Easter 2026

 Easter week was also our Spring Break week.  It was nice to have some time off from school.  

 

David and I got up before the sun on Good Friday morning.  We walked into town to see the beautiful sawdust carpets.  It is our Good Friday tradition.  Below are just a few of the photos I took.

 

 

 

 

Here's a YouTube video I made showing all the carpets. 

 

We stopped for breakfast at Cafe Condesa.  That is another Good Friday tradition we have. 

 

David's breakfast 

 

Always a good choice for breakfast.

 

 

We had another early morning on Easter Sunday.  We got up for a service at the cross above Antigua.  I had the boys Easter gifts out waiting for them. Their bags were full of snacks and chocolate.  

 

I got this beautiful coffee cup from San Martin.  

I love collecting these!  

 

 

The backside of my cup. 

 

 

We drove up the mountain to the cross for worship.  It was cool and cloudy when we arrived. 

 

Our family on Easter Sunday morning. 

 

 

After the service we drove back into town and enjoyed breakfast at Hector's Bistro.  

 

 

It was still early when we returned home so the guys headed to the gym.  I went out for a walk.  Here's a view of the cross from my walk. 

 

I returned home and cooked lunch.  Thankfully I had done most of my prep cooking on Saturday.  Here's my table for Easter.  This runner and place mats were a gift from a sweet volunteer team member a few years ago.  I love putting it out each year.

 

 

For lunch we had pulled pork I had pre-bought from Pappy's BBQ in town.  To go with it I made a carrot souffle, corn casserole, deviled eggs, green beans, lima beans, rolls, and a chocolate chess pie.  It was delicious!   

Easthaven Mission Team March 2026

In early March we hosted a mission team from Easthaven Baptist Church in Brookhaven, MS.  This is the city where we stay during our Stateside Assignments so many of the people on the team we already knew.  The team consisted of a few high school students that made it extra fun for our boys.  

Throughout the week we made many home visits, helped with an afternoon kid’s club, spent a morning sharing in a local school, led a Wednesday night youth service, and assembled a bunk bed for a family in need. This was a really fun team, and we are thankful for the time we had with them. 

Here are some photos from the week.  

Beautiful clear blue skies and view of Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes from their hotel rooftop.  

I took this one morning before we headed out. 

view of Agua volcano from their hotel

 

 

We spent a morning sharing in a local school.  Before getting started, the team entertained the kids during their break time.  Here are Cruz and Ridge doing balloon art. 

 

Ben and Cade making balloons. 

 

 

Everyone loved Susan's puppet! 

 

I helped the girls make bracelets.  

 

David doing jump rope with some school kids. 

 

As part of the assembly time, the teenagers did a skit for the kids. 

 

Cruz sharing at the school. 

 

 

Their WMU ladies made t-shirt jump ropes to give away during the week.  We left several at the school. 

 

 

the guys 

 

 

a group photo at the school 

 

making home visits

 

Tuesday afternoon kid's club 

 

kid's club 

 

 

Ben helping some kids with a craft. 

 

 

Susan teaching at the Tuesday afternoon kid's club.

 

Susan grew up as an IMB MK in the Americas.  She spoke excellent Spanish and used it beautifully throughout the week. 

 

 

more balloons for the kids 

 

We assembled a bunk bed for a needy family.  Cruz liked helping on this project. 

 

all complete

 

 

Look at that smile!  She was a happy with her new bed. 

 

 

On Wednesday night we helped lead a youth service.  Here is Cruz sharing during that time.  

 

The youth enjoying a meal at Pappy's BBQ. 

 

a team photo

Life Lately April 2025

 Here is a look at some family activities during the month of April.

 

We began the month with a fabulous work trip to Mexico to visit a few of our IMB missionary families.

 

 

We spent a weekend in Quetzaltenango to visit our teammates and attend a retirement party for the Stones.

 

 

We officially have another teenager in our house.  Ben turned thirteen on April 16th.

 

 

David and I enjoyed a morning outing to see the carpets on Good Friday morning.

 

 

We celebrated Easter Sunday with a sunrise service at the cross that overlooks Antigua.

 

 

And, we celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary. 

April is always a busy celebration month for us!

 

 

Our homeschool wall decorated for the month of April.

 

Ben is taking an art class this quarter at Encounter Academy.  Here he is with two of his best buds. 

 

 

Cruz had two more dissections to complete for his Biology class.   He dissected a frog.

 

 

He also dissected a perch. 

Thankfully he has a wonderful dad who does not have a queasy stomach and was able to help him with all four of his dissections this year.  I, on the other hand, would not have been able to do it! 

 

 

Cruz began an online driver's ed course.  He will turn fifteen in May, and we plan for him to take his permit test in the U.S. this summer.  The purpose of the course is to prepare him for the test.  Having grown up in Guatemala, he is not very familiar with U.S. road rules and signs. Driving here is a little different, lol.  In addition to the course, we have been taking him out to practice driving. Thankfully, we have an older personal vehicle that he can use to practice driving.  It is a standard, which can be a challenge, but he is mastering it quickly. 

 

 

We are excited about the arrival of May.  We'll not only celebrate Cruz's birthday but also Mother's Day and the end of the school year.  It is also one month closer to our Stateside Assignment!  What we are most looking forward to is an adventurous family vacation trip in May that we have had planned for a few years. We cannot wait to be exploring the great outdoors together!

 

Coming up...