Okay, I know it's been a while, and a lot has happened. First of all we moved into our own place, YEAH!!!! We live in the basement of a vacant home, but the place is amazing. I'm including pics I took with my phone, still no camera. The whole back wall is windows and overlooks a tiered garden of at least 5 staired levels. Each level resembles a tropical forest with a little clearing in the middle. The bottom level is a make-shift soccer field that overlooks a tall woody drop off, and you can hear running water below. So far it's rained every evening we've been here, so the one time we went down Marisol and I wore our rain boots (tall grass). Our living area is a straight line: entry/storage area, kitchen, living/dining room, bedroom. Oh yeah, and a step (large step)up bathroom. Out the windows we see hummingbirds and woodpeckers, and swear we hear parrots. Last night I saw something furry, with a long furry tail run past. Don't know if they have squirrels, or if it was something else. Maybe a monkey, jaguar, lemur???

We walk at least a mile to and from the children's home each day, which includes a steep 2-story overpass. We should be in good shape soon. Marisol's been a real trouper, she hasn't complained once about the walk and never asks to be carried. She holds our hands when we cross streets or are in parking lots, because she says we won't be save otherwise. Isn't she a sweetheart?

Good news is when we returned the the US last year we donated our tiny propane stove, tiny refrigerator, table and chairs to God Bless the Children, and they still had them. They moved them here for us on a bus.

Marisol is attending a Spanish speaking preschool, called colegio (college) here. The bonus...she gets English lessons everyday, isn't that a hoot!? The other option was German, but 2 languages is enough. She went to the zoo on the bus Friday and was thrilled...not so much about the zoo, but the bus ride. She comes home beaming everyday.

Big adventure of last week? Spent 10 hours on the streets of Guatemala City with a 3 1/2 year old to stay away from the children's home while a verrrry narrow minded wealthy American and his group were there, because he didn't want us around and threatened to cut funding if we were. Try that on almost no money and with regular downpours! Just trying to find places to sit and shelter. Poor Marisol was exhausted.

Big adventure this week? Decided to attempt home-made pizza in the propane oven, with no temp. settings. It was a disaster, but the family was starved and ate well. It never browned, used home-made cheese from down the street and it ran over the sides and mostly off the pizza, a little doughy, but oh well, live and learn. Marisol was proud of me anyway.

Good news! tomorrow we get a 4 day old baby girl at God Bless the Children. Boy, am I glad I no longer do the night shift. I get to enjoy the baby and go home and sleep! Can't wait to see her. She is coming from Coban, several hours drive.

I added a picture of Marisol and one of the kids playing on rocking horses. Here's the neat thing the horses are also tall chairs when stood on end, and turned over they are desks with pencil holders! Enjoy the pictures and keep in mind they come from a phone.