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!   

Valentine's Day 2026

 We had a fun Valentine's Day celebration this year. 

 

As always, I decorated our table and had gifts set out for my guys that morning. 

 

My gifts were roses,  a new table runner for spring/ Easter, and a coffee cup.  Both of those came from San Martin.

 

David got a tea blend from Pachamama and some honey from Doña Luisa.

 

 

We had heart shaped chocolate chip banana pancakes and bacon for breakfast. 

 

Later that morning, I headed out for a walk in town.  From this corner you can see all three volcanoes in our area- Agua, Fuego, and Acatenango. 

 

 

 

I made a strawberry cake for our Valentine's dessert. 

 

 

David and I went out to eat that night at Pappy's BBQ. It was our first visit since being back in Guatemala.

 

We then spent some time walking around town and enjoying the sights.

 

Overall, it was a simple but lovely day! 

Ringing in the New Year 2026

We celebrated Christmas in the States but were back in Guatemala in time to ring in the new year. Most of New Year's Eve was spent running errands and lounging on the couch watching football. That evening after supper, David, Cruz, and I went into town to walk around and get coffee and dessert.  Ben had been at a sleepover the night before and didn't come home until around 9:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve so he wasn't here to join us.

 

Much of town was still decorated for Christmas.  It was pretty!  This is our town's Central Park. 

 

The San José Cathedral that faces our Central Park.

 

 

They had a large stage area set up for the New Year's celebration activities. 

 

 

ready to count down to the new year 

 

me and David in the Central Park

 

 

the famous arch in Antigua 

 

We stopped at Bru'd for coffee and dessert.  It is one of our favorite coffee shops in town. 

 

Cruz got cheesecake.  It is his favorite dessert. 

 

I had ice coffee and shared this cinnamon roll with David. 

 

I love the decorations in there. 

 

We came home, and I watched Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.  I love Ryan! 

 

 

Happy New Year!!!

 

We stayed up another hour until midnight here to see the fireworks and then went to bed. 

 

 

We had chocolate chip banana pecan pancakes for our New Year's Day breakfast. 

I then spent the morning watching the Rose Parade.  I loved seeing this Mississippi float.

 

our annual family photo 

 

 

We went into town for lunch and ate at Hector's Bistro.  It is one of our favorite restaurants in town. 

 

 

I love these bacon wrapped stuffed dates!!! 

 

A view of Agua volcano on the walk back to the car. 

 

 

The highlight of the day was watching Ole Miss play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. 

 

 

Let's go!!! 

 

I baked a cake.  I attempted to shape it like a football but didn't cut enough off of the middle.  Regardless, it was a delicious dessert. 

 

We also had Domino's pizza delivered for supper. 

 

 

We built a fire and watched the game. 

 

 

Ole Miss won!!!!!

I have watched a lot of football games in my life, but this one will always stand out as a highlight.  It was the most exciting, thrilling game ever!!!   It was hard to wind down and go to bed after that.  What a fun way to kick off the new year.

 

 

Happy New Year y'all!!!

 

Thanks for keeping up with our family on our little corner of the web.  We appreciate you reading!

 

As we start this new year, we are praying that it is a year filled with growth, obedience, and joy as we follow God's plan for our lives. We are trusting Him to lead every step in this new term. We are grateful for His guidance and excited for what He has in store for the days ahead.