My Doors

Some days are just FULL.

Full.

Today was one such day.

I woke early to bake cakes for a neighbor girls' 15th birthday party.

While the cakes cooled, we worked in a full day of home schooling.

That basically means I taught 2nd grade, graded and helped the fourth grader with her math, and gave an 8th grade spelling quiz, plus some.

While they were watching Mythbusters (real science :),

I ran to the store to get frosting and to The Oasis to buy the birthday girl her very own Bible.

At noon, the kids and I delivered the cakes (2 blocks on rutty grass streets away).

But we couldn't stay long.

They gave us chicken stew for lunch.

It was very yummy.

Grandma wanted me to take pictures.

Of the ladies making tortillas...

... And tamales (for the evening celebration).

My kids and me with the birthday girl.

And the guys who weed-eat along the roads -- must have been relatives or something.

But, as I said, we couldn't stay long... we had to rush off to an appointment in Santa Elena.

A drive of 1 1/2 hours one-way.

We met Arlen at the Immigration office. We've been trying to renew Cordell's Guatemalan passport for the last couple weeks. It expired two days ago, and we thought little of it. We thought we would be out of Guatemala by now. But since we used it to enter Guatemala the last time we came in, it needs to be renewed to allow him to leave Guatemala without a significant fine.

To get a Guatemalan passport, one has to present a recently printed birth certificate.

Cordell just happened to not show up in their new system.

In Sayaxche, we were told we would have to wait 8-10 days to get the registry updated.

We waited a week.

He didn't appear in the registry.

So we checked at the office in Santa Elena, and they said, Oh yes, we can get that for you in one day!

What an answer to prayer!

With the Easter holiday coming up, we are running out of time to get all this paperwork done.

So, today, finally, Arlen was able to get the new birth certificate printed.

But they got my name wrong.

Keturah Joy Esh.

My maiden name appears on the birth certificate - but not on any of my other ID.

This is a significant problem, we are told.

It may cost us Q1000 (US$125 ), but that's still less than the fine we might otherwise face, if we don't renew the passport.

But, patience wins in the end...

We asked the supervisor, and she simply says - just make sure there's a copy of my cedula (old ID booklet), where my father's name appears.

"Click"

They take his picture and the renewed passport can be picked up on Monday.

Thank-you, Jesus!

From there, we head to the dentist.

Cordell and Asher are in the middle of orthodontic work -

Cordell's got some significant oral issues.

Once a month, the orthodontist comes up from Guatemala City and works for two or three days in the dentist's office. Saves us a trip to Guatemala City, for that we are VERY grateful!

While the guys are seeing the Ortho, Tyrell and Ariana got their teeth cleaned by the dentist.

Yes, that's more than a cleaning he's getting - his 6-yr molars are fully in place, so we went ahead and had sealants put on them.

I am a believer in sealants. I had one little cavity when I was 14, at which time my mom forked out the $$ to have all my molars sealed, and I've not had a cavity since.

Thank-you, MOM!

He got a sheet of 'Angry Bird' stickers for being so brave and cooperating well.

Next, was Ariana. She had the same thing done.

Cleanings and sealants.

Arlen made a couple trips to the ATM.

But it's done, and I'm grateful!

Ariana with Dra. Franzineth Mayen.

We have been very pleased with this dentist. She's up to date and knows her stuff.

Since this trip to Santa Elena may very well be the last one we take as a family,

I took the camera and was a bit 'camera-happy'.

Here are few pics we snapped along the way:

Fruit vendors on the river bank in Sayaxche.

River front view of the market/parking/fruit vendors.

Ty took this pic of a pharmacy across the street from the dentist.

And a place that sells motorcycles.

Normally, when we go to the dentist/orthodontist, we just wanna get home again, so we give the kids the option of Burger King or Pizza Hut.

And they usually choose BK, because it's faster.

But today... on our last family trip to Santa Elena...

BK or PH would not do.

No, we went out to the island - Flores - and introduced the kids to an Italian place.

Some friends told us about this place - Arlen and I have had two 'dates' here before.

It's a cute little second-story open-balcony dining area, with a gorgeous sunset view.

Kids will always find something to keep them occupied, while we wait for food.

The sun was pretty bright when we first got there, but the shadows were starting to lengthen.

I don't usually secretly take pictures of people I don't know and then post them on-line, but there was a table of 4 ladies next to us - all over 50, who each had a sketch book, and were painting water color pictures of the beautiful sunset, with the island in the lake. Several had a bicycle taxi in their pic.

Very talented women.