The Angel Gabriel Visits Mary

Enjoy an old story retold in a new way. I'll be uploading these unique videos all during the Advent season.
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Light an Advent Candle

Lesson: Today is the first Sunday in Advent; the season of expectation. Today we light the prophecy candle in our Advent wreath. This candle reminds us that God lovingly revealed Christ's first advent through the prophets hundreds of years prior to his birth. The color purple symbolizes penitence and royalty to remind us to prepare our hearts to humbly receive our King.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-5

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 

Prayer: Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Hymn: O Come O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Happy Thanksgiving

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;

He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.

Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,

Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;

So from the beginning the fight we were winning;

Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine! 

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,

And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.

Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;

Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Not You, We Named the Puppy Jack

We've been searching for weeks for the perfect pup. Meet Captain Jack our new miniature Schnauzer.

This is him on his first day with us.

Today the groomer came and did his magic. Washed, brushed, blown dry, clipped, and even adorned with a new bandanna all for the unbelievable price of $150 pesos (that's only about $12 US dollars).

And to top it all off, the groomer actually came to our home to do it all!

Ya gotta love Mexico.

The Ruins of Teotihuacán

It's pronounced teh-oh-tee-wa-khan, in case you were wondering. Teotihuacán means place where gods were born. The Aztecs believed that the gods created the universe here.

The Pyramid of the Sun is the larger of two pyramids located here at the ruins of Teotihuacán. We climbed all 250 lung-wrenching steps. No easy feat especially since we are already at 7,000 feet above sea level.

Proof that we completed the climb. The Pyramid of the Moon is behind us. 

The Pyramid of the Moon has 180 steps to the top. It is located at the end of Calzada de los Muertos or the Avenue of the Dead. 

Olivia, Wesley, and Sophia take a well-deserved break.

It was a little easier going down, but our legs were still a bit wobbly.

Another view of the Avenue of the Dead. Ceremonial rituals, including human sacrifices were timed with the appearance of Venus. 

Numerous tombs with human remains have been uncovered at the foundations of the buildings. 

Another view of the Pyramid of the Sun. Merchants line this particular corridor facing the pyramid. 

Although, occupation of the area began around 500 B.C. it wasn't until 400 years later that construction of the Pyramid of the Sun commenced.

Inhabitants of Teotihuacán mysteriously disappeared around A.D. 700.

All that's left are these excavated artifacts of pottery, jewelry, and skeletal remains.

We enjoyed our history lesson and hope to return some day.