Independence Day and our Anniversary!

There is the theme for this years Independence Day...and yes apparently it is always that long.

So as many of you know September 22 is Belize's Independence day (this being only their 28th year as an independent nation) this is super exciting because the following day was our anniversary! We were very excited because for the first time ever the national parade was to be held in Belmopan instead of Belize City! The parade was supposed to start at 10:30. We got there at 12 and it didn't start until 1:30:) It was pretty cool for the first hour...due to the rain. We were all starving (thinking that we would be home around 1:00) so when the icy man came by we, and everyone else, quickly jumped up to get one. He put 7 squirts in each cup...oh the delicious sugar and ICE! The parade was awesome and probably the best one I've seen in person. There was rampant drinking in both the parade and the audience and even the drivers were passing around bottles of 5 barrel (the cheap, popular rum here in Belize)! All the different ministries each had their own float with the Ministry of health having a whole stretcher and incubator with a person painted with fake blood and a doll wrapped in bandages! It was a great time even though it got quite hot. So hot that when I looked down to see what kept dripping on my toe I discovered it was my elbow sweat from holding my umbrella. Umbrellas in Belize are used more for sun than for rain. Bryan spent a good deal of the parade on Greg's shoulders and was a squirmy 6 year old through and through.

Alyssa and I dressed as twins!

Their newest 'lee chicken' and Kevin in the tree

Telling Kaylyssa all the good gossip.

2 YEARS!

So it is crazy thinking how insane these past two years have been. We have been through a lot together and I never could have guessed we would be spending the majority of our first years of marriage in another country. To celebrate we decided to go to an american style resturaunt. It sold wine, had wifi, air conditioning, and american magazines! We treated ourselves to lovely salads (Greek for me with huge slices of real parm on top, Grilled fruit salad for greg with actual pear from back home and grilled pineapple and apple with...get this....blue cheese!!!). While we were waiting for the meal we each wrote in our anniversary cards we found at this magical store with real school supplies and cards, sealed them, and then exchanged cards. It was just so nice to hang out alone together...in air conditioning. We slowly sipped our lime juice and just soaked it all up, talking about our crazy life and trying not to talk about the presentations we were each giving the next day. After dinner we luxuriously walked through the american style grocery store. We excitedly pointed out all the products we hadn't seen in two years and stood for a good while in front of the candy selecting one each as a desert. We ended the night with a walk back to our village in the cool evening munching on our candies. It was a wonderful anniversary.

Right before dinner...our cards on the wall

Just like two years ago...