PICTURES!!

So, Kevin promised pictures exactly a week ago, and I'm just now getting around to doing it!  Things work a little more slowly here in Guatemala, especially in the valley.  We are finding that our computers are the last places we find ourselves, and our work has shifted to more manual and interpersonal labor instead.  We are taking a break again in Coban this weekend (only for a night) at Hotel Don Francisco.  The people who work here bend over backwards to make us feel at home and welcomed here, and it's very nice to be in a place where the meseros in the restaurant know my kids by name.

Even so, we had to pull ourselves away from the valley this morning.  The kids, especially, are forming good relationships with the other children as was predicted, and it made us a little sad to see Enebol's face this morning as he realized we wouldn't be around today.  One of the community coordinators, Roberto, has invited all 8 of us to his home tomorrow for lunch.  He said yesterday that we would have meat, which is humbling when you realize what cost it is to he and his wife to prepare a meal with meat for us.  In short, we are building relationships in the valley, and we are humbled by the welcome we have received thus far.

Also as predicted, our car has become a very popular item. Last week, the kids, Cata, DeeDee and I ventured to the market about 20 minutes from our house. We parked the car and walked around the market for awhile, and when we returned to the car, it was completely overflowing with people wanting a ride up the mountain!! DeeDee shared the front seat with a lady who, we discovered at about halfway through the trip, had a live chicken at her feet that she had bought at the market. Yesterday, we went to the river (currently my kids' favorite thing to do, plus it gets boots squeaky clean!!) to collect some rocks for our garden. A sweet family stopped at the river and asked for a ride up the hill. When we said, "15 minutes", the reply was, "no problem". And if you know the hill I'm referring to, I'm sure you can understand why they were content to wait. Their sweet daughter, Anna Maria, helped my boys find snails in the river, and I wish you could've seen the smile on her face as she hopped into the back of the truck with them for the ride up the hill. At the end of our ride, her mother pulled an orange for EACH of us out of her bag as a way to say thank you! It brings tears to my eyes to know how generous so many people are in the valley with the little they have. It also makes me feel guilty about the many times I've found myself being selfish in times past.

I have to take a moment to give a shout-out to Cata as well. For the many of you who know her, you know what a gift she is to any family who is fortunate enough to have crossed her path. She is already the most popular person in the valley as well! When we walk down the road, you can hear almost everyone we pass say, "Cati!!". We've told her that she could be married three times over if all the men hadn't married at the age of 16 :)! We simply couldn't be doing what we're doing without her...I believe this with all my heart!

And finally, drumroll please! The pictures!





Los trabajodores

Cata doing laundry

Me helping Cata do laundry...hee hee.  She can do twenty pair of socks in the time it takes me to do one!

Using a handsaw requires extreme concentration!







Zaac doing some masonry work

Kris and Ben polishing off one of our favorite meals that Cata makes: Chow Mein!

Bananas from one of our banana trees

 Cata's Cafeteria

 Our Pila

 Kevin's and My bed

 

The kids' beds

 Kevin skyping with a bunch of curious onlookers surrounding him

Our Shower...we're living in luxury!

 A typical morning view

Our bathroom

Our clothes dryer

Our garden in progress.