My parents visited me during Christmas and New Years and it was fantastic! We also went to a posada on the 23rd. My mom had read about them and was super excited to go on one. When we were almost finished with the indoor prayer part, I noticed my mom was covering her mouth on the verge of laughter. She told me later that moment was just like being in a cartoon or something. The main leader started praying in Spanish while another leader was shouting over him in K'iche', and the great-grandpa from my host family was asleep in the corner, looking like he was about to fall into the Christmas tree that had been blaring out its electronic carols the whole time, to the oblivion of almost everyone in the room. Including me, I had to admit. (One of the things having my parents here made me realize is how normal constant ambient noise and music here is, and how I often don't even notice it anymore.)

Our snack was hot chocolate and "enchiladas" (the crunchy tortillas with carrots and cabbage sprinkled on them - these actually also had ground beef, which I don't think I'd ever seen here). Yum. My host sisters teased me because I took two. Well, they offered. =)

After traveling around to the Lake and Fuentes Georginas, we returned to my site for New Years. After a second rousing round of fireworks (including my mom gleefully shooting off those magic-wand-like things that you hold while they shoot out sparklers), we came back into my host uncle's kitchen to eat cake, and my dad gracefully stumbled through a telling of "Goldilocks and the 3 Bears" (which in fact turned into "Goldilocks and the 3 Eyes", as he confused ojos for osos, which made everyone laugh hysterically. All in all, great holidays!

¡Feliz año nuevo!

Tim