Were you all praying for our dinner with Manuel and his family? You must have been, because we had a wonderful, beautiful night with them!
They did give me a good startle by showing up perfectly on time . . . I wasn't ready (I was trying to purposely adapt to Mexican culture; I figured that they wouldn't show up for a least another half an hour), but I gave them all cutting boards and knives and put them to work in the kitchen. And that was lovely - - because they did all the work while I got to ask all the questions.
We loved our time with them.
We loved Manuel and Juanita's commitment to one another and to their family - - even through some unique life challenges;
we loved their four sweet girls;
we loved hearing that one story about that time Juanita was crying on the eve of Three Kings day because they had no money to buy their girls gifts - - and how on that day a man on Manuel's trash rout asked him if he wanted a bag of old toys; the bag was filled with dusty, broken boxes filled with unused Barbie airplane and kitchen sets - - and how Manuel and Juanita stayed up late dusting off the boxes and taping them up to give their girls the best Three Kings day ever. (oh my goodness, you should have seen the girl's eyes shine - - even ten years later!)
It's been discussed and decided: We're going to have them over again soon.
They did give me a good startle by showing up perfectly on time . . . I wasn't ready (I was trying to purposely adapt to Mexican culture; I figured that they wouldn't show up for a least another half an hour), but I gave them all cutting boards and knives and put them to work in the kitchen. And that was lovely - - because they did all the work while I got to ask all the questions.
We loved our time with them.
We loved Manuel and Juanita's commitment to one another and to their family - - even through some unique life challenges;
we loved their four sweet girls;
we loved hearing that one story about that time Juanita was crying on the eve of Three Kings day because they had no money to buy their girls gifts - - and how on that day a man on Manuel's trash rout asked him if he wanted a bag of old toys; the bag was filled with dusty, broken boxes filled with unused Barbie airplane and kitchen sets - - and how Manuel and Juanita stayed up late dusting off the boxes and taping them up to give their girls the best Three Kings day ever. (oh my goodness, you should have seen the girl's eyes shine - - even ten years later!)
It's been discussed and decided: We're going to have them over again soon.
love the story, can't wait to hear the sequel; I'm smiling to think of your guests chopping away-quick thinking!
ReplyDelete