We recently had another great experience with the visit of Sean, Vivian and family. It was so fun to be able to share our beloved Mexico City with them.
Friday The first day we were off to the Zocalo and the Templo Mayor. We wrote about the templo in an earlier post that you can check it out below if you would like. It was a fun day and we were able to show the family many of our favorite things in Mexico City.
Waiting for the Metro
No seats on the train
Sean and Vivian at the Templo Mayor
Sage Brock and Ryan
Some of the ruins at the Templo Mayor
Some of the ruins at the Templo Mayor
Wall of Skulls and others scary things at the Templo Mayor
who is the scariest?
Scary girls
Resting up for the next stop
After lunch at the "Tile House", a fun place to eat, we went to find dessert. One of the kids' favorite places turned out to be the Ideal Bakery. An amazing place with LOTS of goodies to choose from. Some of the cakes are unbelievably tall and it was fun seeing how all the different cakes were decorated.
Main dining room in the Casa de los Azulejos (Tile House) resturaunt
Goodies galore!!
Goodies galore!!
It is quite the place!!
We spent the afternoon on the Turibus doing the tour of Mexico City. It is really quite interesting and gives a great overview of the city.
We spent the afternoon on the Turibus doing the tour of Mexico City. It is really quite interesting and gives a great overview of the city.
Famous Mexico City landmark, the angel statue, from the Turibus
Saturday we did some things in our neighborhood. We went to a shop where Brock bought a soccer jersey. We then went to the tianguis (our outdoor market) and finally to the Merced, a huge market where the kids all found some great deals. It was a day with the true flavor of Mexico.
Saturday we did some things in our neighborhood. We went to a shop where Brock bought a soccer jersey. We then went to the tianguis (our outdoor market) and finally to the Merced, a huge market where the kids all found some great deals. It was a day with the true flavor of Mexico.
Brock's first purchase
The Merced
On Sunday we relaxed in the morning and then everyone headed off to our 2pm church schedule. After one hour of sacrament meeting in Spanish most of the clan decided to head back to the apartment, rather than go to two more meetings they didn't understand. Sage, however, wanted to go to Primary and went and made quite a hit. That night Ryan presented a concert in the Visitors Center. It was wonderful. He is so talented and many of the Sr. missionaries as well as most of our young missionaries, our bishop and his family and many of our ward members came to hear him play. In all there were over a hundred people in attendance and they all seemed to love it. Sage had a great reunion with many friends she had made that morning in Primary. We tried to upload a video of his playing but it was too long. You will just have to take our word that it was great!
On Sunday we relaxed in the morning and then everyone headed off to our 2pm church schedule. After one hour of sacrament meeting in Spanish most of the clan decided to head back to the apartment, rather than go to two more meetings they didn't understand. Sage, however, wanted to go to Primary and went and made quite a hit. That night Ryan presented a concert in the Visitors Center. It was wonderful. He is so talented and many of the Sr. missionaries as well as most of our young missionaries, our bishop and his family and many of our ward members came to hear him play. In all there were over a hundred people in attendance and they all seemed to love it. Sage had a great reunion with many friends she had made that morning in Primary. We tried to upload a video of his playing but it was too long. You will just have to take our word that it was great!
The family before the concert
Monday the plan was to go to Maximillian's castle in Chapultepec Park. We got an early start and when we got to the park it was all gated closed. In Mexico City many things are closed on
Mondays but we were surprised to see the whole park closed. Plan B turned out to be a trip to Ciudadela, a wonderful more upscale market place where goods from all over Mexico all sold. Again the Foley kids didn't have any trouble finding things they liked. But first, we had lunch in a nearby park.
The Foley boys in the park
The Foley girls in the park
Let the shopping begin!!!
That looks pretty good
They sure look native huh? Cute kids!!!
In front of the Temple of the Plumed Serpent
A better view of the plumed serpent
The Ciudadela
(open area near Temple of the Plumed Serpernt with 12 smaller structures surrounding it where many ceremonies took place)
On the road to the Pyramids of the Sun (on the right) and
the Moon (straight ahead)
Entrance to an underground area on the way to the Pyramid of the Sun
Way cool!!
Another interesting area on the way to the Sun
Branden resting on the steps to the sun
Sage on the top on sentry duty
View from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun
A visit to the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl
(thought to be the place where the high priest lived)
Lunch with a view
A visit to the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl
(thought to be the place where the high priest lived)
Lunch with a view
Waiting for the bus for the ride home in a cactus garden
Love the hat?
(Sage was chatting up a guy about the world soccer playoffs)
Wednesday, our last day
The kids had to leave for the airport by one o'clock so we decided to take a quick trip to the Basilica de Guadalupe (the second most visited Catholic shrine in the world) since it is not far from our apartment. It was a hot day but it was still good to be able to see one more sight before sending them off.
Love the hat?
(Sage was chatting up a guy about the world soccer playoffs)
Wednesday, our last day
The kids had to leave for the airport by one o'clock so we decided to take a quick trip to the Basilica de Guadalupe (the second most visited Catholic shrine in the world) since it is not far from our apartment. It was a hot day but it was still good to be able to see one more sight before sending them off.
On the bus to the Basilica
Inside the new Basilica
Outside the new Basilica
Sleeping Accomodations
Inside the new Basilica
Outside the new Basilica
We were able to get the boys rooms in the MTC dorms which was a great help. Not only did they sleep there but they were able to shower there which saved us having 9 people waiting to shower in our little bathroom. It really worked out well and gave Brock and Ryan a taste of dorm life before they hit Heritage Halls at BYU this Fall. Sean posed with the boys (we didn't make him stay in the dorms. We let him stay with Vivian.) Branden, however, did stay in the dorms.
More to Come
It was a great visit. Now we are waiting for Kathy to come next week. She is taking a well deserved break and coming alone, thanks to a good husband who is going to watch the four boys.
I am not sure what we can do to get our other girls here but we do love sharing Mexico with our family and friends
