My newest obsession

Farmtown on facebook is the most addicting game I've played so far. This is a warning to everyone: if you don't know what this game is, don't start it. I've spent all day, literally, on my lap-top playing this time-hog. There is something to do every minute there: if you're not planting, you're harvesting or chatting with people, or buying stuff, visiting neighbors, you name it. As a side note, I don't even have a facebook account to begin with, the farm I'm playing with is Eric's: it's an obsession. Anyway, I have to stop blogging now to go check on my crops;-)))))

Fourth of July (rewind)

I realized that I missed posting about 4th of July with all this cruise commotion. It was my second Independence Day as a US citizen. Me and the children went to church in the morning for our yearly ward patriotic pancake breakfast and flag raising ceremony.
After that we had some time to spare, so I took kids to Groveland. It was so early in the morning, there were no people there, and the vendors were just setting up. So, the kids had bounce-houses all for themselves. They also had some old-time cars there. It is always fun to see those and to imagine how people drove those back in old times. We didn't stay there long.
There are so many interesting and fun activities going on around on 4th of July. After picking Eric up from work, we went to Celebration. Here the real festivities began: horse-buggy riding, music, booths, free stuff, dancing 70's style, fireworks.
It was amazing to see and hear Gina Marie Incandela sing national anthem. She is a 7-year old girl who performed at Orlando Magic game. This little girl's voice is so strong it makes your skin have goose bumps and your eyes tear.

Flag raising ceremony at church

Valentina and Misha

Groveland

Celebration

Mayan ruins of Tulum (Cruise me baby! contd.)

The first picture shows mayan calendar, according to which, there are 18 months in a year, each 20 days, which makes 360 days (note 360 degrees in a circle as well), the other 5 days are in the center of the calendar. Those 5 days had a very specific significance for maya. Children born those days were sacrified. The second picture shows some hand-made obsidian statuette. Can you spot someone on the third picture? Yes, there are lots of iguanas in Mexico, sitting in the sun or hiding in the shade, or trying to steal bird eggs right out of the nest. However when being pecked on the head and chased away by fiesty mama-bird, they don't dare come back. The rest of the pictures are of the ruins and us visiting them. It was really hot there, so after the excursion turquoise waters looked rather tempting. Me and the kids went for it.