Kermess!

Kermess (meaning "outdoor fair") is a day of International fun and food - lots and lots of food - hosted by our school. It is their big fundraiser for the year. 

Nido is a very diverse school with students from all over the globe. Every country with student representation, has the opportunity to host a booth at the event. Not all countries choose to participate, but most that have a decent sized group at the school do. All proceeds go to the school.

This year there are students from 52 different countries attending school at Nido. There were 29 booths at Kermess:

• Korea
• Taiwan
• Turkey
• Japan
• Brazil
• Bolivia
• Argentina
• Canada
• Honduras
• Spain
• Mexico
• Australia & New Zealand
• Africa (Uganda, Mali, Sierra Leona, Mozanbique, Liberia)
• Israel
• Venezuela
• Colombia
• Peru
• UK
• China
• USA
• South Africa
• Malaysia
• India
• Palestine
• France & Belgium
• Chile
• Germany
• Puerto Rico
• & The Girl Scouts with their delicious hand-squeezed lemonade

You can imagine the smells. I gained 3 kilos by just the smell alone! We ate and ate and ate. We watched the different countries perform on the main stage. My favorite was when the group of Korean kids did "Gangam Style" it was hysterical! My boys particularly enjoyed the belly dancers (surprise, surprise).

I think my favorite foods came from Japan, the Yakitori chicken pictured below; Turkey, they had these delicious lamb pitas; and this Aloe Vera water drink from Korea. YUM! 

It was blazing hot! But it didn't stop the crowds of people from enjoying this amazing day!

I wore my Diamondbacks shirt to represent USA (I worked our booth)

Andrew spent the afternoon under the covered outdoor gymnasium playing cricket with his friends. He's hooked! He plans to bring cricket to Corona high school when we get back to the states.

(He's the one with the shaved head and black/grey striped shirt)

Alex loved the chile from the US booth. He hung with his friends volunteering at one of the booths (also in the shade). He wore his "Trust me, I'm a Dr." Dr. Pepper t-shirt to represent the USA! 

What a fun day! 

Thanksgiving 2012

Thankful for many things during this season of gratitude. Thankful for friends and family and friends that feel like family. Grateful for new experiences and the growth that has come because of them. Grateful for blessings of peace, protection, and patience.

I'm grateful for things that remind me of home. Like special family favorite Thanksgiving treats. Lots of the regular ingredients are not available here. So our family's favorites, like Cheesy Potatoes (aka Funeral Potatoes) and Frog Eye Salad had to be improvised.

Hashbrowns are not available here, and potatoes are about $12USD a bag - and all that grating.... So I bought thin cut french fries and chopped them into little cubes, similar to hash browns.

I then added all the other ingredients - so far so good.

Out of the oven they looked perfect and tasted just like the real thing from home! Granted it cost about $25USD a pan to make (I made 2) but worth it for that special holiday treat!

Greg even helped out - he didn't want me to show his picture, because men sit around and watch football, not help with food prep! As much as he's like to be all "Man Power!" he's a sucker for a girl who asks for help. I love that about him!

We enjoyed the evening with lots of friends.

This last picture is all of us (left to right):

Melissa, Julie, Keri, Me, Kristi, Laura S, Laura H, Liz

I love my gringa girls!

A Day full of Surprises!

*And pleasant surprises for once!*

Yesterday, I kicked off my day with the usual, wake up, pry the kids out of bed, make them breakfast, teach seminary, drive kids to school... The normal routine. 

I had been invited by a friend of mine to go to a Christmas Bazaar. After getting back from dropping kids and thinking about having to shower, I could barely keep my eyes open. I was just so dang tired. I briefly hesitated, questioning if I really wanted to go... Luckily, I knew my ride would be there in an hour, so I got moving. I am so grateful that I did! 

I had an amazing morning. It was fun to see all the different creations from people all over the globe. I believe this was an international group that sponsored the event and the variety of people and their creations was fun to see. There was Christmas music and chatter in all different accents. I loved every single thing about it. Plus I found some adorable things that I couldn't live without. Bonus!

Afterwards, I headed up to the school for the Swim SAAC rally and was impressed with the continued improvement of student involvement. We're working desperately to teach these kids what a "Rally" should look like. They are slowly getting the hang of things. 

Between the rally and after-school pick-up, I ran by the grocery to grab a few more Thanksgiving Day ingredients. Guess what surprise waited for me there?

REAL chocolate chips! They NEVER sell them here. They have chocolate chips, but they are in a small little bag - like what you'd buy gummy worms in - only smaller! AND they're not the same chocolate. In fact, not so good chocolate. So this was a HUGE treat! At $6.25USD per bag - I grabbed 6... Yep. I just spent $40 on chocolate chips and only came away with enough to make cookies 6 times, but it was totally worth it! I also found something that resembles BROWN SUGAR! Woo Hoo! I see cookies in our future :)

I was thinking that the day couldn't get any better when I unexpectedly got call from my sister and was able to Facetime with my favorite little baby boy! 

My newest little nephew Colton was with his Aunt Shellie and I got to goo and coo at him. I saw my sweet little niece Katie-bug's braided hair and watched her dance around the room. I visited with my mom who just the day before had knee replacement surgery and not only hear how she is doing, but actually SEE how she was doing. 

Tomorrow I get to Skype my family in Utah during their Thanksgiving gathering and goo and coo at my sweet, little, just barely turned 1 year old niece and my amazing teenage nephews (I promise not to goo and coo at them). My other adorable little niece is in college (maybe it's time to stop calling her little) and I can find out all about how things are going for her. I'll get to not only talk to - but actually SEE the whole gang! Even grandpa! 

It is such a blessing to have this technology in my life. I would be completely lost without my ability to connect with my family this way. 

I LOVE SURPRISES!

Feeling Normal Again

I feel normal. Like my normal usual - at home in the states - self.

On Wednesday, I canceled my Spanish class (just couldn't emotionally take it- sometimes it's just too much). I met some friends at a burger joint to celebrate Keri's birthday. The waitress spoke to me in ENGLISH! I ordered chicken nuggets.

I had 1 hour to kill before going to pick up my kids so I stopped off at the big Lider. It's basically Walmart. I think it's owned by Walmart and it carries a lot of the same types of things. Who knew how amazingly awesome Walmart brand stuff is. Things I would never buy at home; Great Value canned chips for example, are like a little treat from heaven here. JUST LIKE PRINGLES - no, no they are not, but it's pretty dang close. They have home goods, groceries, electronics, cleaning products, clothes - a little bit of everything. Just like a Walmart home.

So I wandered the aisles. I bought a cute pair of flip-flops that are blue with white polka dots, a melon colored top, and a beautiful summer scarf (which Greg thinks is an oxymoron). I found small little round pastas that resemble acene de pepe from home. I use this pasta for our family's favorite Thanksgiving treat: Frog Eye Salad. I was thrilled! I also found a gigantic plastic bowl in the cleaning section and scooped it right up. I need a huge bowl for things all the time, like Frog Eye.

I purchased a stack of those plastic outdoor plates to use in place of paper. Paper plates are killer expensive here. You have to buy them in the party section in packages of like 6 or 8 for a mil ($2USD).  This is a better option. I just don't like taking my glass plates on the patio, and we eat outside almost every night. Yeah spring!

We had the missionaries over for dinner on Tuesday and one of them (who is from Texas) has this horrible burn on his leg. I think it's almost like a patch of minor frostbite. He got it after trekking around in the snow. He's seen a doctor and all is good, but literally the entire back of his calf is one massive scab. He asked if I had any Vaseline he could borrow that night as the doctor told him to keep it coated in Vaseline but he didn't have any. I did have any either. So while at Walmart, I searched and searched until I found a jar in the baby section. I gave him a call and met up with him to deliver it. I gave him the "mom lecture" about keeping it clean and coated, watch for signs of infection... the whole gamut.

Yesterday, I went to see Twilight with some girlfriends. A few of us went for sushi after.

JUST NORMAL THINGS> Regular, every day things. Things I haven't been able to do for so long. Things I took for granted before I came here.

At home, if I want to go to Walmart - I go to Walmart. I don't have to second guess my ability to communicate appropriately with the cashier. If I want to see a movie - I see a movie. I don't have to stop and think, "self, you can't see a movie because: a. it might not be in english, b. you can't tell the cashier what movie you want to see, and c. you don't know the word for 'popcorn' and what is a movie without popcorn? Don't forget the fact that you can't read what movie is playing or when the movie even starts."

I just went to Walmart Lider. I bought myself some little crap that I just WANTED - not needed. I was able to help a friend, have lunch, watch a movie. NORMAL EVERYDAY THINGS!

Granted, I couldn't have done the movie without the help of my spanish-speaking girls and really I only fake my way through checking out and ordering lunch, because I have no clue what they're saying - but whatever. I'm really good at interpreting hand gestures and putting clues together to figure out what they want. I'm a freaking detective. As I always say: Fake it 'till you make it! :)

TWILIGHT! With Melissa, Keri, & Laura- gotta love the Spanish poster!

Yes, I got a picture with me in it - but you all know what I look like (besides, I do not look very good in that one) so better to post a photo of my Twi-girls! 

Should We Stay or Should We Go?

I hesitate to even write this post. We have friends in Arizona who will be livid that we are even considering longer here - and friends here who are begging us to stay. It's a double-edged sword.

Our first few months here were ... how can I describe it? It wasn't total despair (even though there were moments) but it was just so darn hard. Every. Single. Thing. Was a huge challenge. I felt trapped and alone. Hopeless. Helpless. Overwhelmed. Out of touch. It was just SO HARD!

But we've gotten past that. Largely in part to the amazing people we've met here. There is an instant bonding that comes when you are in that place and there is someone who is willing to reach their hand out and help pull you out of it. You become family. And that is a big part of what is pulling me to stay here. My new family.

Andrew is feeling that same pull. After returning from his SAAC soccer tournament in Quito, Ecuador, his teammates are begging him to stay. "We need you Andrew!" I hear it in their thick accent as I type it. Andrew sounds like Androo. I love that accent. I will miss that accent. His friends will all remain here through graduation. They all are shocked to hear he is even considering leaving.

Alex is a little less torn as a couple of his friends leave at the end of this school year.

Greg... I don't know about Greg. I don't think Greg knows about Greg.

There are some amazing opportunities that are pulling us to stay. Yet the EASY back in Arizona is a huge pull.

I feel like things are just beginning to turn around for me and I want to have the chance to live here without struggling, so I can just enjoy it.

So many things. Just when we think we've made a decision, something else pops up swaying us the other way... We're hopeless...

We do need to make a decision before we return to the states in January. So stay tuned...

Crazy Dog!

Our dog is the calmest, most chill dog in the world. He's perfect. He rode on the entire way to Chile in a small little bag without a peep. Pretty much the most ideal dog for us.

Until it's time for ME to drive someplace. Then our tranquil little guy turns into a super-spaz! Jumping up and down, up and down, at the front door. Apparently, he likes to ride with me in the car. He runs back and forth on the backseat, sticking his head out of each window.

I take him if I can because I know he loves it. Plus I feel bad that he's cooped up in this little house all day. Our yard at home is bigger and he can sniff around for a little exercise. Here, our yard is about 1/4 of the size and half of it is taken up by the pool. We don't like to take him on walks because of all the dogs running around here. I don't know if they are strays or not, if they have their shots, if they have fleas... gross. He has to stay inside or in our backyard.

Anyway back to my story.

I was able to take him with me to pick up Alex from school today. When we got home, Alex opened the door to let him out. He then reached in to grab his backpack out of the backseat. Apparently, the moment Scooter touched the ground, he decided he needed to pee on the bush; there was another dog there just before we left - and he had to mark his territory fast.

The problem: Alex's foot was right there.

So the dog peed on Alex's foot. SICK!

Happy Halloween~

Better late than never. Here are some highlights from our Halloween Party.

We were the only house with any Halloween decorations and all we had was this lame little mummy door. The little kids loved it though. Greg was waiting at the door with pizzas when one group was there and he told me that they were talking about the eyes and how scary it was. :) 

Andrew's friends hanging out

Andrew's Chilean Posse: 

"Mo" short for Mohammad came as a terrorist. HAHAHA! Cracks me up! He's the Israeli Ambassador's son.

Rick the only brother in a set of triplets. I believe they are from Sweden.

Esa. I can't remember where she's from, but her dad is here as a big-wig at BMW.

Sky. This is one of the biggest kids I've met in a long time. Tall - Tall. I believe he's from somewhere in the US. 

Again, I am thrilled Andrew has found such good friends here. I gave the kids the camera, so not a ton of pictures - and several of the kids didn't get their photos included in our little Halloween Documentary, but they had a good time. Trick-or-Treated and got a purse full of hard Chilean candy. :) Love these kids!

Seminary Oil Lamps

As much as I HATE mornings, I LOVE teaching these kids. They are amazing - and I can only hope they learn as much from me as I do from them. 

A few weeks ago, I happened upon some fresh, air-dry clay. So we took a day to make some oil lamps as we have been studying the New Testament. It was fun to see the variety of "lamps" that these artistic kids came up with. We also had doughnuts and Rootbeer as a reward for completing 14 straight days of scripture reading. Yes, rootbeer for breakfast - it is an extra-special treat because it's not readily available here in Chile. We had a 2 liter donated by a student in the class to help with 'motivation'!

We let them dry and then Alex decided to give his a try. We filled it with Olive Oil and twisted up a piece of paper towel for a wick. We found out that we needed to let the wick soak for a while to let the oil work it's way through the fibers.

Once lit, it burned for a really long time! It was awesome!

Preparing for SAAC

Andrew headed off to Quito, Ecuador last night at 11pm. We met at the school, the two teams headed to the airport for a 3am flight to Panama. Yes, Panama is further than Quito from here, but that was their flight. After a 5 hour layover in Panama, they headed to Quito. 

They have today to recover. They are staying in host families' homes, so they will go directly from the airport to the mall. They probably needed somewhere for the kids to go until it was time for the families to pick kids up from the school there. Hopefully, they will have the night to rest because they have to be up early for tournament games for the next 3 days. 

The excitement started on Monday. When the "new" SAAC tournament players to the soccer team were initiated: 

Cute huh?

Once school let out, they gave the clippers to the boys and let them finish it up... 

MUCH BETTER!

The teams had a fun send off during the Pep Rally on Tuesday

(notice all the bald heads? half the team is new)

Then there is nothing like a nap after school to get you pumped up for the long journey ahead. 

Poor kid was just plain tuckered out and they haven't even started yet. They are all just coming off of their Week Without Walls trips. That, combined with the altitude? I worry that they may struggle to compete up there. Crossing my fingers! I hate that I can't be there to see them play! It's killing me!

GO EAGLES!

Galapagos Islands & Ecuador

Andrew's trip is hard to recount. It was an unbelievable time. I am going to attempt to give you a feel for the adventure through is brief emails, tweets and photos:

October 22 (Tweet)
Ohh man my life long dream of going to the galapagos is being fulfilled today!!! #heckyes

October 22 (Tweet) #2
Oh my!! I'm on the plane to the galapagos!! #dreamcometrue

October 22 (Tweet) #3
It's so hot in Ecuador D: but so cool!!!

October 23 (email)
We're in Quayaquil currently inside Ecuador!!! It's currently 6:45 Ecuador time (two hours behind Santiago) and were are about to go out and eat breakfast. It's crazy humid here. It's early and feels like 80 with 110% humidity :(.  Looks like shorts for me! Flight was fun! We head to the island at 10 and it's looking to be a 2.5 hour flight!!! Fun fun!!! 
PS: they serve little ketchup packets with there potatochips. Wat. Also- I got twitter, if u have wifi we can try to keep in touch thru there

October 26 (Tweet)
The galapagos are seriously amazing. Beyond amazing. #millionpictures

October 26 (email)
I'm using my iPod, free wifi everywhere lol. The islands are beyond fantastic. The camping was great, it was in the middle of the island so it was like a jungle! That's was in Santa Cruz.", and from there to isabella, the big island, is a two and a half hour boat trip. It's was terrible, I gladly didn't get sick, but I was close to it was that bad. Crap I have to go, gunna go get ceviche for lunch:) I can't wait to show u the pics I took!!!

October 26 (Tweet) #2
Suchh a chill night... Nothing like roaming the streets of the Galapagos with the friendliest people. 

October 26 (email) #2
Okay. Omg. Seaturtles, sharks, and seals. Everywhere!!! And we swam with them!!! I can wait to show u the pictures, they are crazy amazing!!!! Plus, I have an amazing farmers tan;)


Now for some pictures. If only I could show you some of his video of snorkeling. There was a sea lion that played with the kids. 

One of the many hotels. 

Inside the airport on the island. 

They camped one night while doing service for the reserve. Part 1 of the service was helping to eradicate blueberries. They are an invasive species.

Part two was to locate and document these massive tortoises. This guy hung out by their campsite.

Andrew said it was hard to tell by the angle of the picture, but that tortoise's shell was even with his shoulders when he was squatting down for this photo.

Hiking

These little red crabs were all over the shoreline.

The food was delish! Fish, pasta, fried plantains, and rice with raisins... yum!

Most of the kids got sick after this boat ride. It was blazing hot inside with no breeze and the waters were really rough. They all went back to the hotel for a few hours to rest before heading out.

Andrew really enjoyed the guide (pictured without a hat to his left). They listened to the same music and had lots in common. 

Apparently this sea lion stirred just after this photo was taken and scared Andrew. He screamed like a girl and gave everyone a good laugh.

They spent lots of time on the beach. After talking to a coconut vendor, they learned that they could just climb a tree near the beach and get their own coconut. So they did. Then asked to borrow a vendor's knife to open it. 

Andrew was impressed with how "chill" everyone on the island was. 

Part of the island is volcanic. 

Penguins!

Stacks of lizards.

AHHH! Sharks! White tipped sharks. 

Andrew with the lizard behind him.

A trip to the nature preserve:

He had an amazing adventure. He heads back to Ecuador on Wednesday for a soccer tournament. Lucky kid!