Guatemala

many of you have asked...how was Guatemala????

I never know what stories to tell, what will interest other people...so IF you really are interested...check out my babes blog for pics without a story....

if you want a little more story...

Saturday: woke up an hour late (4:30am) drove to Chicago, flight to Dallas then to Guatemala City. (18 hour travel time) Went to Burger King where we saw our first gaurd with a gun protecting it. Steve and Laurel explained about kidnappings and violence in Guatemala. Stayed in a nice Hotel in Guatemala City with a manager named MARIO.

Sunday: Keep the Sabbath Day Holy, I know this isn't a list of the ten commandments, but we really did church stuff all day...oh and had a nap....oh and blog stalked while we were waiting for Mike's parents to get done with a meeting. Walked down the street to a member's house for another meeting about families. Played Canadian Salad.

Monday: Beautiful, between dying, run in the mountains of Solola. Raced some kids, they beat us.

Lunch on the BEAUTIFUL Lake Atitlan, met our rich-boy friend from Michigan and his hotsie g.f., Shopping. walked down the street to have a sweet woman make us fresh Corn tortillas for dinner, played canadian salad.

Tuesday: One last run. Even harder than yesterday. Shopping in the market with the baskets of dried fish, hanging animal flesh and tons of people in a very enclosed space. So cool to see how people shop around there. Took the very mild chicken bus to a nearby town. Ate lunch on the lake where we ran into rich-boy from Michigan again. Beautiful gardens, beautiful hotel. Mosquito bites. National Park where we did not zip line. we took a lovely hike over some questionable bridges. and I'll never forget the BABY RUTH Laurel bought us after the hike. Steve had a meeting so we all retired early...no games :(

this sign says "do not urinate"-- mike isn't really urinating...that's a water bottle and our cute little "flat beau".

Wednesday: 8 hours of fun at the church waiting for Steve and Laurel's meeting to finish up. We read, napped, read a little about where we want to move next. More blog stalking. stayed a nice hotel in Antigua. Canadian Salad.

Thursday: walked around Antigua. Visited the old Convent. So cool. Lunch at the most beautiful McDonalds I've ever seen. Saw a volcano Erupt.

Macadamian Nut Farm. Back to Guatemala City for a BYU bball game and Elder and Sister Clarks. One more game of canadian Salad and off to MARIO'S hotel.

Loved this bathroom at the macadamia farm...

nice, huh? Tips Only facial at the macadamia farm

Friday: Guatemala City, Miami, Chicago DRIVE HOME another 18 hour travel time. Arrive home to find our sick kids and sick babysitters. Turns out they all got the 24 hour throw ups. the 24 hour diarrhea, Meagan got an ear infection. It was tons of fun here at the Cranney residence. Dan and Meagan, they're who we shared a moving truck with on the way here to Missouri, watched our kids so we could go on this awesome trip. Maegan works at Truman and had her spring break the week before the boys did, so they talked us into leaving the boys with them and enjoy a little vacation. We sure enjoyed it and COULD NOT have asked for better sitters. These guys are little angels from heaven! Love Dan and Maegie. They're sweet kids!

Here's a fun little clip from a guy on the street at the market. It was surely a highlight.

Hoe Down

I have talked about how the Med School here has a little club called SAA. SAA is a group for students' significant others. It is a LIFE SAVER for many of us! This month they put on a Hoe Down. Babysitting. Food. Karaoke. Dancin'. It is SO hilarious to see these med students gettin' jiggy wid it. I provided free "couple photos" for many of the couples. But I still managed to miss many of them. I love these guys and never wanna forget how much fun we get to have. Med school is hard, but it def. has it's perks...little moments like this make it all worth it.

"blogworthy", I should say so! Matt and Kenz. win cutest little couple for my "couple photo" contest.

tyler and aimee...they're alive! (haha, sorry you're so shiny and bright...don't be mad!)

sarah and ben know how to strike a pose from across a room.

tyler and kyle karaoke

Ian and Michelle.

Monica and Aaron.

greg and angel.

sarah and benny.

yeee hawww

Mike and Allison. these guys are sweetie pies! If you ever need to borrow sugar, They've got it pouring out their ears they are so sweet! love these guys!

Kyle and Chelsi A.

It came down to kyle and I Best dressed...and I think we know who won...No, not me...him! Can I compete with a stash like that?

Daniel and Meagie poo, ahh...so young.

Tyler and Chels R

Tyler and Mike...might as well be a couple. You know they're talking about school.

Ryan and Lisa A.

Mark and Jenny B.

seriously?

Joe and Nat S. they came up with their own poses...

aren't they cutsie wootsie?

g & a just had baby #4 but it's like they are on their honeymoon...

maybe a bit crazier.

Nauvoo take two

Mike is now the Young Men's Secretary for our ward. So when he got his first meeting in Nauvoo, the boys and I hitched a ride. Mike and I were married in Nauvoo and NEVER dreamed we'd be in it's stake. After the two hour ride and One $108 speeding ticket (mike's not that perfect after all), the boys and I dropped the clan off for their meeting and set sail for tourism.

Turns out that winter isn't really a hot time to be touring Nauvoo. We found the Smith Cemetery where Joseph Smith Jr., his wife Emma, and his brother Hyrum are buried. It's a peaceful place. However FAR too cold to be posing for pictures.

Cemetery overlooks Missouri River

Smith Cemetery

Cranney Fam. stayed at this lovely home for our wedding.

Mike's personal tour of the cemetery

Being here in the winter really helped us realize what a horrible journey the saints had when thy left Nauvoo. Bloody footprints in the snow. We are so glad to be warm and have many modern amenities.

Happy Fifth P Diddy

We had a SMALL gathering for Port's Bday

Dan and Meagan played the Balloon popping game with the kids, cause they're still too young to sit and relax like adults...(plus it was punishment for getting Porter a whoopy cushion)

Andrew L.O.V.E.S. his dad!

Batman Cake this year...wonder what next year will bring..

Andrew, Jackson and Porter checking out the BATMAN CAVE

AND...possibly the best parents ever...after Porter babysat Dan and Meagan's fish, Betty over the break, Mike thought he could handle the responsibilities of a fish of his own.

Mike: "what are you gonna name him Port?"

Porter: "Rob"

OK...

New Years in Missouri

the fam.

A and T arguing again.

Jason, Madie, P Did, Scotty

Odee, Logan, A

M and A

G and A

Holla. Well, Christmas knocked our socks off! We had a great time with our friends. Pretty much hung out with Smith Fam. EVERY DAY of the break. Went to St. Louis. Look for pics on Mike's bloggerooski. It was an Awesome time! And I'm so glad we got to have such a fun, relaxing, peaceful two week break. That's so much more than most people get...maybe you already knew that.

Had a quiet New Years Eve with friends. The kids played the Wii and were glued to it the entire night...so it seriously was a "quiet" new years. Adults played apples to apples...and you'll never guess who won both rounds...MIKE. yeah...his head was nice and puffed up for 2011.

Hope you all had a great time without us...We miss our friends and family dearly!

Christmas Break

We are having a very relaxing Christmas here in Kirksville, Mike has two weeks off and we're just living the dream. Sittin' on our butts relaxing our lives away. We've taught Porter old school Mario. He is fascinated and I am on a qwest to save the princess before the break is over! It's a sad sight when Porter and I are just gaming all day in our jammies. Mike and Andrew have been neglected a bit.

We have also watched TWO seasons of Discovery Channel's EVEREST: beyond the limit. It started to be so much EVEREST that when we would cough or go out into the snow, it was like we were on the mountain again....enough said.

Next week we're on our way to St. Louis. Mike earned quiet a bit of money tutoring last semester and we've decided to enjoy a getaway to the paradise known as "the arch".

Missouri is so cold that the extra holiday money that santa got funded some pretty warm coats for the boys. ps...don't even get me started on our fancy new camera that takes blurry pictures...My blood pressure goes up every time I try to capture my precious angels being....precious angels and it turns out a blobby mess. Did I build this camera myself???

Weekend before Christmas

We threw Manda a surprise bday party for her 16th celebration. Mer had the idea to make her an awesome tee shirt "Need a moment? II" it's from the twix commercial. Inside joke...had to be there....blah blah...anyway, it made her cry! Mer is such a good gift giver! :)

Clayton, Leia, Mom, Porter, Mike, Manda, Justin, Mer, Bumpy, Andrew, Jenn, Renee, John.

John Goode and girlfriend Renee met us out here from Washington State. They drove all the way on a whim! We haven't seen John in years and had never met Renee. They are both awesome people and It was so fun to see them again. Justin is Monica's BF....talk about "Boo and Mojeh" all weekend long. He's pretty great and takes good care of baby Leia! We had some good times practicing for a potential flash mob, shopping at the antique store/thrift store...lots of funny pics there...too bad I'm too lazy to post them. and Scategories...I WON....that's RIGHT! JENN CRANNEY=scategories champ 2010.