Oh Baby

After returning from Guatemala I didn't keep up with blogging. Being that we are about to enter into a new chapter in our life with the upcoming arrival of a wonderful blessing, baby Penn Austin Damery, I figured this would be a great time to start again! Quick updates from my last blog until now...

1. We live in Enid, Oklahoma

2. Dustin is a high school Spanish teacher as well as assistant soccer coach

3. I am working at St. Mary's Center for Rehab and love it!

4. We have a sweet, handsome, huge dog Mac!

5. Our first little man is on the way, due anyday!!

We are blessed! Stay tuned....

November 2011 - little baby bump



Coach Damery announcing the line up

Macondo "MAC"



Baby Penn's Nursery



Isla Culebra

This past July 2011 Dustin and his buddy Jeff lead a mission trip to Puerto Rico.  They worked with a church called Centro Cristiano de Restauración.  After all their hard work was complete I joined Dustin in Puerto Rico and we then traveled to Isla Culebra.  We were blessed to spend a week there, an early celebration of our 5 year anniversary.  Beautiful place and an amazing display of God's creation. 

View of Flamenco Beach from above

El Eden







Roman Nose, Fall Break 2011

Fall break camping trip to Roman Nose State Park. A little chilly :)

Halloween - Always a Suprise!

Tarzan and Jane or Adam and Eve?

In Guatemala they use banana leaves for many of their native dishes.  They are easy to find and cost a whole fifty cents!  The question is whether to be Tarzan and Jane or Adam and Eve?

We had a Halloween party at our house!  It was a blast!  As you can see from the pictures the teachers were pretty creative with their costumes.  We had Elmo, Pippy Long Stocking, white trash, and a present.  Everyone brought appetizers and we feasted all night.

Elmo and Present (Blake & Tate)

Holiday Weekends



Miss Nicole Sanders-soon to be Mrs. Bartlett

The picture above is of Nicole Sanders and me the evening before her wedding.  We girls went out to celebrate!  She was married to Mau Bartlett on Saturday at a beautiful ceremony here in Xela.  The weather was perfect.  It truly was a wonderful day to celebrate two incredible people.  We think weddings in the states are long, this wedding started at 10:00 am and the party didn't stop until 11:30 pm.  Dustin and I stepped out around 5:30! 

 

Beautiful day

On the dance floor

This weekend was a three day weekend here in Xela. Monday was Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The whole city takes off and celebrates in the cemetary by flying kites, placing flowers, and eating the traditional dish, fiambre (a hodge podge of meats and veggies soaked in vinager and beets) YUCK!

Grave

The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died



Line heading into the cemetary



IRTRA

View from the Broadbeck's Guest House

This weekend we had the pleasure of going down toward the coast and staying with the Broadbeck's (former directors here at IAS.)  There home is beautiful.  It is situated about 30 minutes from Xela toward the coast.  We enjoyed great fellowship and fantastic food.  Santa Maria is the name of the town where the Broadbeck's live.  As of Sunday afternoon, they have received 200 inches of rain this year!  No wonder the place is so lush and beautiful.

Enjoying the sun

The ladies of the group decided to get a massage on Saturday morning at a resort named "Irtra."  An hour massage for $15, you can't beat that.  While the ladies pampered themselves the guys worked out and played raquetball.  Michael and Dustin enjoyed the pool after some intense games.



The view from my seat for the weekend!

I took up residence during the day in this seat.  This was my view and I loved every minute of it!  Irtra is beautiful.  The weather was great and I even got a little tan.  This weekend was the perfect getaway from the cold and rain that we have been experiencing in Xela.  THANK YOU Broadbeck's for a wonderful weekend.

Family Breakfast

This morning we woke up and began the preparation for family breakfast!  Our friend James came over early and started making homemade biscuits while I began bacon and gravy.

The "Family"

Slowly all of the teachers arrived at our apartment each with a different addition to our breakfast feast. The menu for the morning was as follows: biscuits and gravy, bacon, quiche, yogurt, granola, fruit salad, beans, tortillas, banana bread, orange juice and coffee.

The perfect biscuit

James making homemade biscuits

Needless to say we are still recovering!  It was wonderful and all were saying how it felt like it was a holiday.  Lots of love and joy filled the room.  The fellowship was very refreshing and good for our spirits.  It was a nice morning to be inside secondary to tropical depression Matthew which has conveniently situated itself over Guatemala for the time being.  Rain, rain, and more rain!