Christmas in Panama, Two Weddings and a Funeral and Carnaval

It has been a long time since I blogged so this one will have to cover a lot. Christmas in Panama just wasn't that big of a deal. There were a few decorations on the town square and a few artificial trees and a lot of people decorated their front windows but that was about all. One of our converts, though, did get some nice gifts. They have a brand new elliptic exercise bike that sits on the cracked cement floor of their tiny living room and their 3 year old daughter has one of those battery operated cars she can sit in and actually drive. The family has no car of their own. Wise spending!

Claro is a phone company here, like Verizon. A stuffed snowman is the only kind they will ever see.

Santa is going to get really hot down here in that suit and there are no chimneys. None!

This is Karyme. She is a girl in our branch that begged us to come to her High School Graduation. They Graduate in December in their High School Uniforms. School is on "vacation" right now and they will start again in March. Karyme will go to the University of Panama on its tiny campus right here in Las Tablas. She is one of my piano students. She never practices.

This is the center court of the High School where the graduation was held. The other half of the student body is to the right  of the picture facing the other students. It was a typical graduation with speakers and awards but they did have a prayer where everyone crossed themselves and they had to make some sort of oath for eternal educational excellence or something.

We flew home on Christmas day and had two wonderful weddings. First Dillon and Emily on December 30th in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple.

Then Derek and Clara on Jan. 3 in the Twin Falls temple. Other than being colder than you could possibly imagine they were both perfect ceremonies and very happy occasions. How could we be so blessed to get these two wonderful girls to come into our family within 4 days of each other. They are each perfect for our sons.

 I was also a pretty happy Grandma to finally meet, in person, the 5 babies that have been born into our family in our absence. You don't know how hard is was for me to not be there in the first moments of their lives. Lots of people stepped in to help take care of the mamas and the families in my absence and everything turned out alright, It was still pretty awful not to have been there.  Henry, Darius, Abel, Juliet and Danny we are so glad to welcome you to the family!

This precious dolly came just a week and a half after we left. Leslie Loraine makes it 6 babies born while we were serving in Panama. We are so grateful for these wonderful babies.

It was also a great blessing for me to spend the last couple days of my mom's  life with her. I knew she was bad and probably wouldn't live until I got home in July but I prayed that she would at least last until I came home for the weddings. I spent a few short hours with her before we went to Utah and then the 2 days when we got back from the first wedding. You learn a lot watching someone die and sometimes it hurts to think about her passing but her life was such a wonderful blessing to all of her posterity that I will feel forever blessed to be her daughter. We extended out trip to be at her funeral. It was a wonderful service and I wouldn't have changed anything about it. Thank you Mom for waiting for me.

Now for a Real change of pace--sorry for the sacrilege!

This was a picture taken on our way to Tonosi to find some lost members. If you look carefully you can see 5 or 6 monkeys. We were so excited you would have thought we were little kids.

Speaking of little kids----my husband loves flowers and Panama is loaded with them. These are some of his favorites and when he sees a bush or a tree in full bloom he MAKES me stop and take his picture in front of them. Isn't he cute?!


CARNAVAL

The preparations begin. Semi-loads of beer are brought into town.

Our grocery stores add aisles and aisles to make room for their hottest selling item.

As we parked and walked downtown today, the first thing we noticed was the garbage everywhere.

Large areas have been filled with scaffolding to make platforms and dance floors. Lots of really loud music is deafening the air.

In case you run out of the beer you brought or if you would like something harder there is plenty available.

Food vendors everywhere and some of the stuff looks pretty good

This is what our town square looks like this morning. Tons of people, loud music and fireworks off to the left. The Catholic Cathedral just behind us is locked up tight.

I don't know if you can tell but there is a float just above these people. The parade is just kind of continuous. They will have a couple of floats and then wait an hour and then have a few more. I think you can see the dancing babe in all of her feathers on this one. I know Dad needs a haircut. I gave him one this afternoon.

Vendors of every kind find a corner and set up shop. I would hate to just have hot dogs with all the other good stuff that is for sale. Look at these grilled chicken shiskobobs!

Another float coming by.

Here is a tanker that is full of water spraying the people. Dad said they did the same thing in the festivals in Argentina. I got sprayed pretty bad. My shirt was all wet so I matched all the other girls in the crowd. Some of the little kids had those huge squirt guns. One little girl looked right at me, a grandma in a skirt and with a name tag on and squirted me right in the face. Where are their parents?

I had to post this even though my finger is in the picture. This trash and fluid was floating down the street. We were just hoping it was water.

People standing in line to get in. You can see a lot of them are pulling coolers. The coolers are all full of beer and ice. It costs $3.00 to bring your cooler in. To walk in it is free.

Vendors--anyone need sunglasses

Sunglasses anyone?

Come on, anyone?

Who is going to clean up this trash when they are gone?

I know this looks like a real person but it is a 10 foot statue on a float they are getting ready to send out. All of these figures are made of Styrofoam

More of the same float

Another float

So now we have been to Carnaval. Thank goodness we were there early enough that no one was drunk yet. I can just imagine what it will be like tonight.  I have no desire to go back. This is what we brought home to eat though. Some of those grilled chicken kabobs and some other grilled chicken and those  Colombian things I like that are a ball of mashed potatoes with chicken in the center. They are really good.

I also bought this darling,little native Panamanian men's costume. It is a baby size 0. I wanted to buy one for Dad but he said he would never wear it. Where is his adventurous side? They would make perfect pajamas! Love you, Mom

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