Antigua at Sunrise

Since we had to be back in Antigua at 6:45 in the morning, Glenn and I decided to leave an hour earlier and be on the Arch Street just as the sun was rising.  Photographer's dream.

As we were getting our cameras and smart phone out to take the 155+ photos for the morning, Glenn notice the location of the moon.  Just over the arch.  Perfect framing. 

Notice the Blues and Yellows in the sky,

the sun rays reflecting off the Agua Volcano in the background.

Beautiful.

I would call this a successful morning.  Gorgeous.

My New Camera

Over the weekend, I got a new Camera since my other camera "bit the dust".  While we were out at Lake Atitlán, I got up extra early and excitedly invited Glenn to join me for a Sunday morning sunrise over the lake.  Look at these photos that I captured.   I am one happy mama now that I have a functioning camera in my hand.

I am still learning the settings, but am enjoying every minute of this new experience.

Local restaurant and piers.

Looking between branches of a tree.

Sunrise over Lake Atitlán

Esdras and Isis' Wedding

 Last weekend, Glenn and I were invited to a Guatemalan wedding.  It was a nice garden wedding at a venue located outside of San Lucas, off the road that returns from Antigua.

The wedding was very God-honoring and beautiful.  However, I did observe some unique and different customs they implemented in the wedding ceremony.

• The wedding invitation stated that the wedding started at 2pm, however at 12:30pm, we got a call to pick up the Bride's family members at 2:30pm at SETECA and drive them 50 minutes to the wedding.  We even had to wait for the family for 15 minutes and arrived at the wedding just before 4pm.  This is so customary for a wedding in Latin America to start later, much later than the "start time".  It's not wrong, it's just different.

• The bride and groom had a "tree planting" ceremony during the service.  Much like how washing the feet, or filling a bottle of sand, or lighting a unity candle is the "thing" now in the US. This is where they planted a small tree. {they even had tissues for her to wipe her hands after the planting}

• We were throwing the rice at the bride and groom, as they walked down the garden isle after the wedding.  Good idea.  Rice filled Isis' train.
  

Happy Marriage! Feliz Matrimonio, Esdras e Isis ;)

My Camera - Picture This

If you know me, you know I love to take pictures.  I prefer using a camera, not a smart phone (that is what a camera is designed to do - take pictures).....However, since the end of January, I've been without my Canon Camera.

Ever since we got the camera out of my "gate checked" piece of luggage that was sent to Montego Bay, Jamaica instead of Managua, Nicaragua, the camera hasn't been functioning correctly.  I've changed batteries and installed new Sim cards and that doesn't seem to work.  When I take a picture, the display has a bunch of "lines" going through it.  I'm frustrated!

I did use my "smart phone" a few times to take some pictures of David when he was here, but I miss my camera.  I miss my camera like I miss an old college friend.

Cameras are twice as expensive here in Guatemala than in the US.

All this to say, I pray I can get my camera repaired or purchase a new one soon, otherwise I'll just have to rely on the 10,000+ photos I already have in my Picture folder to use on my blog posts. 

Fun Stuff

While keeping David, we had some fun activities, like walking through our neighborhood and spotting the 4 different basketball goals.  On Saturday afternoon, there were a bunch of neighborhood kids "roaming" the street so they joined in on our fun.  The girls recognized David from his previous trips and commented that he was so cute and had grown so much.

Look what else we found....an abandoned scooter

 neighborhood playground

neighborhood trampoline....I must say, he had good balance

playing soccer with GrandDad

and riding on the train at the local mall.

Thank you Ellen and Luke for allowing us to keep David for 12 whole days  Now, the house is quiet, Pack n Play folded up, Baby TV channel turned off and dirty diapers put out in the trash.  However there is an aery silence in the house.  No two and a half year old toddler mimicking my every word.  I miss you David.  See you soon. 

 Grammie and GrandDad loves you!

V-O-L-C-A-N-O

After our day-long challenge with the traffic blockage, it was nice to enjoy the beauty of Panajachel and Lake Atitlán on Thursday morning.

On Thursday morning, we got up early, took a tuk-tuk ride to the public boat ramp to catch the public boat to Casa Del Mundo.

David wasn't too sure of the boat - but he did fine.

I enjoyed a delicious home-made French toast breakfast at Casa Del Mundo.

It doesn't get any better than this.

 

Road Blockage

Plans can change all the time.
On Wednesday, Glenn and I loaded up the van for a 2 day trip to Panajachel to pick up Jim, a dear friend from way back.  We had allowed plenty of time.  We made a quick stop at the Chimaltenango Mall to look for an inexpensive camera (since my camera suddenly had died), then we made a visit to GBS to hand off some mail and visit with Clyde about his 97 1/2 year old mother's recent death.

As we pulled back onto CA-1, the traffic was at a standstill.  Glenn turned on the local radio station to get a report.  We made a phone call to friends in Pana and also in Antigua. 

David sat in his car-seat and yelled out "Go, Car, Go".  Bless his heart he didn't like just sitting there....If he only knew that sometimes you just can't predict the future.

We got a report that there was road blockages all throughout the country.  The transportation companies were protesting.  Protesting about something.  But in the mean time, here we sat, going nowhere.

We learned - the road blockage would probably last until 2pm.  So, we turned around and drove back to Antigua to visit our dear friends Forrest and Carol.  There we enjoyed Pollo Campero lunch with them and visited.  We got connected to the internet, laughed and got a potty break.

We were thinking, well, I guess this trip is scrubbed.  However, just as we were about to turn back to the city, Débora called us from CA-1 and said the road was open.  So, we turned back to the direction of the lake, and proceeded to Panajachel.

So, instead of arriving at 1pm like we had planned, we arrived at 4pm.  David was a real tropper, sitting in the car seat longer than expected. 

You just never know how your days turn out. 

Hebrews 13:8  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
 

Using Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I've just signed up with Bloglovin.  I've never used it before.  Anyone else ever used it?  User friendly?

~J

David's Haircut

With Ellen and Luke's blessing, we took David down to the local Barber Shop.  David is no stranger to this barber.  He has been in this tractor chair 3 times before.  The barber smiled as he saw David walk in.  

With tears in the barber's eyes, he shared that his co-worker and cousin had been "gunned down" just 3 days earlier in Chimaltenango.  So, David's haircut was interrupted by phone calls and with friends stopping by his simple shop to give him a hug, pat on the back and an encouraging word.

David was getting ready for his haircut.

I think we've been to this barber at least 3 different times now.

Afterwards, GrandDad got a haircut too

 

precious!

Super Bowl Party

Sunday night we joined 3 other families at the Makidon's home for the 
Super Bowl party.

There were 7 children in attendance.  They had their own little picnic table to eat from....

and of course we were not lacking in food.

Home-made salsa, chips and dips plus
Papa John's Pizza - yes, in Guatemala!

The bowls of chips and dips proved to be more
exciting than the actual Super Bowl itself.

Delayed Luggage and No Camera Weekend

So, Glenn and I flew to Nicaragua for a long weekend, to babysit the kids while Ellen and Luke participated in a triathlon and to bring David back to Guatemala for 12 days.

I'm such a bad Grammie.  I only took 4 iPhone photos.  That is characteristically not like me.  Let me explain.  When we were boarding, we had to "gate check" our luggage and I forgot to get my purse with my camera, wallet, driver's license out of my carry-on luggage before it was gate checked.  When we arrived in Nicaragua, the other 2 pieces of gate checked luggage, besides our regular checked pieces of luggage arrived. What did not arrive was my personal carry-on. 

The agent checked, and my luggage made it's way to Montego Bay, Jamaica.  I did offer to go and pick it up:).  That didn't work.

  So, 2 days later, my luggage arrived with my camera.  So, during this particular Nicaraguan trip, I did not take very many photos.  But I'm so glad to have all my personal stuff with me again.

 my one and only shot of Emily.  

Sweet thing.  I think she will be walking before her first birthday on February 22!

David was a good little traveler on the 1 hour flight back to Guatemala.  He loves airplanes.