Chichen Itza and Ek Balam

Laman, of Helaman's Tours, picked us up at Mahekal for a day trip to Chichen Itza and Ek Balam.  We spent the day reading from the scriptures and making connections with what we were seeing and experiencing.  It was an awesome experience.  

The ball court found at both sites.  Players would bounce a rubber ball off of their hips "shooting" it through the stone hoop.  It was believed to be a fun sport, but ruins at Chichen suggest that it turned to be a sacrificial tradition.  There is a gravesite there.

After thousands of years, it amazing to see how straight the walls still stand.  They knew a thing or two about building.

Around the ruins, there was an inner and outer city wall and highways and roads leading to them.

It brings to mind the fortifications and city walls spoken of in the Book of Mormon.  I think I would feel rather safe if I were inside these massive walls.

The Mayans were great astronomers.  Here is the observatory where wise and educated men would spend their days viewing the heavens.  Despite the time these people lived, there cities and structures were quite sophisticated.  Everything was oriented 19 degrees off of true north.  Because of that, millions of people have visited Chichen on the spring solstice to view the shadow serpent slither down the tiers of the temple.  Laman tells us that the best day to view that is actually on April 6th, no coincidence.

Behind you can see the serpents head at the bottom of the stairs.  The shadow from the tiers aligns with the rail going up the stairs to create a diamond pattern that descends.

Also, you can see the stone box.  Think Hill Cumorah and the golden plates.  It was not a new or singular practice.  

This palace was surrounded by lots and lots of pillars, nearly 2000.  Some LDS historians speculate that it was a memorial or representation of the 2,000 stripling warriors.

There were several themes running through their sculptures and engravings.  The serpent and a feathered serpent, respectively representing perhaps mortality the other of good and rising toward the heavens.  There were lots of jaguars and eagles.  Jaguars were honored but their meaning is a bit elusive as the actual animal.  At time it represents darkness and evil, and other times is appears to be an honored and sacred thing.  There is the white-bearded man, Kukulcan (or our Savior, Jesus Christ.)

These washing sites can be found.  Perhaps they served as more than a literal washing place, perhaps a baptistry.

Between sites, we stopped at a cenote (underground river or geological formation from the water table and the limestone) for lunch.  We didn't do any swimming, but I did enjoy wandering around the beautiful grounds.

 Brent preferred a little siesta.

 Ek Balam is a site that has more recently been uncovered.  You can see below how the climate there has promoted a lot of growth over the top of the structures.  It is just a mound of jungle before all the vegetation is removed.

We enjoyed being able to climb the steep stairs and experience the ruin a bit more than at Chichen.  It was best to traverse the steps in a diagonal, zigzag pattern.

There were some amazing carvings that were preserved by the thatching of collapsed roofs.

It was especially interesting to note the hand gestures being made.

The following drawing depicts darker and fairer skinned people.  It reminds me of the hieroglyphs found in the book of Abraham.

It's hard to see the intricate carving on the wall, but among other figures, there is the white-bearded man.

This is the oft repeated Mayan arch.

This tree sounds hollow when it is tapped.  It was a sacred tree to the Mayan people.

McGee Turns Two

Delsie has gotten pretty good at getting out of going to bed.  I usually indulge her and let her crawl into bed with me at night.  She is obsessed with my phone and taking pictures of herself.  We took a few of her making funny faces.  

Ruby and Dalanie went down to Hard Times with me to get the cinnamon rolls.  Dalanie called ahead and had them waiting for us. (She has their number written down in the back of her journal.)

We did a little photo shoot, but she was less than cooperative.  It shows the real McGee though.  Here she is telling us that she is 'two.'

 "Where's your eye?"

 She preferred taking her own selfies with my phone that she thinks is hers.

I made her a cake and she named it her 'happy.'  She was so pleased with it.  "My happy!"

We had cake and ice-cream the night before since Brent and I were leaving on her birthday for our Mexico trip.  Talk about a guilt trip.  She was just the sweetest thing ever, relishing in the birthday attention.

 The girls were right there, opening her gifts.

She got a play sink that will pump water.  It is everyone's favorite at the moment.

We love our McGee.  She is the perfect mix of sweet and silly.  She loves to be the center of attention and get people laughing at her.  She still bites any goggly eyes she sees and insists on being the keeper of my phone.  She makes herself comfy in my bed and loves to give kisses.  I can't imagine life without her.  We love you!

NYE 2015

I spent most of the day sleeping away my achy body.  Delsie was good to keep me company.

As evening rolled around, I sucked it up, pulled up my bootstraps and put together a little party.  We had balloons, music, dancing, and sparkling cider so the kids deemed it a success.

We talked about our accomplishments of the past year and what we were going to work on during the upcoming year.
Ruby learned how to ride and bike and of course, she was going to work on being nicer.
Delsie started going to nursery and she was going to turn two.
Brent was going to work on his tan...

 This was the best I could do for a group shot.  Brent thought it would be so funny to pop a balloon when I said '3.'  It turned out being a very dumb decision.  He happened to pop Ruby's family masterpiece balloon that she had spent all evening creating.  Oh the weeping and wailing that ensued.

Braving the Cold With Cousins

While we were in Burley for Christmas, we took our oldest and Chod took their two boys up to Pomerelle to ski.  After lunch and lessons, Stephens left for home, but we made several more runs.

 It was Ruby's first time and she was all smiles, even though the magic carpet ate her mitten.

 Only a time or two down the bunny hill and her teacher took her up the lift for the real mountain.

 The snow was great.  There was new powder and the trees were gorgeous.

 Warming up by the fire.  It was all the kids could talk about.  We bought the EZ ski package, so we need to go two more times this season.

 We had the other Hillman's over to play in the snow.

 I pulled them around behind the 4-wheeler.

 They thought I was kidding when I told them they'd want their entire face covered, but they soon believed me.  Trigger loved chasing them around and even rode the tube a few times.  The funniest was looking back to see him barrel rolling off the tube.

They wouldn't let the tube riding suffice, so I took them to Pullin' Hill.  Brent is never much of a proponent, but we had a great time and didn't suffer and injuries.  There were lots of other people there that day.

It was nice to have some snow to play in.  December had been pretty mild, but it ended up snowing just in time.  A storm rolled through Christmas Eve/Christmas day.