Life Lately March 2026

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

 

We started the month getting supplies ready for a mission team.  We were hosting a team from Easthaven Baptist in Brookhaven, MS.  This is the city we have always stayed in during our Stateside Assignments.  We have hosted them many times and always look forward to having them here with us.

 

 

Our mission team

You can read about our week with them here- Easthaven Misson Team. 

 

 

They flew out on a Friday afternoon, and we flew out the following morning heading to Virginia to attend an IMB Americas Homeschool Conference.   We had an incredible week there with other homeschool families who serve in the Americas.  

 

 

our family March 2026 

 

 

Due to our mission team and trip to Virginia, the boys missed two weeks of youth group.  They were eager to return.  That night the boys' Bible study group made pancakes and served them for the evening meal. Our boys enjoyed getting to help.

 

youth group friends 

 

 

We took this photo on Palm Sunday morning. 

 

 

Ben took his friend, Josue, to the climbing gym with him.  This is Ben's favorite activity! 

 

 

For Cruz's cooking class during March, the recipes he made were batter fried fish, cheese grits, and a herb marinated flank steak.  

  

All of the recipes were good, but we especially loved the cheese grits.  It was more work than my usual way to make grits but was delicious.  I have since made the recipe again and is one I'll use in the future.

 

 

I made a banana pudding.  I brought pudding mix and Nilla wafers back with me from the States in December.  I brought enough to make three desserts.  It is something we all love. 

 

While at the homeschool conference, I was given a recipe for homemade cinnamon rolls.  The dough is only self rising flour and heavy whipping cream.  It seemed too easy to be true, but I tried it recently on a Saturday morning.  

 

 

 Turns out they were delicious!  The dough was so soft and perfect. 

 

  I will be making these again often.

  

 

We are on Spring Break this week.  On Monday we made a drive into Guatemala City and visited our favorite mall, Miraflores.   Here are me and the boys enjoying some of the Easter decorations.

 

 

I took Cruz to do some shopping.  David and Ben passed the time with coffee and donuts. 

 

We love just walking around this mall. 

 

 

We went bowling. 

 

me and my boys 

 

 

It was a fun family outing!

 

On Tuesday, the 31st, Ben and I were invited to an Easter party with several of his friends.  They dyed eggs and played "minute to win it" style games for Easter themed prizes.  I think the moms enjoyed the fellowship just as much as the kids. 

 

 

Ben with two of his best friends. 

 

We are now gearing up for the main Holy Week activities taking place in our town this week.  Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Antigua, Guatemala is on a level of its own. Throughout this week there is expected to be several hundred thousand people pass through our town. It is by far the busiest and most celebrated week of the year.  It don’t know what your part of the world will look like for Easter week, but ours will be hopping.

  

 

Happy Easter everyone!   

Life Lately February 2026

 I realize it is almost April, but here are some life moments from the month of February.  

 

I started the month by meeting a dear friend for coffee. We had a long visit trying to catch up on all that took place while we had been gone to the States. 

 

We enjoyed watching the Olympics. 

 

 

We made a drive into Guatemala City to renew Cruz's Guatemalan passport. 

 

 

We celebrated Valentine's Day.  Here we are having a date night meal at Pappy's BBQ. 

 

 

Ben made a few visits to the climbing gym.  On this visit he took his friend Ethan. 

 

 

On this visit he took his friend Joshua (who is not pictured).

 

 

I packed away the Valentine's decorations and now have our house ready for Easter. 

  

 

Cruz translating at youth group. 

 

 

In his cooking class during February he made a mud pie (chocolate pie), cream cheese brownies, a key lime cheese cake, and a puffy omelet.  He makes one recipe each week.   

 

 

I made a roast for the first time in Guatemala. 

 

I also tried a new recipe for a sausage and egg breakfast casserole.  It was delicious! 

 

 

I made blueberry ricotta pancakes for the first time.  This was another delicious new recipe. 

 

my pancakes 

 

Ben with his friend Josue matching at church. 

 

 

I celebrated my birthday.   

 

Lastly, we ended the month attending the annual Intermissions Conference at beautiful Lake Atitlan. Here is a group photo from this year's conference.

 

Life Lately January 2026

The new year is off to a great start!  This month was all about returning to life in Guatemala. Here is a look at our life during the month of January.  

 

After just having returned from the States, we rang in the new year at our home in Antigua. 

 

 

We spent that first week unpacking and getting our house back in order.  It was also bowl game season which meant I was quite distracted by watching football while trying to get everything else done.  Before all the luggage was even unpacked, I had decorated our table in a football theme.  I love table decorations!! 

 

 

We spent a lot of time out shopping for food and supplies.  We had been away from our home for 6.5 months and it was empty of both.  We had to completely restock the kitchen which meant trips to several different grocery stores to find everything and also a drive into Guatemala City to our PriceSmart warehouse store.  It takes time to get it all done! Here we are in February and are still looking for certain items.

 

Cruz's bedroom needed to be repainted so we did that the first week we were back.  

 

 

We had promised Ben a trip to the local climbing gym so we squeezed that in the first week also. 

 

That Sunday after church we met these sweet friends for lunch in town.  Brandon served here as a missionary for a few years.  They were back in Guatemala for a visit, and we were happy they took time to see us.  

  

 

We started the second semester of our school year on Monday, January 5.  

 

 

 

 

The following Wednesday night the boys returned to youth group.  They love their youth group here! 

 

 

With the boys being at youth group every Wednesday night, that gives us a weekly date night.  On that first Wednesday night we enjoyed supper at Panda Express.  We love their orange chicken and spring rolls!  

 

 

That weekend we made an overnight trip to Quetzaltenango to visit our teammates.

 

 

We most always stop at the Cafe Barista on the way for a bathroom break and drink. Our choices that day were black coffee, cold brew coffee, an iced latte, and a mango smoothie.

 

 

Our family in Xela with the Santa Maria volcano in the distance. 

 

I chuckled at the size of this McDonald's billboard.  It is huge!! 

 

 

The following Monday morning we were up bright and early for a visit to the U.S. Embassy to renew Ben's U.S. passport. 

 

 

David spent time that week reconnecting with pastors and ministry partners. 

 

 

I started back my walking routine.  I walk several days during the week with my friend Betsy.  On the weekends and days she can't go, I will walk in town.  I love daily walks.  

 

 

a beautiful view of Agua volcano from our house 

 

a sunset view of Agua 

 

 

I found this pasta drying rack right after we returned and was eager to get back to making homemade pasta.  

 

Here's a dough for cinnamon rolls I made.  I make several pans and freeze them. 

 

I baked some chocolate chip banana bread to have in the freezer. 

 

I made a lemon pie.  It is a family favorite. 

 

I also made a few batches of sausage balls to have in the freezer for future breakfast meals.

 

 

So far, Ben has had two sleepovers with his friend Joshua.  On one of those they went to the climbing gym.  Both of those boys love climbing!

 

He also spent an afternoon at the local arcade with his friend Josue.

 

I have no photos, but Cruz and his friends have gone out for lunch, coffee, and had weekly meet ups at the local gym. 

 

 

David preached at a First Fruits service on a Sunday night.   

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After the service they served tamales and sent us home with several.  We had them for lunch the next day. 

 

Guatemalan tamale 

 

 

On a recent Sunday morning, Ben was at Joshua's house, David left right after church for a dentist appointment, and Cruz and I were left to have lunch together.  I love these one on one moments! 

 

 

The month ended with David and Cruz taking part in a father/ son hike on the Santa Maria volcano near Quetzaltenango. There were five dads and nine high school boys on the hike. If you'd like to read about it, click on this link- Hiking the Santa Maria Volcano.

 

 

With them being gone, that left me and Ben to have a weekend to ourselves.  On Saturday we joined friends for pickle ball and swimming.  It was a fun day in the sun.

 

We went to church on Sunday morning and then had lunch at Luna de Miel afterwards. Ben loves their crepes.  I loved spending time with just him.  

 

 

Lastly, this semester as an art elective, Cruz is doing a cooking class.  He has learned some new skills already. For his first lesson he had to read through a specific Betty Crocker cookbook and pick out which recipes he planned to prepare based on several categories. Here he is picking out his recipes.

 

 

The first week was appetizers.  He made Cheesy Potato Skins.  

 

We had them at lunch and he liked them so much he made them again the following day. 

 

 

The next week he learned about breads.  For that he chose to bake a Sour Cream Coffee Cake. 

 

It turned out pretty and delicious!

 

 

I now have our house looking lovely for the Valentine's season.  Seasonal decorating is something else I enjoy doing. 

 

Lastly, we are thankful for a very smooth transition back to life in Guatemala after being away for a while. Life seems normal and routine.  That is a blessing!  The boys are thriving in school and life, which is an answer to prayer.  We are thankful for the friendships they have both in the U.S. and also here.  Those friends help make them feel at home in both places.  

 

 

We are looking forward to this new month and all the things it will bring with it.