Happy Easter all you cute little peeps!!

  We hope you have all had a nice Easter.  Easter has been a little different here.  The week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is called Semana Santa and is a big holiday the whole week long.  No school and many businesses are closed especially the last few days of the week. All week they are closing off different roads and making what they call "alfombras" in the streets.  They are designs made of colored saw dust and flowers, which take a lot of time to do, then they have a procession or parade down that street over the alfombras.  The procession has to do with the crucifixion.  I have sent a couple pictures of some alfombras we saw in Antiqua this week and people making them.    

   No Easter bunnies or candy down here for us or even a special Easter program at church.  Our ward was trying to have a ward choir do a couple of special numbers for this Sunday but that didn't happen.  I am pretty sure one of the speakers talked about the Resurrection, but my Spanish isn't good enough to really understand what they are saying in church yet.

   When we hiked Pacaya last week there are several little children wanting to sell you a walking stick at the beginning of the trail for 10 Quets or about $1.20.  After you return from the hike they are there to gladly reclaim them.  This is a picture of the little boy Dad gave his stick back to after trying to negotiate a resale.

   We had a fun and busy week last week with Doug Gray, his granddaughter Desi, her husband Matt, and her brother Matthew.  While in Antiqua we found probably one of the nicest McDonald's I have ever seen.  This store has touch screens when you walk in the door to order from, seating inside and out, a courtyard with a fountain and a play area for the kids.  It even sells cheesecake!  

   I lost my voice for a couple days and had a little cold this week.  Some kind soul left me a bag of cough drops on my door last night anonymously. We are so lucky to be serving here with such neat, loving people!

   I would love to know what you all did this year for Spring break. It sounds like the Edwards family had fun on their camping trip. 

   MARTIN and LAREN...We hope you had a really great birthday all week long!  We were thinking of you and think of you quite often.  Happy 19th!! We love you both!  Keep up the good work.

   ETHAN!!!   HAPPY 13th Birthday this week.  I would love to hear how you spent your special day on Tuesday.  I think you probably have school that day, don't you?  Are you still playing the saxophone? Love you always!!

Have a nice week everyone and I hope we can all have the reason we celebrate Easter still in our minds and hearts throughout the week.

     Love to all!   Grammy, MOM

Pictures of the floats, I call them, in the processions this week.  They are carried by people through the streets and the people pay to do it.  They look pretty heavy.