Recipe for a Perfect Weekend

What you'll need to get started:

A weekend with a forecast of partly sunny and a high in the 90s.

A dog that will forgive you if you don't spend anymore time with her on the weekend than you do during the week.

A lot of fun people.

To put together the perfect weekend, I recommend starting with a quince for three Cristo Viene quinceñeras. A quince is a very special 15th birthday party for Bolivian girls, similar to the US, less commonly hyped-up, Sweet Sixteen. On Friday, celebrate with the three beautiful girls many of their friends, cake, a little karaoke, and some lovely words of blessing for their futures as senoritas.

On Saturday, you'll need to round up your women's Bible study for an afternoon together at Gloria's new condo. It's a little far out of town, but don't worry you won't regret the drive. Take the kids along, the other moms will too, and let them enjoy the pizza and the playground, while you ladies read one of the last chapters in your semester long study of The Five Love Languages, then top it off with a viewing of Fireproof. (If I had it to do again, I might try to avoid having the kids all return from the park right at the tearjerker finale of the movie.) After your girl-time, take the kids to the condo complex's lovely pool and maybe even check out the weight room. If your nine year-old randomly starts talking about Jesus to the girl she meets in the pool, that's just like the cherry on top. ;)

Sunday, top it all off when "Family Day" at your church meets "Friend Day" at Talita Cumi. Let me explain. La Viña decided to have our church service in the park and invite our family and friends on the same day Talita Cumi Children's Home does their annual planning and sends all the children out in twos. So, pick up your two kids, preferably some of your daughter's favorites, and head to the park. Kick it off with some great worship in the outdoor amphitheatre that's so rocking it draws the passerbys, and is so loud it drowns out your own exuberant singing. Then take the kids during the sermon for a quick lesson on healthy competition and what the Bible has to say about races. Next, put it into practice with some classic winners like the egg-on-a-spoon race, water balloon toss, the find-your-shoe race, etc. After lunch invite the adults to join in the fun with potato sac races, tug-o-war, three-legged races, and of course the requisite soccer game.

Take your three girls to walk around the plaza and top it off with some ice cream before heading home and calling it a weekend, and a fabulous one at that!

A couple things I might add for the next time I use this recipe:

Sunblock, a little more never hurts.

A nap, not sure where to fit it in, but every weekend needs one really.