Free Rice

I am addicted to FREE RICE. I have checked the claim on Snopes.com and it is true! At least if I am going to waste my time, I might as well be helping someone else - maybe I can even count this towards my compassionate service goals!

What a Party!

On Saturday, we were invited to a friend's house for her daughter's first birthday party. We have since learned that the 1st birthday in Latin culture is almost as important as the Quinceañera. It is memorably celebrated because, as in many other parts of the world, many children did not live through the first year of life. The kids played in a huge inflatable pirate ship, ate specialty desserts, and were visited by Mickey and Minnie, Ariel, two Backyardigans, and Lilo and Stitch. Not to mention that the adults enjoyed good company and great food! Our only regret is that Peyton would not keep her clip in her hair for the pictures!

Walking the Tightrope

One of our friends built this contraption over their pool for his 5 year old son. Abe and the other boys were able to take advantage of it on Sunday afternoon...

Horseback Riding Lessons

Argentines love Polo! Today I took the kids to a Polo Club for their first horseback riding lesson. They loved the horses and just laughed and laughed with the instructors. Even little Peyton (apparently she's not so little anymore) will be able to take classes too. It really was a beautiful day...

Tagged

4 jobs I have had in my life:
Chocolate Fountain Business Owner
Environmental Consultant
Assistant Manager of a Tanning Salon (you do what works when you are in HS)
Student Aid in the Financial Aid Office in College

4 Movies I have watched more than once:
Anna and the King
Stepmom
The Incredibles
The Sound of Music

Most of the places I have lived (where do I begin...)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Virginia
Wyoming(Cheyenne, Casper and Wheatland)
California (Diamond Bar, Walnut, Yorba Linda, Hacienda Heights)
Colorado (Arvada, Colorado Springs, Golden, Fort Collins..)
Oregon
Washington
New York (Buffalo, Syracuse, NYC)
New Jersey
Ohio

2 TV shows that I watch: (when you have to buy them on iTunes, you think twice about whether or not it is worth it.)

Grey's Anatomy
Lost

4 favorite pastime activities:
My new iMac
Lunch with Friends
Friday Night Dinners with Steve
Reading/writing blogs

4 places I have been:
Hershey Park, Pennsylvania
Antigua
Mazatlan, Mexico
San Juan, Puerto Rico

4 people who email me regularly:

My mom
Heather
Sylvia (sometimes more regularly that others! lol )
Elena

4 of my favorite foods:
Plain Chocolate Cake without frosting
Chips and Salsa/Guacamole
Cheddar Cheese (Sadly, we haven't had it in nearly 3 months!)
Cheese Danish

4 places I would like to visit (and plan to in the next 2 years):
Iguazu Falls, Argentina
Patagonia (Antarctica)
Uruguay (Colonia and Montivedeo)
Bahia Blanca, Argentina

4 favorite restaurants:
Taco Bell! (The $200 RT Flight to Santiago Chile really is tempting)
Kansas (Currently, our only hope for good American Food and they are open before 8pm - which means that we can actually take the kids)
Anything Tex Mex (not the Argentine or Virginian version)
Pei Wei

4 things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with Steve's family
Seeing my family in Oregon (cross my fingers)
Becoming fluent in Spanish with the kids
Traveling

3 things I am not looking forward to in the coming year (can't come up with 4!):
Moving Again... in June
An 18 hour flight with children
Organizing all of our papers

Tag! You're it! - Sylvia, Alicia, Ie Li, Talai and Katie

He's 30!

Can you believe it? I am so proud of him and his accomplishments! As each year passed, we have tried to predict where we would be in our lives when each of us turned thirty. We would have never suspected that we would be in a foreign country with two children. I could not ask for a more loving, kind and dedicated husband or father. I can only pray that he is afforded another healthy, happy and fun-filled 50 years...

She's All Girl...

...when she is not battling with the boys.

Fruit Market

I bought a large sack of oranges for fresh juice from this stand for 7 pesos (US$2.25).

President Gordon B. Hinckley

"Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause. Lend your efforts to helping people... stand higher, lift those with feeble knees, hold up the arms of those that hang down. Live the gospel of Jesus Christ." President Gordon B. Hinckley 1910-2008

As a convert to the church, President Hinckley is the only Prophet that I have known. He was one of the most wonderful men to have ever walked the earth and lived his life as a beacon for all to follow.

Mission Reunion

It has been more than 10 years since these men served together in the Colombia Barranquilla Mission for our church. This mission, like so many, had very few North Americans, which meant that Steve spent a lot of time with people he thought he would never see again due to life circumstance and borders. They told mission stories, laughed about times they shared, and drank malta (not to be confused with mate) and Postobon, a Colombian orange soda. It was a joy to meet their familes and spend the afternoon practicing my espanol.

EDITED: Steve's companion passed away about a year after this photo was taken.  He had Cancer that was diagnosed shortly after we met. He left behind a pregnant wife and small daughter.

Mundo Jurasico

We took the kids to the robotic dinosaur exhibit. They were so life-like that Abe would not go near them.

My Little Picasso

Peyton LOVES to color, and not just on paper! This scene was repeated a few days later with a new, more permanent medium - nail polish.

As for Abe, he just wanted to be the center of all the laughs!

Things are really looking up...

Our car arrived tonight on our doorstep - still in the shipping container - in one piece! WhooHooo!

Primary Delegates

What good is a blog if you can't get up on a soap box once in awhile...

Here is the requested link for the number of pledged delegates for each candidate. Romney was leading the pack before the Michigan primary as most of the states so far divide their delegates according to percentage of vote. Yesterday, the media was calling McCain the clear front-runner. According the the media, Romney would have to win Michigan to stay in the race. I find that this is interesting since he has been in the lead since New Hampshire. Now Mitt has strengthened his position. Until now, he hadn't won an eastern state outright, but they still contributed votes to his candidacy. If Wyoming hadn't broken the rules by moving their primary date before Feb 5, it would have meant just a few votes less than winning New Hampshire. Romney might even receive more votes from Wyoming than MCCain scores in NH. I think that Romney is the only GOP candidate that the Democrats (media) fear that they cannot beat in the general election.



Click Here for Republican Primary Scorecard

Today...

I wish that I were a registered voter in Michigan.

My Cats

McDonalds in Argentina is...Supersized. I am not referring to the portion sizes, as you would never find one that offered free refills on anything. I am talking about the novelty of the restaurant. The majority of American Fast Food Chains offer Play Places and daily activities for the kids. At this particular McDonalds they have a calendar posted with the scheduled activites. By accident, we stopped in when it was time for face painting. The kids sat patiently waiting for their turns. They turned into two cute cuddly kittens. This lasted only moments before they transformed into big cats - Lions.

New Years Day in Recoleta

Recoleta Cemetery

These are tombs at the Recoleta Cemetery. If you ask me, it is a bit morbid. Each tomb is decorated differently. Some have been maintained and have fresh flowers, others have not. Some coffins have protection from outside, like glass on the doors, other do not. Here are a few of my favorite photos. It wasn't easy taking them because the kids wanted to run through the isles and look into every window. We were trying to keep them reverent!



To me, this is typical Argentina. On the left there is a beautiful tomb made of granite and well-maintained on the inside. To the right, a run down forgotten tomb. 100 years ago, Argentina was the 7th largest economy in the world. This country has so much unrealized potential that has been wasted away.


Domingo Faustino Sarmiento



This statue is a little strange...


Eva "Evita" Peron

Banyan Tree in Recoleta

On New Years Day, we finally made it downtown to check out some of the sites. We spent most of our time here in Recoleta. We dined in this cafe at one of the tables pictured above under the Banyan tree branches, overlooking the Recoleta Cemetery. The beam on the left side of the cafe is another support for the branch that exits the photo to the left. According to Wilkepedia, "In Hindu religion... it represents eternal life because of its seemingly ever-expanding branches." They would have broken years ago, but they built support beams for the branches to rest on. It is a sight to see!

New Years Eve Festivities

Steve and I had an incredible New Years Eve experience on the 37th floor roof downtown. I think that we may have been on the tallest building in the area. We watched as hundreds of fireworks expoded in the sky beneath us. Even though BsAs has nearly twice the population of NYC, the skyline is not built as high, leaving a vastly large city as far as the eye could see. Like Christmas Eve, all of the Argentines get together set of firewroks, surprising in these tree lined neighborhoods, the ones that are far too large to be legal in the States. As we stood looking down on city, with nearly a 360 degree view, we were atonished at just how many people there are in this city. Steve proclaimed that this was one of the top 10 things that he has seen in his life. I agree. There is no way to describe the enormity of the city and the amount of fireworks that were visible. And to follow Spanish tradition, we ate 12 grapes at midnight for good luck. Thanks Jay!