Silly in Chile

The single thing that has gotten us through this entire adventure here in Santiago is laughter.

We laugh at ourselves - we laugh at each other - we laugh at all the crazy people around us. We laugh at the dogs running around the neighborhood. We crack up at the piles and piles of horse poo that are constantly in our neighborhood now that the wild horses have found our park. We laugh at my attempt to communicate with the nana, or when I tell the cashier "no" when she asks if I want to donate the change, which was like $.001 (or a half a penny). *Hey, I thought she was asking something else.

It's all pretty comical living down here. We also have ongoing movie and youtube video quotes flying around all the time. My boys recite these things word for word, out of nowhere, and finish each other's sentences. Scenes from Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail is a favorite.

Alex is quick to laugh and when he starts - we can't seem to stop ourselves from joining in. So Andrew likes to get him going. Just recently, he's starting making up jokes. Maybe they are not hilarious, but Alex will laugh AT Andrew trying to be funny - then we're all going.

guy 1: "So a rainbow colored manatee walks into a bar"

guy 2: "k."

guy 1: "And the bartender says..."

guy 2: "yeah?"

guy 1: "Oh, the Hue-Manatee!"

So hysterical Andrew... We all kind of sit there like, what? Then Alex starts giggling with a "what the heck Andrew?" and it's all over after that.

There has been an ongoing discussion by my seminary class about Axes vs. Hatches. Why not call them BOTH axes? asks one student. What? Because they're completely different! says the rest. On and on and on and on... boys. We then have our one girl student who adds, "umm... who cares?"

There's also comments that perhaps John was high when he wrote Revelations - Sigh... These kids are hilarious.

Life is crazy. It's full of things that might just make you pull your hair out - the only way I've found to combat all that frustration is to just laugh about it. Sometimes you have to cry first, but as long as you end up laughing in the end - then it's all good.

That's kind of how our adventure here in Chile has been. It's a roller coaster ride of emotions, but if we remember to laugh, it makes it all easier.

Happy Fall Ya'll

I have been eager to get out with my camera and capture some of these amazing fall colors before they disappear, so Greg took me around a little this afternoon.

I took a few along the walking path in our neighborhood.

The rest of the leave photos are of our adjoining neighbor's sweet little tree.

Her roses are still going strong even as the nights get cooler and cooler.

We don't have fall leaves in our yard - but we do have lots of beautiful things that remind me of fall.

We are especially enjoying autumn as we don't get to enjoy it in the Phoenix area. It's just another little part of our experience of living here in Chile.

Happy Mother's Day!

I have been spoiled by the three men in my life this Mother's Day weekend...

Greg got back from his Mongolia/China trip and brought us back a really cool chess set,

and a set of Majhong Tiles.

Greg and I spent Saturday trying to figure out how to play. The directions included were poorly translated so we went to the internet. We quickly found out that there are as many ways to play the game as there are households in China, so we chose one and went with it. 

We then headed for sushi to celebrate.

We taught the kids to play and we have had so much fun figuring it out together. 

A perfect Mother's Day activity!

 For my special Mother's Day meal, the boys grilled burgers and made me a yummy coconut cake. The kids apologized for it not looking very pretty - but I think it's perfect! It tastes like heaven, too!

Greg was so excited about my Mother's Day gifts, that he gave me the pearls last night. A necklace, bracelet, and earrings. He had them change out the clasp to this beautiful silver heart. I love it.

The kids were not having any early gift giving and told Greg as much, "DAD! It's not Mother's Day yet! We have to wait!" He didn't, but they did, so the cashmere scarf from Mongolia, and yummy truffles from France were given today.

The gifts were perfect - but my most favorite part were the personal letters from both of my boys. They were short and sweet but absolutely perfect and just what a mom needed to hear from her teenagers. 

I really do have an amazing family. They spoil me and I love it!

~Thanks guys for the Happiest of Mothers' Days~

!I LOVE YOU BOYS!

Adventure Club

Andrew joined his school's Adventure Club on Saturday for a 7 hour hike through the Andes. It was a beautiful day perfect for a moderate hike through the clean air in the mountains. When they reached the summit, they would have been able to see all the way to the ocean - if it were not for the smog. Even with smog, Andrew was able to capture several amazing photos!

The hiking crew.

Overlooking the city of Santiago

The Andes still have snow! Argentina is just over the summit.

 Tarantula 

G-Ma & Papa in Chile!

We had such a great visit! Here are a few highlights in pictures:

Mom and Dad arrived on Tuesday. We let them rest up on Wednesday and acclimate themselves to the time change - then off we went! Greg took a couple days off of work so we could show them around town.

Our first stop was the Santa Rita Winery. Greg's company owns several wineries, but Santa Rita is the closest - and it is absolutely beautiful. No, we're not wine drinkers, but the tour, museum, and restaurant are amazing!

The kids were off for the Easter holiday, but opted out of this adventure. That's ok. We had a blast without them.

The next day was Good Friday, which allowed us the opportunity to spend another full day together. We decided a picnic and hike was the perfect way to spend a beautiful fall day; so we headed to the nearby Santuario de Naturaleza. Apparently, half of the city thought that this was a great day to do the same. Luckily, we found a nice open area - a little away from the river to enjoy lunch. We then set off to explore.

The sights were beautiful, but we were a bit surprised to find that the trail markers were actually spray painted on rocks. Not something you would see in the US.

Saturday brought a day at the Farmer's Market and a visit to Los Dominicos. Los Dominicos is an area full of local artisans. It's a bit touristy, but a must-see in the area. A great one-stop-shop to see traditional crafts, handiwork, and eat yummy traditional Chilean dishes. 

Mom loved finding the Chocolo corn which is huge in comparision to the normal corn we find in the US. See it next to the Watermelon? It's about the same size as a small melon.

The fish mongers showing off for the camera.

The boys loved shopping...

Dad surprisingly liked his traditional Chilean dish. French Fries topped with shredded beef, sausage, and, of course, an egg.

Greg stuck with the old favorite: Pastel de Chocolo. 

This is the same place we first tried it way back in May when we were here house hunting. Memories...

We exposed mom and dad to church in Chile on Sunday. They got to listen the the speakers via headsets and a translator, and hear Andrew bless the sacrament in espanol. They were also able to meet most of my friends all in one place. It was fun to have them there.

There were a few days of hanging around the house. Sitting in the sun and reading - is exactly the kind of vacation my dad enjoys. So we let him soak up some rays before sending him back to winter in Missouri.

Mom and I enjoyed a couple cooking classes with my friend Teresa on Mondays. Teresa has been working for us for about a month now - and I'm telling you - I don't know what I will do without her. She is teaching me to make traditional Peruvian dishes (yum!) and my house has never looked better. My favorite part of the day is when I climb in bed at night after she's made it. I don't know what she does - but it beats any hotel. Serious heaven.

But I digress. Back to the cooking lessons:

Teresa and I

Ajo de Pollo is a creamy deliciousness made by blending bread with milk and cream for the base, adding spices, and chicken. It is served over rice. It is so, so, so, very good!

Pebre is similar to a fresh salsa but with Peruvian flair. It's a staple around our house. I make it all the time now. It is served with fresh bread for dipping. 

Aguadito de Pollo is a cilantro based soup. The green color is from the blended cilantro base. It surprisingly does not have a real heavy cilantro flavor. Interestingly, it has full boneless skinless chicken thighs in it. We shredded them up before serving, because we're gringos.  

Susprio Limeno

This yummy dessert is like a custard topped with meringue and sprinkled with cinnamon. So good and dangerously easy to make. 

The classic Lomo Saltado Pervano is pretty much a staple in our area. It's lomo beef (which is like a tenderloin) onions and tomatoes. 

We "gringo-ed" it up and tossed it on a tortilla and added cheese and pebre. 

*My mom was shocked at the $1 an ounce price for cheddar here. We're just grateful that ONE store here sells it - so we pay it and move on.

Wineries, hiking, shopping, and food - That is probably enough for one post. There are more adventures to cover during my parent's visit here. Stay tuned!