Letter #13 December 2021
December had so many activities. The Leona Vicario branch had their primary program. It was such a sweet program. Grammie and Papa loved hearing them sing the songs and Melissa (Maria’s oldest daughter) gave the most beautiful testimony! They sure do love the people in this branch!
Here are all the Primary kids and one of their sweet leaders!
The branch also did a Christmas party. Soooo many people came! Grammie Tammie said she had never seen many of them. They had a great program with the youth doing dances and the primary kids! Papa Ben said it was such a great program for such a small branch.
They never eat until after the program. They had a pork kind of like ham but not exactly. They had a bunch of French bread and they had spaghetti that had a tomato cream sauce on it. Papa Ben ate all of it- Grammie Tammie only ate the meat and the bread.
The next week the went out to El Ideal where the primary kids did their show for everyone out there:
They also had a Christmas dinner at the little branch in Isla Mujeres. After church is over they clear the chairs away and put up long tables. Grammie Tammie brought some Christmas table cloths. She also brought mashed potatoes for the dinner. They were on the stove cooking while they had church. Papa and Grammie love the people that attend this little branch. They enjoyed this fun Christmas celebration with them!
Here is their humble little Christmas Tree- It was nice to have it in their little Condo!
This is their outdoor Christmas decorations! They didn’t last too long! They all died! Oh well! They tried!
The most exciting event of December was having Rachel come visit! Grammie and Papa said it made the holiday sooo wonderful.
The 23rd of December Rachel had to get a covid test because she had been exposed to someone with Covid. It kind of changed the plans for the day. Instead of everyone going out to Leona Vicario and delivering presents and having dinner with all of them they had to have just Papa Ben go out! Here are all the presents wrapped and ready to take out to them!
I wonder what this is - haha!
Luckily at around 11pm on the 23rd Rachel’s test results came in! She did not have Covid! So all plans were back on!
Their first stop was Isla Mujeres!
They took the Ferry over. They thought Rachel would like riding on the top of the boat. There were lots of people on the Ferry that day! Christmas is a popular time to come to Isla Mujeres!
Look at that crowded top of the Ferry!
They still had to wear mask on the Ferry- even when they were outside!
There was some great entertainment on the Ferry ride!
Rachel loved driving the golf cart all around the island!
Rachel and her dad at this beautiful look out point!
It was Christmas Eve so Grammie and Papa wore the little light up Santa Hats they founds at this store in one of the malls!
They took a snorkeling excursion on Isla. They boat took them way out to were they had these statues on the bottom of the ocean and some old cars too. The water was a little rough but they had fun snorkeling. They really didn’t see that many fish though! But it was a fun adventure nonetheless!
Rachel and her dad shopping for a Conch Shell for her to take back with her! She found a really pretty one!
Christmas Eve dinner was at a yummy sushi place there on the Island! It was a very memorable and fun Christmas Eve for all of them. One they will never forget!
Christmas morning they got up and got ready to leave for XCaret! They knew it was going to be a fun day but it was more fun than they had imagined!
Here they are picking up our tickets and getting ready to enter!
On Sunday they were able to Zoom in to their church services in California. Travis was singing with the choir and it was a beautiful program! Later they took a drive down by the beach and also they stooped to say hi to President and Sister Marin and their family
They were greeted by this beautiful harp being played for them! They were also served a delicious hot punch! After walking through the stores they have at the entrance they were inside.
One of the first things they watched was an acrobatic show. It was very cool!
XCaret is a beautiful park. Everything is so clean and so organized. Below there are lots of pictures of their special day there! They swam an underground river, they went snorkeling in a bay full of fish. They got to watch Sea Turtles of all sizes, they went to a butterfly area and saw lots and lots of Macaw birds. They went to a Mayan village. They say a gorgeous stained glass ceiling. They ate at a beautiful place with a Buffett with all kinds of foods. It was AMAZING! At the end of the night there was a spectacular show. It really was the best Christmas those 3 had experienced together ever!! They decided when everyone else was going to be with their In-law families for Christmas they were going to find somewhere to go like XCaret! It was the best!!
Right about at this point in their swim in the underground river Rachel did a jump off the rock. We were moving along when she realized she lost her phone! It was in a water proof case! They thought how in the world would they ever find it! They started swimming back toward the area she last had it. The whole time Grammie Tammie and Papa Ben were asking people if they had seen a phone. At last this one older man said YES! He had found it! They were so happy—-Rachel was especially happy!!
This was right below the restaurant we ate in. We had gotten back into our dry clothes!
Displays in the Mayan village
The amazing stained glass window that was in the ceiling!
Cute picture spot outside of the butterfly pavilion
This was the end of the day. Everyone had candles that thye lit before the show started. It was so pretty! The show was so good! They didn’t take enough pictures of it— but it is worth staying for if you ever go to XCaret!
What a great Christmas!!
Monday it was Chichen Itza!! Rachel loved seeing the ruins!
Rachel got a new cute Mexican dress from the vendors there.
They decided to just grab some tacos at eh restaurant that was there on site. They were really good! It was a long day (2 1/2 hr drive each way) but something you have to go see when you are visiting the Yucatán Peninsula!
Tuesday they went to the public beach in Cancun— it was great to swim in the warm water to catch some “rays”
Later that evening they got dressed up and went to the hotel zone for dinner. All of Papa and Grammie’s kids gave them a dinner out for their Christmas present! Rachel and her dad stopped to ride the big Ferris wheel they have their. Grammie Tammie just watched because she is scared of heights!
They hated for the week to be over! What a fun time was had by all! Rachel flew home on December 29th!
Time for Grammie Tammie and Papa Ben to get back to work!!
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