"Hey, it's Mexico."

Fall Break started off with an (international) bang. Long story short: Justin started visiting Casa de Ninos, a children's home in Mexico, in 2001 and has been going back ever since. There is a group of 6 kids who are all grown up now that he is still very close with. This weekend we traveled to Monterrey, Mexico because Justin was asked to be a groomsmen in Efrain's wedding to Belen.

Friday afternoon Justin and I explored part of downtown Monterrey...

Found some tacos for lunch... at this restaurant you got to choose two sides with your meal. I picked beans and rice, but the two most popular sides I saw on the plates of people around us were spaghetti and mashed potatoes.

We snuck into this building and saw two different brides getting their pictures taken.

CINCO DE MAYO! Which we later discussed with our Mexican friends how they never even celebrate this day.

 Watched some men restoring this Cathedral and applying the gold leafing.

 Oxxo is the most common gas station in Mexico and our spot to get soft serve ice-cream.

More Cathedrals... they're everywhere. 

Monterrey is surrounded by mountains-- this specific spot is the most famous and memorable because they say it looks like a saddle.

Everything in Mexico happens slowly... but it eventually happens. We didn't end up finding any of Justin's friends until late in the day. In that afternoon we heard that Angela wasn't coming, there wasn't a rehearsal, there actually weren't groomsmen and Luis was coming that night. But then we discovered that Angela was flying in late, we did need to be at the church on the other side of the city for a rehearsal, Justin was a groomsmen and that Luis was coming the next morning.

Belen picked us up at the hotel with her parents and brother in their van. We went next door to the airport to pick up Efren and his mom who had just flown in from Mexico City. Then the 8 of us drove across the city to the rehearsal which was supposed to start at 7. We ran out of gas on the way, had to get an uber for four of us and got to the church at 8:30. And the rehearsal still didn't start till 9. It's Mexico!

We walked through the rehearsal, I couldn't understand 95% of what was going on, but everyone was very nice. There was a feast of tamales for dinner and then Dave and Sherry, the missionaries who ran Casa de Ninos for 30 years, drove us back to the hotel.

Saturday morning we slept in and then had breakfast downstairs at the hotel. Oh my-- it was amazing. Some foods we recognized and others were an adventure but it was all so good.

When Justin first found out he was going to be a groomsmen the guys told him they would take him to get a tux the morning of the wedding. Then a few weeks ago Luis told Justin he would rent one for him and bring it. But it's Mexico-- so Saturday morning we found ourselves setting out into Monterrey to find a tux for that night.

Stop #1-- We never ended up going to the place we were supposed to go to because they didn't answer their phone so everyone assumed it was closed... later other Tuxedo shop owners told us we should have gone there.

Stop #2 "¿Necesita un esmoquin para esta noche?" -the Mexican woman shop owner who thought we were insane.

Stop #3- "No, no puedo alquilarte ninguno de estos tuxedos." -the nice Mexican man who only had rentals ready to go out and couldn't help us.

Intermission on Mission: Tuxedo to the Starbucks across the street to see how it differed from US stores.

Stop #4- "Tendrás que comprar un esmoquin por 130 dólares." -the saleman at Aldo who sold Justin a brand new suit and shirt because renting one was going to be impossible

Stop #5-  "Esta es la única pajarita negra que queda." -the salesman who sold Justin the only remaining black bow tie at yet another store in the mall

We ate a late lunch with Angela in the mall food court before taking our third uber of the day back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding. She was the MVP of the day who translated through every step of the way to get the tuxedo.

WE MADE IT TO THE WEDDING!
Efrain and Belen got married at a golf course right outside of Monterrey. There were golfers on the hole behind us which just added to the ambiance.

Justin with the 6 "kids" of Casa de Ninos-- Angela, Luis, Efrain, Jose, Ithamar and Valencio.

They did the civil ceremony (signing of the marriage license with a judge) and the religious ceremony (vows and a message with a pastor) at the same time. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful wedding.

We walked right across the street and into the banquet hall for the wedding reception. Immediately they told us to go to the dessert buffet to pick a few things to eat first.

Belen's mom is a florist and they plan events together so this was totally their wheelhouse. The whole place was beautiful.

Dave and Sherry, the 6 kids, the new bride (Belen) and two girlfriends (Kimberly and Abby). 

The original Casa de Ninos crew and their American brother Justin.

This guy is the best wedding date around and I'm so glad I got to share all of this with him and meet these people. I know that Casa de Ninos has shaped Justin and it was so cool to get to see this country and this extended family. 

And then, because we're in Mexico, we finished the night with a mariachi band. When in Mexico...