Seven days is not enough!

Bianca always tells me to not live in the past and she is right but how I wish we all lived in the same city. I love my family but we in all parts of the world and that is why every two years we manage to get together and sometime even in between.


In 2009 we started that tradition when my nephew Alex graduated from High School. In 2011 we went to the temple open house in El Salvador in December and New years we went on a cruise to Jamaica, in 2013 we had Mandy's wedding and now in 2015 Paola's graduation.


This time we went on Wednesday June 3 and stopped in Miami meet baby Tiago and see Ale and Lexi. The baby is so adorable, a mini Lexi. The next morning on Thursday we boarded the plane to El Salvador. We got checked into the Hotel and went over to Liz's house. I went to get my hair done because the next morning we had to get up early to be at the graduation ceremony. Friday was graduation day and a nice luncheon at the Club Campestre. In the afternoon I went to the market to buy a few souvenirs. In the evening we had dinner at Liz's house. The next day on Saturday morning we went to the temple and in the afternoon, the guys watched the game while we got ready for the party. That was some fun party!! The only in El Salvador type party!! Got to our hotel at 2:am and somehow managed to be at church by 9:00 a.m. We then went to Liz's to have lunch and to the ruins but ended up in cerro verde. The two hour trip ended up more like five hours. That night we went to have pupusas and didn't break the piñatas the way we had planned. On Monday we had lunch with kai and his wife and went to the doctor. Daniel had a bad ear infection but the poor thing didn't want to tell anyone to not spoil all the fun. Thank goodness for antibiotics. The next day we went to Zara and to Decameron and the following day we came home.


There were a few things I wished I had time to do and didn't get to. Like getting a new birth certificate, the one I have is too old, Getting the DUI issued, the VanLeeuwen name removed to change my signature at CITI bank and all my documents, take some cash out, Find the legal papers for the lot in Los Planes and actually see the lot. Get the paperwork done to sell the apartment, Visit mama Hilda's burial, take some jewelry to get repaired  and go to the beach house and to help Liz with the move. I couldn't do any of that, and for that I feel overwhelmed!


I don't know if I can go back while I am in the Philippines and where would I stay? In retrospect I wished I  had stayed there for another week. Seven days is not enough!