HAPPY 4TH OF JULY . . .

. . . to all you living in the United States! I imagine that many of you are enjoying picnics, fireworks and the hot summer weather! Sometimes I can't remember what those "dog days" of summer are like.

After 10 years of living at the equator where the weather is basically the same all the time . . . the change of seasons that you all experience seem like a world away. We are definitely entering what we call our "dry season" when it hardly rains and the wind has become stronger and the sun makes things hot and dry . . . however, it's never too hot for us here in the mountains . . . and once the sun sets, the evenings are very cool . . . cool enough to wear sweatshirts and warmer clothes.

Another unique thing about living at the equator is having days that are about the same length year round. The sun rises in the morning between 6 and 6:30 am and the sun usually sets by 6:30 pm. It varies just a bit depending on the time of the year. I must admit that I sometimes miss the long days of summer that you're all enjoying in the north right now. But I certainly can't complain as we have spring-like weather all year round - I'll remind you of this again when winter time rolls around and you're outside in freezing weather shoveling snow!

Here is a photo that reminds me of how cold winter can be! I also like the red, white, and blue in the photo making me feel a little more patriotic today. This was taken a few months ago during our trip to the US in November for our stateside reception. You'll see Santi's mom on the left - this was her first trip to the US and I don't think she was very impressed with the cold temperatures! We took day trip with my nephew and niece to see Lake Michigan and came across this beautiful red lighthouse (this was at the Holland, Michigan Harbor). Maybe this photo will help you all feel a little cooler today!



We hope you enjoy the holiday together with friends and family!