Okay so im the most horrible blogger ever... I dont post much anymore. Maybe its because I've gotten used to the culture here and I dont see things as very interesting anymoe. I dont know.
heres some pics from this past week.

This is me and some friends after church

Me and Jenny, she made my dress!
Bonnie & Charlie playing in the sand
My apartment building
My friends and I at dominoes pizza

Okay, I havent posted in forever. Sorry mom! I dont know where to start. A few weeks ago we went on this trip to Oaxaca (wa-ha-ka) and I got sick on the way.. I had parasites in my stomach from either -- swimming in this river a while back-- or eating some uncooked tacos at the carnaval. I dont know. I was sick throwing up for about a week but now Im better. Heres some pics from everything over the past few weeks. I also went to this couples wedding in our church, Hatsune and Felipe. It was really different, and neat.

Me & Gaby

The Wedding

In Oaxaca, theyre making tamales!

The girls at the carnaval--it lasted a week, and was right outside our apartment, and reallly noisy Ashly

mexican circus

Last night me and my friends went to the circus. I dont know what I was expecting, but it was really nice. There were contortionists, gymnasts, clowns, all sorts of animals-like lions, tigers, cats, dogs, birds.. There was lots of magic too. A helicoptor appeared out of no where. Fireworks, fire, water, everything! Heres some pics...

Then we spent this afternoon laying on the beach and swimming... ah, the mexican life! I saw way too many naked baby butts!

Ive been outta town this past week and havent had wireless. We went with a mission group from louisiana to the river and the jungle. Our first project was to build doors for the pastor's house at the river. We stayed there a few nights and worked on it. Its a different life there- they literally have nothing. One day for lunch we caught and killed a chicken. Theres lots of chickens, pigs, monkeys, dogs, cows and iguanas. One of the guys with us, Matt, caught the most beautiful iguana. I really didnt sleep at all because the mosquitos were so horrible. The first night I slept in the van with my family and the second night a hammock. The rest of the group found random places to sleep, there werent enough hammocks for everyone. Some of the girls slept in the bed of the pick up truck, and put plywood on top of the rack for some other people to sleep on, like a bunk bed haha. It was kinda miserable..
Then after the river we went to the jungle. When I say jungle, I really mean a JUNGLE! Its what you can imagine. 3 hours down a bumpy road to the middle of nowhere ville. The people there really live off the land. They grow coffee, chocolate, and every kind of fruit and vegetable available. They use horses and donkeys for transportation and they are really good carpenters. Most of their houses were built by their own hands. It was so beautiful- mountains and waterfalls. The pastor there was kind enough to let us use an entire room of his house, so we slept in there on the concrete floor, which was FREEZING!! I didnt bring blankets..........
Then on the last day we went to see the Mayan Ruins. I think those people must have had really long legs because the steps are huge!
Heres some pics!

Heres some pics that I just took on our walk on the beach! I could get used to this..

This world here has confirmed every mexican cliche I've ever heard.
Yes, we eat tacos almost every day. Yea, we have tortillas with every meal. Yeah, I sit on the top of my roof and just chill. Yep, theres more orange peelings laying around this town than people. I've learned how to bargain. I've learned to check the forecast so that my hanging clothes dont get wet. I've learned that ketchup and lemons do indeed go with anything you want it to. Ive learned that when they say were having Orange Juice, we are seriously having Juice squeezed right out of an orange. I've realized that I cant eat any kind of sauce, even if they say its not spicy. It's still flaming! Yeah, I buy coconuts and pinacoladas when I'm thirsty. haha! If i just sit back and look, I realize how different it is. I'm getting used to it though and I dont know how I'm going to handle moving back to the states.

And yeah, we eat lots of beans and rice!

And seriously, dont drink the water in mexico!

The other day after church we went to eat at this restaurant that we usually go to, the one with chickens running around. I was outside pushing charlotte on a swing and a little boy came up to me and asked me if I'm from California. And thats not the first time. People here seem to associate all americans with Hollywood or something.

The sidewalks and streets here are also pretty crazy, it looks like they poored the concrete and then had a party on it! Its all so uneven and bumpy. I've tripped so many times lately!

What a beautiful day

This morning while me and Eva were eating breakfast we were talking about how we need to lose weight. haha.. and Don was out running while we were being lazy. So we decided to go walking on the long pier where people like to walk. We went down by the ocean and theres lots of whole sand dollars, its so pretty here! Along the pier theres always fishermen in the morning hoping to catch enough to sell. The fishermen dont use fishing poles, just string. And then theres also some swimming in the water with spears that they made.

The other day when we were at the hotel picking Joel up I went to the coke machine and I wish I had my camera. There was an assortment of cigarettes and beer! For anyone to buy! things sure are different here..

I do believe that I have learned to sleep through anything, under any circumstance. Back home I had to have my big comfy bed, quiet room and fan.. Here I share a twin bed by an open window, but I've learned to sleep fine. Last night the carnival started its advertising. I was walking my friends out to their car and I saw fire breathing guys and shiny costumes across the street. . . Oh, and it was 10:00 at night. Only in Mexico! Then the rest of the night it was really noisy. Music and people outside on my street. I think the carnival starts next week.. Should be interesting. Here in Mexico theres music everywhere. I usually like it, if I'm not trying to sleep. It has a salsa-mexican feel, even the church band. Yesterday I went to band practice with Daniel (pronounced dan-yell) and Gabriela. He's one of the drummers and she's one of the singers. The band is really good. They sing some of the same church songs we sing in the states, but with a tropical feel. The pianist is amazing. After practice we went and got snow cones. Here the snowcones are soo good, they have fruit in them.

Well I hope I'm all rested up because church is today, which can be an all day event. I think theres gonna be some soccer and volleyball matches afterwards, I'll try and not put them to shame. (haha)
I'm going to try and snap some pics if I can.

Heres some pictures of us girls taking a walk the other night.

This is some kind of monument thing at an intersection close to our house.

I do believe that Charlotte is the most beautiful baby ever..This is across the street from our house, just starting out on our walk.

Internet was down yesterday and today, so I need to update!

I think I've adjusted a lot better, I dont feel like I'm in shock so much today.

Yesterday, Wednesday, we went to the fruit market. Its cheaper on wednesdays for some reason. There must have been fruit stands half a mile long. We bought some sugar cane and mangos, mmm! We eat a lot of fruit here, that and tacos. I just had some beef quesadillas that Eva made- shes the best!!!

At the fruit market there was a huge store that sold meat and stuff, I wish I brought my camera, because no one will believe me if I describe it. There was a huge area with chickens for sale. But they still had their head and feet! I guess you take it home and deal with all that stuff. Then theres some other kind of animals hanging from those hanger things- and get this- they sell the stomach, it looks like a big deer skin or something. Don said it tastes like rubber. It was pretty gross.

Yesterday me and Ashley went on a walk down to the ocean, and I bought something thats like a pinacolada snowcone, but so delicious!
Then yesterday evening we went to another town where they have another church that branched off of the one here. Pastor Joel is in town and so he preached there. (kinda like Pastor Dino going to other campuses) The area there was so pretty, rivers and mountains.

Church lasted about 3 hours, and then we went to eat at someones house. It was really nice. They had prepared tables for us Americans (it has its advantages haha) and served us right there in their living room. It was really good, but too spicy for me. I asked them what it is and they told me it was "carne de caballo" which means horse meat. I wonder what my face looked like. It was actually pork..they like messing with me. We didnt get home til around 1 am. The girls skipped school today and we all just chilled.

The streets here are filled with all kinds of people, from beggars to shoe shiners, barbers and bread sellers. Today there was a guy selling cute little baby turtles on the side of the street. People will do anything for money here. Today I passed two beggars, both of which I think were blind. One was whistling and beating on a pan, hoping his talent would be the next 'big thing.' The other was a little further down the street and just sat there. I don’t know his condition but it looked like he had been burned. Its a hard life here for lots of people, its not fair. The government could raise the minimum wage and still make millions.

Today we hung our clothes out on the roof line. From there you can see the city and its so beautiful. I wish I had a hammock or something to sit in up there.

I'm trying to put more pics on here , but its slow..

me on top the roof

Culture shock: term used to describe the anxiety and feelings (of surprise, disorientation, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within an entirely different cultural or social environment such as a foreign country. It grows out of the difficulties in assimilating the new culture, causing difficulty in knowing what is appropriate and what is not. This is often combined with strong disgust about certain aspects of the new or different culture.

Today was a busy day. First we walked the babies to school and then when we got home I started school. I couldnt stay awake though, because.. well, I'm addicted to diet dr pepper, and I went cold turkey when I moved here. There is a store across the street from our apartment but it only has pepsi and coke, dr pepper is rare here. So we took a taxi to the big grocery store and I bought 4 dr peppers. The taxi driver that we rode with on the way home played american music in his car, I guess he thought I would tip him or something? He played James Blunt &some other american bands, we just laughed at him.

Then at noon we went and got the kids from school (school only lasts from 8 to 12:30 here) and then a bunch of americans came over to the apartment that they know and they speak english so it was nice to talk to them. We went to eat at applebees at the mall, which is considered a very nice restaurant here...Mostly people with money go there. Good american hamburger, mmmh. After that me, eva and the girls walked around the mall. We went to the pet shop. Stuff is cheap there. Like the iguanas. I had been looking at getting an iguana last year but they were kinda expensive, here theyre kinda cheap. Then we went to a jewelry store that is called "La tienda de dolar" which means Dollar Store. It had stuff for girls like jewelry and makeup. I told each of the girls that they could pick something out, they were so excited.

We just took a taxi home and now I'm about to do some more school, (ok mom? :)

This is Charlotte in the taxi.