During our visit we also had to make a visit to the ENT doctor to check on Caleb’s ear tubes. This visit led to him having his one remaining tube surgically extracted on Christmas Eve. Caleb was a real trooper and made a complete recovery quite quickly. (The above picture was taken roughly 10 minutes before the anesthesia kicked in.)

We’re Still Here...

I know it has been a little while since I’ve updated things here. Mainly, the hiatus has been due to Amy and I wrapping up our current Spanish classes and preparing for our end-of-course exams that are underway this week. So… the witty conversation and sharp banter that you’ve come to love and expect has, regrettably been brief.

However, I did want to take a few moments and post a few pics. of our latest happenings. Above, Caleb poses with his latest creation: a Thanksgiving Day art-project that Amy designed and Caleb & Kaye produced. There are a few folks in Mexico City that celebrate Thanksgiving and this year our troop increased this number by four.

Here we are at the home of an International Mission Board family that has been serving in Mexico City for over 10 years. For this year’s Thanksgiving Day celebration, Gloria Sloan welcomed more than 30 missionaries to her house for an American Thanksgiving feast.

Later that day, I was privileged to read George Washington’s Thanksgiving address to the nation from 1789. For those that are interested, the text of several Thanksgiving Day speeches from some of our greatest leaders can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States). (Good food for thought the next time anyone attempts to argue that the United States was founded on secular principles or that our founding fathers were themselves, atheists.)

What’s this? As Christmas quickly approaches a nativity scene has been constructed not 10 feet from one of our university’s administration buildings. What’s REALLY strange about this image is that there isn’t an ACLU (or MCLU?) protester in sight. What is this world coming to?

Finally, at the end of last week our university held an early “Las Posadas” celebration. This event is a nine-day celebration with origins in Spain beginning December 16 and ending December 24. It is a yearly tradition for many Catholic Mexicans and some other Latin Americans and symbolizes the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born. One of the customs of these celebrations is the breaking of piñatas. The one in the picture are of the traditional round shape with seven points extending from the middle. Each of the points represents one of the seven deadly sins which are ceremoniously “smashed” with a wooden stick. Caleb was more than a little enthusiastic to help destroy something. (On top of this he received shouts of encouragement from his parents and our fellow students and professors alike!)