Day 4 in Panama

The kids have really been troopers! Traveling this long without the comforts and schedule of home can sometimes be challenging. But they have been helpers and kind to one another for the most part and that has helped make the trip pleasant. They did get a little restless from time to time...Case in point.

But seeing them all snuggled on my parents tiny couch made me happy. 

We started this cloudy morning with a hike. At this point in the vacation I still don't believe the sun shines! We have yet to see it. It has been warm though and I was told the clouds are what made it bearable. 

We hiked to the top of a hill that had a giant Panama flag at the top. It was truly beautiful and relaxing and enjoyable. We kept getting little peaks through the trees of the city below and it just felt majestic. 

We made it to the top of the hill, and there is the flag. There were even a few pedlers up at the top selling their craft. The girls bought some bracelets. 

And on the way down, WE SAW A SLOTH!!! Oh my goodness, it was incredible! And it had a baby clinging to its belly! We were all obsessed and stood and watched it move through the trees. They are very strong and yes they move slow but fascinating to watch! 

In the afternoon we went to the temple. Chad stayed behind with Rylee so the other kids could go do baptisms and my dad did the baptizing. Alot of the instruction was in spanish, but we could still feel that it was the house of the Lord and it made it special to share with my kids. When we were talking about what we could do in Panama, it was their idea to see if we could do baptisms. What a great experience. 

My parents church house is in the parking lot of the temple. The grounds were so beautiful. And the clouds were still hanging around. 

As we were leaving the parking lot, we saw two TUCANS in the tree! I just caught a pic of this one. They are really colorful birds but my dad expressed that his pictures never turn out because its too bright or cloudy and he can never get the lighting just right. But we loved seeing these! And around the corner was a whole field of little ground monkeys, I forget what they are called. That was fun to see. 

After a little rest back at the house, mom and dad took us to an American BBQ joint that they love. It was pretty tasty!

We told my parents that normal food would be best on vacation. I wasn't too excited about trying anything unique and paying for something my kids won't eat. And it was a nice surprise to see the many American restaurants that were there. 

 Notice the glowing skin here, the humidity is unreal. I sweat through most of my clothes in just half a day. My 9 outfits I packed weren't holding out because I was just sweating or wet all the time! But I do love humidity and if my clothes would stay dry, I'd totally be ok with it!