Christmas Dinner

We were asked if we could host Christmas dinner for the extended family this year.  We readily agreed. 

It was simple pot-luck style {with a little planning between the ladies} and took place Christmas Eve night {we started dinner around mid-night!}   I have been very blessed with a family here.  They have quickly and lovingly accepted me was a part of the family. 

After dinner it was game time!   {Pin the tail on the donkey, Pictionary, 4 on a couch, and charades, were among the several we played.}  The last of the group lefts a little after  4 a.m….

Only to sleep for a little bit and have everyone back by 2 the next afternoon for leftovers and more games! 

THE Piñata

A New Year’s Day tradition here is piñatas!   This year we gathered with {some of} our extended family, and this is what the kids piñata looked like…

It is a cube made out of plastic paper and FULL of balloons.  Some of the balloons have little pieces of paper with numbers in them.  Each number represents a prize. {Some of the prizes where big like a new doll or dinosaur, will other numbers represented lollipops and other small candy.}  This takes piñatas to a whole new level, let me tell you!  After the piñata is broken, the scene looks like this…

 

And never fear, there was a piñata for the adults too.  Since we were participants, there is no picture evidence. The competition to pop the balloons and be the first to pick up the piece of paper, was fierce.  Without going into too much detail, I will just share that between Rafa and myself, we took home the big {and most!} prizes of the day.  There is talk of just allowing one of us to participate next year…

Paperwork.

 

Not a task either one of us is particularly thrilled with, but our life will be {and is already!}  full of, considering our motherlands.  There will always be another visa form to fill out, passport processes to go through, documents to have translated, waiting and lots of patience.  Not only for each of us, but each child the Lord decides to bless us with. 

But I have found that it is a much more delightful task with a pot of tea, a good smelling candle, flowers from my best friend, and having him by my side. 

Perhaps. just perhaps, I may find that one day paperwork was become a delightful, no longer dreaded, task! 

Deckin’ the Halls ‘11

Or the start thereof.  I spent the first several days of December state-side visiting family and friends. I left the casita undecorated for the holidays, but with much anticipation to begin upon returning.  The holiday season here really runs from Christmas Eve till January 6th {El Dia de los Reyes}, so I am not really behind.  Our décor is mostly simple, handmade, and relatively un-impressive.  Any cute idea was probably begged, borrowed or stolen from someone {Hi Christina!} or somewhere.  I am spending this week and next doing a project or two a day.  Here is what we have so far: 

 

{Okay, so the fireworks are not a part of the décor, but it would not be the holiday season at our house without them! Just as Rafa.}

Botas…

 

Botas.  Aka “Boots” from Shriek, the newest member in our casita.  I have never been a cat fan, but I prefer cats to rodents…and that is Botas’ job here at our home: pest control.  He comes from a long legacy of mice catchers, so hopefully he will be around for a while!

P.S. A bit of information for those of you who may consider visiting: I have not *actually* seen mice or evidence there of here in {or around} our house.  We are just trying to keep it that way, thus the protection of Botas!

Picture.

Blessed

I find myself in a high school middle school class. But this time instead of sitting among the students, I stand before them.  ‘Cause I’m not longer a student and living in Mexico {apparently} makes me qualified to speak on Latino living and the Spanish language. 

We arrive to the question section.  “I don’t know…” is my most common answer, because,  {as it became quite obvious very quickly}  I am no expert.  The questions cover my experiences, political issues, cultural differences, and of course food.  The teacher takes a turn asking a question, “Can you please explain to the students how blessed we are?!” 

Her question makes me think.  I consider jumping up onto a {judgmental} soap box of mine about the abundance of everything in our country and how unappreciative we are as a society.   But I knew that would not be a fair answer. 

“Your teacher asked me to explain how blessed we are here,” I began. “I appreciate the question greatly,”I continued looking at her, “but I do not think it is fair to say we are blessed.

“We measure blessing in terms of what we have, but in reality that has nothing to do with being blessed or not.  I know people who have nothing, but know that people are the most important thing they will ever come across in this world.   When you go to their house, they will give you the best, if not all, of what they have to eat, and rejoice to do so.  In having nothing, they know that things really mean nothing, and souls mean everything. 

“And I believe,” I continued, “that most of us will spend the rest of our lives learning that simple truth.   They are the blessed ones.”