Honduras

Today we took a walking tour of our hotel's neighborhood in San Salvador, and visited a couple shops where tortillas and the local staple, pupusa's, were being made.

Pupusaria

We then visited Joya de Ceren, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Pompeii of the Americas." This is an archaeological dig of a Mayan village that was covered with volcanic ash and preserved intact. Quite fascinating!

Just a small portion of Joya de Ceren.

The rest of the day was on the bus. We crossed from El Salvador into Guatemala, and then from Guatemala into Honduras. Our guide, who is Guatemalan, gave us a long history of the Salvadoran civil war in the 1980s. He was clearly unhappy that the Socialists are the majority party now, introducing radical stuff like free public education and universal health care.

A family selling produce from their pickup truck on a city street in San Salvador.

But we noticed that the roads were new, smooth, super-highways in El Salvador, and nicely paved in Honduras, but really terrible with pot holes and trash in the ditches in Guatemala.

Squatters live (and hang out their laundry) in a San Salvador cemetery.
At least the neighbors are quiet.

I'm relaxing with one of the local beers that sell for 75 cents. You get what you pay for. Also, the electrical power seems to go out a lot here. Hope this gets posted.

San Salvador

We are enroute to Central America! Katherine dropped us at the airport. The flight to Dallas was on time, but the flight leaving Dallas was delayed a good 45 minutes for no apparent reason, so we got here after dark and didn't see much. We'll get a city tour tomorrow, then on to Honduras.

A flower in El Salvador

Commencement

The final(?) chapter of our year in England came on Sunday, May 19, 2013 when our twelve students graduated from Luther College.

Notts were entitled to wear "Union Jack" stoles with their commencement caps & gowns. As top students, many of these also qualified for other, various honor stoles and cords related to their majors or service groups.

We will greatly miss our evening tea parties at our home, their energy and their reminiscences of their time in the UK. I'll miss seeing them on campus and having them individually drop by my office to chat.

Natalino celebrates his degree

With Alex, one of eight Nottingham "daughters."

Noah on the eve of graduation, after the baccalaureate service.

Elliott & Ben cool off after a very hot indoor ceremony.

We tried to get everyone together for a group shot, but it didn't work out. Kennedy was missing from the group above, but she is in this shot. Unfortunately, in this version, Mary is blocked by Chelsey's hat. Natalino and Elliot didn't make it for the group photo.

Christmas 2012

 This was Harper's first Christmas. Even though we had the whole family together -- both girls and their husbands at my parents -- it appears the only photos we came away with were of baby Harper! That should not imply that we didn't enjoy seeing everyone.

The little elf herself

 

 

 

 

Lounging in her "Baby's First Christmas" pajamas
with a ribbon in her hair.

Conversing with Grandpa

With Mom and Copper

Being rocked to sleep by Grandma

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Grandparenthood

I suppose it's an occupational hazard for new grandparents to want to share baby pictures. I've been very conscious about not imposing them on people with whom I converse (unless, of course, someone asks to see them). But if you are one of the few who are reading here, I assume you have an interest. So just to keep you up to date, here are a few photos from the last month or so.

 

Sarah and Harper visited us for over a week at Thanksgiving. Above, at just more than one month old she is enjoying a bath in our kitchen sink. She loves the water. Perhaps she'll be a swimmer like her Mom?

 

We were all invited to a Christmas party at the home of Katherine's in-laws in the Twin Cities. Harper, of course, was the "belle of the ball" in her party dress (although she wasn't overly happy with getting it on). 

At two months she can hold her head up quite well, but she has been strong enough to lift her head, even from birth.

Sleeping through the night was a big victory (especially for her Mom). We can imagine that she's giving a big victory wave, even if it probably was just stretching.

We look forward to seeing Harper and her parents again at Christmas, and hope it's a happy holiday for all.

Harper's Baptism

We drove to Kansas City last weekend for Harper's baptism at her Daddy's home congregation. 

My parents, Harper's great-grandparents, met her for the first time.

We all took turns holding her and getting re-acquainted.

Brandon's pastor briefed them before the service.

The introduction to the baptism.

The children's sermon concluded the baptism,
and most of the kids who came forward
happened to be Harper's cousins.
They got to help introduce Harper to the congregation.

It is Finished

It's been a very long haul, but the kitchen project is now complete.

View from the entry, same viewpoint as many previous posts.

Looking back the other way.

View from the living room.

Our furniture and other belongings were only delivered to us from storage about 10 days ago, so we're still unpacking and getting settled. But no more construction dust, noise, or intrusions now, so we can begin to make this home.