Antigua

We have moved and are living in the beautiful colonial town of Antigua. We came here for a number of reasons...to be closer to the city where Ryan works and so that I can be in a place where I can be more self-reliant. Our home here is furnished and a great floor plan for a family. We have a hot water heater here and a washer and dryer. I am so grateful for modern comforts! We live in an apartment complex but it is more like a townhouse community. It is a secure little community located within site of a colonial ruin from a 1773 earthquake that destroyed the old capital of Guatemala. Antigua is a historically and culturally rich town nestled in the highlands of Guatemala. This town is surrounded by three beautiful volcanoes. The weather here is eternal spring. It is gorgeous here. I highly recommend this place to any tourist. The kids and I have ventured out several times. Our first night here we celebrated and walked several blocks under a full moon. It was magical. Then we ate sushi. We were all in heaven eating one of our family's favorite meals. We tried Mango Sushi for the first time. It was scrumptious. We found the local library so we are all very happy, especially Joshua. Heidi is learning to read and loves writing. We are enjoying homeschooling in the beautiful place. Our curriculum includes reading, writing, Spanish, math, art, history, science, and whatever else interests us. We have really enjoyed studying the scriptures. The kids love acting out the stories or drawing them while we read. We hope to explore the museums and architecture here. The kids are excited about getting some indoor pets like parakeets and frogs. We are enjoying this beautiful country but miss our home and friends. We look forward to a warm and cozy autumn season back with all of you. (Sidenote: One weird thing I don't get down here are the odd hours to set off firecrackers. Right now it is almost midnight on a Thursday night and the firecrackers just scared me to death...almost. In Chimaltenango we heard firecrackers at 4 and 5 am. Can you believe it? The strangest thing was a pre-dawn music party one Sunday morning around 4 am. Drums, guitars, marimba style, singing, partying. Our friends here say it is for birthday parties. Only in Guatemala, I say, but maybe it is just that way everywhere but Utah, California, Missouri, Minnesota, and Paraguay. You tell me. I've haven't traveled the whole world yet.)