Life Lately March 2025

 I didn't take many random photos during the month of March, but here are a few to share.

 

Mango season started.  It is Ben's favorite fruit.  This truck sets up close to our house and we have enjoyed buying from them.

 

 

fresh mangoes 

 

A beautiful volcano view on a recent walk

 

the same volcanoes another day at sunset

 

We had the great pleasure of having supper with an IMB trustee and her husband while they were recently in Guatemala.

 

 

These beautiful flowers were blooming in our yard.

 

I enjoyed an afternoon at our local mall having coffee and doing some reading.  I have a goal to read and study two leadership books this year.

 

Ben spent a Saturday morning swimming with friends.

 

This is a sight I do not see very often any more.  I walked into Cruz's room one day and he had pulled several of his Lego boxes out.  I miss the days when they would spend hours building with Lego.

 

 

We had a great month of homeschool.  We are steadily working our way to the May finish line.

 

 

Last month Cruz dissected an earthworm.  In March he dissected a crayfish. Biology has been our favorite.

 

 

David and I enjoyed a Friday date night.  We had supper at Santo Gyro in town.  Isn't that a beautiful view we had!

 

One of my favorite places to eat.

 

The arch in town recently got new lights.  This was our first time to see it at night.  It's so pretty!

 

We ended our outing with coffee and dessert at Bru'd.  If you happen to be in town, go try them out and sit upstairs.  It's really nice.

 

 

Lent season started.  I took a few carpet photos on the first Sunday.  For the next six weekends straight we had tons of visitors flood our town to see the carpets, participate in the processionals, and just enjoy the city during the season.  It is a very busy time of the year here!!!  

 

 

 

The beautiful jacarandas were still in bloom.  That is one part of the season I always look forward to.

 

 

We helped host a Saturday kid's outreach event in a community near Santo Domingo Xenacoj.

 

 

Ben helping the younger kids color.

 

 

Cruz doing games with the older kids.

 

 

me helping prepare their snack

They had tostadas and horchata.

 

 

me with the precious pastor's wife who led the event

 

 

Lastly, we made a visit to Chiquimula.

 

Life Lately January 2025

I'm going to try to catch up on blogging.  I have gotten way behind the past few months.  If you are still reading my blog, thank you!!  I feel like I blog more these days for myself to record our memories.  I love looking back at past posts and reminiscing.  It is a lot of work but brings me much joy.  Here is a look at our lives in January.

 

We started the new year on a work trip to Bogota, Colombia. 

 

 

We returned home and just a few days later we kicked off the second semester of our school year.  This was our first day back at school.  

 

Our January wall decorations in our homeschool room.

 

 

In early January David met with Pastor Saul to make plans to work together this year. 

 

 

In January we spent a Saturday making home visits with the pastor, his wife, and their teenage daughter. We were able to be in several homes to pray for people and encourage them.  We also gave out bags of food and basic medicines to each family we visited.

 

We climbed many hills that day.

 

It was a fun outing and we look forward to doing it again. 

We returned in February to help lead a Sunday evening service, and we have plans to return in March to do a Saturday afternoon kid's outreach event.

 

 

In mid-January our new missionary family, the Englishes, had family come for a first visit.  We were thrilled to get to spend a little time with them when they were in Antigua.  We went up to the cross, which is an overlook of Antigua.  

 

 

We then went to La Recolecion, which are beautiful ruins that are very fun to explore.  We spent some time there climbing and letting the kids play.  In this photo you can see Agua volcano in the distance.

 

David and the boys

 

Ben

 

Cruz

 

 

our family with the English family

 

 

 

 

Fuego volcano in the distance

 

We ended the day with supper at McDonald's.  We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset view.

 

David and the boys playing at the McDonald's in Antigua.  It is the most beautiful McDonald's ever!

 

 

Ben had his friend Joshua over for a Saturday play day.  David took them to a local climbing gym, Tacana. Our boys love visiting there.

 

Several families met up for a Friday lunch and hangout at the mall in San Cristobal.  I did not take a single photo of our time together but snapped a few of the beautiful sunset when we were leaving. 

 

volcano in the distance

 

We attended a Friday evening birthday party in Guatemala City and afterwards Cruz's friend Canon came home with us for the weekend.  He enjoyed having Canon here!  A highlight was them walking around town together by themselves, having lunch at Pappy's BBQ, and getting coffee at Starbucks. They have been friends since we moved to Antigua, and it is fun watching them grow up together.

 

A highlight for me in January was starting a daily walking routine.  I have a friend who walks with me.  It has been great for accountability and fellowship.  Along our path we pass a fun little outdoor coffee shop.  Several times we have stopped and had coffee together during our walk.  The daily sunshine and exercise has definitely had a positive impact on me.  I love it!!

 

We ended the month hosting a mission team.  They arrived on the 31st.  I'll share about that and other February highlights in my next several posts.