Say What?! I'm 21!?

 My birthday celebration actually started on the 9th of November.  It was a Friday, so it was a perfect time to celebrate ehh?  Well, I was kept in the dark about the things that we were going to do that night, so I was told after teaching.  My head teacher then informed me that we were going to El Centro (the center of the city) to eat, eat, and eat. :)  It's like my favorite thing to do anyways, so I was excited!  Well our first stop was the taco stand...of course!  It is definitely the best taco stand in all of Tehuacan just as Kaylie said it was.  :)  After our taco stop, we headed to get some gorditas de nata.  How do I describe them besides delicious.  I wish I had pictures of this night, but it was too good to stop and take pictures.  But yeah, they are like pancakes/fluffy heaven.  You just have to come, and try them for yourself!  Something else that I really like here is their elote.  It is just the Spanish word for corn, but it is sooooo good.  My favorite that I have tried thus far in Mexico was the one I had on this night.  The corn is charred, and put on a stick, then slathered with mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese.  I think it beats the tacos, and the gorditas...I just like it so much!    After our night of eating I went home, and prepared for one awesome day to come!

I must say that turning 21 in Mexico has been a cool experience that will change the way I do traditions in my future family forever.  Let's just say it was a blast!  The 10th finally decided to roll around, and I got to sleep in to 9:00 which was the best way to start off my birthday I must say.  I got up, and had breakfast with my family.  It was really funny because my mom was at the stove doing something with the food, and she turns around and says 1, 2...???  Uno, dos, tres!  And my sister, mom, and dad started singing happy birthday to me in Spanish.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't blushing.  They are just awesome.  My mom, and sister then gave me awesome hugs, and told me congratulations on turning 21.  It was very kind of them to sing to me on my day of birth!

After our breakfast together, I went upstairs and got ready for the rest of my day.  We went out to lunch at a restaurant called El Guacamole.  The guy who owns it used to live in Utah, so he speaks good English.  He buys all the girls that have birthdays a cake, which is super generous of him!  So with any tradition, the birthday person always gets the first bite right?  Well, this is very true in Mexico, except utensils are illegal.  :)  You go into your first bite face first, and if you are lucky like me you will have awesome friends that push your face into the cake.  Thanks Katie!!! :)  It was a great cake that tasted awesome!  It was a tres leche cake, and I have come to love them.  The United States does this cake no justice.  Check it:

I think there was only 5 candles on the cake....which would be accurate I suppose since I can wear the lost and found children's jackets.  :p

Not sure what I wished for, but hopefully it was something good.  ;)

So my candles were out, now came the best part.  It was lovely.  :)  Most of it went up my nose though, which I was thinkin' about actually.... and how if I had exhaled (which could have been a possibility,) the other teachers would have eaten more than just cake...:p

There could have been my hair in there too!!

So since I didn't really take a bite of the cake with that awesome face plant, I did take a decent bite out of it...still no utensils involved.  So think about it: snot, hair, and my mouth germs all on my birthday cake.  YESSSSSS!  :D

They must have tasted great cause this was all that was left of it!  So you see why I want to keep this tradition alive, it's so awesome and personal...Oh how I love Mexico! 






Well, stomach's full we headed to San Lorenzo.  Since only 6 of us went, we decided to all fit into one taxi.  Yet another reason why I love Mexico.  :)

We all fit!!!  Once we got to San Lorenzo we stripped down to our bathing suits.  Oh, did I mention that it is a natural springs swimming pool?  You got it.  Swimming in November.  Isn't that the best thing in the world?  I can't even remember the last time it was warm on my birthday, much less go swimming!  It was a little weird that it was so warm on my birthday, but I loved it!

This was the kiddie side of the pool, considering I can't swim, this is where I spent some of my time.  It was still fun to wade through with the whole 4 kids there.  :p

I have found Nemo!

It was a beautiful place!  

 

 

I stole these from Madi's blog...thanks!  :)

And thanks to Anna for joining us!

Oh...and there were fish in the pool!

So after our hours of fun at this lovely place, we headed home only this time on foot.  We walk everywhere here, and it was actually an enjoyable walk.  We came upon the arches of Tehuacan, so we took pictures from the bridge above the road.  It was pretty high up. 

                                                    We got a good view!

                       But of course, everything is better up close and personal.

The water was clean which made me happy!

Cause there is one everywhere I suppose...

After visiting the arches we headed home for good.  Two teachers decided to take a taxi home, so the other three of us headed home on foot.  Of course we had to make an adventure out of it.  We came across a tree.  Now this was no ordinary tree, but this tree was next to the busy highway, and lo and behold it had oranges on it!  This was a first for us, so Janessa and Kaylie were intent on getting the oranges off the tree.  I stood back and laughed at them, and so did the guys in the shop down the street. :p  They were up way too high you see, and even jumping lead to no avail.

Luckily this guy saw our struggles, and helped us out.  He shook a whole two oranges out of the tree for the struggling white, and toasted girls.  :p 




Honestly speaking though....these were all amazing parts of my birthday, but the most awesome thing about the whole "day of birth" thing were these lovely birthday cards my kids made for me.  I love those kids so much.  I received 57 cards from them! 57!!!!! That was enough to fill every square on my bedroom floor + some!

The variety was awesome too!
Big, medium, small, and Frankenstein.  :p

Quotes:

"I lake you teacher Sophia."

"Happy Bedei Mis Sophia."

"Happy Birthday Miss Sophia!  You is beast."

"Happy Birthday Miss Sophia. You are the funniest teacher and the best teacher of the year for me."...The funny thing about this one is that Miss Cassie teaches this child Elementary, (I don't teach elementary, except once kinda, sorta) but I don't ever recall seeing this Eduardo (I think that's his name anyways)...but thanks for the compliments man!  :p

See what I mean??  Aren't they great!?  And I have them to look at for the rest of my life.  I love these children, I know I've said it like a million times, but it's so true!  I also love the teachers that put it all together!  It was the best birthday I have ever had, no exaggeration needed.  :)  Thank you times a million for the laughs, amazing times, and memories peeps!  :)