Opening Day

The doors of the new and improved Minerva School officially opened Monday.  In my 6 years of teaching, I have been lucky to be a part of 2 school openings.  There's nothing quite like a new, clean building.  Everything so fresh and unmarked.  The anticipation of little bodies filling the seats. 

The teachers (well most of us) have been hard at work getting everything ready. 


There was a short ribbon-cutting ceremony.

 

 

Including a performance of the Honduran National Anthem by the Minerva School band.

After the cermony snacks were served, of course, and the students got to tour the new building.

 

 

It's been an amazing 3 years watching this project from when it was first presented to the parents on a Powerpoint slide show, to actually walking through the doors for the first time.  Congratulations, Minerva! 

January 2011: El Año Nuevo

New Year.  New country.  January 1, 2011 we boarded a plane to the third and final country on our tour- a visit with Dad and Annette in Cartegena, Colombia...

We settled into our "home" for the week and Ale made friends quickly...

 This is one of my favorite cities in the world.  So many pretty colors...

Both of my trips to Cartagena have centered around Christmas.  They do such a great job of decorating the city.  There are lights all over town and in all of  the parks...

We walked around the "Old City" and saw the sights...

We got to visit Fort San Felipe...

And La Popa...

Where Ale and Tori made some new friends...

We had a good relax in a mud volcano...

And toured the Gold Museum...

But we also just enjoyed being in a big city.  We shopped at the mall, ate in good restraunts and saw TWO movies!  It was the perfect way to end our adventure before returning home to our quiet little Gracias.