San Miguel de Allende

Right next to the place we ate lunch (inside a mercado), there was a mask shop. Ellie turned into Donkey! Bahaha!

This is a cathedral built in 1564. The inside architecture is as beautiful as the outside. Very cool. And the weather couldn't have been better. It rained almost the entire ride there, and stopped just before we arrive. It was overcast and felt like 65-70 degrees. Shweeet!Dos locas at the mercado. We're taking the first steps of teaching them Spanish--donning the sombreros!


Here's the parrot in the garden at our hotel (read below). This was a kick in the pants!

These ficus trees are trimmed so beautifully! Mom would really "dig" the gardens here! Lots of flowers, fountains, and neatly trimmed hedges, too. You can see Abuelitos in this pic.

Here we are walking around.

Today has to be the best day so far! We brought Abuelitos with us and met up with Mar (Maho's brother) and Kelly and family (who drove here from Michigan). They have 5 kids almost all the same ages as ours (and we all have a blast together). We went to a place North about 3 hours from Tula to a place called San Miguel de Allende. Wonderful little place!! I LOVE it! It's a small colonial village with cobblestone and brick streets, Spanish architecture (reminds me so much of Madrid), beautiful gardens, and an old world Latin flavor! It's simply charming and adorable. In fact, Maho and the ninas and I are staying in a hotel here tonight. It, too, is beyond charming. It is also surrounded by a lovely garden, in the middle of which is a talking parrot!!

When we arrived at the hotel we kept hearing someone whistling as if at a pretty girl. Later we realized it was a parrot in a cage in the garden! We got right up close to him, and he started talking to us, "Hola," he kept saying. We got a kick out of that and starting laughing. Then the parrot started laughing, mimicking us! It was hilarious!! Between "Hola," his cat call whistling, and laughing, the parrot was a riot. I took photos of it but I'm having serious camera problems. All the photos I'm posting today were taken on Maho's Blackberry. How can I be here without a camera?!?

Tonight we went to a cafe owned by a famous Mexican actress named Margarita Gralia. We'd never heard of her, but she showed up there and was signing autographs and letting people take photos with her. We were more excited about our churros and European-style hot chocolate! Yum! Even when trying to avoid sugar, one must make some exceptions. Hot chocolate and churros in San Miguel de Allende is an exceptional place to make that exception! =)

As we walked back to the hotel (a few cobblestone blocks away), there was a taco stand that Maho couldn't pass up. While he and some of the girls stood at the stand and ate some outstanding tacos, Tessy and Ellie and I danced to the music of a guitarist closeby that I spoke to. When he realized we were from the U.S. he played some Beatles music for us! Then we got to chatting. I told him we are from Utah and asked if he had heard of our state. "Si!" he said. "Utah Jazz!"

I could spend a week or more here! Makes me want to buy a place to rent out and vacation at. Another nice thing here is, since a tourist-y area, the bathroom accomodations are much nicer: you don't have to pay 30 pesos to go; there is always toilet paper, and the toilets have seats! Things we really take for granted in the states!

Tomorrow we are off to Guanjuato, which we are told is much like this place. It is about 30 min from here.

Jehovah's Witnesses and Scorpions

I don't have any photos today. We cleaned this morning, weeded Abuelitos' little garden, and helped Abuelita make yummy enchiladas for lunch.

We found a couple scorpions in the house today! I don't think the ninas had ever seen one! Laurel found one while she was sweeping the kitchen. Then I found one on the stairs that I had just swept an hour before! We don't know how they got in, but we are all wearing our shoes inside the house now!

Guess what I got to do today--I spoke to some Jehovah Witnesses in Spanish! They came and rang the doorbell, but neither Abuelito nor Abuelita were home. I ran down and looked through the peek hole in the gate. I figured it was Abuelita's visiting teachers. I opened the door and soon realized who they were. Two very sweet women. Both their names were "Irma." We chatted for a little while about Jesus Christ. They gave me a pamphlet that they said went along with the Bible. I asked if they had heard of the Book of Mormon and offered them one (we brought several in Spanish). I'm not sure what they said, but they weren't jumping at the opportunity. But they were very nice. After they left I was wishing I'd have taken a photo of me with them! =) That's something you don't get to do everyday--chat with JW's in Espanol!

At the Beach with Kooyman's (in San Diego)

Olivia and Tessy. We arrived at Torrey Pines Beach around noon and stayed til about 5. Great day at the beach!

Ellie and Elle

Whitney and Abby

Laurel insited on taking this pic. I'm glad she did 'cause I think it's kinda cute. =)

Brianna, Hanna and Laurel, heading out to boogie board.

Tessy and Olivia

Elle playing with a crab exoskeleton!

After playing at the beach we joined The Kooyman family at Melba and Jerry's home in Del Mar for a Birthday/pizza party for Jerry Kooyman. This is the home we all evacuated to during the 2007 fires. Good memories here!! It was so fun to come back and visit.

Mexico City Temple + Family History

Yesterday we got everyone up fairly early and drove to the Mexico City Temple. The traffic in the city is crazy, so it took about 2 hours to get there.

There was a stake center right next to it inside a locked gate all the way around. We were able to take the ninas into the stake center where they waited for Maho and me while we did some temple work. Afterward we all ate lunch there at the cafeteria next to the MTC.
Notice the Mexican flag there next to the temple.

When we were done at the temple we walked across the street to a church history museum. We got just past the front desk and the first photo we saw was one we were all very familiar with--a photo that hangs here in la casa de los Abuelitos. It's a poster size picture of Abuelita's parents and grandparents, who were among the very first members of the church in Mexico. Along with their photos was a brief history of what they did to help the church along. Abuelita had never been in this museum, and she cried when she saw it. She had to stifle her tears for us to get this photo! =) Awesome, huh?! The man that's in color in the photo still lives in a little town called Tepecoculco. He is the ninas' great grandfather--the John Wayne of his village. He's 97. We will go visit him toward the end of our trip. The ninas will get to meet this great grandpa for the first time.

We also went to a historic area in the heart of Mexico City called Chapultepec. Here's where everyone stopped for a Paleta break.

This is driving through the city. On our way from the temple to Chapultepec, we saw a HUGE gay parade. My goodness. What a contrast from where we'd been.

More Circus Pics

The Elephant standing on one leg on a stool that rotates. I'd have taken photos of the ninas and photos of the tigers there, but my camera wouldn't work til the end!

"Mama buying dope." (Labeled as such by Maho) I'm buying circus tickets on the street from this guy.

Another fun day in Tula/ San Marcos

Today we did some fun stuff. We started by walking around the heart of Tula where the streets are lined with all kinds of little shops. Maho took us into the Mercado and reminisqued of his days as a nino selling bags with his dad and brother to all the merchants there.

We stopped at this little shop and ate tortas. Wow! Yum.

(I couldn't get all the photos from today to upload. I'll try again tomorrow.)






I really enjoyed that torta! We fed our whole family, with drinks, for about 11 bucks!

Afterward we drove to the neighboring town called San Marcos where Maho attended Kindergarten, and years later, 9th grade. He has Aunts and Uncles there. He showed us all his old stomping grounds.

Next we bought tickets to a Circus. Maho took a picture of me buying tickets from a guy driving around in a decked out circus-announcing car. He labeled the photo, "Mama buying dope." Nice. Tickets to the circus cost less than ten bucks--for our entire family! And we had awesome seats!!

The circus was great! The ninas had never been to one that they could remember. Our favorite acts were with 5 huge tigers; and an act with an elephant.

Tonight Maho and I went with his parents just up the street to a family's home/business where they make and sell Mexican food. It was such a humble little place, as most these establishments are. But the food.... wow. I had enchiladas. They are unlike anything you'll find in the states (unless, perhaps, you stumble apon a hole-in-the-wall place such as this). They are fried slightly and served in a bowl covered with salsa--almost like a soup. Topped with crumbled queso fresco and Mexican cream. It was sooooo good!

More pics from the Pyramids

After walking around at the pyramids we all went to a Paleteria and got Paletas (yummy Mexican popcicles).

This is a pic from the pyramids of the village where Abuelitos live.