Especially from people you love.

Especially if they live in China.

Especially if they are your twin brother.

Mikey sent us all lucky money pockets from China.

These were the contents:

Chinese New Year started a couple days ago and it is about time we celebrate! (“we” meaning my family).  Hopefully this Saturday the celebrations will begin!

Anyway, THANKS MIKEY!

p.s. Richard died laughing when I read him your note.

p.p.s. your business cards are fly!

Richard and I found THEE best chocolate milk EVER!

So blessed to have my whole family together for Christmas!

Forever I will equate Bob Marley with:

-Banana plantations

-The Coast

-Chris

-The sticker “100% Amigo de Bill”.

AND to spend Christmas with him! Hooray!

In this way, Christmas calls us to a tangible response as followers of Jesus: to live out ‘incarnational spirituality’ – an expression of Christian faith that embodies the life of Christ into the world in which we live. The prayer of the Christmas season is “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It is a reminder that “the work of restoring creation has begun,” and that we are called to join in that work, empowered and enabled by the Holy Spirit”-Ryan Day

Do you ever have food cravings that remind you of certain memories in the past that have to do with that specific food you are currently craving?

Today that happened to me. I was craving burgers and it brought me back to the time this summer when I had a couple days off and was exploring downtown Quito, Ecuador with my two friends, Richard and April.

We had been exploring and walking around for literally hours and it was night and we were tired and hungry.

So Richard, who lived in Quito for 10 years and knows the area well, remembered this really good burger joint that was cheap (really, almost all food in Ecuador is cheap…so when an Ecuadorian says “cheap” it’s usually really cheap!).

So we all decided hamburgers sounded like the most amazing thing and headed to the place that was off the side of a busy downtown Quito street.  Man, was that place alive and hopping! People coming in and out of the restuarant, music playing, people laughing, yelling, and singing, the sounds of burgers frying and a lady yelling out an order ready to go in Spanish.

But really, let’s just get to the meat of this story.

In all honestly, the two BEST things about this burger joint was:

1. The burgers

AND

2. The Cuban Burger Flipper.

Seriously, I don’t know if it was because we were sooo tired and hungry that the burgers could have been Cuy burgers and we would have loved them, or if the burgers were really THAT good but MAN, did my stomach and those burgers connect so well that I was almost tempted to order 3 more and scarf them down with the side of fries and the delicious Alemán Sauce that came with them.

But really, the best part of that night was meeting the man from Cuba.

I believe all three of us were just sitting there in a satisfied silence, finishing off our fries when all of a sudden Richard (the king of deciphering accents) turns to me and says, “that guy over there flipping burgers…he’s from Cuba…I can tell from his accent”.

So of course I had to go see if he was right so I went up to the man flipping burgers and asked him where he was from….and two seconds after I fell in love with Cuban accents.

Seriously, have you ever heard someone speak with a Cuban accent? Marvelous!

Honestly, I just stood there listening to him talk in Spanish with his Cuban accent and then all of a sudden Richard was nudging me on the shoulder and saying, “liz, liz, he’s asking you a question…what is your name?”.

So yes, all of that to say….

1. Food cravings sometimes remind me of memories past

2. Someday I will go back to that delightful, little burger join in Quito

3. I love Cuban accents.

Yesterday, my friend, sister, and I went to one of the many delightful Mexican Markets in the Minneapolis area!

It was so fun because my friend has never been to Mexico before, so it was awesome showing her a little taste…literally!

Can´t wait to go back to Mexico!

(fotos de: Pinterest)

España, algún día, voy a conocerte ¡En Verdad!

Christmas, christmas, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

Really, I do!

I love the extra bit of joy the whole nation seems to get.

I love the lights, decorations, cookies, creeping in on people’s windows to see their Christmas trees inside their homes while driving by (come on…you do it too!).

I love the smells, sights, sounds, all of it!

But honestly, what I really love is that we get to gather as a family and remember the symbolism and significance of Christmas day; the beauty and truth of Jesus’ birth.

And I am soo especially excited for Christmas this year because of the new additions to our family: Our new brother Mars from China, Mikey’s girl from Canada, my wonderful boyfriend from Ecuador, and of course, Katie’s man (which really isn’t so new) from the midwest. (I am also hoping that Pam will be there too!)

I love our family!

Anyway, because of all the newsies and oldies and goodies in the family, I made a list (which is not quite complete) of activities we can do together this Christmas season……

So excited!!!

Enjoy:

So I decided to take a drive and I found something very valuable:

country roads+camera+coffee+music+talking with God=the elimination of stress.

It turned out to be a beautiful day and a much-needed drive!