The New Year

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Therefore, I am going to post a bunch of pictures so it is like i wrote a panoply of novels and I hope that will make up for taking so long to write. Really though I've just been super busy and have not had time. I don't really have time now either and have nothing prepared, so I am just gonna go through my pictures since the last one and post a bunch of them and write a little here and there. I apologize.

Firstly, I will talk briefly about the Christmas holiday. Christmas Eve I just hung out with my friends and went out for a bit which is what most people do. Then on Christmas I woke up and went to church and then got fed three huge meals. For Christmas here people eat ham and turkey with rice and beans and lots of cake. Needless to say, I couldn't even come close to eating three plates of all that and left-overs literally lasted into the New Year. After that, I went into my hammock and passed out in a food coma for a good 3 hours. After waking up, I went back out to walk around my village where I got more ham, turkey, and cake and hung out playing cards till about 1 in the morning. It was great. I was apprehensive about spending Christmas not at home but it really turned out well.

Shortly after Christmas I went and visited my host family in Armenia.

Try and tell me I don't have the cutest little sister in the world. 

After spending some time with the fam I went back home to spend New Years with my friends where I got to watch fireworks over the Caribbean Sea. Not a bad way to bring in the New Year.

After the holidays and school started back up we had a convention for all the Methodist schools in the country in Belize City, which basically encompassed us taking a bunch of kids up north to have a sports day and church service and hang out. 

 We got to visit the Marie Sharp's factory and yes, they do have people cutting up the vegetables and not machines. Also, the packaging station you see was recently added and before they did it by hand. There are places you can get Marie Sharp's in the States and you should check you local store for it, it is good (I would even say Frank's good). In addition, apparently it is big in Japan.

The last two pictures involved an elaborate 4 person obstacle course which the teachers also got to participate in. I naturally got us a huge lead as the first leg but then we literally fell on our faces during the third leg (the walking on crates from 2nd to 3rd base you see above) and we came in dead last :(.

Us getting kicked in basketball. We are the ones with jeans on or else without shoes... Anyway, we had a sports day and these are some of the highlights.

Last Wednesday we had the spelling bee for our zone and one of the students from my school won. next she has the district spelling bee and if she wins there she gets to go to nationals so we are studying hard and hoping for the best.

Next I know some of you have been wanting my schedule (and if you haven't, quite frankly you should) so here are some important dates. Easter Vacation starts the 30th of March and school re-opens the 16th of April. School then ends the 29th of June (and I will be very busy the weeks before) and opens back up for the next year on the 3rd of September. During the summer we have GLOW Camp from the 23rd of July to the 27th so that is probably a bad week and the last two weeks of August I will have workshops in Belize City. So if you want to come experience great food, friendly people, one of the most beautiful places in the world, and a lot of different cultures, plan your vacation around those days now!

Finally I will end with some additions to my house...

I got out of my shower and saw that the other day, miserable. I just got rid of Stellaluna there the other day.

And now, I saved the best for last, I would like to introduce you to the newest member of the Schulz family... . Um, I actually don't have a name for her yet. Any ideas?

 A few days before I got her.

 Night I got her.

 Passed out.

Making trouble about 2 days ago. I really hope she stops that sooner rather than later, I don't feel like having local chicken because I had to buy one that she killed.

Well my fine readers, that is all for now. I'm sorry if the writing wasn't the great quality you have come to both love and expect, I will try harder next time.