Next trip to Torreon & Welcome Spencer!!!

THOUGHT:  "EVERY DAY DO SOMETHING THAT WILL INCH YOU CLOSER TO A

                  BETTER TOMORROW!            Doug Firebaugh

Monday, Nov 9th - Wednesday Nov 11th

Well here we go on another groundhog trip!  We were up and out the door before 6:30 to get to the airport for another trip - this time to Torreon.  We were picked up in this flat, dry, brown city by President and Sister Ramos.  We did a zone conference Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning.  On Monday night we had FHE in Spanish.  I understood most of it and that was nice.  Tuesday after the zone conference we were driven around to look at the city.  We ended up on the top of a hill with a huge Christus that is there.  There is a huge Catholic influence around here!
The city looked great from up on the mountain.  Sister Ramos is so sweet.  She made us fancy breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  My favorite was cauliflower soup.  Yum!  These Mexicans sure like picante (spicy) food!  We had some down time so I was able to work on my afghan that is my next project.  Greg was able to help a lot of missionaries and I didn't even get any crazy questions in my time with the hermanas.  We got back on a plane on Wednesday evening and got home kind of late.
We were very excited to get home, because we get to pick up Spencer in the morning.  He has a 10 hour layover here in Mexico City on his way home from Chili.

Churches everywhere!

The colorful restaurant where we had lunch!
Yum! Mexican food!!

Those bull head doors to the restaurant!

The mission presidents home

These guys were amazing to watch.
They are building this house next door to the
mission home.  This guy on the ladder puts
4 huge, heavy tiles on his head and runs
them up the ladder.

The guy up on top grabs them.  The guy goes
back down the ladder and gets more
How many times could you go up the ladder
not holding onto the heavy tiles in an hour?

Cute hermanas with Hermana Ramos

Happy Elders behind the Hermanas

The Ramos felt like they needed to entertain
us so we walked through this museum

Painted bulls outside the museum

A pretty pink church on our drive around town!

Little casitas for saints on the way up to the Cristus of the Noas

With the Ramos by the Cristus
Look how little the Ramos' are!

Big, flat city of Torreon

Now this is one cement city -
the roads, houses, roofs, everything!

Cool bells up by the Cristus of the Noas

Catholic influence.

I have a good idea!
Let's put a metal horse full of holes
up on a platform overhanging
the street!

I don't know what this "holy" horse
has to do with anything!

Big cross up here you can see from the city

Torreon from the top of the mountain!

The pretty hermanas!

When there is a camera involved everyone shows up!

Look at this tree!
All of the bumps are huge spikes.
and they are sharp!!!

Here is the whole tree with the huge spikes
covering the trunk!

In the neighborhood with the Ramos!

Thursday, Nov 12th

Yay!  What a fun day.  We were suppose to meet Spencer at the Marriott which is connected to terminal 1 at the airport.  Greg assumed he would fly in to terminal 1 since it was an international flight.  We got to the airport at 7 am and couldn't find him.  Greg found out that his plane landed in terminal 2.  Greg went to get on the shuttle to go find him and somehow they crossed paths.  I was waiting and watching and very soon here comes Spencer waddling down the walkway.  I was taking a pic of him and he didn't even see me until he practically walked over me.  He was tired after a 9 hour flight from Chili.  I called Greg and he hadn't gotten on the shuttle yet so everything ended up fine!  We had such a nice visit with cute Spencer.  He is the only one to come visit us!  Darn you other kids!
We had a fun day eating at the Marriott buffet, driving down to the zocolo in horrific traffic and wandering around the Temple Mayor.  We spent some time in the Cathedral and sightseeing!  He also bought a Mexican blanket at the Ciudadela.
Spencer had a fun trip to Chili even by himself.  He had a few bummer alone moments, but most of the time he enjoyed being with the Silva family and seeing other friends he had made down there.  Now Spencer goes home and starts training for his new job at Goldman Sachs next Monday.  I was able to pack up all of my Christmas stockings that I made for the whole family and send home with him.  We got him back to the airport in plenty of time to get him all checked in and take him to a late lunch at Wings there in the airport!  I was so sad to say goodbye!  Another 6 months to go for us!

The sunrise on the way to pick up Spencer this morning
at the airport!

Here comes Spencer!
He doesn't even see me yet!

He practically walked over me before seeing me!

Upside down whatever!
With Spencer in the zocolo!

Greg and Spencer at the Temple Meyor!

I'm so happy to have Spencer here!

A pic in front of the Balles Artes

These chairs are made out of cement!
Spencer feels so important!

A pic of the side of the big main Cathedral in the city

People still unearthing pieces of the
Temple Meyor pyramids

Someone found these 3 carved people in all this stuff

A wall of skulls - carved
I don't know the meaning!

Friday, Nov 13th

It has been a big couple of weeks, so I moved really slow this morning. Greg had to go to the dentist early this morning to get his root canal worked on.   We had to leave early because there is a holiday here in Mexico on Monday so the traffic has been impossible.  It took us 1 hour and 45 min to get home from the airport yesterday.  It took us an hour to get to the temple clinic today.  While Greg was seeing missionaries I went to visit with Elaine Smith.  I am running out of time to visit with her since they leave on Nov 30th.  I walked into her home and there in front of me were.......SUITCASES!  Oh no!  What am I going to do when she is gone???  I also feel sorry for the Zapatas and Anthonys because they don't have cars and have depended on the Smiths and Pococks for rides to places.  By the way Elder Zapata is home and feeling lots better but still very weak.
After Greg got done with the missionaries we went to Vips for lunch.  That is not my favorite place but fun to be with the company.  We headed for home around 3:30 and finally made it after a stop at Walmart at 6:15.  Ugh!  The Andersons invited us up for a movie night.  We hadn't been there forever so it was nice to be with them.

Mr. Root Canal Boy!
Yuck!