VIVA MEXICO!!!

AHHHH!!! What an amazing experience I had tonight!

Lets start off with a quick history lesson from your's truly......

A Catholic priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla stood from his church balcony the morning of September 16, 1810 delcaring the need for Mexico's independence from Spain. This tradition is carried every out by every state in Mexico at 10:20, the night before the actual independence day, the 15th! Though this wasn't the actual day Mexico gained its independence from Spain, it marks the beginning of Mexico's movement towards independence. By 1821, over 11 years later, the ideal for which Miguel Hidalgo and many other Mexicans had fought for had at last been accomplished: the country was independent and free. Unfortunately Miguel Hidalgo wasn't around to witness this as he was excommunicated and executed by decapitation. :/

This year also marks another big historic event in Mexican history. November marks the 100th year of the Mexican Revolution. My boss told me that we still have a little while to fill me in on all the history because there we many players involved in the Revolution!

Back to the Bicentenial celebrations.... As you could imagine this city has been preparing for tonight ALL month and don't plan on stopping tonight! Tonight merely kicked everything off with live music, dancing, and of course fireworks! The "chill bump" factor was the El Grito portion of the festivities! The mayor stood from this balcony over looking a large festival ground. He stood above everyone yelling, " Viva Hidalgo, the crowd yells VIVA, Viva la Bicentario de Independencia, the crowd yells VIVA, VIVA MEXICO, the crowd yells VIVA, VIVA MEXICO, the crowd yells VIVA, VIVA MEXICO, and the crowd SCREAMS VIVA!!!!!!!!!" Then he rang a HUGE bell and waves the Mexican flag after which the Mexican National Anthem was sung by the thousands in the crowd! You can't help but feel the genuine love and compassion the mayor and all the people here in Cabo have for their country! After "El Grito" They had a HUGE fireworks demonstration! This was all in the middle of everything in Cabo! I felt so privileged to be standing with the community around me as all the celebrations were taking place! I actually got an audio clip of the mayor's delivery of El Grito but I'm still trying to figure out how to get it onto the computer and online so you can experience what I did!

Tomorrow is the national holiday, so EVERYONE is off (of course not Ty) so more celebrating is in order and tomorrow will be a day of rest! Believe me though, you know as well as I do... Stephen Tyler Thaxton LOOOOOOOOOOOVES him some independence day celebrations and will be right there in the middle of it all tonight, no matter how painful it will be tomorrow!

I realized tonight that in 201o we have actually celebrated 3 different independence days for and in 3 different countries! We of course had the great opportunity to be with my family at the beautiful lake Guntersville as we said Happy Birthday America with food, friends, family, and of course fireworks. While we were on our honeymoon in Paris, July 14th is not only my dear brother's birthday but also France's Independence day, better known as Bastille Day! And of course finally here in Mexico we are celebrating 200 years of Mexican Independence, coincidently the same day I legally become able to live here and work!

This year has been such an amazing year for the two of us so far! After 6 years we finally tied the knot infront of our closest friends and family, all of our travels around the globe, and we have quite a few more months for more celebrating!

More things to celebrate, our sweet niece Kendall Avery Gainor turns 1 tomorrow!! I guess technically today! :D We are so blessed to have such an amazing little girl in our lives, even though we can't exactly watch her grow as we could in Auburn, with the best mother and father any child could ask for! Haley and Mike have really put their heart and soul into preparing Kendall for what she will encounter as she grows up in this world! They have also (and always) been amazing examples for Ty and I as we grow in our relationship. From the moment I met them, (Haley in her Orange and Blue boa at my apartment and Mike at an Au vs UGA tailgate cracking jokes on each other) to the day they got married, told us they were having a baby, and raising Kendall, we know how we want to live our lives and eventually raise a family because of these two!

We wish everyone could be here with us as we ring in another year of independence for yet another country! We love you all and HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENDALL AND MEXICO!!!!!

VIVA MEXICO

E&T