Grammy and Grampy Visit

We were so excited that my mom and dad - "Grammy" and "Grampy" to the kids - were able to come for a visit last week! This was Grammy's second trip to Guatemala but Grampy's first. We wanted them to feel welcome right away:



It didn't take very long for Grammy and Grampy to get settled in. Thanks to our video skyping, Luis was pretty familiar with his new grandparents, so he jumped into the fun right along with Caroline and Christopher. The kids and I wanted to show them around beautiful Antigua while enjoying some quality family time. The weather during the trip was ideal, warm and sunny during the day, cooler at night. We spent a lot of time playing outside. As you can see, Grampy was quite the good sport, letting the kids climb all over him:



We also did a lot of exploring around Antigua. We walked down the popular "Avenida Del Arco" or "Arch Street" as I call it. We continued to the Central Plaza and checked out the old Spanish college. The architecture and gardens were just amazing. Here we are in one of the courtyards:



On one occasion of sight-seeing around Antigua, we stopped at the Casa Del Jade, which is a Jade Factory and store. We learned about the jade found in Guatemala, and how it is turned into jewelry and other things. Mom picked out a few things, and the sales people gave each kiddo a little piece of unfinished jade. Chris was curious about how much it was worth, and how much more if it were polished. The manager indulged us by allowing Grampy into the work area to polish one side of Chris' jade. It was really cool!



Before Grammy and Grampy left, they spent a day with Kimberli, a young lady they sponsor at Casa Aleluya. They picked her up from the home and took her back to Antigua to treat her to some time "off-campus."



While we were busy getting school work done, they toured the Cross on the Hill (Cerro de La Cruz) and had lunch. We met up with them at the Cathedral by Central Plaza. We had not yet toured the Cathedral, which had collapsed during a big earthquake in 1773. Some of the it was still intact, but the ruins were really interesting.



After touring the Cathedral, we walked to Las Capuchinas, another big church that was destroyed in the Earthquake of 1773. It's in the process of being renovated, and is actually quite breathtaking. I can see why it's a popular location for weddings.

Grammy and Grampy treated the kids and I to a delicious dinner at Monoloco. It was the first time we'd eaten there, and it was somewhat reminiscent of an American restaurant (it had ESPN on two giant TV's). The food was good and we're definitely taking Vic there next time he visits.



It's always sad when visits come to an end, but we sure did have a lot of fun! Thanks, Grammy and Grampy, for coming to see us!! Can't wait to see you again in the States!!!