Our family just spent three wonderful days with friends at Ilihan Beach Resort on Samal Island. It reminded me very much of camping at a state park in Michigan.
We rented a big gazebo and all 19 of us slept in it.
The hut we stayed in.
Our Filipino friends made delicious Filipino food for us.
Bringing breakfast to the gazebo
Enjoying s'mores!
Bebe, Arlene, and Alan cooking pork bbq and rice.
Arlene cooking pork bbq with Ben.
We went to Hagimit Falls which is a beautiful waterfall place on the island.
We spent a lot of time in water, talking, and enjoying the quiet, peaceful setting. It was a wonderfully, relaxing opportunity and I enjoyed getting to know our friends better. We shared many laughs together, sang songs at night, talked, prayed. I thank God for our friends!
Shaul, Mikayla, Chaim, and James enjoying cokes.
Joebert's and our families.
Bebe and Alan
Gigi and Joebert cooking supper.
Kurt and I.
James playing with a starfish. Yes, it is blue!
Jerard sitting on a swing with Arlene.
A favourite activity at night was to take flashlights and look
in the tidal pools for seacreatures. All kinds were found.
It was a lot of fun.
Ben and James looking at a crab.
Shaul and James.
Arlene, Bebe, and Jerard.
Bebe, Me and Julie
Lori Ann and Mikayla talking and swinging.
James on a swing.
Lori Ann, Kirsten, and Lani Lou exploring the seashore.
Cherry Joy, Gigi, Joebert and Julie
Ben and J.R. being silly.
James kicking a beach ball.
James and Chaim.
Playing Frisbee Football.
We also enjoyed time playing frisbee and badmiton.
Mikayla and Kirsten enjoying 'sister time'.
Our group - not in order of picture - Arlene, Chaim, Shaul
Joebert, Gigi, Cherry Joy, Julie, Alan, Bebe, Lori Ann, Lani Lou,
J.R., Kurt, Beth, Mikayla, Kirsten, Ben, James, Jerard.
(on our last day there another family from Faith Academy was
camping at Ilihan too. Their daughters, Linea and Maggie are
in the picture too. Linea is a classmate of Ben's in 2nd grade.)
I thank God for the good time and fellowship we had at Ilihan. It was restful, peaceful and enriching!
I am already planning a return trip for part of the summer break!
For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.