November Normalcies

Here are some highlights from our November 2019 in Monterrey:

November 1st we went to a cemetery to celebrate Day of the Dead festivities. Each year for this holiday, Mexican families visit graveyards and decorate the graves of their deceased family members. In some cities, families will spend the entire night at the graveyard, "visiting" the dead. While I may not agree completely with some of the beliefs of this holiday, I do think that there is something nice about Mexican children growing up comfortable with the concept of death and without fear of a graveyard.

There is a cemetery just a couple blocks from our house that puts of a huge Day of the Dead event

I love the colored banners with the mountains in the background

 An example of an altar

They leave favorite foods of the deceased at the grave sometimes as well

When we arrived there was a really neat native ceremonial dance happening

I love all the marigolds

The boys found some friends from school and played Mexican bingo with them; they did not, however, choose to have their faces painted like skulls. 

There was a food festival going on with people from Michoican

We tried a bunch of different kinds of food, including these super cool potato chips

This is the altar at the boys' school; the twins each made one of the tiles, and Josh a vase down on the floor.

On November 2, we hosted an international dinner for our church. How different the international group looks now compared to when we first arrived! It was mostly Latino people from various countries: Chile, Guatemala, Venezuela, Belize, and Panama. There was also a family from Spain. It was a fun, enriching night...mostly all in Spanish. How our horizons have expanded! 

Look at all that amazing food! 

Tortilla española...I couldn't eat enough of it! 

Empanadas de Chile

Mole from Mexico

Arepas de Venezuela

Such a great friendship that Ben and Hugo have! 

On November 3, the boys went to their first Sultanes baseball game with our friends.

 Ben and the boys

 Martin and his sons and all our boys

 Silly Josh

While they were at the baseball game, Mayra and I went to an outdoor circus and then walked around the Macro Plaza (which was still decorated for the Day of the Dead)

More Day of the Dead altars

This one was giant and very beautiful...and weird all at once.

In the midst of "bigger" weekend things, there is always our normal weekly activities, that include various sporting events. Here are a few pictures from one of Josh's basketball games (don't you love the mountain in the background?). 

Josh at the bottom right of the picture. 

Also in November, we were able to participate in the baby blessing my dear friend Amanda and her baby Helen. It was a special event to be part of! 

The view from her balcony.