Pan Americna games 2011, Zach's Birthday, New Office, Halloween and Dia del Los Muertos

Finally got a new camera and I am feeling ready to start adding to our Blog once again.  So much has happened over the past 5 weeks, so here I go…

We have celebrated the 2011 Pan American Games here in Guadalajara.  The kid’s school had a wonderful celebration that consisted of the Flag March for all countries competing, lighting of the torch and a number of cool sports competitions between the kids in each class.  We were so blown away when we saw our Andrew carrying the Mexican flag and lighting the torch.  Just so happens that we were totally unaware that these two honors go to the best athlete in the grade.  What a fun time we all had and the kids really got into the whole thing.  It is so incredible to see an entire huge city really show pride in what they accomplished by putting on the games.  Below are lots of photos and the remainder of my update.  I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

Andrew Carrying the Flag

Andrew and Zach's Futbol Team

Andrew lighting the torch

Cool Store front in the village

Before

Shoppingggggg

Meow

What should I buy?

The Beatles

After

Pan AM Flag Parade

Our favorite Taco place.  1 Visit a week at least

Birthday Parties in Mexico.  Bouncy houses included!

Nuevo Posada Restaurant

Drumming Circle

Pan American Games 2011

Super Cool Hat

Tracy and Carrie

Our friend Berno in the white T-Shirt did the English Announcements at Field Hockey

and the crowd goes wild

USA, USA, USA Women's Field Hockey Team takes the Gold

Oh say can you see by the dawns early light...

USA Women's Team.  They are so cool!

Ben and Carrie hung out with us, so fun!

Archery Stadium

The fancy new RIU Hotel in Guadalajara

Awesome bridge downtown Guad.

Driving home from Guad

Add caption

Cheeeeeeeese

Happy Halloween

Zach's Birthday Pinata

Z's Birthday Party at school

Scarrrrry!

One of many alters for "Dia De Los Muertos"

New Futbol stadium in Guadalajara, built for the Pan American Games

Chilling with Ben at the Pan American Games

Good friend Mark won the Gold in Men's Road Race this day

USA beats Mexico and advances to qualifiers for the Olympics

Cranky and hungry boy!

Zack throwing the Shot-Put at the schools Pan AM Games

We were fortunate enough that our good friend Ben Maruquin from Ventura/Santa Barbara just so happens to be on the coaching staff for the USA Men’s Field Hockey Team.  He was also an Olympic Team member on the USA Men’s Field Hockey team when the Olympics were in Sydney, Australia.  Ben was was able to hook us up with tickets to the Women’s Bronze medal game and the Gold/Silver Medal Game along with the USA Men’s game vs. Mexico.  We were so spoiled and given the VIP treatment.  It all started with the most wonderful women's team member Carrie Lingo.  She found us at the front gate and escorted us in and then proceeded to hang out with us and fill us in on all the rules and details of our now favorite team sport.  We all had the greatest time ever and just fell in love with all the players.  What a high…

Then came Zach’s Birthday celebration.  Most of you are aware that his big day is actually on Halloween back in the USA.  Well, Mexico does celebrate Halloween a bit, but there are some obvious differences.  The first is that the kids say “queremos Halloween” in a chant instead of Trick or Treat.  They also tend to have to walk really far in order to garner any candy as only one in about 20 houses participates.  For “Z’s” big day we had a Day of the Dead / Dia de Los Muertos bread with candles on top, he opened his gifts from the family and he was thrilled.  While trick or  treating, he asked me why there were so few houses that had candy to pass out, I explained that in Mexico they are just in the past few years beginning to embrace this north of the border celebration.  He looked at me and said, “so why don’t they want to all celebrate my birthday”?  That’s my boy!  Tracy decorated the front of our house along with 9 other homes in our little neighborhood and it was such a fun night.  There had to be over 200 kids wandering around the neighborhood.  The kids actually rode in the back of the car with Tracy and we had the hatch up so that they could get out when we got to a home that was passing out candy.  They had such great luck and got so much candy, it was awesome. 

On November 2^nd the Mexican’s celebrate “Dia de Los Muertos” or day of the dead and is is simply awesome.  The cemeteries get decorated; the burial plots all get cleaned up, flowers, food, drink, and memorabilia from the buried ones life surround the altar.  Every gravesite is like a small shrine to the deceased and the beautiful thing is that the family members set up a small party at the site to celebrate the life of the loved one lost.  In the evening after dark, we headed to Chapala down the road and hit 5 de Mayo street, where they actually block off 2/3 of the street and build these amazing altars to the lost loved ones.  Everyone from family members to Bob Marley is remembered.  Entire yards, carports and corner sidewalk/street areas are set up.  It was one of the most touching and beautiful things I have ever witnessed.  The really cool thing is that this celebration has been around in Mexico for over 2,500 years and still going strong.

One last thing, is that we just got Andrew's first term grades from his school and he has score an average of 9.9 out of a best of 10.  It’s a good sign indicating that he is finally feeling settled and happy with where and what he is doing.   We are all feeling really good, everyone is healthy and we have made some of the best friends you could ask for.  There is absolutely nothing scary down here for us, other than Spanish class because it is so challenging.  This place is so wonderfully beautiful, fun and the people are just plain ole awesome!  The beauty, culture and climate make for a perfect vacation or even better a perfect life.  If you think this place is unsafe, just watch your local news or pick up a paper in the USA.  It is far more violent there than it is here.   Please, come and visit us or at least take a trip to a beach town down here in Mexico.  You will not be disappointed.

Adios for now