Spring Break Week

     This week is spring break for us.  The kids have been enjoying the free time and I have been spring cleaning.  It is nice to have time to get some deep cleaning done in the house.  There is so much dust here that it doesn't take long for everything to get dusty and dirty.  Unfortunately with homeschooling and going to Esperanza Viva, there isn't a lot of time for deep cleaning.  So, it is quite refreshing to get some of it done this week. 

     On Tuesday we took a trip to Mexico City.  Jonathan's and Erin's passports needed to be renewed so we went to the United States Embassy.  Our appointments were for 9:00 and 9:30 AM.  We had to take a bus and since the bus trip is two hours, we wanted to be sure we left early enough in case there were any delays.  That meant waking up at 3:30 AM and getting out the door by 4:20 to make the 5:00 bus.  We didn't want any delays to cost us our appointments but everything went right on schedule.  From the bus station, we took a taxi and I just kept my eyes closed.  Wow! Taxis in Mexico City are an experience in and of themselves.  We arrived at the Embassy at 7:30 AM, an hour and a half before our appointment time.  Since we had time, we looked for someplace to eat breakfast but there wasn't much open at that time.  So, we went into the Marriot and had a breakfast buffet which was very good.  A little on the pricy side but it was well worth it.  After breakfast we went to the Embassy and began the process of renewing the kids' passports.  It was quite fascinating and was quite amazing how heavily guarded it is.  While we were inside, Erin wanted to look over a ledge at the fountain but wasn't allowed to.  It was prohibited.  She was disappointed but we were able to talk about why there was so much security. 

     You are not allowed to take pictures of the Embassy at all, inside or outside.  So we have no pictures of that for you.  We did do a little sightseeing and got some pictures of La Ángel de la Independencia (The Independence Angel) statue.  There was a group visiting the angel and so we couldn't go up inside.  On any other day, we could have gone to the top and looked out.  Maybe next time.

     Tonight, Jonathan is going over to his friend David's house. He is very excited and really looking forward to it. Then tomorrow night, both Jonathan and Erin will end spring break week by spending the night at our friends, the Nielen's house.
     Tomorrow we are expecting another group in from the states so we will begin to be quite busy again. We have had a short break with no groups and we are refreshed and ready to go again. We always look forward to groups coming in and the kids at the orphange love it when they come also.
     Sunday is Easter and we also turn our clocks forward. The funny thing is that the group coming in has already "sprung forward", so they will gain an hour of sleep their first night here and then lose it again on Saturday night.
     We pray that you all have a wonderful Easter as we remember the sacrifice that our Lord and Savior made for us and that he is risen and gives us life! Happy Easter to all of you.