The Beginning of my 25th year!

The first picture is from my birthday. These are the girls I live with!

The second picture is from our Sunday afternoon cookout! Yum!

First of all, I can't believe that it has been a week since I have written...this week has been full of fun and settling in.
I have realized that this crazy place is my home for the next 4 months (and maybe another year?) and I need to make it my home.

This week, I celebrated my 25th birthday and let me tell you, it was probably the best birthday I have had so far! I wasn't expecting anything (even though I knew that birthdays were a big deal down here) and I was absolutely swept off my feet!
The mothers of my pre-k kiddos threw me a surprise party (the first surprise party that I have ever had) with cake, food, flowers (yellow roses since I lived in Texas!) and homemade cards from the kids! They also gave me a beautiful native purse that I love! Later that evening, about 20 friends (from school and friends or significant others of teachers) and I went to eat at the best Italian restaurant that I have eaten at in a long time. I was blown away by the support that I have here in such a short time! I also got a Super Chivos jersey. They are the local soccer team. With all of this, it has been a great start to the 25ht year of my life!

My class was really great this week. I feel like the kids are listening better and we are actually getting somewhere!

This weekend was also a lot of fun. Friday night, I just hung out with the girls and watched Grey's Anatomy. And when I say the girls, I usually mean the girls that I live with (Stefanie, Carrie, Randi, Tiffany, and the other Liz). They are a great group of girls and it's nice to actually be in a community that has more than one other girl around...I'm not one to be around girls all the time but the time that has been shared with these girls has been so great thus far! We had a Reading workshop at school Saturday morning so I got up and went to that. After that, I went and ate with some of the girls and then met up with McNabb to get tickets for the Super Chivos game! This was actually quite an experience. He was with two of his Guatemalan friends and they are characters! We ended up getting stuff to grill and we were going to head back to my apartment to meet up with rest of the crowd. The grill wouldn't light so that meant that we were once again given the oppurtunity to eat the 'chicken that will change your life!' And once again, it was wonderful! We made our way to the stadium and it was incredible. We were playing the big rivals, the Rojos from Guate City. Luckily, I was well prepared in my new jersey!
The game was great. It was the first soccer game I had ever been to and it was one to remember. The game ended in a tie but it was still fun. I was able to work on my Spanish even though the things that I was learning are not repeatable! It was much more fun saying them when I didn't know what they meant! After the game, we went out to a dance club and had quite a time! Today, we ended up grilling the meat and veggies that we couldn't last night. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon...

I hope that all of you are doing well. Sorry this update doesn't have anything that is too fun...I guess that is part of settling into a place...the normal things that happen...this coming up weekend we are going to our directors rubber farm so be expecting an update from that! Continue to Live it Up!

Playlist:
I've Never Been to Spain by Three Dog Night
You're All I Have by Snow Patrol
Low by Flo Rida
Sorry Am I by Ani Difranco
For the First Time by Kenny Chesney
Needful Hands by Jars of Clay
It's Raining Men by The Weathergirls
Broken by Norah Jones