The Barlow Adventure

Christmas 2011

2011-12-30T00:32:00.001-05:00

We enjoyed such a wonderful Christmas this year. After our trip to Manchay, we spent Christmas Eve BBQing with great friends at the Bloomer home. We opened our annual pajamas, sang carols and read the story of Christ's birth from the scriptures. Steve and I enjoyed the fireworks show at midnight from our patio.

On Christmas day, the kids opened their stockings and played with the gifts that Santa had left unwrapped. This was the year of the hexbug. Steve had to leave for church an hour before us and so we had some time to enjoy the first round of gifts before opening more. He had to stay afterwards as well and so we had a little photo shoot, played with the toys some more, changed our clothes, made lunch and patiently waited. It was nearly 11:30 before the kids really opened most of their presents.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Pajamas

After Church - waiting for Dad to get home from tithing settlement

Just trying to buy more time...

Still waiting for Dad...

The girls found these in their stockings, so they took them with us to church and then played with them throughout the day. It is so funny how the most random gifts become the instant favorites. Peyton insisted that I take a few photos of them. She liked this photo the best.

Dad finally got home from church and the kids thought that he should open his new video camera first so that he could use it while they opened all of their gifts. If you knew Peyton well, you might notice her right hand. When she gets really excited about something, her hands tense up.

Sophia loved opening gifts. She was happy to open it if it was for her and happy if it was for someone else. She just wanted to see what was inside.

Santa knows that little girls love trinkets, even if mom finds it impossible to keep them all organized. Another favorite of the season were the Squinkies.

Christmas Eve Gifts

2011-12-29T21:46:00.001-05:00

This year, Steve and I decided that it was time that our children give to those in need instead of focusing on what they would receive. With a timely trip to the States, empty suitcases and 3 children old enough to understand, we made a plan.

Just 10 km away (a 20 minute ride over the mountain), is an area that is part of our Stake called Manchay. Manchay is an incredibly humble area where most people live without running water in their homes. Many, like the photo below live in less than 100 sq feet with many children in homes constructed of leftover materials or partical board. Recently, the Stake Young Mens President priced out the cost of these prefab homes to see what it would cost to house a member family if we need to and found out they they cost about $120 or an average 2 weeks salary.

So on Christmas Eve, we tooks the kids out to Manchay with more than a hundred small toys to gift to children playing on the streets. This made such a strong impression on our children. They understood that they would not receive as many presents because we had decided as a family to spend part of our Christmas budget on these children.

I wish that I could have videoed some of the exchanges, or even had taken a few pictures of some of the children, but it did not feel right. For the sake of our family journal, I would like to record a few small incidents.

When we first arrived into the area, there were a few small children playing in front of their homes on the side of the main highway. Seeing our American SUV, they ran to the car and the kids handed them each a gift. As we began to drive off, a few other kids quickly started running after us. We would stop and make sure that they were rewarded for their hard run. :)

About 10 minutes later as we four-wheeled through the neighborhood, we spotted a family of four sprinting for us. We watched them dodge through other homes in order to cut us off at an intersection. I was so touched by the spirit when this family accepted our small gifts. I had wished in that moment that we had so much more to give than what we had. These families struggle for survival each and every day. Our small gift was appreciated, but I wanted to truly help them - and yet what could we do in that moment?

After driving around for another few minutes without seeing anyone, we spotted four children washing their dog outside of their home. There were 2 older sisters and 2 younger children. The young girls (maybe 9 and 10) stepped back from us and allowed their younger siblings to accept a gift and when we offered one to them (we had some art supplies) they looked at us as though we didn't have to. We insisted and they were grateful. As we drove away, all four ran into their house yelling for their mother with shrills of joy.

As we moved further on to give away a few last toys, we saw people walking down the street with large bags full of traditional Christmas breads called panetones and other dinner supplies, then we stumbled upon this crowd waiting for their own gifts from this truck. This was most likely the donation of a charitable organization in Lima.

In this area, we have a HUGE branch that is about to be split into two wards. Incredible. There are 85+ Young Women on the rolls and they have about 50 in regular attendance. This is a huge organization for what is still just a branch.

We are so very grateful for this experience and have been humbled by the Spirit. As much as we would like to think that this experience was for our children and for those in Manchay, as it is in service, it was probably Steve and I who were the most touched.

Fort Real Felipe in Callao, Peru

2011-12-27T20:43:00.001-05:00

Today we headed out to Callao, which could be just be another neighborhood of Lima as far out on the water as you can go, but is actually it's own city. It is about an hour away from where we live on the opposite side of the city. Callao is the port where all imported goods come in and the home of Fort Felipe, an old Spanish Fort dating back to the late 1700's.

We just wanted to let the kids run around and explore the fort while we tried out our new cameras, but they insisted that we HAD to have a guide. Long story short, the guide was so nice, but long-winded, and the kids had had it by the time we came back the area where I had wanted to get great photos of the kids. Unfortunately, things don't always turn out as planned, but we had a great time and these photos will just have to do. Sophia had no interest in standing still and Abe wanted to make funny faces - surprise, I know.

And after our visit to Fort Felipe, we headed to El Mirador for lunch. I love eating fresh fish right on the ocean.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T00:18:00.008-05:00

Merry Christmas from Our Family to Yours! We hope that you feel the Spirit of this incredible season and have a very blessed New Year!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Elementary School Activities

2011-12-23T23:40:00.001-05:00

Peyton and Abe also participated in end-of-the-semester fun! They both performed in the elementary program, but the seating was so bad that I could hardly find them.

After scanning the kids over and over for 45 minutes looking for Abe, I finally found him when I took photos of each section and zoomed in row by row. He played the jingle bells behind a 5th grader with a violin.

Peyton led her class in a dance that they performed while everyone else accompanied them in song. She was adorable and it was so fun to see her confident in front of such a large crowd. It is too bad that the seating was so terrible because so few parents could really see their children. To get this blurry photo, I had to stand on a bench and ask another mother to move over just a little for a second. I normally wouldn't be so bold, but when in ~~Rome~~ Peru, do as the ~~Romans~~ Peruvians do.

The kids participate in swimming as well throughout the year in their gym class. Peyton's class invited mom for the last day to get in the pool. It was a fun morning and Peyton was thrilled that I actually jumped in with her because the rest of the mothers sat on the bench.

We are all ready for our vacation and have a lot of fun activities planned!

Sophia's End-of-the-Year Performance

2011-12-22T23:40:00.000-05:00

Sophia loves the spotlight and we love to watch her perform. The preschool puts on a 2.5 hour production each year, which is about 2 hours too long in the heat, but it is sure fun to see the kids sing and dance. The school rents the costumes and we don't get to see them until showtime. Their teachers even get them all ready.

These cute girls do just about everything together.

She waved when she spotted that I had moved up front.

and no show would be complete without paparazzi parents...

Sophia

2011-12-06T20:23:00.001-05:00

I don't know if it is simply that I love 3-year-olds (I thought that I could have one forever when Abe was 3 too) or that she is the only one in this house who doesn't whine when I want to take a photo, but I can't get enough of this girl. I just wish that I looked as cute as she does in her baby fat. :)

Happy 6th Birthday!

2011-11-17T15:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we celebrated Peyton's 6th Birthday with 19 of her friends from school at our home.

Chocolate Cake with White Merengue Frosting

Cute Rainbow cupcakes. I found the idea on pinterest.com.

Fruit Spectrum - Not one of the kids' favorites, but definetely mine. :)

Rainbow Jello and Skittles.

We did three crafts: rainbow friendship bracelets, crepe paper rainbows, and painted our own picture frames. I took photos of the kids throughout the party after each had their face painted, printed them and added them to the frame as the party gift to take home.

Balloons make everything feel more festive. The sun was out for a little while, but it was mostly cloudy as you can see. :)

Freya is from Scotland and Elena is Chilean. Peyton has a truly international class.

For the record: I can't stand pinata. The kids are always asking for them and I normally refuse. This year, I filled it with every last bit of candy leftover from Halloween. It was loaded and everyone took home way a bag full.

In Peru, you can find anything and everything made of syrofoam and glitter for birthday parties. This cute clown was $3.50.

He had doves and bunnies incorporated into the show.

I would be lying if I said that fire in my living room didn't make me a little nervous. :) At the end of the show, the guy in the blue wig, played happy birthday on his trumpet while the kids sang.

The kids were mesmerized.

All in all, it was a success and worth the effort. This time of year is always a little stressful for me, but I am happy that Peyton was ableto celebrate her birthday in a special way.

Marine Ball

2011-11-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 236th Birthday to the dedicated men and women of the US Marine Corp.

Prom 2012 :)

Grace always spices up the night!

Brianna and John

Jim and Cherilyn

Maureen and Amy

Embassy Halloween Fiesta!

2011-11-01T10:03:00.001-04:00

and a last-minute costume change for the party a few days later at the school...

(I offered to add a bow to make her a female lion, but she insisted that she ust wanted to be a boy one.)

Happy Halloween, I mean Birthday!

2011-10-30T20:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we celebrated Abe's 8th birthday with one of his best friends, Loren. It was a success! 30 kids came to celebrate with them and enjoy a traditional American Halloween party. A big thanks to Loren's family for allowing us to use their home! They have an incredible yard that is much more like a park. Trampoline, inflatable slide, haunted house, halloween treats and great friends! We couldn't have asked for more!

Click on the photos to see more!

This was a fun theme cake, but after 6 hours on the silly thing, I wonder why in the world would I do such a thing?

Thanks to Steve's mad fondant skills, we had life-like skeleton hands.

Melissa created these great popcorn bags

Monster Mouths

Frankenstein Jello Cups - it is the thought that counts, right?

The Stoddards did an incredible job decorating the yard

Eyeballs everywhere

Cat eyes

The American boys taught the Peruvians how to play real football. The gardener has marked out a football field, complete with goal posts. It was great!

Great trashbag ghosts

Rachel created this skull with the leftover fondant. She is so talented.

Mummy Canisters

and mummy-dogs

We decorated pumpkin and bat cookies

and painted pumpkins

My friend Melissa. (Oh yeah, Loren's mom)

Spooky daytime moon

Freaky Punch

Waiting to enter the Haunted House! The Stoddards have a great little guest house in their yard and 2 teenage girls who were excited about a haunted house. The HH was decorated with things leftover from the embassy patry the day before. It was a success! (I somehow forgot to take any photos of the inside.)

Ghost Suckers

Class Buds

Birthday Boys!

Chicken Fingers

Checking out the grub!

Next to the after-party bonfire

Almost 8

2011-10-23T13:53:00.002-04:00

Really. I almost can't believe my eyes. I just can't believe that in just a few short weeks, Abe will be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Lord knew exactly what he was doing when he choose 8 as the age of accountability. In the last 6 months, we have seen so much growth in him. Today, we took this quick photo after church to send to Grandma Barlow to complete his baptism book.

In true 8 year old fashion, he is growing his hair a little longer right now for his Halloween costume. Abe insists that Harry can't have a buzz cut. This is such a fun age. Every year just gets better and better. Who knew?

My Three and a Baptism

2011-10-15T20:21:00.002-04:00

One of Abe's best friends, Loren, was baptized today. It was such a timely experience for Abe because he will be baptized next month. I was playing with a new lens today and here was a trial run on the go. (The first time I used it was on the flowers at the Butterfly Farm in Iquitos. I quickly learned that a prime lens is not a good travel lens.

We adore this family.

Rachel, Melissa, Loren Sr, Mary and Loren Michael

Iquitos - Day 5

2011-10-14T09:33:00.001-04:00

Our last day morning in Iquitos, we took a boat to the vilage of Indiana, then a 15 minute ride to the city of Mazan on the Napo river. We toured to port and the local market, found a rolling cart pharmacy and then headed back to the lodge to get in one last swim and lunch. On the way to the airport, we stopped at a small market known for its beautiful bloodwood pieces. I didn't love anything I found from wood, but walked away with a large oil canvas painting of Belen. I can't wait to have it framed.

This was such an incredible tip from start to finish! I hope that we have many more vacation much like this one.

Iquitos - Day 4

2011-10-14T08:30:00.002-04:00

A trip to the small jungle of San Luis to see more modern way of living, swimming in the Amazon and a visit to the Yagua village.

In San Luis, we touched baby caimans, picked flowers, and went into an authentic jungle home to see a typical kitchen in the region.

This man told us that he was taking his wood to the kitchen

Apparently, these thatched roofs will last 15 years.

Sophia slipped in the mud and was mad about it.

It was hot and so by 10am, most of the locals were ready for a break.

The locals caught a couple of baby caimans. One bite from this little guy would take off your finger.

Soccer field

Kennedy and Sophia

Authentic jungle kitchen. This outdoor kitchen was attached to a 2 story home in front of it. The first floor consisted of nothing more than a couple of hammocks and the upper floor is where everyone slept.

Masoto a.k.a. Alcoholic Jungle Drink. This is made from yucca. The locals chew the fruit for 5 minutes and then spit it into the bucket. The salvia helps the yucca to ferment which takes about 3 days. It is customary to offer masoto to wanted guests, however, if the guest refuses they will be enemies forever.

Steve and the kids swam in the Amzaon while I stayed on shore to take photos. They learned the hard way that when you stand still in the water, the cousin of the pirahna will nip at you.

No Barlow vacation is complete with Steve finding a great place to flex. :)

Peyton and her best friend Alli

In the Yagua village, we learned how to use a blowgun (which was Abe's very favorite part of the trip - surprise, surprise, I know), the kids had their faces painted with seads from a local plant, we all helds a sloth and her baby, and danced with local people. Steve even had the privelege of dancing with a 70 year old woman wearing only a skirt... and there is video to prove it.

Our guide, Paul was showing us the best technique for hitting the target.

Banana Tree Stump for target practice

Chief Yagua

Sophia loved the little sloth

Apparently, the sloth likes to pose as well

Beautiful Yagua Girl

A book in the hammock - a true sign of vacation

Sunday night primary devotional on the importance of families. Thanks Brooke!

Iquitos - Day 3

2011-10-13T09:46:00.000-04:00

Our third day in Iquitos started off down the river to search for pink dolphins and fish for pirahnas. This is an average family from the jungle. Dad it on the right side and he was hauling buckets up from the river.

Harvesting rice on the river bank. They are taking advantage of the land the few months of the year that the water levels are low.

On the lookout for pink dolphins! Luckily for 4 little girls, we found them, but have no photos to prove it. They even jumped a few times. So cool!

Heading in to the Black River tribuatary to fish for pirahnas

Check out this black water that does not mix with the brown waters of the Amazon. It is black due to high level of tanic acid from the rotting tree roots.

Everyone caught a pirahna! They started biting within seconds of dropping the meat in the river.

On the way home, we stopped somewhere along the bank where a family is known to have a boa.

We returned home for lunch. The lodge cooked the pirahnas for us to try.

In the afternoon, we headed to Monkey Island and in true Barlow fashion, found a rainbow!

This was certainly a day to remember. The monkeys jumped up and down on Peyton's chest and tried to lead me away fom the kids and into the jungle, but it is sure hard to take pictures when you have little monkeys jumping onto your camera strap!

Iquitos - Day Two

2011-10-11T10:19:00.002-04:00

The jungle lodge, Ceiba Tops, was scheduled to pick us up at 9:30am so we decided to get a quick excursion in beforehand. We had read about the shanty market of Belen, which is home to the famous floating village known as the Little Venice of the Amazon. We had hoped to fit it in the first day, but we were advised not to go anywhere near the place after 5pm when the police leave.

We found mototaxis outside of the hotel and paid them $1 each to take us to the port of Belen. There we found a pair of canoes, powered by what could have been a weed eater, to take us down the river and through the floating village of Belen. This was one of the most memorable excursions for me. I just could not believe my eyes. The waters of the Amazons are at their lowest point this time of the year, so many of the house boats are beached. The stilts of the homes are completely visible and latrines were nothing more than a box to stand in over the river. Women washed clothes next to the latrine, men fished and one woman was even brushing her teeth. I still cannot believe that we were there!

The Sorensons

Check out the stair to nowhere on this Catholic church

Port of Belen from the canoe

So many bananas

Can you imagine hauling bananas on your back for a living?

Other side of the island. These are the beloved mototaxis. I am not sure how they get back to the other side or if they every do because these houses are all floating during in May.

Peyton and Alli

Victoria Regia Lilies can support the weight of an infant.

Is this powered by a lawn mower? Sophia is wondering too.

School Children

Floating Convenient Store

View from the mototaxi. These streets are normally under water. Can you believe that our family of 5 fit in one of these mototaxis?? They were pretty sweet.

When our guide Paul arrived, I felt like some much had already happened. We headed to Ceiba Tops lodge, which is a 45 minute boat ride from Iquitos downriver. We unloaded, unpacked, swam, ate lunch and then went for a hike through the jungle. Paul pointed out much of the flora and fauna and managed to keep the kids interested the entire time. We visited the famed Ceiba Top tree, which reminded us of the tree in the movie Avatar and everyone had a chance to be Tarzan.

My Tarzan Family

Later after dinner, Paul spotted a baby tapir that often hangs out in the jungle around the lodge. What a great way to end the day.

We couldn't believe how close they let the kids get to them. The small deer licked Alli's hand.

Sophia loved petting the wild baby tapir that lives somewhere near the lodge.

What a cute little thing.

Iquitos - Day One

2011-10-11T09:11:00.000-04:00

Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin. Our family trip to Iquitos was one of my all-time favorites. We traveled with the Sorenson family. Our girls are best friends and spend countless hours together on a regular basis. They entertained themselves with animal figures on the boat, at dinner and by the side of the pool. They held hands running through the villages and bickered over who picked the most flowers. They doubled up on the water slides to come down together and giggled when something fun happened.

Iquitos, a city of 500,00 people which is only accessible by boat or plane, is the largest city in the Amazon rainforest. It is a short 1.5 hours flight from Lima. We decided to take advantage of our stay in the jungle and add one extra night in the city itself. We fed the kids sack lunches on the plane so that we could hit the ground running.

The Mission President on the Lima North Mission was on the flight with us and called us two small mototaxis to take our families out to Puerto Nanay, where we caught a small boat recommended by the mototaxi driver out to the Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm. There were monkeys, a caged jaguar and a tapir too, but aside from the boat ride into the tributaries of the Amazon, it was not what we thought that it would be. The three-wheeled motorcycle taxis were a blast. The kids were waving and yelling through the streets. I wish that we had a photo of our family of 5 squished into a seat made for two. :)

Known as Suri, this local dish is fried Bettle Larvae that we found readily available at Puerto Nanay.

No thanks.

Local fishman

Our captain as we approached the Butterfly Farm.

Cute Kennedy.

The moon over our boat

Entrance

Macaws. Hola. Hola. Hola.

Not so awesome.

Vibrant Jungle Flowers

Mama and baby monkeys at the Butterfly Farm

Sweet Peyton

We found a hammock stuffed into the roof of the boat... of course we had to try it!

Abe loved making baby Tanner smile.

Baby Tanner

Our ride.

On our way home, we stopped at the highly recommended Yellow Rose of Texas for dinner. With eccentric décor and a tiny staircase to the second floor, we weren’t sure what we were getting ourselves into, but the food was great.

Okay, all political jokes aside... SERIOUSLY?

In the last 7 days, in no particular order...

2011-09-10T20:45:00.000-04:00

Hosted BYU vs. Ole Miss.
Caught a Peruvian bug that just lingered.
Completed my first 45 background investigations.
Sent Steve on a trip.
Attended a PTA meeting as one of the Grade 2 reps.
Made crocheted necklaces prepared by the sisters in Nauvoo with the YW for mutual.
Sent 15 YW on a service activity in Manchay.
Changed bed sheets and bathed healthy children at 3am two nights in a row.
Hosted a YW's pizza party to prepare for an upcoming service activity.
Learned how to make beads out of newspaper.
Snuggled a feverish 2 year old.
Attended parent conferences.
Taught 2 kids to ride bikes without training wheels
Learned that Sophia inherited her ice cream preferences from Steve - vanilla only.
Introduced Personal Progress to a newly active sister.
Heard Abe play the piano in Primary for the first time.
Learned what it means when a boy has a quizzical brow... at least in YW code.
Finished Season 4 of FNL.
Spent a perfectly sunny day at a farm with all of the families from Sophia's preschool.
Learned that bringing a friend for Abe on field trips is genius!

Happy 9.10.11!

Nauvoo

2011-08-23T19:34:00.001-04:00

It is time for a new video camera. It has been recovered a number of times from bad falls, but in Feb it plunged 15 ft into a small cave at the highest point of the mountain in Machu Picchu. Good thing that mom was not there because Dad sent Abe into the black crevice to recover it. But I digress.

Here is our trip to Nauvoo. It was spectacular. What a great experience to see Brent and Janet as missionaries (performing nonetheless). We were able to spend sweet time in the temple, enjoy geode hunting on P-day, see the pageant, and get a better understanding of the life the Saints led in this sacred place. This trip was so memorable.

I am having troubles uploading the video, so you can find it here until I fix the gliche.

We spotted this fox over and over throughout the week.

Grandma booking Carriage Tours and Wagon Rides

Playing in Jonathon Browning's backyard.

Getting a tour from Grandma

Anna Amanda Amelia Applebee

Our favortie Jed and Annie

Random Thoughts

2011-08-18T21:34:00.003-04:00

I love mint chocolate chip ice cream and cheese danishes even more. Fortunately for my waist, I cannot get either here on the local economy. However thanks to the commissary, today I ate both.
I miss the sun!
Afterschool activities that live up my standards are hard to find here. I just can't let go of my expectations.
I have a lot of decisions to make which is a double-sided coin. I just can't seem to get it off my mind, even though I really am trying.
I LOVE real estate. In all forms. Some people love to craft or cook or bake or use Photoshop. I love to look through the MLS and read real estate investment blogs. This is one of the few reasons I dream of living in the same place forever. Real estate and established friendships. Period.
While I do dream about Target and Costco, I will give up both forever if it means that I get to travel.
We have such great friends here in Peru. If I raised my children in once place, they would not have to say goodbye over and over and work at establishing new friendships every few years. Except that if we didn't, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to get to know the great families posted with us around the world. We have such great friends. Truly.
I have a pile of things to blog about, but just can't get motivated enough to do it. Just the thought of sitting here while the photos are uploading...
I think that this blog might have more future value if I go private so that I can be more open. I simply just don't want to. Why not? I don't know.
I love the Young Women's organization of the Church. There is no better place to serve. They lift me up day in and day out. Regardless of history or language. They are the hope of the future. Incredible.
I could listen to this song over and over and over:

Speaking of which, I love this one too (thanks to the Nie Nie Dialogues new family video):

Preview of Nauvoo

2011-08-13T17:50:00.002-04:00

One of the pioneers favorite passtimes was the Stick Pull. This is just too good not to share... More of Nauvoo to come soon. We have a lot to share from our summer vacation. There is some good stuff.

More Sophia

2011-06-27T14:48:00.000-04:00

Seriously? Nothing like hanging out in a basket.

Or going to sleep when you are tired.

The Girls

2011-06-27T14:14:00.001-04:00

Sophia is full of personality and such a heart-breaker.

She love to dance and she turns everything into a song. This is her best friend Kennedy. They are in the same class at school and she has an older sister who is just a couple of months younger than Peyton. I love when it works out like that. :) They were so cute in this little performance for Mother's Day.

Peyton loves music and dance too. She is meticulous and orderly.

Showin' her stuff.

Jazz class. She loves to get out and move. We are looking forward to the time when she can play basketball. So is she.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-27T13:54:00.000-04:00

Okay, I really need to get caught up before we leave on R&R or I might as well throw in the towel on this blog right now.

Happy Father's Day to the

2011 Embassy Games Chess Champion

This was really fun to make with the kids for Father's Day Dinner

and the

2011 Embassy Games 3-on-3 Basketball Champion

It is funny how things come full-circle sometimes. Steve held both of these titles at Ricks College in 2000. So much has changed and yet, this is a reminder of how many things have stayed the same.

Nash Despedida

2011-06-07T08:39:00.002-04:00

We said goodbye to the Nash Family today. They are heading back to SLC to start a new chapter of their life. Elder Nash has been the Area President here in Peru since 2007 and it is time for him to accept new church responsibilities. Shelly and Spencer left just hours after this photo was taken, but Elder Nash will be with us on our flight out on Thursday. Steve told Elder Nash that we were on his flight by special request from the First Presidency to make sure that he boarded. :)

Shelly has been my friend and Visiting Teacher since we arrived. The very first Sunday that we met, she looked at me and said you must be Jaclyn. She is a good friend of the Area President in Buenos Aires who had told her of our arrival. It was so comforting. There is something about being 'known' in this strange lifestyle we lead where we have to start all over every couple of years.

Shelly has taught me so much in the year we have been in Peru. She is such a light and shining example of everything that a great woman represents. We have enjoyed the football games together, walks, spanish class, tennis and most of all, the laughs. We will really miss you!

This is such a great group of people. The Nashs' have touched so many lives. We had the priveledge of making a video with memories and photos from people who are currently living here and those who have moved on. Everyone was so eager to contribute.

What the heck was I doing? Trying to make light of goodbyes. I have said it a hundred times, but goodbye are the very worst part of this life.

Cherilyn and Betty Ann. What would I do without these great women? And how did my bangs get so stinkin' short? Just sayin'.

After years of talk...

2011-06-01T01:28:00.000-04:00

Steve said goodbye to the world of corrective lenses.

In a few hours, he will wake up a man with 20/20 vision!

Huaraz, Peru

2011-05-10T11:34:00.001-04:00

Steve has been at it again! We are the stars of our own movie!

Check it out here!

It is a must see and cannot be missed!

If you could go back...

2011-05-07T13:24:00.003-04:00

...to right before you had your first child, what would you tell yourself? There are so many things that I wish that I had known. I was blessed to have a insightful sister-in-law who told me that I was about to fall in love again and she was so right!

My favorite answer is "Google doesn't have children."

Easter 2011

2011-05-03T18:00:00.002-04:00

We were in Huaraz until Saturday afternoon and then trying to find a time to hunt for eggs and baskets as a family between church meetings before and after 830 church took some planning. In the end, we had a great time and like always, was worth the extra effort.

Easter Grub

Sophia swiped Peyton's new hat

Peyton found her stash behind the curtains

My mom bought Sophia a great dress (with those fun purpleshoes) that coordinated with Peyton's dress, but instead Sophia insisted on these treasures from her Easter basket. Good thing that they were both purple, too bad that they weren't meant to go together. :) She really is developing a personality with opinions all on her own.

Our resident Chef.

There was a day when cooking together doubled the prep time, but these days she really contributes and is a great help. She and I can whip something together in no time. She is always wants to learn.

Huaraz, Peru

2011-05-02T22:52:00.003-04:00

For Easter weekend, we headed to Huaraz (a difficult 6 hour drive) with good friends to take advantage of the extra days off and enjoy the scenic snow-capped mountains. It was so nice to get away from the desert sand and catch a glimpse of green. Although I was extremely sick due to the altitude (note to self: take medicine in the weeks leading up to this kind of trip), it was really awesome to catch a glimpse of the life of the native people of Peru. They speak their native Indian language and live a life that you can only imagine existed hundreds of years ago.

There were small children as well as teenagers who tried to set traps of one kind or another to stop us along the way at various time. You can only wonder whether or not they would have tried to rob us or if they were simply looking for handouts. Steve had to shout at the window to let them know that we were not stopping. We nearly hit a handful of dogs and sheep, but our friends came within inches of a poor sheep that cross the road at the wrong time. Sometimes the travel can be a little stressful, but you just can't even really buy these experiences. I am not sure that people will even believe me when I recount these stories in 20 years.

View from the Car

On Day 2, we headed 15 miles up into the mountains to visit Honkopampa. A pre-Incan Ruin near a hikable waterfall. We rode small horses to the waterfall and then hiked on foot past it. This was definetly the highlight of the trip. I wished I was able to take a picture of the incredible scene. 10 of us on horseback, led by tradional Quenchan people into the hills. I was holding Sophie, so the camera stayed in the bag.

Just snagged this from Cherilyn's blog:

On a road much like the one below, I even saw a girl with down syndrome dressed in traditional clothing with her basket of laundry that she was taking to the stream.

Traveling unmarked dirt road through tradional Indian villages.

Cade, Sophia, Abe, Peyton and Will

At the waterfall

Abe's horse and Guide

And in case we hadn't had enough time to really soak in the views, our friend's car was stuck in the mud on the way to see the Ruins after the hike. It took 3 hours to realize that the engine block was stuck in the mud. Every trip needs a little story to tell, right?

Entrance to the Ruins: $1

Horseback Ride to the Waterfall: $3

3 hours with native Quechuan people trying to dig the car out of the mud: PRICELESS.

It gave the kids a chance to play in the pond and get really muddy:

Don't miss the ruins in the background, sheep wandering into the scene near the car, native Quechan people lending thier assistance and Scott praying for a successful pull.

A few more tourists to help and some time later, this was the final push:

The reason for the trip:

Huascaran (22,205ft) - Can you see the snow capped peaks above the clouds?

Lake Llaganuco

Pre-Incan Ruins at 14,000+ ft

This face in the snow was extremely amusing. I think that it looks like Darth Vader. Do you see it?

Our favorite thing about traveling is seeing just how people really live. This village is quite large considering it's location. There are only small footpaths into this agricultural village. Just imagine how removed from the world they are. Incredible.

The Sacred Valley

2011-05-02T22:37:00.002-04:00

The Sacred Valley is an incredible place. Simply Beautiful.

Just look at those fingers.

Sophia loved this little llama. My mom has a better photo somewhere.

This llama farm was one of our favorite stops.

The kids learned firsthand how wool is dyed.

This was our guide at the farm. He kept the kids stocked with greens.

Sacred Valley

Market Center in Pisac

This is Ollantaytambo - the last stop for vehicles. You have to take the train the rest of the way to Machu Picchu. We spent a night here after train service was cancelled due to high rain waters. This entire town was constructed by Incans and was an Incan stronhold during the Spanish Conquest.

These women are using the running water to wash their clothes.

Ruins built into the side of the mountain.

New construction built on old.

This is inside the traditional home from the photo above. There were guinea pigs being raised for this month's dinner and strange skulls nestled in wall niches. I felt bad for taking photos, so I bought a small wool cardigan for Sophia.

If Abe had his way, he would have wandered through the maze of streets for hours looking for secret hideouts.

I spent the day chewing on coca leaves and cloves hoping that the pain of the abscess would subside. I searched high and low looking for a decent pain killer. As it turns out, anything with addictive qualities is illegal here in Peru because they cannot properly regulate the pharmacies.

In and Around Cusco

2011-05-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

We visted the main plaza and the Incan Ruins that were converted into a monasary with the coming of the Spanish as well as other smaller ruins around the city. It is a cool little city. I would love to go back for a day or two to enjoy the show performed in the plaza every night and a little shopping.

Cusco on a cloudy day

Ruins always come alive for me when there are plants. It helps me to visualize the activity within the walls of the compound hundreds of years ago.

The merging of cultures

Have I told you lately how much Norman means to me?

Nina and Papa

Thank goodness for the baby backpack - all $39.99 of it.

If you look closely at my left jaw, you can see that it is beginning to swell.

No trip is complete with a little show of testosterone.

The altitude affected each one of us at different times during the trip.

Funky Restaurant

2011-05-02T21:04:00.000-04:00

Well, it seems that I am on a blogging roll, so there is not need to stop now. I have loads of photos that need to be blogged because this is the only journal I keep.

I mentioned before that our trip to Cusco was interesting. We landed, dropped off our bags at the hotel and then asked the guide to take us to a nice restaurant, but one that is also kid-friendly. We were thinking along the lines of a play place or somewhere that they will give you a cup of crayons. A place where we wouldn't intereup other diners, but still get a good meal.

They obviously were not on the same page. I wish that you could feel the old worn cushions that engulfed your thighs and the see the look on my mom's face when we walked in. Classic.

Stuffed animals were everywhere. They had to move them out of the seats that we were offered. There was even a strage beanie baby sewn onto the toilet seat cover. They insisted that the place was pretty new (that could be relative), but everything had seen much better days.

The bar was filled with colorful glass vases, many handblown.

There was even window seating for a nice afternoon.

An huka pipes at the end of the bar. What? So this is when I began to think that this was not a child's place at all, but more of a get high and have an Alice in Wonderland experience kind of place. However they did have brochure for children's parties.

And the beloved check box. Our bill came nicely nestled in this little box and our change was returned the same way. What a perfectly strange ending to this perfectly strange dining experience.

However, they did serve us a decent quinoa soup.

Machu Picchu

2011-05-01T23:08:00.009-04:00

Nina and Papa came to visit for the couple of weeks at the end of February. The whole visit is a little fuzzy because I was on pain meds dealing with a major tooth abscess. We took a great trip to Machu Picchu. Most trips have a little something or other unexpected, but this was a trip loaded with gliches. I think that I might need an return trip. Time will tell...

As for the ruins, they are more magnificent and breathtaking than any photo can capture. It was totally worth the trip.

If you are interested in our 4 minute video recapping most of the trip, click here.

First Day of School - March 8, 2011

2011-05-01T18:30:00.002-04:00

In an attempt to catch up a bit, I have a few sets of photos to add.

This was Sophia's first day of preschool and Peyton's first day of Kindergarten. She will start again in August on the American school calendar year.

She managed to stick a small flower up her nose just as I took the picture.

2 months later, she really loves going to school.

I thought that this Kinder would be pretty laid back as it is in the preschool. But as it turns out, they are serious and have something to prove. :) Peyton is learning cursive everyday (I think that 5 is a little young, but it can't hurt, right?) and is really starting to read in spanish. She brings home 40-60 of homework everyday. Crazy. The playdoh was misleading. lol

Petting Zoo

2011-04-30T17:04:00.000-04:00

Feb 18, 2011

Sophia was in heaven. She would pick up a chick, put it in her basket and then tip it just enough that the chick would open it's wings just in time to fall back onto to hay.

Sophia doesn't ever get tired of animals. This was pure joy on her face.

Driving the wagon like grandpa in Nauvoo

Abe has had many opporturtunities to ride quads, but this was Peyton's first. She loved it. Next time we might need to find her a helmet.

A special thanks to my friend Ivanna who knows this city inside and out. She knows where all the gems are hidden throughout the city.

Confession

2011-04-07T08:57:00.001-04:00

I love living overseas. I love to see my children learn a new language. I love access to an International School Private education that I could never afford if we lived in the States. I love all of the people that we meet from around the world and learning about their life experiences. I love living in a rent-free house. I love that the only utility bill I ever see is for the phone. I love serving the Peruvian people and the real assistance that I can give.

And without pointing out all of the difficulties (all of the benefits come at a hefty price), I miss decorating my own home the most. I browse DIY home decorating sites and I long for the day when I can really have a house that I love. One where I never think about the exit date and do not have to ask myself if a purchase is really worth the amount of time that I will be able to enjoy it.

And sadly, I think that I long for this because it just isn't in the cards - maybe ever. Am I really going to move every 2 years for the rest our working life? If I had to hedge my bets, my chips would be on yes. And most days that feels exciting and others, it just feels like I left so much behind. We serve our country because we love it and I wouldn't mind getting to enjoy it someday. :)

Just sayin'.

The Help

2011-03-07T14:18:00.000-05:00

I have tried to write a post about this very posts for years, but have never been able to adequately put it into words.

Bloom is a great blog written by women who discuss toddlers and everything else related to the topic. As the regular contributors are off for a short time on "maternity leave", they have asked one of their sister-in-laws to contribute who is living as an expat in Chile.

Today is Liz's first entry and it obviously struck a chord. I will put it all into words myself one day, but for now, read this.

MUST. HAVE. THIS.

2011-02-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

When we actually live in a house that we own again one day, I must have this door:

What is not to love? I mean seriously? Original and adds so much character.

Living with loaned furniture is nice when you have 3 little monsters running around, but when we head back to the States, I never, ever want to see another piece of Queen Anne furniture by Drexel Heritage as long as I live. Don't get me wrong, it is nice... for my grandma's house.

Yep, I am 30.

2011-02-05T21:09:00.002-05:00

My super sweet husband wanted this birthday to be memorable. We don't normally do much for each other because our birthdays are a few days apart, just as the dust has settled from the holidays.

Steve made this video to play at the wonderful surprise party he threw for me last night. He hired caterers, created centerpeices of candles, mirrors and fresh flower bouquets for each of the tables outside and managed to draw in a good crowd without me knowing. He prepared for weeks in advance and paid for everything in cash so that I would not be suspicious. in the midst of the excitement, I never took any photos, but someone filmed my entrance.

When I celebrated my 20th birthday in Oberlin, Ohio, I never in my wildest dreams thought that this is where we would be. But if the truth be known, this life and this man are far better than I could have even dreamt of.

And a very happy 33rd birthday to the man who made me feel so special.

I take it all back

2011-01-20T20:15:00.000-05:00

every single last snarky comment that I have ever made about The Office. And yes, there have been quite a few.

We started from the beginning and I just can't get enough. It gets really good in the 3rd and 4th seasons! Seriously, I laugh just thinking about it. The key was the character development. What a great comedy!

Santa Maria

2011-01-18T09:57:00.001-05:00

We took advantage of the American holiday and and headed to the beach with friends from our expat ward, while all of the Peruvians were at work. Nearly all of the expats families in our ward either work or serve in the church or embassy. It truly is a fantastic bunch and a blessing for all of us to have such a great group.

Santa Maria is 45 minutes away and has a lifeguard. I was completely impressed. I am sure that it is mayhem on the weekends during the summer, but we had beach front parking and public restrooms that were decent (in a third world country kind of way).

I left my camera at home so that I had one less thing to juggle, but I am grateful that someone else brought theirs. Maybe next time we should consider taking the photos when we arrive instead of when we are packing out.

Just For the Record

2011-01-05T10:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday really did happen.

All for a little bit of Ace

2011-01-04T20:14:00.002-05:00

Scenerio:

The small wholesale market has your $162 for a year's supply of laundry detergent that they say they have in the backroom.
You patiently wait for more than an hour for them to bring it from a neighboring vendor (surprise!) before they refuse to give you a refund
They tell you for the 15th time that it is in transit and will be "just one more little minute."
You tell them you really have to leave and they need to go get it themselves - instead of sitting there staring at you.
Time is up and the kids finish camp in 8 minutes - 10 minutes away.

What does one do???

Solution:

Start filling your car with product from the store that equals the promised goods, even if it is in smaller quanity bags while the shopkeeper is waving their arms insisting that you just can't do that.

Yep, they finally got the point and the Tide equivalent miraculously appears in the arms of the shopkeeper who went to get it themselves while you were ransacking their store. Should have been done 30 minutes sooner.

Man, oh man, you sure do have to have a good sense of humor to survive living in a third world country!

Brought to you proudly by: Today's Latin American Moment

Super Easy Muffins

2011-01-02T19:30:00.001-05:00

15 oz or 3 1/2 cups of this:

plus this:

24 super moist and delicious muffins with 86 calories each.

I hear that this is fantastic too:

and has a few less calories than carrot. :)

Try any mix. They all work.

Thanks Cherilyn!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T10:33:00.002-05:00

We finished out 2010 with italian sodas, cheese grits, steak (are you at all surprised?), chocolate, games and great company. It seems like years ago that we were celebrating in Argentina, packing and anticipating our trip around Cape Horn. It is hard to believe that it was only a year ago and yet, I blinked and 2010 was gone.

2011 resolutions are posted right here on my screen to look at each and every day. My reminder to be just a little bit better. One of those goals includes blogging regularly, so you might just hear from me a little more often.

Happy New Year! It really will be a great one!

Today I am grateful for...

2010-11-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

Extended Family

Seriously, we are really blessed by each and every person in these photos. That is 28 outside of our nuclear family. Heavenly Father knew exactly what he was doing when He created families and made them central to his plan for each of us. Read more here.

235th Birthday Marine Ball

2010-11-07T20:44:00.000-05:00

I am grateful for

and all of those who risk their lives for our own individuals freedoms.

(Half of our Embassy Marine Guard Detachment)

(photo stolen from a friend)

Our table companions Raul and Grace

Jim and Cherilyn

Breanna and Cherilyn

Last night we attended the 235th Marine Birthday Ball. It was a great night with our new friends here in Peru. This is an annual festivity planned and organized by the Marines themselves. The keynote speaker was Kevin Hermening, who was the youngest American held in captivity for 444 days in the U.S. Embassy Iran from 1979-1981. In was an honor to hear his story.

I toted around the beastly camera, forgot to take photos of friends and then stuffed it under the table to spend the last couple of hours dancing. Even Steve surprised himself and joined in the fun!

2010-11-05T11:36:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful to be a

Stay-At-Home Mom.

I don't always feel this way and often wonder what it would be like to go to work and if I might be more fulfilled. I always dreamed of law school and/or business school. I never imagined that I would be home raising 3 young children. But right now, there is no where else in the world I would rather be... and I mean it.

Now we are off to teach Abe's class how to make his favorite cookies - Snickerdoodles!

2010-11-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful for my

Health

To Run.

To Walk.

To Bear Children.

To Play.

To Breath.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Rich.

2010-11-02T17:22:00.001-04:00

Today

I am grateful for

God's Beauty.

God's beauty

in the flowers and the trees.

In the mountains and the rocks.

In sand.

In the Faces of His Children.

Rich and Poor.

Healthy and Weak.

Young and Old.

He Lives.

Choosing Joy

2010-11-01T23:04:00.000-04:00

So for the first time in months, I actually feel like blogging. I thought that I was going to go private, and I still may, but for now I am here... until I figure out how I will proceed.

It is November. In this house, it is a month of birthdays and gratitude.

So for the entire month, I am going to join many others in the blogging world and record some of the reasons I am THANKFUL.

Today

I am grateful for

FREE AGENCY

and my ability to

Choose Joy.

Day 2 of the Packout

2010-06-30T17:53:00.000-04:00

...and I am tired.

...and I am sad.

...and I am excited for a new adventure to begin.

La Despedida de Abe

2010-06-30T17:52:00.001-04:00

Abe class threw a great going away party for Abe and I. Nearly all of his classmates (27) and most of their moms came to big us farewell. Unfortunately, I only took these three photos which do no justice to the great afternoon. The kids gifted Abe a beautifully handcrafted silver belt buckle with an additional belt so that he can use it for many years.

It was a joy and privilege to know these wonderful Argentine women. Thanks for all of you kindness and support!

After the party, Abe brought a few of his best friends to the house for his first pajama party. He had been talking about it for weeks. This photo was right before I dropped them off the following morning at a birthday party. He truly misses his classmates and these great boys.

Our Last Visitor

2010-06-30T17:52:00.000-04:00

My sister made a last-minute trip to see us here in Buenos Aires, just in the nick of time. I love that I get a small vacation when people visit and it is always nice to take a break from our standard routine and experience what the city has to offer.

Grand Canyon

2010-06-25T20:36:00.017-04:00

We made an over night trip to the Grand Canyon while we were in Phoenix with my in-laws. We had a great time hiking to Oh-Ahh Point.

We stayed in Williams about an hour from the Canyon. It was such a great little town right on Route 66. There was a street gun show and a Wild West town replica.

More photos to come...

Random

2010-05-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

We have a house in Lima and more importantly, it should be ready when we arrive. Steve has seen it and thinks it will be great for us. I am a big fan of the location in relation to the temple (2 mi.), school (10 blocks) and SUNSHINE!
We are having trouble finding a place for Abe at the school, but are hopeful. However, the admissions director is not as optimistic. Think happy thoughts, right?
Buying a car has turned out to be a much bigger deal than we had anticipated. I might just save this for a post of it's own. International moves are tricky.
The movers will be here bright and early on Monday morning and will drive the truck away on Wed.
Abe's going away party is today and 4 boys coming over for a slumber party afterwards.
Organization for the packers is coming together.
Only 7 more nights in this house... How has 2.5 years flown by so fast?
Man, I will miss this third floor. We really have spent 80% of our waking hours up here and I love the sunshine from the 3 large windows!

Cristi

2010-04-28T13:34:00.001-04:00

The coolest little sister

anyone could ask for

has come to Buenos Aires

for a last-minute visit

before we move.

and that

MAKES. ME. HAPPY!

Movie Night

2010-04-07T22:23:00.000-04:00

We invited some of our great friends here in Buenos Aires over for a fun-filled Friday night. The kids brought their movie tickets to the door to receive a tub of popcorn and a drink, and vote on a movie. 17 kids ages 18 months -10 years headed upstairs to watch Peter Cottontail.

While the kids enjoyed their movie, the 14 of us played Blurt, Taboo and Bananagrams. The boys even considered a late night of Risk, but decided to hold out and save that for later. :)

Happy Easter 2010

2010-04-07T22:21:00.001-04:00

I find that I am not a very good photographer on Christmas and Easter. I would much rather be in the mix than taking photos for a few feet away. I did manage to take a few.

Peyton insisted that the Easter Bunny would love a gatorade and definetly needed his own egg with a piece of candy in it. Evidently, she was right.

To: E.B. Enjoy your carrots. We (heart) you From: Peyton and Abe-e

Sophie quickly learned that the real eggs didn't provide the "goods". She wouldn't even pick them up in the hunt unless they rattled. :)

EB was tricky and really his Peyton's basket well. She was elated to find it after all of the searching.

The photo is 100% Abe humor. It goes something like this: Oh, little bunny is hiding in the grass. His mommy told him to never leave the grass or a big monster would eat him. Oh no! Little Peep didn't listen to him mommy! (then Abe eats the Peep in one bite!)

Is it any surprise she loves those Peeps too? Look at all of the chocolate on her face from all the other treats.

Cleaning

2010-04-07T14:57:00.001-04:00

Spring Fall Cleaning

It feels good. But sometimes it feels like you are giving away your heart or a small memory.

Today.. it is liberating. Extremely liberating and I am thinking of all of the possibilities.

When hit the kids closets, it might be more like agony.

Just posted.

2010-04-06T17:20:00.002-04:00

Here.

My Girls

2010-03-26T21:10:00.000-04:00

What a little stinker! Sophia is really growing out of being a baby and into toddlerhood. At a backyard birthday party, we found Sophia (who managed to dash off in a matter of seconds) inside with a piece of cake she stole from someone else's plate!

Steve has really set the bar high for Miss P on their Daddy-Daughter date. Not only did she get to go to a Boca game, she sat in the best seats in the entire stadium to watch Boca beat River 2-0 in El Superclasico!

Rugby

2010-03-21T09:58:00.002-04:00

Abe had his first Rugby practice on Saturday. This is a semi-mandatory event at the school every Saturday morning. Girls are required to play field hockey. The goal for this week: mold and trim the mouth guard.

I was disappointed that Steve missed it. This is about as close to playing American Football as Abe will do for the next few years. The first and second graders are paired together and they spent 20 minutes practicing tackles. Aren't they a bit small for full contact?

New Blog

2010-03-20T02:06:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers,

I love blogging and sharing our adventures with you. However, I realize that I have two groups of readers. Some of you are here to learn about the daily happenings of my family (i.e. birthday parties, first day of school, etc.) and the other half of you would like to know more about Argentina and our travels.

So here is my solution. I have created a new blog, called Check My Carry-Ons. I will blog about our adventures both in the States and in the countries in which we live. I will talk about life in the Foreign Service, living as an expat with young children, and the adventures of raising Third Culture Kids. I hope to include the itineraries for you and your guests, hotel and restaurant recommendations, my opinions on schooling options and individual referrals for those of you who move to where we have been. We are excited to see where this takes us!

At the same time, this blog will go private. If you would like and invitation so that you can continue to read this blog, please leave a comment or email me [ jaclyn(dot)barlow(at)gmail(dot)com ] .

Thanks for your support!
Jaclyn

2010-03-18T19:08:00.000-04:00

Maxi, Marcos and Abe

Tonight at dinner, Abe gave me his typical rundown of his day. Out of nowhere,

Abe: "Mom, your spanish is much better now."

Me: "Thanks Abe. I still have to work hard."

Abe: "Yes, but you know lots of words now, even more than Dad."

Me (thinking): Yeah right. I have you fooled. At least I am no longer an embarrassment to the poor kid. "Thanks Abe."

You see, last year, Abe was playing a game with his friend on the floor.

Midturn, he stops and asks: "Mom, will you say something in Spanish?"

Me: "Why Abe? What do you want me to say"

Abe: "Just say anything."

Me (knowing right where this was going): "Abe just play your game."

Then Abe turns to his friend and says, "Mi mama habla castellano muy, muy malo." And then they laugh. Thanks Abe.

So tonight after Abe's proclamation, I started asking him tell me how to say different phrases in spanish. The kids love this game. I start with simple phrases and then increase the difficulty, just to push them and encourage Peyton. Abe used a subjunctive conjugation and I asked him if he meant to use present tense, just to see how much of the language he understood. He then gave me a 5 minute explanation, with examples, of why he meant to say it the way that he did.

So for everything that has been difficult the past two years, this on the top of my list of reasons why it has been worth it. When we first decided that Abe would not go to the english-speaking American School, we doubted our decision. And when the boys in the class tackled him on the playground and put leaves in his pants because he couldn't speak spanish, I questioned our decision again. But today, I know that we made the right choice for him. Sometimes, I listen in awe and just can't believe how far they have come.

Big Changes

2010-03-08T14:31:00.003-05:00

For those of your wondering why I have yet to blog the rest of our cruise, there are big changes coming to this not-so-personal blog. I need some time to get that done and have decided to wait to publish the last part of our trip until I have finished.

Soon, I promise.

He's Really Going to Miss Them...Me Too.

2010-03-01T12:16:00.007-05:00

We still have more than two months until we pack out (assuming that we don't make the drive to Peru, which is looking more and more likely). He has known that we are moving since January. Abe doesn't like surprises.

We once showed up at school to take him out to lunch without telling him because he has been asking for a couple of weeks. When we arrived, he cried and protested because it wasn't part of his plan. He went and was happy, but it took 10 minutes to get him into the car. But I digress.

Yesterday he said to me, "Mom, I am not moving to Lima with you." Until now he had been thinking about all of the new places and people he would meet. "I am staying here." I moved a lot as a child and so I understand the difficulty. At this point, I hugged him and pried for his reasoning. "If I move, I will never see Marcos again." Probably true. What are the odds they will find each other again? However I tried to explain just how small the world is and that he can see them on Skype and Club Penguin. Man, these two really love Club Penguin.

After going back and forth about all of the great reasons to move and how I understood how he felt, he held firm and had officially decided to move into a hotel that I will pay for with food from Marcos' mom. This move is going to be tough for him, and my heart hurts because I know from repeated experience how difficult leaving friends behind really is. I guess it just hasn't hit me this time yet. These are the moments when I question whether or not this lifestyle is best for them. I try to remind myself (and him) of the 3,001 good reason to move, but it just doesn't make anyone feel better right now. Check back in 6 months.

Benja, Juancho, Abe and Manuel

This was his first sleepover. I am not a fan of sleepovers in general and I wasn't sure that we, I mean I, was ready for this. I groaned and paced and worried all night, but he could not have been happier. I am thankful that he has such nice friends with great moms.

Wow! A cruise timeout.

2010-02-24T19:17:00.005-05:00

I have just found Tea. I would dress my children in ANY of it and adore the simple originality. I have never before found a children's clothing line that I really adore. I find pieces and sets in other well-loved stores, but honestly, I would love to own this entire collection. I only wish that I could vouch for it's quality. I might have to buy a couple of things and let you know. :) Simply perfect.

Glacier Cruising

2010-02-17T11:36:00.005-05:00

After our long day in Ushuaia in the morning and rounding Cape Horn on Sunday afternoon, we spent Monday in the Beagle Channel cruising the glaciers. The kids would tell you that they finally had another day to spend in the Kids Korner. We had to peel them away to spend a couple of hours with us to see the glaciers. It was cold, but we found a hidden gem of a place on Deck 13 to watch the glaciers go by.

Ushuaia

2010-02-16T10:40:00.011-05:00

Our next stop was in Ushuaia where we rode the Train to the End of the World.

We found our way to the very end of Route 3,

and through Tierra del Fuego National Park with our personal guide, "Crazy Horse", which is a bit of an understatement.

Our friend Michael carrying Peyton. There was always a friend to lend a helping hand.

And a day is never complete without a little horsing around.

Cape Horn

2010-02-15T20:24:00.003-05:00

The infamously rough water around the Cape were smooth and peaceful. Words just cannot accurately describe the experience. The clouds hovered and the skies were grey, but we were grateful for the calm waters. I overheard a few passengers discussing their disappointment. They had hoped for adventure. I, on the other hand, felt blessed that we could be outside on the deck enjoying the view. I still can't believe that we actually rounded the Horn. Wow!

Stanley, Falkland Islands

2010-02-15T18:46:00.013-05:00

When deciding whether or not to book the trip, this was one of the deciding factor. How else would be ever see the Falkland Islands or Las Islas Malvinas as they are known in Argentina? They have been under British rule since the late 1800's, but Argentina has laid claim to them because they are on Argentina's continental shelf. The two countries actually went to war over the islands in 1982. The Argentine President asks the U.K. to return the islands every time that she makes a national address. As of late, the plot thickens because there has been an oil discovery and the Brits are going to begin drilling.

We sailed into the South Atlantic Ocean and were greeted by the cold. It was cold, windy and grey. I mean GREY. I was curious what the people and the architecture would look like. The people were in fact British. I still am not sure why this surprised me. The grocery store was full of British goods and the streets were lined in SUVs.

This is the southern most Anglican Cathedral in the world and the whalebone arch.

Peyton and Caleb. Caleb's dad said, "Peyton you better not be gettin' too sweet on my little boy." Peyton laughed.

Governor's Home

The kids had so much fun together!

War Memorial
The sign in the window says:

To the Argentine Nation and Its People

You will be welcome in our country

when you drop the sovereignty claim

and recognize our right to self determination.

Last week I took this photo at Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires. This is just in front of their version of the white house. The sign says "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Falklands are Argentine).

The conflict is long from over.

Puerto Madryn

2010-02-15T16:33:00.006-05:00

After a full day at sea, we made our way back to Puerto Madryn. You might remember that we had just been there to see the the Southern Right Whales and Magellanic Penguins in November. So this time we rented a large van and headed out to Puerto Rawson with great friends, where we took a small boat out to find las toninas, a small black and white dolphin.

On the way home, we talked the driver into a detour through Gaiman, a Welch village about 30 minutes from Puerto Madryn. We stopped at Te Caerdydd just a bit too early for tea and cakes, so we walked the grounds. In true Welch fashion, Gaiman is filled with an abundance of beautiful flowers.

Montevideo

2010-02-15T16:07:00.004-05:00

Our first stop was Montevideo. This was not our first time in the this sleepy city, so when we awoke to pouring rain, we decided to stay on the boat and wait it out. Once the rain stopped we journeyed into the city on foot for a couple of hours.

We visited the Port Market filled with open-air grills.

managed to find a cannon,

and see the mausoleum of Jose Artigas.

When we returned to the boat, our sheets were blissfully turned down and we were greeted by this little guy. We were onto our next stop and I didn't even have to pack us up to get there.

Our Journey to the End of the World... and Back

2010-02-11T16:02:00.013-05:00

This really was a trip of a lifetime! We boarded a 2000 passenger vessel prepared for 14 days of quality family time sleeping in 192 sq ft. I was pleasantly surprised. We were creative with our sleeping arrangements and it worked out much better than anticipated. More importantly, this was not a trip about the ship itself (the ship was actually really great), rather, the ship acted as a means of transportation to incredible places that we could not have otherwise seen.

And all the better, we sailed with 4 other American families with children and it made even more memorable!

We're Home!

2010-01-19T19:04:00.002-05:00

We had a very memorable 15 days and took too many photos to recount our journey. The seas around Cape Horn were calm and tranquil, which are two adjectives rarely used by sailors who know these waters. The kids are already asking if we will put another "card in the tree with a map for another cruise." We shared the boat with 4 other American families whom we adore. We really had a great time.

We came home to an very overgrown yard, and too many suitcases to unpack, but my parents arrive in the morning and there is little time to prepare.

I can't wait to share photos which I am sure will end up on Facebook before I have time to retell the tale.

Wish you had been with us!

The Family Gift

2009-12-27T19:20:00.008-05:00

Our family gift (in lieu of toys and other presents to each other) was nestled in the branches of our tree:

And this was what was inside:

We are pleasantly surprised by the excitement the kids. Their inquisitive minds want to know all there is to know about where we are going and what it is like to sleep on a boat. I am nervous about 14 days in 192 sq ft of living space, but we are excited to share this as a family! The anticipation of the kids already has me ready to leave, but unfortunately the laundry and the suitcases don't offer the same hope. :) One week and counting...

Our Little Boo

2009-12-27T19:03:00.002-05:00

I think that the nickname might stick!

What do you think?

A few things I have learned this week...

2009-12-25T22:42:00.008-05:00

... I can cook an entire turkey dinner from scratch including stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, asparagus, rolls, banana bread and pumpkin pie by myself
... and serve it warm
... English toffee really is as easy I have been told
... Peppermint Bark is even easier
... and really makes it feel like Christmas
... All treats look better delivered in Christmas boxes
... All homemade eggnog recipes are not created equal - even if they contain the exact same ingredients
... The smallest of gifts, usually end up the greatest
... The rechargeable Mosquito Zap Racket really does work and is worth every penny - even if just for the laugh.
... although it does not kill cockroaches, only stuns them
... Few things are sweeter than a babbling 1 year old who thinks that they are making sense
... If you can't drink hot cocoa on Christmas, swimming in the pool is a close second
... Skype has really revolutionized holidays
... American dolls are worth all of the hype and span the ages

... I can think of 364 better day to light Fireworks than a night I would prefer to me calm, silent and holy.

... especially not until 3am when children will be looking for Santa at 6.

... The Norad Santa Tracker can really keep a 6 year old occupied

... You can do ALL of your holiday shopping without leaving the house

... although tall sizes are still as difficult to find
... A 6 year old really can grasp the idea of a trip in lieu of gifts and be REALLY excited about it
... no matter how hard I try to keep any type of gun out of our home, few toys can really excite a 6 year old boy like one

... All the celebrations can really tucker out a toddler
... Sometimes you have to accept the blessing and stop trying to rationalize it

What I already knew...
... Sleep in NOT overrated
... Christmas is my favorite time of year
... because we celebrate the birth of Christ
... Christ was born to be our Savior
... and died so that we can have eternal life
... Heavenly Father hears us and answers our prayers
... He knows each one of us individually
... He has a great sense of humor
... Our trials have purpose
... Nothing in life is as special without sharing the experience
... especially with children

... Legos really do help improve fine motor skills
... I am blessed beyond words
... Mario Kart is WAY more fun to play when connected with family across the world!
... My family ROCKS!

Happy 6th Birthday Abe

2009-12-21T16:45:00.004-05:00

For Abe's birthday, we shared the party with a friend and rented a birthday play center. The day was super hot and humid all day until moments before school pickup, where were had arranged a carpool to bring everyone after school. It began to pour like I have never seen in rain. You couldn't see more than a few feet in front of the car as we drove. The icing on the cake began to melt the moment it left the air conditioning and my hair didn't stand a chance, but it was a great party and the kids had a great time. It sure is a lot less stressful to plan the party somewhere else.

I had suggested that we have the party at home and do something original, but Abe insisted that we have his party at Big Party, where many of the other children had thrown parties throughout the year. Juan's birthday is just two days before Abe's, so we were able to combine the party.

Lego Star Wars Cake

Birthday Boys

Abe had been asking for this Hot Wheels set since June.

Happy 4th Birthday Peyton

2009-12-21T15:08:00.004-05:00

With each birthday, it seems harder to believe how fast they are growing. Their birthdays came in a whirlwind. The were birthday festivities 6 out of 7 days in November because of actual days and school parties and classroom celebrations. Latins are known for their birthday parties and Argentina is no exception. I didn't want to overdo it, but in the end, the only ones who would lose out would be my children. They had expectations set by 24 other Argentine classmates. Everything went well and we pulled it off. Here are a few of my favorite photos.

My mom sent this look-alike American doll whom Peyton has named Isabella. The name of the horse regular changes.

Photos of Lidia are rare. Actually there are quite a few of her, but she is a bit embarrassed by the camera so they never turn out. She has become like family. She really loves my children and it is very obvious. Here she is watching Peyton do this:

The first to arrive.

Church BBQ

2009-12-21T14:44:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, we spent the day with the High Priests. Inflatable gladiator arena, meat, and soccer. What a day! I wish I had more photos, but sadly it started raining and I was chasing Sophia. The only photos of her lately are on the move.

On the grass outside of the building, they were grilling meat about a foot off the ground. We all bring our own utensils and drinks to share. To accompany the meat, there was a large lettuce and tomato salad tossed in oil and vinegar. So Argentine. I will miss the steak.

Check out the soccer goal. It is a basketball hoop with a soccer goal for the base. Ingenious. Sophia wanted to play with the big kids too.

Christmas Sunday

2009-12-21T14:26:00.003-05:00

It is a shame that we could not get little Sophie to sit still for 2 seconds because she looked so adorable in her black velvet and cream dress. Christmas with a tan is not as traditional as some might like, but I will take summer any time that I can get it. :)

My Heartbreakers

2009-12-20T18:42:00.000-05:00

These two melt my heart... especially when they are playing nice.

Pesebre de El Bolson

2009-12-20T18:32:00.002-05:00

I have begun to acquire quite a few Nativities since we moved to Argentina, but this is one of my favorites. I found it at an Artisan Fair in El Bolson on Thanksgiving. So simple.

Peninsula Valdes and Punta Tombo Videos

2009-12-12T18:37:00.003-05:00

These videos files are too large to upload here and YouTube will mute the tunes, so here are a couple of links to our recent trip. Pictures are coming too...

Peninsula Valdes - Whales

Punta Tombo - Penguins

Reality Check

2009-12-12T17:29:00.003-05:00

This week has been a true reality check. Sometimes living as an expats is like living in an "alternate universe" as a friend calls it. You aren't in the States which we know and understand with conveniences not offered throughout the rest of the world and we aren't locals. Living as an expat is also not like living as a missionary, but this needs to be a post of its own. We are afforded benefits overseas and a standard of living that we would not otherwise be able to afford. This is a direct result of free housing and less expensive services.

I often grumble about the difficulties of living overseas (the list can go on and on) and try to absolve the myth that the intrigue of travel and seeing the world is a life of bliss and ease. We have a great life and we are abundantly blessed, but it comes at a cost.

This week I have had a good does of reality and I feel all the more blessed in so many ways. And as strange as this may sound, I realize that I have really matured as a mother since I brought home tiny little Abe 6 years ago. The change of pace has been eye-opening and good for all of us.

Today's Fruit and Veggies

2009-12-04T11:20:00.005-05:00

Today I bought this:

plus 2-3 lbs of potatoes and about 1-2 pounds of strawberries

for $82 or $US 21.57.

Not bad.

Photos..

2009-12-01T18:42:00.001-05:00

from our 10-day, 3300 mile trip through Patagonia, Argentina are coming. Soon.

It's Birthday Week

2009-11-09T21:11:00.001-05:00

I am preparing for the birthday week! 2 parties, 50 kids, 40 moms, 3 cakes, 30 cupcakes, 2 carpools, 1 magician, 3 guinea pigs, 2 inflatables and a whole lot of laughter! Can't wait!

Nan Scott Design Studio

2009-11-07T14:11:00.005-05:00

Nan Scott Design Studio is a project that was launched last Thursday after three years of development. Nan Scott, a professional graphic designer and long time personal friend, created a wonderful and simple way to display and preserve your photos with the opportunity to fuse them with blogs and social networking site like Facebook. The video on the front page is a great way to learn more.

Check it out at nanscottdesignstudio.com!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T16:26:00.003-05:00

Friday we attended the Embassy party where the kids trick-or-treated from office to office. We had a nice time with all of our American friends. Then on Saturday, we celebrated with a friend in her gated-community so that the kids would have more room ro roam. However, it rained, it poured and it never let up! This put quite a damper of trick or treating, but we enjoyed a great time indoors together!

Sophia's 1st Party

2009-10-07T22:06:00.005-04:00

We hosted an All-American BBQ, bouncy castle and chocolate fountain to share this special day with close friends. Abe and Peyton were so excited for Sophia. Abe took special care of her in the inflatable and wanted her to like it as much as he does. She sat on all four trying to bounce herself.

I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing her cake and I loved doing it because I knew that she would have fun smearing it everywhere. In the end, all she wanted to do was share it with an outreached arm. It was funny. And then... it didn't settle well. Even Papa's ice cream bars hadn't quite prepared her for the mother load of sugar.

As I sit here flipping through these photos and thinking about the last year, I am overcome with gratitude. My life is full of so many rich blessings, but nothing more important and humbling than my children. I am thankful for this time that I have with them. They are my greatest blessing.

She's One!

2009-10-07T21:46:00.006-04:00

It is so cliche, but it is so hard to believe that our baby is 1! With each child, time has passed more quickly and this time I had hoped to drag it on as long as possible.

I have said it time and time again in every form of media, but seriously, Sophia is such an angel. She is so full of love and adventure. She is always exploring, yet is so content and happy. She makes my life so bright. Her smile is electric and she is genuinely elated to see everyone. She will smile, reach out to you and then lay her head on your shoulder. And when I say you, I mean family, friends, neighbors and strangers alike. Really, she is one of the sweetest natured babies that I have ever met.

For her actual birthday, we celebrated as a family. It was perfect.

Apparently, we have our very own live Bedtime Dora... nothing like "bangs a la 3-year-old".

We Are Going on a Picnic

2009-10-07T20:37:00.003-04:00

The kids performed in the cutest little production. The Kindergarten put this on for the parents. Abe carried the flag and had a small line. In an Argentine-British accent, he pronounced, "We are Eensects." It was adorable. They danced and sang and I loved it!