Merry Christmas

So I'm running out of time, but I finally found an internet center that can send pics soooo I"m hoping it actually works!  a picture's worth a thousand words, right?  So, actually I wrote A LOT!

This last Saturday we got to go to a super legit activity at the park by the temple with the family we are teaching. It was super awesome and the kids were all soo dang cute. Although I will say that it took all 4 of us adults to keep them all corraled together and in one peace. There were people dancing, different choirs and orchestras and just absolutely incredible lights everywhere!

But the coolest part of the night was when we crossed the street and got to take a walk around the temple. The feelings were just sooo sooo soo different. All of the sudden it was quiet and peaceful (even though the kids were still sprinting everywhere). We got the chance to talk with them about what takes place in the temple and that the sealings (marriages)  performed there last even longer then ¨until death do we part¨.  It was a really awesome ending to the night. I´m super grateful for them.

 My zone out here in Villa Mella!  They're awesome, and we love hanging out together, which is a huge blessing.

Our district - they are the best!

Apparently we've taken the super-hero thing to heart :-)

I've got a lovely bunch of coconutssss!

super cute gift from the tanguays & awesome photo album update!

Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree!

Christmas morning

Christmas Dinner

Hna Kofe in our favorite rocking chairs!

p.s. isnt this picture awesome?

also his name is Elvis -

double awesome!

all fancy for our Christmas and our Skype dates with the fam bam

Hna Mejia & Romero - we were over them last transfer; Hna Mejia is now in another area.

BBQ with our district, plus the other two girls we're over as STLs (Sister Training Leaders)

I finally learned how to play dominos (all dominicans are obsessed)

and another dominican game that is alot like Trouble or Sorry

love you and miss you

I´ll see you in no time!!!

your old fart, almost 22-years-old, daughter

P.S. Got a whole bunch of packages for christmas, halls, gma coe, doug & laurie and katherine. Am sending out thank you notes, but you can send them my thanks and gratitude if you talk to them. Also, I think I´m going to have to start running to start working off all the chocolate.... oops haha

P.P.S. Tell G'ma Irene I love her and loved her package!  We absolutely adore her potholders & dish rags! They make our home beautiful and we use them every dayyyy!  The old ones were getting pretty toreeee up - haha!

P.P.P.S. Got an entire box (24) of nut goodie bars from doug and laurie. I´m OBSESSED. Now I know why you are always raving about them, Dad!!! Don't be tooooo jealous ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Haven't gotten any mail in FOREVER. And not because it's not getting sent, but they neverrrr come to drop it off!  haha   I cant wait until my leadership meeting on Wednesday so that i can go pick it up!  Also hna Christensen is moving to Gazcue, my very first area! So she'll be way closer and I'll actually get to see her!

Thanksgiving was weird, really didnt feel like thanksgiving since its not a holiday they celebrate here. Basically investigators just brought it up and asked how homesick we were since our family was all together eating..... heyy - thanks guys haha!!

But we ended up celebrating sunday with a yummy "thanksgiving" lunch after church. we had mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (from a can), turkey gravy (from a jar), steamed vegetables (from a bag), and bbq beef. It was yummy, but now that i'm writing it all out, it really doesn't sound that yummy haha... but it really was. We made do!

And the highlight of our meal came courtesy of our fave menos activo, Alberto. He told us he had a surprise for us and to stop by Sat night. When we got there. he had had to run out but his family told us he had left something for us ... and guess what it was? A DELISH cake-pie-thing called "tres leche" -- it is seriously the best.  He is seriously the sweetest. ANND he came to church again Sunday so we're pretty dang stoked about him.

We've been getting a loooot more lessons in recently, like we went from an average of 16/17 a week (not including with menos activos) to 24/25 every day. Its been crazy seeing the area explode, we visit our investigators a lot more times each week and we're seeing a lot of progress. I've literally never seen anything like it on my mission. Plus we gave BofM.s to the cute family we are teaching and the two oldest boys were super stoked.
All in all, we're excited to keep working and moving forward.

love you guys tons!