Guatemala Mission Trip (Part 1)

My daughter and granddaughter, Sharon & Megan, are on a Christian Mission Trip to Guatemala.  They are still there but have sent me some pictures of the children they went to visit and of the little girl they sponsor there.  I can't wait until they come back home so that I can hear all about their trip, but for now here are some pictures I'd like to share.

Here are Sharon and Megan checking in at Customs at the airport in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

They were all asked to dress down during their visit, and I'm assuming it is so that no one will think of kidnapping them during their stay.  I'm just assuming.......

This is Megan eating a fresh Mango that was just picked off the tree right outside their door >>>>>

 

<<< This is Sharon standing next to a mango tree.  If you enlarge the picture you can see the ripe mangos which are green in color.

This is Megan with one of the Guatemalan children >>>>>>>>>>

they went to see.  There were about 20+ church members that went on this mission trip together, along with Sharon and Megan.  They are not traveling alone.

<<<<< This is Sharon sitting with a group of young girls.  They look like they are all having a snack.  I see their towels, so they must have been playing in the swimming pool.  The visiting mission group was hosting a "Pool Party" for all the children.

                        Sharon >>>>>>

This is where they are staying.  It looks very lush and green there.

Some of the children in the pool at the pool party.

<<<<<<<<

Sharon and one of the young girls >>>>>>>>>>

<<<<< Megan with the same young lady.  This I am assuming is the girl that Megan & Sharon sponsor.

Megan with a young Guatemalan girl

                                    >>>>>>

<<<<<< Sharon with a group of little girls who adopted Sharon.

There is a picture above of Sharon sitting at a table with these same little girls eating a snack together. 

The first day that Sharon & Megan arrived with the Mission group they presented all the children, boys and girls,  with gifts that all of them had brought for them.  

For us here at home we try not to bother Megan and Sharon while on this important trip.  We know that their attention should all be directed towards the children and the Christian Mission that they went to see.  They send us pictures when they have a moment and we try to say as little as possible so as not to bother them.  We know we will see them soon, so we'll wait to ask questions at that time.                              

Cell Phone Blogging

 This is the first time that I have attempted to sign into my blog using my cell phone. I have never signed in this way before, but now that my phone is so smart it can do things unimaginable to me. 

I tried for years to sign into my blog this way but it was always impossible for me at least, but when you use facial recognition everything is possible. I tried using my finger print, but for some reason my prints must change from week to week, because it failed more than it worked. 

Well I did it and now I’m going to try a little experiment. I’m going to attempt to share a picture. 

Well how about that? This is a familiar picture of my brother Tom Dennis Diaz, my father Thomas Diaz and our step-mother Margie.  I was born but I was still living with my grandparents, Pablo and Natalia Flores Diaz.  I was allowed to stay with my dad’s parents until the death of my grandmother, then after that I moved in with the family below.

2026 Winter Olympics

 I've been spending my days and nights watching the 2026 Winter Olympics. I love winter sports and maybe the reason that I do is because I watch more Winter Olympics than I watch the summer Olympics. In the summer time I am out doing things and not glued to the TV, but in the winter what else is there to do?

Today is my grandson Matthew's birthday.  I sent him a birthday text early this morning.  Suzanne I am sure is preparing for his birthday in some way, and Sharon is in Guatemala with Megan on a Mission Trip.  They took gifts and things with them on the plane to give to the children there. Sharon & Megan sponsor a young 10 year old girl so that she can attend this after school Christian Mission program.  About 20 other church members also went to Guatemala together.  Today they gave the 40+ children their gifts and tomorrow they are throwing the children a "pool party."

Rick is at his usual place today.  He sits either in McDonald's or under the Sonic canopy if it's warm enough.  This is an everyday ritual for him.  That way if you ever need him you can always find him there.  I'm always at home unless I go up to the hill where Suzanne lives.  I'd visit Sharon more but she is always so very busy.  Up on the "hill" if Suzanne is out fishing or gone, I can always visit with Delores.

I have become a follower of Ice Hockey.  The United States women's hockey team won the GOLD medal against Canada, and right now the men are in the semi finals.  The men's U.S.A. team is leading 5-1 against Czechoslovakia, but the game isn't over yet.  I also like soccer because my favorite great-granddaughter plays soccer and she's quite good.  She plays on a traveling soccer team.

I better get back to the game........

Squeak is back outside

Third times the charm.  I had previously tried to put

Squeak back outside after the threat of below zero and sub freezing temperatures was over without success, but today it was around 70 degrees F and it was much easier.  Not really that easy, but she's out there once again.

Squeak had spent around three weeks in the house because of a severe Winter weather Advisory with ice and snow.  Rick brought her inside and she made herself comfortable immediately.  It took her only about an hour to get used to her new surroundings.  

Squeak picked out my underwear drawer to nap during the day.  We couldn't find her at first, but finally found her only by spotting her beautiful tail sticking out of a cabinet in my dresser.  She picked that spot because it was very well hidden, so we left her alone.  She is very good at opening drawers and cabinets, as all cat owners know.

Squeak slept with me at night.  She liked being wrapped up like a burrito and laying next to me at night as I slept.  Once she put me to sleep she would get up and explore the house.  Unlike my other cats of the past, she never knocked anything over or made any noise, and would return back to my bed for cat naps until I woke up in the mornings to give her fresh food and water.  

She is really a good kitty except for all that cat hair she leaves around.  She didn't really shed much because it's Winter and she needs her thick coat, but Rick was afraid that he might get a cat hair on him.  As for me, I'd like it if she stayed inside with me all the time, even if I was covered in pet hair.  That's just me.  I'm an animal lover and I love my pets. 

  

Sunrise and Squeak

 The cat and I woke up early one morning just as the sun was beginning to rise.  The sunrise looked like it was going to be a gorgeous sunrise, so I texted my daughters and told them about the beautiful sunrise.  Of course Suzanne went out and took this picture of the sunrise that we were watching.  

Isn't it beautiful?  This was a couple of days ago, and the white at the bottom of the picture is of the snow and ice that is covering the ground.

This morning when I woke up Squeak, my cat who is taking temporary shelter in the house was sitting on my bookcase looking out into the snow.  She loves looking out the windows, but whenever we approach her she runs off.  I think she thinks that we are going to put her outside and she's not ready to go yet.  This morning I finally got a picture of her looking out at her snow covered world.  

She came back to bed for a catnap and then we both got up and she followed me into the living room where I drink my morning coffee while watching game shows.

Today Squeak walked to the front door, so we thought she might be ready to go outside.  I opened the door, and she stepped way back so I left the front door open just in case she wanted a better look outside.  I was right and she approached the door again and sat there and looked out.  She left and came back to the open front door several times, so after we drank our coffee we decided to carry her outside.  I stuck her inside of her heated cathouse and she jumped right back out.  We immediately saw that this was a big mistake as she started crying at the door.  She wanted back inside.  We first remained outside for a few minutes thinking that she would settle down and get back into her cathouse, but she didn't and there was no way for us to get back in with her howling in front of the door.

Of course we gave in and let her back inside, and decided to put her back outside when the ice and snow melt away.  Last year or the year before when the winter temps got dangerously cold for pets we brought her inside, but in about 3 days she went right out, no problems, but not this time.  Of course there may not have been all this snow outside at that time, and this time she has been inside for over a week.

The temperature is warmer today and I can see some melting going on, but now tomorrow it's getting cold again.  This week was forecasted to be warmer with temperatures that were safe for our cat, but as things go here in Kentucky the weather changed again.  We may be stuck with Squeak in the house for another week and then I don't see her wanting to go back outside again.  She has to go because it's driving Rick nuts having her inside.  He's not a pet person.

While Squeak has been inside she has cuddled up to me at night and has slept tucked up against my right side.  Rick has been sleeping on the couch so that he can keep an eye on what she does or where she goes when she decides to take her night time walks.  She always comes back to bed with me, but that wandering of her's is not something Rick can tolerate.  

Squeak has been on her best behavior for a cat.  She hasn't knocked anything over or insisted on being perched somewhere up high.  Rick has seen to that and she knows what NO or GET DOWN means too.  Sometimes I feel that she is getting depressed because she's not free to roam around and be inquisitive like cats are.  She sleeps the whole day and catnaps at night.  She definitely is nocturnal and does most of her eating at night.  When she's been outside we feed her in the daytime and remove the leftover food at night.  This is so as not to attract other wild animals near her cathouse.  

We originally brought her inside because it was so cold out that she wasn't leaving her heated cathouse all day long.  We hated that for her because she was not getting any exercise.  We may have done the wrong thing by bringing her inside.  I just don't know, but it made us feel better.  Squeak protested at first and hid out under the bed, but this time she didn't remain hidden until the last day, but came right out after just a couple of hours.  I'm afraid that we might not be able to put her out without her crying to get back in until the temps reach 50 degrees F.

First Steps

 On Sunday during church services, while in the nursery Lyle took his first steps.  His birthday is on February 28, 2025, so in a little over a month he will turn ONE.  He's walking at about the same time as Brian, Sharon & Suzanne began to walk at 11 months old.

Sharon, Lyle's grandma sent me this video of Lyle's first steps.  Lyle is Megan & James 3rd child.

Watch til the very end when he lets go of the railing and walks towards his grandma Sharon.

ICE

The ice is 3 inches thick on our cars & truck.  Rick has cabin fever and went out to start the vehicles and clean them off.   He let them run for 30 minutes on defrost.  Since the Prius has very good defrosters on the front and back windows, the ice loosened up and he was able to remove it in big chunks.  But the Prius isn't the car he wants to take out on these salty icy roads.  He feels safer in the AWD Saturn and since it is so old the defrosters aren't as good so he saved it for last.

I'm sure he must be getting really cold out there because the windchill is 8 degrees F out there.  I opened a window in the bathroom and talked to him for a few minutes, but then I had to close it back up because it was too cold. 

I better check on Rick again.  He's been out there for almost 20 minutes, but he has the Prius and Saturn both running, and he's smart enough to get out of the cold and warm himself up.  I'll go check on him anyway, through the window.