Birthdays Celebrated

thanks so much to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes and calls. i kidnapped martin martin thursday morning - he wasn't too please at first, saying "but i have to go to work..."
well i had this all arranged with the rest of the team and we had his work responsibilities covered. (mine too.) our dear teammates merideth and kiara agreed to take care of micah and isaiah while we went away on our birthday adventure for 5 days and 4 nights!!! and since you all know our dear boys, you KNOW what an absolutely INCREDIBLE gift this was!!!

so we drove to mexico city in one of our mcc vehicles, because there was some furniture and a solar system that we wanted to bring back for the new family that arrived this month. we left the truck in mexico city and took a bus to amecameca, in the state of puebla.
never heard of amecameca? (but it sure is fun to say). this town is the key staging point for an izta climb. here's what the guidebook says:
Popo & Izta: An Explosive Duo
Legend has it that Pop was a warrior who fell in love with Izta, the emperor's daughter. As the story goes, Izta died of grief
while Popo was away at war. Upon his return, he created the two mountains, laid her body on one and stood holding her funeral torch on the other. With some imagination, Izta does resemble a woman lying on her back. From the Mexico City side, you can, when the sky is clear, make out four peaks form left to right: La Cabeza (head), El Pecho (breast), Las Rodillas (knees) and Los Pies (feet).
Popocatepetl (po-po-ka-teh-pet-l), Nahuatl for 'Smoking Mountain' is Mexico's second highest peak. This volcano last exploded in december 2005 - so it's closed to hikers. Iztaccihuatl (iss-ta-see-wat-l), Sleeping Woman, is Mexico's third-highest peak. Craterless and dormant and open for hiking. So that's what we did for two days. It was awesome, cold, exhilarating and just wonderful to be together. We hiked up to Izta's feet which we figured was about 14,300 ft. Each day we took a little bus the base of the mountain, hike all day, and then hitch a ride back to Amecameca.
So Martin spent his 50th birthday in the mountains hiking.



white mountain rose


(i'm posing as the "sleeping woman" - izta - the mountain we were climbing)

martin in front of (a picture of) the volcano popocatepetl. (it was SO cloudy while we were there. we had to use other people's photos....)

it was COLD!







Then on Sunday, my birthday, we went to "magical" Tepotzlan, close to Mexico City and spent the night in a gorgeous hotel. Again, here's what the guidebook says: "Posada del Tepozteco - This gorgeous hotel was built as a hillside hacienda in the 1930s. It features lovely, well-manicured ground, two solar-heated pools, 20 well-done rooms, and terraces with spectacular views surveying the town. The airy suites com wtih private spa baths....." This hotel is the "author's choice" and it was marvelous! Like nothing we have ever done before. Very relaxing, beautiful, delicious food, and the chance to be together and relax.....












On Monday we drove into Cuernavaca to buy the solar system and drive home.

All in all, it was a fantastic birthday celebration...and a second honeymoon :)

Haven't eaten any birthday cake. yet.
Great trip.