Celebrations Abound!

Sept 13 was Josue’s 2^nd birthday. So, we had a party! Jeremiah and Kelly (missionaries, and youth leaders at La Carpa, and best friends of Romel and Angeles) came over with their daughters, and we grilled hamburgers and had cake. So, just a little sidenote, apparently Mexicans like to eat their hamburgers with ham as well and also with guacamole!!! YIKES! I had mine with just plain cheese! Lost of fun!

Angeles made the cake. I don't know what kind it was, but it was DANG good!

Josue blowing out his two "candles"...they were actually matches!

The family: Romel, Jair, Angeles, and Josue

The Frey Family: Jeremiah (Jer), Kelly, Emma, and Anna Grace

Friday, Sept 15 was Angeles’s Birthday, and it was also the day of El Grito (“The Shout”), which is the day before Independence Day (Sept 16). I don’t really know the history very well, but at some point in Mexico’s history, some president ended up making himself dictator, and finally someone yelled for freedom—that is El Grito—and the day after they declared independence from the dictator and and began to overthrow his gov’t, etc. They celebrate El Grito way more than the actual independence day—For El Grito, at about 11 pm, the president comes out and gives a speech and yells three times, “Viva Mexico! Viva Mexico! Viva Mexico!” And it’s a big deal!

Well the same day was Angeles’s birthday, so that night, we went out for dinner at a really nice restaurant called El Tango near where the school is. It’s an Argentinian restaurant and it’s in a little plaza. Well they close off the plaza for El Grito celebrations and they have this huge street fair with rides and games, etc. all in the street. They have a beauty pagent type thing for the local neighborhoods and elect a queen of El Grito, and just all sorts of fun things. They also had fireworks! So, I was finally able to use the fireworks setting on my camera, and it worked really well!

The "family" outside El Tango: (L-R) Jair & me, Angeles (in her birthday finery...care of Romel), Romel & Josue, Sally (my US roomie)

Josue as cute as he can be at dinner...those sugar packets were SO entertaining..they saved the evening...YOU try eating at a nice restaurant with active 2 and 4-year-olds!

Sally and I in front of a gazebo in the plaza

Jair riding a ride

I am extremely pleased with the fireworks setting on my camera! Wow!

We really enjoyed dinner and then went out to the plaza to walk around, etc. Jair got to ride on one of the rides, and we just enjoyed it all….LOTS of people crammed in that plaza, but tons of fun. Then we came home and opened presents that Sally and I had for her. Romel had given her money to buy clothes, which is what she wanted, so she bought the dress she’s wearing in the picture. Sally got her the watch she’s wearing, something she’d been wanting for a while, and I bought her the vase, also something she’d been wanting. The only vase she has really only holds a couple of stems of flowers, and her larger one had been broken by the kids some time ago. So, I got her the vase, and we both got her some flowers, and we had a great time watching her open up her presents and enjoy them!

A watch from Sally

A vase (in Spanish = florero) from me.

The girls: Sally, Angeles, and me!

Then on Saturday, we slept in, and spent the day relaxing. At one point we went to a really nice bakery and bought Angeles a berry cheesecake..it had strawberrys, raspberries, and blackberries, and was absolutely delicious…and I don’t even like cheesecake!!! We had a good time eating that up, and that night we played Uno, only to find out that we’re now addicted!

Sept 17 was Romel and Angele’s anniversary! They have been married 7 years! They decided that we should all go to Chapala as a family for the day. So, we slept in late (because church service is at night), and then got ready and headed to Chapala, about an hour away. It’s very close to Ajijic, which is home to the largest population of Americans outside of the US. Lake Chapala is also the primary water source for the entire city of Guadalajara, which has anywhere from 7-11 million people living in it…depending on what areas you count! We had fun walking around an artisan market, and I was able to buy some souvenirs, especially some artwork in a style that I just love! Then we had lunch at a restaurant owned by some friends of the family. That was a lot of fun too!

Lake Chapala....or a piece of it anyway

Yah, in Mexico, they serve fish with heads intact...I took this picture just as Romel was about to eat the eyeball you see on the right....argh!

Enjoying homemade icecream in a plaza nearby...a great end to a great day!

We finally headed home, but too late to go to church, so we ate dinner, and then decided to play more Uno…only this time I taught them Killer Uno….we have all decided we like Killer Uno better and we’re seriously addicted. We played again tonight, and I believe there are plans to play again tomorrow….so much fun!