Una Noche Especial

Those of you who know me well know that I love a good party. Be it Birthday, Wedding, or "Just Because", I love getting together with friends and having a good time!!! I can't say that I necessarily have a favorite "party memory", but, if I did, last night would have made the top 5!

About once a year, the kids living at the orphanage have what they call Noche Especial (Special Night) where they get to have a "sleepover" with the same-gender volunteers currently serving here. They play games, eat junk food, watch movies, play tricks on early sleepers, etc. And, as I'm sure you've guessed, last night was our Noche Especial with the girls! It was everything I could've hoped for in a sleepover....

We frosted cupcakes on the roof, took pictures with the cupcakes, and ate the cupcakes (who knew cupcakes were so fun!)! We played games, watched movies (both Aladdin AND The Wizard of OZ), listened to music, had a pillow fight, jumped on the beds (mattresses on the floor), did each other's hair, and...surprisingly, the most exciting part....we ate apples!

As part of the Noche Especial each girl (and volunteer) got an apple. Apples are a big deal for the kids here because the only other time they get one is at Christmas. As you can imagine, because apples aren't readily available in the Dominican they are rather expensive and, therefore, a special treat. The girls were amazed when I told them my family has apple trees in their yard and that the apples rot on the ground because we can't use them fast enough. Being from Michigan, it's hard to imagine apples as a "special treat", but I guess we don't have a plethora of mangos in the Mitten, either. :) Here, the mangos are the ones rotting on the ground...


It's all about perspective, I guess. The grass is always greener, right?

Well, apples or mangos, we had a GREAT night - so much so that it was hard to get the girls up for breakfast this morning!! I'm so thankful that God knows me well enough to provide fun opportunities like this...even all the way down here. These girls are so precious and it was a blessing to make memories with them. I can't wait to go home and plan another sleepover!


Any takers?