We Love Little Lucy

2011-12-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

Little Lucy at her Winter Show.

2011-12-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving in Mexico (Lucy presented at her school).

2011-12-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

Random fun.

2011-12-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

Fiestas almost every weekend means tons of fun, time with friends but late nights.

2011-12-14T19:16:00.000-08:00

The beautiful Alebrijes covered the Zocalo during Pug and Ron's visit. Truly awesome!

2011-12-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

Wild family Halloween Party up in the DF.

2011-12-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Halloween and Day of the dead are huge at home and Puebla.

2011-12-14T18:50:00.000-08:00

What else do you need: Monumento where you can find Pancho Villa, Ofrenda barrio and the wonderful Xochimilco.

2011-12-14T18:44:00.000-08:00

We visited a few churches: Zocalo, Taxco and la Basilica.

2011-12-14T18:39:00.000-08:00

We made a trip to one of our favorite places - La Marquesa; horse rides, zip lining, fishing. Big fun!

2011-12-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

Before the grandparents left, we made time to recognize Lucy for all her work on IXL (math website) and then off to school.

2011-11-12T22:02:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning bike rides in the city have become a great past time with our friends (Ellen and Ange) - Lucy always finds a way to make it special.

2011-11-12T22:01:00.000-08:00

Music and dancing is for all ages.

2011-11-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

La Marquesa is a cool place that belongs to native groups - you catch your lunch or enjoy a horse ride.

2011-11-12T21:52:00.000-08:00

Every small town in Mexico has something to offer - Cuernavaca was no exception with Zapata and theaters performers (in the street).

2011-11-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

You can't be in Mexico without visiting various pyramid sites.

2011-11-12T21:45:00.000-08:00

Mexico city's activities arts and athletics - Jimmy took part in a local 10K as Lucy cheered on....

2011-11-12T21:40:00.000-08:00

2011-11-12T21:37:00.000-08:00

Toluca is a cool little town very close to our home - there you will find the Cosmo Vitral where little creatures are welcomed.

2011-11-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

Summer came to an end and little Lucy had to start school again.

2011-11-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

Lucy and I visited the museum of Anthropology - she was amazed at the history then discovered her beginning....

2011-11-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

Mexico City is beautiful - always something to share with the public (like Alebrijes from Oaxaca) as well as la Marquesa.

2011-11-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

Xochimilco is one of our favorite places so we had to take Pug and Ron as Lucy/Ange managed the boat.

2011-11-12T21:10:00.000-08:00

The girls visited a small small town and showed us you can still have fun in the dirt.

2011-11-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

We took the grandparents to Puebla where Dia de los Muertos is embraced - so we continued with a Halloween Party Mexico style.

2011-11-12T21:01:00.000-08:00

2011-11-12T20:56:00.000-08:00

Luckily the grandparents visit ended without incident and Pug/Ron sent Lucy off to school.

2011-08-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

Lucy and I started our vacation in the U.S. with a visit to Tia Alma's where Tio Manuel, Cousin Jr and Gaby welcomed us and the rest of the clan to celebrate the 4th of July!

2011-08-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

2011-08-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Jim and I went on our annual trip, "wine tasting"! When we arrived Jim felt great but the way back home was a different story.

2011-08-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Family Reunion took place in Catalina Island. We had a great time but Jim and the kids were determined to find Santa in Catalina. When that didn't work, Uncle Vinny and Lucy had to get tough till the found him then moved on to zip lining, milking bulls and bike riding.

2011-08-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

2011-08-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Awe, family time with the cousins in San Bernandino; we had a nice family dinner then moved onto water balloon wars!

2011-08-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Lucy and I had a great visit with Tio Roy, Tia Maribel and Angelina. Lucy went swimming and for a bit of Bungy jumping with Angelina.

2011-08-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

During our trip to California this summer we took a short trip to NC to see Aunt Sandra and Uncle Vinny. It was great since they were also celebrating their 9 year Wedding Anniversary - how much better does it get than visits to amusement parks and museums. We have a wonderful time and expect to be there for the next 50 so get your season passes now!

2011-08-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

2011-08-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

2011-08-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

During our trip this summer to California to spend time with family - we thought it would be fun to take the kids on a bus ride to Gage Bowl. Unlike their parents, who used the bus, their legs or a single skate as transportation - the bus ride was a new concept to getting somewhere. A few of the comments my mom and I had to respond to: "why isn't the bus here" (as we walked out the house and the sweet child looked on from the porch), "why are we still walking to the bus stop", "why are these people waiting here" (at the bus stop), "why couldn't we just drive there", "why do I have to tell the bus driver I'm only 3?" (to avoid paying), "where are the seatbelts", "why does it smell", "why is that man drinking out of a bag"....oh, so sweet. They had a great time at the bowling alley and the next day we talked about the pro/cons of riding the bus.

2011-08-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl

2011-07-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

The best part of the rainy season in Mexico City is that on a clear morning you can see the volcanoes from our balcony. Popocatépetl is on the right and continues to spew smoke as he watches over his lover on the left, Iztaccíhuatl that died of grief because she mistakenly believed that he died in battle.

Zip lining in Valle

2011-07-17T16:09:00.001-07:00

Rhian's Visit-Trip to Valle de Bravo

2011-07-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend at Valle de Bravo. At first the hotel was going to give us a tiny room that looked nothing like the room that we reserved online. Maria asked for a better room and for the price of a suite they gave us a cabana!

Lucy with her Friends

2011-07-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Lucy and her friend Angie (from Holland),

the Little Rascals

after our Sunday morning bike ride.

A bubble party at Cumbres

Father's Day at Westhill

Lucy was bored with winning

2011-06-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

The pictures below show Lucy having a ton of fun in Mexico but it's not all fun and games. Lucy has been spending a lot of time on school work including a math website where she's earned several awards - check out the home award ceremony below (she was very proud).

2011-06-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

Daddy is number one in Lucy's heart - until she meets a litle boy (this pictures was taken during a baptism; someone's not listening to GOD)!

2011-06-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Lucy and friends at school (showing off their music/dance skills) and at home playground (learning to master the jungle gym).

2011-06-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hogar Dulce Hogar (home for children): Lucy and I made a visit to serve pizza and spend time with the kids - and the clowns ofcourse!

2011-06-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

Bike riding has become our "thing' - we do it in our comples (see Jim&Lucy in maze) or in the city (they block off traffic every Sunday). Since bike rides are on Sunday - we sometimes run into groups on their way to the Basilica.

2011-06-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Little Lucy plays Tennis twice a week - we are hoping it will pay for college.

2011-06-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day: spent the day at Lucy's school then off to a great dinner with Jim and Lucy.

2011-06-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

Tepoztlan: this was a great trip filled with a visit to the local church, pyramid (Lucy arrived hungry to the top then had a little injury - see wipe wrapped around her knee to stop the bleeding from the surface wound - dramatic but funny stuff), horse back rides and new friendships (Lucy taught some local kids English then they joined us for lunch and in return they made her feel like a very special little girl. The kids in Mexico are always up for making new friends).

2011-06-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

2011-06-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

2011-06-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

Kidzania (Ciudad de ninos) has become one of Lucy's favorite places - it took some time to get in but we made it and Lucy was able to shine shoes!

2011-04-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

Puebla - a truly beautiful place to spend a weekend and maybe our retirement? Everything was great: the food, architecture, street performers and weather.

2011-04-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Funny story - ok, pathetic but funny too. We ran out of money in Puebla our last night but scraped up $10 pesos to buy Lucy an ice cream cone with sprinkles (for the extra peso that made it $10). Fortunately, Jim had $32 US dollars we exchanged the next day to get back home (it was like living our college days all over again but this time as parents).

2011-04-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Puebla - oddly enough has the most awesome Africam (yes, Africa"M") Safari where animals have the right of way. You enter with your vehicle (or tour bus) and drive through the various sections viewing the animals up close but rolling up your windows when you come across the Lions, Tigers and Bears (Oh My!). It was amazing!

2011-04-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Easter Cumbres de Santa Fe (where we live) style. Lucy enjoyed premium decorations, carnival rides, competitions and of course, the Easter Bunny!

2011-04-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

2011-04-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

2011-04-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

10K Maria's Race at Cumbres de Santa Fe where we live - tough race with tons of hills but great training for the next one. Lucy and Jim where the best cheerleaders.

2011-04-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Nana and Lucy meaking meatballs - they were fantastic of course!

2011-04-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Teotihuacan (in the state of Mexico) - is an archaeological site that contains some of the largest pyramids (down the center is the Ave. of the dead). City is thought to have been est. in 100BC . Mom was a true soldier - climbing the steep pyramid (with a smile on her face!)

2011-04-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

2011-04-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

2011-04-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

2011-04-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

2011-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

Turibus sights; Museum in Mexico City and statue of Mario Moreno (Cantinflas).

2011-04-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

Auditorio Nacional: after we got off the Turibus, we ran into some clowns.

2011-04-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Zocalo - made a stop during our Turibus trip through the city; mom had to make a visit to another church.

2011-04-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Trip to Xochimilco south of Mexico City (45 min drive or so) - boarded a boat/raft and traveled through the canals previously used by natives to ship goods to Mexico City.

2011-04-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

2011-04-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Family visit to Castle in Chapultepec

2011-04-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

2011-03-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend we all went to Tio Pepe's Granja - it was a cool petting farm where we all learned a lot about animals and Jimmy told us about he bunnies he had at 6 yrs old.

2011-03-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

Lucy at the Granja - sizing up a rooster for ....well you know what...then made her way to a horse ride. We didn't catch the horse during the timber jumps.

2011-03-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

Little Lucy has become very busy at our apartment complex. After school she usually takes a break, has a snack, completes her homework and might squeeze in 30 min of TV (can you believe it TV, us, during the week!) then she's off to either Soccer (2x/wk), Painting (1/wk) or Swimming (2x.wk) - now we've added Kickboxing (yes the children of Mexico should be worried - pictures forthcoming).

2011-03-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

Swimming Class - Lucy is learning to swim by working with Paco, her swimming instructor. She takes swimming twice a week and loves it! Paco describes her as having a ton of energy and no fear of water - he said she'll become a great swimmer.

2011-03-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome opportunity to ride on a Touribus (double decker tourist bus) - a bit typical but it was worth doing at least once for the ease of getting around- enjoy some cool sites.

2011-03-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

During our ride on a Touribus, we visited the Zocalo: "the main plaza or square in the heart of the historic center of Mexico City. Prior to the conquest, the area that the Zocalo occupies was open space, in the center of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan."

2011-03-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is Templo Mayor, "was one of the main temples of the Aztecs in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, whi is now Mexico City" - it was discovered and now is an awesome sight you have to see!

2011-03-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Templo Mayor

2011-03-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

Parque Mexico is en Condesa a very hip and trendy area - similar to Royal Oak.

2011-03-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

Parque Mexico in Condesa - Lucy and Jim doing some art work (local stands set up on weekends).

2011-03-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

The San Angel area had a very sweet local park - we had to make a stop!

2011-03-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

San Angel has a lovely restaurant where we enjoyed Margaritas, Gardens, Dessert and a very nice host (Lucy took to him right away).

2011-03-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

2011-02-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

School days end, soups are eaten at hotel and then we are back to business ready for homework daily.

2011-02-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

This weekend we walked to the center of Santa Fe for the famous Ruben's Hamburgers and ended the day with desert!

2011-02-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

Chapultepec Park also known as Bosque de Chapultepec is located in Mexico City (largest city park in Latin America) - here you will find a Zoo, open land, Caslte, tons of vendors etc. We had a great time!