X-mas NEWS

Man! It has been forever since I wrote! i will do my best and update you on all my AWESOME activities since I last wrote!
We had our Christmas program on Thursday night, December 11. It was so adorable. All of us were dressed up, our kids looked adorable and I stood up in front of them and directed them. I felt so proud. THey did SO well! I was beaming, like a proud parent. hahaha. After my kids sang they ran straight to the classroom where they all had presents waiting under our christmas tree.
The parents had gone together and bought all he girls hannah montana bags (GASP) And the boys Legos. Theyy immediately started tearing into them. I WAS LIKE "WAAAAAAIIITTTTT!!!!!!!!!" But it was no use, they were done for. So i just let them go ahead, after all, it was Christmas right?!
So now comes the super exciting part.
December 12- All the teachers went to the school to take down all the christmas decorations (*tear) and then we all went out to eat. All the teachers and staff in one room at a restaurant! it was so fun! I did a secret santa and so I gave my present away and got mine and then returned home. My mom and I took our stuff over to Greg and Emily's where we were goign to be staying for the weekend then we awaited our bus. The bus to take us to San Pedro, to get jared. =) I wish I could explain to you my excitement, but I will try and hold it in.
So long story short, we drove to San Pedro, waited in the terminal for what seemed like eternity and FINALLY I saw him come out behind the door. I ran past all the people and hugged him! It was about time!
That Sabbath all of us girls, Jared, and my mom went to the plaza and took a guitar, violin, and an Obo. Sometimes we like to sing in the cathedral, so that[s what we did. Then we were having so much fun that we sang out in the plaza and people were gathering around us! it was so much fun!
Sunday night the girls surprised me with a "happy half birthday party" and it was ADORABLE! they made a life-size little mermaid and put it on the wall and had fish all over the wall too, we ate crepes (my favorite!) and played Disney Trivia. Of course my team won! =) My birthday is June 4 and a lot of the girls will already be gone by then, so they decided to have a half birthday party! Can't say I've ever had a birthday in December! =)
I got to show Jared my classroom, my school and my town! We went to get smoothies at our FAVORITE place, 'Tropical Juice'!
On Monday Sasha, Heidi, Kristen, Jared, my mom and I headed out on our adventure. And an adventure it was!
We hoped on a bus to La Guama and got off and got a nice man to take us up to the National Park in the back of his truck. =) My mom REALLy enjoyed this. We got to the national park and got into our little dorm room and were set. Our trip had finally begun!
We hiked around the next day and ate the local food, plato typico (beans, rice, tortillas, plaintains and cheese.)
The next day we hopped back on another bus and headed to some other town, only to walk around, find another bus and get on it until finally we arrived in Tela. I told the Taxi Driver where we were going but they were confused so after I called the guy who owned the place he explained it to them and we finally arrived!
"Caribbean Coral Inn" It was incredible! INCREDIBLE! We played in the waves and hung out with these adorable kids! The sunsets were gorgeous and we had the BEST FOOD! we would tell them what we wanted to eat, they would go out and buy our food and make it for us. We were the only ones staying there and it was like we had our own private beach! Hardly anyone was on it but these local Garifuna people! They speak this weird Jamaican spanish! A few spoke English and came up to Jared and asked him if he played basketball! He ended up playing with these local guys on a court that was barely off the beach! They werre amazed at this White boy who could dunk! Anyway, after Tela we headed to La Ceiba where we stayed in a hostel called "Banana Republic Guesthouse!"I have never been to onne of those so it was pretty sweet! There was a community kitchen and a girl was there from Australia, just traveling around for a few months!
So after the hostel we got on the Ferry to Utila! I was up front because i was PRAYING that God would let me see a wild dolphin! I have alwasy wanted to see one, and so I figured this was my chance! So as I was busy in conversation I hear "LOOK KANDICE!" i look over just in time to see FIVE beautiful, gorgeous creatures jump out of the water and go back in! It was awesome! I wish i could tell you EVERYTHING, but this is already the LONGEST blog in the history of blogs, so i will try and keep it brief! We did awesome things! Our place that we stayed was OVER the water adn so we had an aquarium below our feet! We saw sting rays, Puffer fish, baracudas, i was beautiful! We had a hammock and beautiful sunsets every single night! We went snorkeling, SCUBA Diving and we just hung out around the island. Island life is awesome! Jared, Sasha and I went to this Friday night vespers at this little SDA church and ended up talking to the pastor who jared asked if he coudl borrow a guitar and told him we'd do special music if he wanted us too... It was kind of a joke on our part but the next day my mom, Jared and I were sitting in church and in the middle of the service he pastor stopped and said that "our visitors have a special for us!" I just about died! So anyway, we got up front and sang a song together, "hide me now," it was awesome. It was such a blast and I'm SO glad we did it! Those people were so greatful! It was so good for me to see something so beautiful come out of nothing, we had kind of practiced a "what if they ask us" song but not really, so up front at this church was totally unrehearsed! But God totally pulled through. He made us sound beautiful together. It was a complete blast! I won't ever forget my christmas I spent on the beach, eating Top Ramen for lunch! It was definitely hard to say goodbye when Jared left, but the memories will last forever! I hope you enjoyed my novel! I will try and not write so much next time! =) I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! Please keep all the girls in your prayers, many of them went back to the States for Christmas and they need your prayers in getting back into the swing of living in Honduras, it's definitely not the U.S. this we have learned.
I have been blessed greatly, and I'm learning so much. My mom leaves on Tuesday and then It's back to reality. Back to my kids, and back to responsibility. I'm halfway, and time has flown by! I am going to miss this place, I know I will. And I miss my kids too. I never thought I'd say this, but I actually am excited to hear the word "MMMMIIISSSSSSS" that's my name, dont' wear it out! ;) Feliz Ano Nuevo!