this young woman was Velveth, and she is still working here, now with two daughters of her own and another one on the way! She was so sweet to us, and immediately worked out the situation with our rooms and even got us two connecting rooms- a real treasure for Aaron and I to be able to connect and talk after the kids have gone to bed instead of being in our two separate rooms at 8 pm! :-)
We unpacked like crazy, then enjoyed a quick delicious buffet dinner outside on the patio of La Vista... SO yummy to be back in Guatemala! We really miss the fresh orange, papaya, pineapple, orange and watermelon juices with our meals at home... somehow, there's no one in the kitchen preparing those each day! We all enjoyed the food except Max, who is convinced he is going to starve here for 2 weeks, because he can't eat ANY of the food, not even the deep fried pastries or apple pies, and what are we going to do when he starves to death? He actually asked me that tonight. Did I mention he is very tired?

Hopefully, he's able to get some deep restoring sleep now that he's finally drifted off after insisting that I write down all the questions he wants to ask his birthmom tomorrow because he's afraid he'll forget something and never be able to ask her again. We have an early start tomorrow- we'll be picked up at 8:30 am for our drive to Hannah's Hope (the orphange Max was at), and Max's birthmom plans to be there at 9 am. Nothing quite like really jumping on into things! We plan to spend the morning at HH visiting, and then return for some serious relaxing and energy releasing play in the pool for the afternoon...