San Alfanso (AKA: The Biggest Pool in the World)

When we found out we were moving to Chile, we weren't quite sure how to break it to Kate.  We figured she would be the one who would grasp the brevity of it all.  So we bought a few books about the country with plenty of photos.  After we had a good cry, she went to bed and started looking at all of the books.  She came out an hour later with a small smile on her face and said, "I want to see the biggest pool in the world."  

Little did we know it would only be less than 2 hours away!  We decided that because we would be staying here for Christmas, we wanted to do something special.  We would all be missing our family!!! 

So, after the last day of school, we packed our bags and headed to San Alfanso for the weekend.

What a RELAXING way to spend the upcoming days 'til Christmas!  I was taking pictures of Kate and Jake and looked over to see Luke completely and totally at ease.  LOVING IT!

Kick your shoes off and enjoy!!!

Luke finally decided he liked sunglasses on this trip!  Yahoo!!!  I've been trying for a while because the sun is soooo strong down here.  He loves to put them on top of his head too...makes him feel like he's the coolest guy in the room.

We took a nice leisurely walk around the entire pool and it took us 1 1/2 hours!  It truly is like a lake.  It's a bit frigid, and at times you will see sailboats, paddle boats, swimmers, and kayaks out in the middle of it...sorry, a bit too cold for me to be doing any swan dives...I just waded :)

There wasn't too much to the town outside of the pool!  A few cool little places... we found a great Italian restaurant...

and some YUMMY, fresh baked churros along the seashore.

and then spent more time in the sun :)

We can't even escape the stray dogs along the coast!  THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!!!

So amazing.

Yes, that is Joe out there going for a swim!  

I happily said I'd keep an eye on things in the nice, warm sun.

Fun, Fun, Fun!  If you look closely behind Luke, there are a bunch of people sitting in an exclusive area at the resort.  You have to pay by the day to go in there.  We noticed toward the end of the day that everyone had red, blue or purple swim caps on.  For some reason it gave us the giggles.  We decided we were having enough fun.  We didn't need to don bright colored caps...

And here's the proof!  

Thank you Joe for treating us to such a fun weekend for Christmas!  

2F Class Party

Thankfully, the next day, the storm subsided and it warmed up a bit.  Just in time for Kate's class swim party.  Here they are in all of their glory with Ms. Sam and Ms. Connie!

A lifeguard provided the safety and the entertainment:  squirt guns, water games and 

massive water balloons.  

The party was held at one of Kate's classmates homes.  A gynormous mansion I might add.  Kate noted that she'd like to buy the home...go for it, babe. 

A perfect way to end the semester.  SCHOOL'S OUT!  Yeah!!!

Missionaries for Dinner

To celebrate my parents 42nd wedding anniversary on December 19th, we invited the missionaries over for dinner :).  I woke up that morning to a FREEZING, raining, thunder and lighting sort of day.  Great.  I was planning to have a picnic dinner with BBQ chicken sandwiches and watermelon among other things... better plan for a few warm dishes too!  Table was set, food was ready, and we were all waiting for Joe and the missionaries to arrive.  Then I got a phone call.  The rain was causing such massive problems in downtown that Joe couldn't even get out of the parking garage.  He sat their for 30 minutes and no one moved.  He wouldn't be coming home for dinner. 

Missionary rules:  they can't come into a home if a man isn't there.  What were we to do?  I asked them what our options were. "Well, we can eat out on the back porch!"  So that's what they did.  The kids and I ate in our nice, warm, dining room, and I supplied the missionaries with food, and bundled them with blankets while we listened to the sheets of rain pelting on roof and the night sky being lit up by lightening.  It was crazy.  I felt like an awful hostess.  Who would have guessed that we'd have a cold spell in the middle of summer?! 

 Maybe it was Heavenly Father's way of giving all of the gringos a taste of home at Christmastime.  I have to admit, I enjoyed wrapping up in my robe to keep warm as I turned the Christmas lights on that night :)

Music Celebration

At the end of the semester, before the 2 month summer break,

 the students get to put on a musical performance for their parents.  

We were sure not to miss it!

 Kate's class was first... I was so happy we weren't late-- early in fact!  We got a really good seat!

 I think she was excited :)

All of the sudden the kids transformed into little birds and they took flight!

They did a great job!  More Ghanan music with a good rhythm and a catchy tune.  Jake was rocking out next to me.  He wanted me to catch it all on video.

The kids got to relax after their performance and enjoy the others.  I was so proud of Kate!  

Here is a taste of the music.  

Christmas Fiestas!!!

The weekend before school got out, we were busy, busy, busy with parties.  Joe had a work party on Friday night, the 14th, that was for employees only.  He said that he'd probably be home a little after midnight.  Around midnight I got a text from him saying that they had just finished the main course and there was still a big presentation, dessert, etc... he wouldn't be home for a while!  We have to get used to these parties down here!  He didn't come home until 3AM!  

 The next morning the company had the family Christmas party.  It started at 11am.  Do you think any of the employees were there when it started?  No way!!!  The kids had a blast.  It was all you can eat cotton candy, hot dogs, pizza, popcorn, face painting, bounce houses, trampolines and of course SANTA.  I was shocked when they called each of the kids up by name and they all got to sit on Santa's lap (Luke declined) and then he gave them each a huge, wrapped, gift!  I think the kids were as shocked as I was!  We were expecting candy canes!

Luke didn't want to leave.

But we had to so we could get home in time for me to make food for our ward's Christmas party that evening.  There was a huge turn out!  The Bishop gave a Christmas talk and then for the entertainment... get ready...each of the gringo families singing Christmas carols.  Yep!  Hysterical.  Jake didn't want to sing, so he took his drum sticks and pretended to lead us.  Kate, Joe and I belted out a fantastic rendition of "Away in a Manger," while Luke stared at all of the faces smiling back at him.  I'm sure it was top notch.   Santa came to visit that night too, and once again, each child was given a wrapped gift.  I couldn't believe it!  Then we realized that this might be one of the few gifts some of these children receive this year, so the congregation wanted to make it really nice for them.  

A wonderfully busy Saturday to get us in the spirit of a summer Christmas!

Comic Relief--Guess Who Provided It?

My friend called me late one night to share with me some heartbreaking news. 

 In the middle of our conversation, around 2AM, Jake walked into my bedroom totally naked(Joe was out of town).  I couldn't help but laugh.  I asked my friend to hold on for a moment and then asked Jake why he wasn't wearing his jammies.  He just stood there rubbing his eyes-- obviously still asleep or completely out of it. I asked if he needed to pee and he just nodded.  So I guided him into the bathroom, and only a couple of driblets came out.  "Uh oh.  That wasn't much,"  I thought.  

I lead him out of my room and as we started to head up the stairs, I felt something wet seep through my sock.  Lovely.  Pee puddles on every step.  He must have been coming down to tell me he needed to pee, but was so tired that it just happened.  

So the question remained...where were his clothes? 

 I got him dressed and tucked him back into bed, came down and got back on the phone.  

When my sweet friend and I said goodbye, I got up and started looking for the smelly evidence.  There they were, in a nice wet pile, in the middle of our living room carpet.  Jake must have peed all of the way down the stairs, felt his wet clothes, and in his sleepiness, turned right, to where he thought the bathroom was, instead of left. 

Jake hasn't wet the bed in a LONG time.  I needed him at that moment for smile.  

I just didn't think he'd be naked :)    

Peruvian Delight

I've heard over and over again how amazing Peruvian food is.  How perfectly perfect that we have become good friends with the Smith Family, whose daughter Gabby, started school the same day as Kate.  Leslie is from Peru and her husband from Canada.  She invited the kids and me over for "lunch" after school last week--their biggest meal of the day.

YUM, YUM, YUM!

Everything was SOOOO delicious.  I asked her for every recipe.  I need to start thinking like a Peruvian when it comes to cooking down here :)  

 We all LOVED it.  Thank you so much, Leslie, for a wonderful afternoon!  

We are so grateful to have you in our lives.  

Keeping Things Merry and Bright in the Summer Sunlight!

We finally pulled out our Christmas decorations last Saturday and began decorating.  The kids were ecstatic when the boxes came down.  The Christmas music was turned up loud and we were all singing...maybe just I was singing... and all of our doors were wide open to try and give us a little relief from the heat.  Have to say I can't remember ever really sweating before during this process.  

 We cut our tree down every year, and that isn't an option down here.  What most families do is put a manger scene in their fireplace.  Of course the fake trees are available, and we wondered if we should get one.  But the kids saw us pulling out all of our little fake trees and exclaimed, "We can have a Christmas forest!!!"  And so it was.  I'm so glad they were so excited about it!  Each took a little tree up to his or her room and decorated it how they wished.  Then we put a bunch of fake snow on our "forest."  Actually, I tried to, and somehow the snow ended up all over the kids.  

 We needed this.  We needed to feel the Christmas Spirit.  I have to say, I've been so impressed with the towns down here.  There are manger scenes EVERYWHERE.  In the hospitals, in the shopping malls, in the middle of roundabouts.  I love seeing reminders of our Savior in the community.  I miss that at home.    

We went to the grocery store today and saw this set up for Santa.  I was really surprised.  I told the kids to stand in front of it so I could take a picture, and they did, but then said, "We don't want to come here to sit on Santa's lap...he's gonna speak Spanish."

Classic Jake

 I came downstairs into the kitchen a couple of days ago to find Jake standing in the kitchen with his hands behind his back, and a HUGE grin on his face.  Our conversation went like this:

"Hey, Jake, what are you doing?" 

"Nothing."

"What's behind your back?"

(Still smiling) "Nothing."

"Jake-- tell me what's going on?"

"I'm just doing what little boys like to do."

I couldn't find evidence of anything.  Still don't know, but I can think of a lot of things that little boys like to do, and I wonder what this one happened to be.

***

I was putting a gourmet dinner of Mac 'n Cheese on the table tonight (Joe was at his work's Christmas party, so this was the kids request) and Jake picked up his spoon and put a big bite in his mouth.  As I was loading up Luke's plate, he says:

"Whoa!  Mom, can we say a really long prayer tonight for dinner?"

"Sure, honey.  Why?"

"Because this is really hot!  But not like a long church prayer.  Those take forever."

***

Love you Jake

Little Man is TWO!!!

 My body and I do NOT feel like it was 2 years ago that I went into the doctor's office the day after Thanksgiving, because I couldn't feel Luke moving.  Who knew he would be joining our family that day?!  What a little miracle!

 He began his life on earth so tiny and lethargic... and he's been making up for it ever since. 

There is no shortage of spunk, determination, intensity, and laughter inside these walls.  

 Give Luke and ball and he's the happiest kid on earth.  

 "Where'd it go?!"

Well, I better go get it!!

 Joe got home just in time to celebrate Luke's big day, before he had to turn around and leave again.  That was a present within itself.  Luke LOVES his dad.  Dad takes priority over everything else in Luke's eyes.  

 "I'm 2 now, I can do it myself."

 The balls Luke got for his birthday were the biggest hit.  Jake was thrilled, because that meant he could "borrow" the cars and other toys that didn't make the "hot item" list.  

 WE LOVE YOU WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS, LUKE!  

Happy Birthday :)