The Last Lunch Bunch

We have had such a great visit with the Barlows and done so many great things our last few weeks in Peru, but my hard drive is so full that the photos will have to wait.

For now, here is a photo from my last Lunch Bunch here in Peru.  It was fun to take Janet to meet so many of the Sisters serving here in Peru.  We were also so happy to have Jamie and her new twins.  It is always a joy to get a few minutes to snuggle a newborn.  And a big thanks to Julie for hosting!  It is always so fun to have a reason to get together and share our Peruvian frustrations adventures.

The next few months...

As we tried to book tickets to our bi-annual Puerto Vallarta Barlow Reunion last night, I realized that while the trip is only a couple of months away, there is way to much happening between now and then to even wrap my head around it.


For now, here are our plans:

• Steve's parents arrive tonight and stay with us for 3 weeks
• Next weekend we are heading 4 hours south to Paracas, Peru to see the penguins and the sand dunes.
• The following week, we are headed to Cusco, Machu Picchu and Puno without kids
• As a 2nd grade PTA rep, I will help with the class booth at the annual fair
• We pack out in 4 weeks - this also mean organizing and selling A LOT of things to achieve our household weight allowance.
• We say goodbye to Lima and all of our wonderful friends on June 9
• We will spend a week in DC
• Then head to Portland to see my family
• The boys are going to the Dunes in ID.
• Run a half marathon on June 23 - assuming my knees cooperate, which I am confident that they will. :)
• Then we all head to Corvallis for 4 days to see Steve's oldest brother's family.
• 10 days in Puerto Vallarta
• Return to Los Angeles for our last mini family vacation.
• Drive to Phoenix and begin to settle in.  Our house will be available and I am looking forward to living in a great neighborhood - even if it is only one year.  

Life is busy and as much as I fight it, it must be just the way that I like it.  I often ask Steve if we will be able to settle one day and his reply is almost always the same, "I don't think that you'd be able to handle settled." Maybe he's right. :)

Sophia's 1st Day of Tennis

Peyton has been taking classes twice a week for quite some time - come to think of it, I am not sure when we started.  Has it been a year?

Normally Sophie plays in the grass while Peyton practices, but now she has a perfectly sized 17" racket of her own with a star.  Pretty cute.  

La Molina Young Women

I know that I have posted A LOT over the last 2 days, but I am preparing for a move and hoping that I can print this book at our incomplete journal of Peru.

I realize that I forgot to add photos of the Young Women.  At some point I will share my feeling about having served at the YW President for the last year and a half.  It has been such a joy to get to know these valiant girls.

This was our Wednesday Night Hike though Parque de Aguas to fulfill the hike requirement for Camp.  We had all of our YW attend.  It was a great success!

Back Row Left to Right: Jaclyn, Rachel, Carolina, Sarahi, Pamela, Maria Belen, Natalie, Nicole, Ashley, Pamela, Diana.
Middle Row Left to Right: Maggie, Carla, Angie, visitor, Greta, Kassandra, Mary, Olga, Jessica
Front Row Left to Right: Kelly, Stacey, Ariana F., Ariana L.

April 2012 Lunch Bunch

Today I hosted Lunch Bunch and we had a great turnout!  We forgot to take a photo until a Sister or two had already left.

Camping in Lunahuana

We headed down to Lunahuana for the first part of the holiday weekend to take advantage the school-free days before Easter.  Last year we traveled with the Bloomers to Huaraz and this year proved to be no less eventful.

On the way down, I was rear-ended by an '82 with no insurance.   In Peru, if the two drivers can come to an agreement on the side of the road, no one has to go file a report at the police station, which could take hours.  Even though I was clearly rear-ended while at a complete stop in traffic with my hazards on (we came to to a quick stop around a bend and it is just habit to put them on), the other driver still wanted compensation from me because 1)his damage was worse and 2)I obviously appear to have more money in general than he has.  The kids are still talking about the radiator fluid that was spilling from his car.  In the moment, they wanted me to make sure that it wouldn't explode and that I did not step on it in case it was like acid.

We were ready for a great weekend!  It became so comical (the other driver demanding money) that all I could do is laugh.  It could have been a little intimidating that I had 2 marines and a security officer form the embassy as reinforcements! By the time that we left, 3 embassy cars had stopped to support me. We really have such great friends!  Cherilyn made sure that she documented the scene in case we ended up in the police station.

This photo of his car doesn't look as bad as I remember in person.  I do feel bad for him.  It was an accident and it did ruin his weekend.

This is the police officer with my Diplomatic ID.  He wouldn't give it back until we could come to a resolution.

We didn't let this spoil the weekend!  The kids and I camped, played in the river, ziplined and went whitewater rafting.  There are photos of us in the rafts somewhere, but I was too busy to worry about them myself.  Sophia cried and wanted to turn around for the first couple of minutes on the raft, but after she found a good place to nestle into my side and a few songs, she was fine.  When she hopped off the raft, she exclaimed, "That was so fun!" However, when I asked her if she wanted to go again she shot me down with a quick "nope."

Not a great photo, but our campsite was down below.  This was taken from the road-level where we parked.  We had to hike all of the stuff up and down the hill.  Not ideal for me and 3 little people, but we have great friends who were quick to lend a hand.

These guys were excited!

The kids love this!

As one of the first to head down, I was a little nervous.  I knew that nothing was going to happen, but Abe really is growing up.

Peyton ready for a launch.

Peyton heading down attached to a guide.  When we went again for a second time the following day, she did it alone.  She says that it was a lot more fun by herself!

We hadn't planned on Sophia being able to go, but the guides insisted that she was old enough and they had gear just her size.  When she was done, she begged to go again!

It really seems as though we are turning over a new leaf with my little family.  Everyone could participate.

Playing animals in the "play tent".

Getting ready for some whitewater rafting.

 This camp was a boy's heaven.  There were 6-7 boys from the ages or 6 to 13 camping with us.  Abe loved it.   It really was worth hiking down the camp gear!

Abe was free to roam!  Check out the avocado trees next to the camp. There were a few other fruit trees as well.  The kids were not supposed to pick them prematurely, but we all can guess how that went. 

What is it with boys and fires?  I couldn't keep Abe out!

And we simply don't get to see enough blue in Lima...

Scouts

Cherilyn does such a great job with these cub scouts; I really can't say it enough. This is such a meaningful activity for Abe.  A couple of weeks ago, Cherilyn took the boys to meet her husband Jim in the Security Office of the Embassy to be fingerprinted.   Abe has informed me that if something happens to him, we will not be able to identify him because the FBI has a copy of his records. That is a pleasant thought.

I have swiped the following photos from Cherilyn's blog. :)

Jim with Ethan, Cade, Nicholai, Loren, Dallin and Abe.

At the end of February, Cherilyn took the boys to the school to learn about the importance of the American flag, to fold it and how to raise it.

Visitors

Scott, Robyn and their two oldest kids came to visit in March.  They were just with us a few days in Lima, but were in Peru for 2 weeks!  It sounds like they have a great time visiting Machu Picchu and the jungle in Iquitos.

Sadly, I have hardly any photos.  Here are a few that I stole off of their camera before they left.

Tanner has grown up so much.  He really is a pre-teen.

A cute photo in a famous Catholic church in downtown Lima.

Plaza de Armas in Lima

 I love when visitors come because I can see the city through their eyes.  This didn't phase me.  However when I think about it, it is pretty different. :)  After nearly 5 years in Latin America, I forget how different things really are around here sometimes.  

There is a large market downtown that is anything but touristy.  This is a common birthday party wholesaler.

We bought a pomegranate and a mamey to take home and try.  These needed their clorox bath before they would be edible.

Common sight along the highway.  Most of these people do not have running water.  Can you even imagine having to walk up and down these hills everyday?

I took Scott to an orphanage that we like to serve (it is well run) and he saw about 15-20 patients for minor colds and fungi.  This saved the center a lot of money because a trip to the pediatrician at the reduced rate is about the equivalent of an average salary for 2 full days (s/80).  While Scott tended patients, Robyn played with kids, rocked a baby to sleep and the girls played with another little 8 year old and made jewelry out of flowers.  

Last Day of Swimming for the Year

At school, the kids rotate through a swimming unit during their PE hour a couple months of the year.  Here are a couple of photos from the last day of class.  She has her stitches removed just in time to participate in the the last day.  It was disappointing for her that she had to have stitches in her knee for 2 weeks during this unit.  She loves to swim.

Embassy Easter Egg Hunt

The Embassy always hosts a great Easter activity for the kids.   All three kids were talking about the odds of finding the beloved golden egg for days before the event.  They had all decided that they would share the prize if one of them found it.  The sibling who found it would get 50% and the other two would get 25%.

It was little Sophia who came through for Team Barlow!  What a thrill is was to spot the "very shiny one"!  They still haven't eaten the large Peruvian chocolate eggs that they won as the prize - it was simply all about the find!

March Lunch Bunch

The North American Sisters from around the Lima area meet on the 2nd Monday of each month for a pt luck luncheon,  It has been such a fun tradition and something that I really look forward to each month.  We have so many missionaries here serving with their husbands and they are so much fun.  This is a great way to catch up.

Last month, Carol Waddell hosted what turned out to be a smaller group.  We were able to enjoy lunch around her table.  It was great.  The tall sister in the back standing next to me is Steve's Mission President's wife.  We both love bright pink and have great taste in earrings. :)  It has been so fun to get to know her.

A big thanks to Chris, Cherlilyn's MIL, who is serving with her husband as the Family History Directors of the area.  She documents everything.  I admire that.

Sister Schiffman, Chris Bloomer, Jane Gough, Sister Cavanaugh, Sister Manning, Brooke Sorenson, Carol Waddell, Maggie Johnson and her friend visiting us from Utah.

Tomorrow, I am hosting this group at our house for the last time before we move.  Bittersweet.  I truly am going to miss Lima.

Armstrong Despedida

The biggest blessing of living overseas in an expat community is the incredible people that we meet.  These people become like our extended family.  We could truly call on any one of the people in the group photo if we were in need.  We even call on each other when we just want to escape the bars on our windows or set off on another Peruvian adventure.  Our time in Peru has been such a blessing and these people are a large reason for that.

We said goodbye to this great family last week as they head back to the States for a couple of months before heading to Montevideo, where Brother Armstrong has been called as the new mission president.  

This is their incredible daughter Stacey who I have had the privilege of really getting to know in Young Women.  She is a light to all of those around her, always has a great attitude and is so full of life.  She always makes me laugh! I would still love her to pieces even if she didn't love to play with my hair. :)

  

Our Expat Church Family

Cub Scouts (technically Lone Scouts)

A big thank you to Cherilyn for all of her effort in organizing great activities for these boys.  Cherilyn took the initiative and volunteered her time to help these boys with their scout certifications.  They meet twice a month and always have a great time!  This was the Blue and Gold ceremony.  

Oh, the things that we do to make our kids happy.

Little Buddies

I really love listening to these two play together.   They are such a hoot.

EDITED: I just found a few more adorable photos of these two little hams.