back to school...back to school

so today i woke up, and i smelled that smell----and no it wasn´t shitt--however, sometimes our house does smell like that....it was that "first day of school smell", and it was definitely in the air. when i went outside all the kids were back in their uniforms, hair all geled nicely, new clean socks, and shoes polished---i love first days of school, and even here, something special was in the air. there were good vibes all around.

and another holiday has passed---easter went down very nicely here---very tranquila, but very full of love too. this past weekend was pretty eventful as well. with a retreat group here last week, we entered into the weekend a little jumbled and tired, but saturday we all decided to go out to the new "rostro" land and do some painting in a small school. this new land is where rostros new house will be next year, called Mt. Sinaii----it´s about an hour from our house, and has a very similar feel to arbolito--a lot more isolated though, and not the same sense of community...well yet anyway--so we painted little red riding hood murals saturday, and then well....had a big fight ha---but i´m not gonna get into that---let´s just say community is hard, and the five of us living together is not always peaches and cream---we are all so different, and when you put five different people together you´re bound to have problems---just think of the real world---well, minus the hooking up, and crazy drunken nights, actually, nothing like the real world, i absolutely take that back....anywho---we all made up, and think it was a huge point of growth for us, then we all sat down and watched fight club, which i had never seen....and all i can really say is ....wow--what an incredible movie----geeze----some people think up the craziest things....

so i´d like to think that we´re all back on a really big upswing---oh my gosh, how could i forget.....such a huge detail! i brought my rice pie tradition down here to ecuador this week...yes...i did it....i figured, well i´m in ecuador, and there sure isn´t a shortage of rice---so i set out to do them this past weekend, and ya know what---they actually came out surprisingly well....with a lot of help from my community mates----and continual correction--"no dan, they´re not rice cakes, they´re rice pies....get it straight" i think everyone enjoyed them, or i´d like to think so anyway. regardless, i was really happy to share them, and felt like a part of me was shared with my community.

anyway folks, thats the gist of life here---things are good--neighbors are awesome---lucy is great, lupe is great----kids are sweet-----oh! and!!! this is huge---really, how could i forget---get ready for it.....MY PARENTS HAVE DECIDED TO COME---not even just decided---the ticket is booked! okay, this is huge people---brace yourselves---no, seroiusly, i am so pumped for this, i really feel like i´m glowing---i can´t wait to share this part of my life wtih them, and i know it will be great.

thats really all for now---happy belated easter----hope the candy was good--easter candy really is my favorite--and all those pretty colors!
i love you all so much, you´re always in my heart and prayers,
lupita