Starting Our Stateside Assignment June 2025

On Monday, June 23, we arrived in the U.S. to begin our fifth Stateside Assignment (furlough).  We will be here a few months before returning back to Guatemala for a new term.  We are so thankful for this much needed break! We plan to soak in every minute of it!

 

We took this photo at our house in Guatemala before heading to the airport for our overnight flight to the U.S. 

 

 

We enjoyed an early morning Chick-fil-A breakfast in the Houston airport. 

 

Seeing the sun rise in Houston. 

 

taking a nap in the airport while we waited on our connecting flight to Jackson 

 

 

When we landed in Jackson, our friends were there to greet us.  That was a fun surprise. 

 

me and my friend Malinda 

 

Malinda and the boys 

 

our dear friends, the Browns

Reagan, much to our surprise, had left work just to come greet us.  That made us feel very loved! 

 

 

The boys wasted no time reconnecting with friends.  Soon after we got home, they enjoyed a sleepover and then a day of fun at a trampoline park. 

 

We got a family membership to a local gym. 

 

 

On every trip home, my family gives the boys a combined birthday celebration party at a local Mexican restaurant.  This year we did it just a few days after we returned home.  They get cards with money so they can go shopping. 

 

us with my mom 

 

 

David's hometown (Crystal Springs, MS) has an annual Tomato Festival the last weekend in June.  We were excited to be home to attend it. On Friday night they have a street party with food, live music, and fireworks.  We spent the evening walking around with our friends, the Browns, and also enjoyed seeing many people we love and have missed.

 

Lastly, our first Sunday back in the States was a fifth Sunday, so our home church was having a potluck meal after the morning service.  It was a fun and delicious way to get back into U.S. church.  Here are Cruz and his friend Jude during the Sunday lunch meal.

 

Next, I'll share photos from the month of July. 

Celebrating Our 29th Wedding Anniversary

 On April 27th we celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary.  We celebrated in Guatemala City this year.

 

The boys thought it would be a great idea to visit a trampoline park on Saturday (the day before our anniversary).  I wonder if they were thinking of us or themselves. lol  Regardless, we all had a fantastic time!  We went to Air Square at Oakland Place and jumped for 1.5 hours. 

 

enjoying the trampoline park with the boys

 

 

a video highlighting our time at the trampoline park

 

 

That evening we ate supper at TGI Friday's.  It has always been my favorite place to eat in Guatemala.

 

beautiful views of Guatemala City at night

 

 

 

a video of Guatemala City (zone 10) at night

 

We began our anniversary morning with a pancake and bacon breakfast.  I added the number "29" to ours.

 

 

anniversary morning photo

29 years as husband and wife 

April 27, 1996

 

 

 

off to conquer the world together 

We were excited to get to attend worship at Union Church.  It has been a while since we were able to visit there.  For many years, when we lived out, we would always try to attend one of their services if we were in the city on a Sunday.  It was always very refreshing for us to worship there.  It is a sentimental place to us and getting to be there on our anniversary was special.  

If you are in Guatemala City on a Sunday and need a place to worship, look up Union Church.  It is located at 12 Calle 7-37 Zona 9, Plaza España.  They have an 8:15 contemporary service and an 11:00 traditional service. 

 

 

We enjoyed a delicious anniversary lunch in the city before returning home to Antigua.  

Once home, I headed out for an afternoon walk around town, and David took Cruz for a practice driving lesson.  Life is busy when you still have kids at home, but we have always enjoyed celebrating our anniversary with the boys.  We had fourteen years of anniversary celebrations before they were born, and in just five short years we'll be back to celebrating alone.  I'll always treasure these times we have had together!

Kicking Off Our Christmas Break 2024

Our last day of school before Christmas break was Thursday, December 19.  It had felt like a long semester so we were all counting down the days until we got a much needed, extended break. 

 

We started the morning with a fun Christmas themed breakfast. 

 

 

We took our annual "end of the semester" Christmas photo.

 

 

That afternoon we drove into Guatemala City to celebrate.  Look at that beautiful sunset view!

 

 

We had supper at TGI Friday's at the Avia building in Zone 10. TGI Friday's has always been my favorite place to eat when we visit the city.

 

 

Afterwards, we walked through Fontabella to see their Christmas decorations.

 

 

The next morning we had plans to go ride go-carts in San José Pinula.  On the drive there we stopped by Condado Concepción, which is another beautiful mall in Guatemala City, to see their Christmas decorations and to eat lunch at the food court.

 

 

We then headed to Loops for some family fun.

 

 

As a Christmas gift, they always ask for a visit to the go-cart park.  It has become a Christmas break tradition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a video of our time riding go-carts

 

 

That evening we visited Oakland Mall.  It is so pretty and fancy at Christmas.

 

 

a video of some of the mall decorations

 

 

 

 

We had plans to go bowling, but there was a three hour wait.  Instead, the boys chose to visit the trampoline park in the new part of the mall called Oakland Place.  It was fantastic!  We'll definitely go back, but David and I will jump with them next time. 

 

 

the boys ready to jump

 

Their favorite part was the slides.

 

 

a video of the boys at the trampoline park

 

 

We ate supper at the food court and picked up some Dunkin' Donuts to go before leaving the mall.

 

 

A beautiful view of the volcanoes from Guatemala City (Zone 10).  From where we were, you could see Agua, Fuego, Acatenango, and to the left was Pacaya.

 

 

Guatemala City views

 

We had a wonderful time, and it was a fun way to kick off our Christmas break.  I love this annual trip that we make each year.  We all look forward to it, and it always creates some wonderful memories.  It is a family Christmas gift, and probably my favorite gift of all.

 

On a good day it should only have taken us 1.5 hours to drive back home.  This particular day, though, it took almost four hours!!  Guatemala traffic is terrible all year long, but at Christmastime it is insane!