~Our trip to Uruguay...part 1~

[Explanation:  It's expected that when a non-citizen visits Argentina that they have a ticket to GO OUT of that country within 90 days.  =)  So, we had purchased our tickets to Uruguay before even coming to Argentina.  This trip renews Argentine 90 day visas.]
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~I told you earlier that I would tell you what we did on "Black Friday"...the Friday after Thanksgiving.  Before we moved to Argentina, our children were SO EXCITED thinking that we we would have an ocean in our city of Buenos Aires!  Then, a few days after we moved to Arg. they were "devastated" to find out that it wasn't actually the "ocean" that bordered Buenos Aires, but a rather L.A.R.G.E. River called "Plata River" which mixes with the ocean!  (In that part of Buenos Aires...they don't allow people to swim in the river. =( )   It's the second biggest river in South America...#1 being the Amazon.  (Whew!  I hope my brothers and Daddy read this...I'm amazing myself with all my Knowledge.  HA! =)  But, we did find out that there was a park beside the river, so on the Friday after Thanksgiving we took our kids to see the river and play at the park.  Though they were SAD that they can't swim here in our city...they were happy with the park there and we had a fun day!
(Can you find Waldo Elijah?  YES, I KNOW where Elijah is in this picture!!! Our Elijah is always a flurry of Activity...so he does need YOUR extra prayers. =)~

~So, all that background info to say that our LARGE boat ride that lasted 3 hours was to cross the Plata River! (And then we had a 2 1/2 hour bus ride after that, which still followed that same river!  It's HUGE!)
After celebrating Sarah's birthday on Monday, Dec. 5th, and packing LATE, and getting LITTLE sleep that night, the Lord helped us to make it to our boat on time Tuesday morning, Dec. 6th.  =) On the boat we were able to get some tables with a nice view out the window where we ate breakfast that we brought along with us (Knowing that the food on the boat would probably be pricey.)
Here's the kids at their table!
(With an Elijah who thinks now-a-days he has to SLAM his eyes shut for. every. picture. =) ~

~And us at ours.  Our boat was the cheapest boat to Uruguay that there is, but it was still very nice.  It's 6 stories high and has a restaurant, a store, an elevator, etc.~

~It's hard to see but behind Noah, Sarah, and Elijah in the port...is another large boat similar to the boat we were riding on.~

~Here's a better picture of the other boat.~

~This very EXHAUSTED Mother was DELIGHTED when not too long after we got on the boat Mary went to sleep.  So, I went and got a MUCH-NEEDED nap in the comfortable airplane type seats! =)~

~Some fun sailboats we passed as we were leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina.~

~Our 3 younger kids looking out the window.~

~Kimberly and I.~

~Phillip took our children upstairs on the deck...and it was quite WINDY as you can see.~

~Mary and Mommy on the deck.~

~A fun lighthouse picture that Kimberly snapped.~

~Once our boat docked, then we had a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Montevideo, Uruguay.  We had run out of water and I was SO THIRSTY!  It seemed like a VERY LONG 2 1/2 hours without water to drink...what will eternity be like in the bad place?
This is a picture of our first meal once we got to Montevideo.  This is a very typical meal that I had wanted to try ever since Phillip had eaten it when he visited Uruguay in 2010.  A piece of lamb or beef covered with ham, cheese, bacon, a fried egg, red peppers, and an olive...and it comes along with that big salad, fries, and a type of Russian salad.~

~Our family eating.~

~Then we walked around and took our kids to this park.~

~The next day...our only FULL day in Montevideo...we were getting ready to take our kids to see what we thought was the ocean (but found out it is STILL THE SAME HUGE PLATA RIVER =)...when we heard a BLOODCURDLING scream.  Phillip ran out of our hotel room to find out where it was coming from and met Noah carrying a bleeding Elijah.  Elijah had crashed into a coffee table..KILLING his ear!!  Poor little one, I know it had to have H.U.R.T SO BADLY!!!  It made me want to cry looking at it!
This picture is much later after he had calmed down some and everything was patched up.  =)
We thank the Lord that it was not worse!!
So, after it was all cleaned up, Elijah fell asleep...thus we didn't go to the river until about 3 hours later!~

~After he woke up we got some lunch items and walked to the river and ate lunch.~

~Then we let our kids "dip their toes-ies" (and more) in the water. =)~

~Elijah and Phillip (with our other 3 in the background).  Phillip was trying to build a sand castle near the shore...just to keep Elijah from going out into the deeper water and getting his head / ear wet.
(But...for a little boy who LOVES water...it was nearly an I.M.P.O.S.S.I.B.L.E. task!=)~

~Mommy and Baby Mary...before she crawled out of the stroller and found the fun wet sand...~

~She LOVED the wet sand and water!~

Stay tuned...Part 2 coming soon! =)