Random

There is so much, well most of my life really, that this blog lacks but it is the only record that I keep. I feel like I need to add a few snippets of life once in a while that may be of no interest to anyone other than my children in 30 years when they are reading the printed book.

• Sophia is going to turn 4 next week!  Where have the baby years gone?  We moved to Argentina on Abe's 4th birthday. We celebrated at Disney on our way down and I thought that he was SO big. When Peyton turned 4, her entire Pre-K class (26 kids?) came to our home for a magic show and inflatables.  Now Sophia's birthday is 7 days away and I have NO clue what we are going to do.  Our house is in NO condition to entertain a group of kids.  Maybe something small outside in the yard for an hour?  I am pretty good at shooting from the hip lately.  We'll see what the week has in store.  Ideas anyone?
• Tonight we played outside in the "pod" with our neighbors.  The pod is our shared drive.  The kids LOVE it.  We ate pizza, made "clubs" and determined who would fulfill which responsibility, moms chatted and rode bikes!  Which brings me to my next point...
• We lowered the seat on Peyton's bike and Sophia hopped on and rode off ALL BY HERSELF! Not just the straight back and forth like so many kids do for a while, but turns and maneuvering!  She has been riding a Skuut for some time and she was cruising so well that we thought that she might be ready for a real bike.  However, she hasn't really spent any time on a bike with training wheels learning to pedal, so we were not sure how this would go.  Amazing.  I can't believe that our last baby can ride a bike! The other two just learned how last year.  This large driveway is so cool - mostly.  
• Why does it never cease to amaze me how well a child can navigate the computer and the internet?  Every time that I think I will teach them something new, they surprise me.  Abe created a profile for a program that he uses at school, he uploaded a photo of himself piranha fishing, added a quote by George Washington and announced that he would like to be a chemist and/or Marine.  Okay. 
• Our shipment is scheduled to arrive between Oct 3-10.  Thanks for the small window, 4 months after pack out, right during the only week the kids have off of school.  Whatever.  This life has taught me to be so much more flexible than I ever was before. 
• I love my minivan. Enough said.
• Steve is coming home on election day.  For better or worse, the endless political tickers make me feel like the whole country is counting down the days until we get to see him again.  
• I have been Halloween crafting with Janet, my MIL, and it has been so fun.  The irony is that when I am overseas, I have more time.  But it seems that to make something extra cute, I always need an item that isn't available or takes too much planning and preparation.  Tonight for example, I realized that I needed temporary spray adhesive to stencil fabric for pillows at 8pm as the kids were hopping out of the bath.  It suddenly occurred to me that I could just run and grab it.  Fortunately for me, my MIL who already had a house of sleeping children and another adult to watch them, was willing to go too.  So easy and convenient.
• Abe loves football and is playing running back in tomorrow's game.  This love for football has been such a surprise.  Most of you reading this are thinking that I must has lost it considering Steve's history, but seriously, I didn't think that he would like it this much. A year ago, he would have rather been reading Harry Potter.
• Tomorrow is the last day of signups for fall sports (apparently football is part of summer).  We thought that Peyton might like to play softball or volleyball while Abe plays baseball, but all she wants to do when soccer is over is go back to tennis.  Peyton says that tennis is her #1 sport and she really misses it.  So back to tennis.   
• Even though today was 106 again, the evenings are cooling off and I am beginning to see why every braves the inferno of summer.  80 and dry.  Perfect.  I am such an old lady about the weather  
• A little boy in Peyton's class who also is in our ward told his mom, "I really like Peyton.  I have been waiting my whole life for a girl like that."  Apparently she chases him on the playground during recess.
• I have a garage full of used furniture waiting for a coat of paint and I just can't decide which colors to pick.  Tonight I order aluminum leaf sheeting for one - just for fun.  If it fails, I hardly paid anything for it.

Family

I am exhausted.  Last week I was well-rested and this week (It is only Tuesday, yikes!) I am so very tired.

Without a lot of detail, I went to Tucson today to visit my grandmother who was hospitalized.  She is recovering quickly and will be home tomorrow.  I haven't seen her since I graduated from college and was pregnant with Abe.  It has been too long.  When we all learned that she was in the hospital, I knew that I needed to go and visit her to show her love and support.

So this morning, Sophia and I drove to Tucson (2.5 hours away) not knowing if we going to be back tonight or tomorrow.  I dropped the kids off at school and made arrangements with my entirely-too-talented sister-in-law to pick up the kids and take care of them until I returned, whenever that may be.  I was home by bedtime, but that is not the point.  She was prepared to keep them as long as I needed with just a few hours notice.  Then she picked up the kids, fed them, played with them and then even managed to get them to after-school activites even though I intentionally did not mention it.  I didn't want to make it more complicated that it needed to be.

The point is that today is a reminder of just how important family really is and what is means.  This is why I moved back to the States for this year.  It wasn't about Costco or neighborhoods or a chance to reorganize and marry my shipment and storage.  It was and still is about family.

So tonight, as I continue to unpack, wash and organize my air shipment, I do it with a smile because I know that it is all for a greater purpose.  My children spent the afternoon with cousins and I listened to and loved my grandma.  I can't think of a better use of our day.




And just another thought... can you imagine unpacking 800 pounds of toys, games, clothes and dishes into a house with practically no furniture?  Time for a little creativity!

Just think of the possibilities!

While I am using home furnishings analogies to mask real emotion, I might as well add this piece of eye-candy!  Sold in a boutique in California that does not ship.  Tragic.  

Adjustments and Starting Over

So after a bazillion moves, you'd think that I would be an expert in "Starting Over."  Did you know that I went to 2 schools every single school year until the 7th grade and in 3rd grade, I even attended 3? We did stay in the same school district from 7th-12th, except for a 4-month stint at and All-Girls Catholic school in NJ when I decided that living with my Dad would be a good idea, but that is a story that might one day deserve it's own blog post.

After so much practice, where are my moving super powers?  I mean, shouldn't I be teaching seminars on change and adjustment by now?  The other night when Abe was sad, he said "Mom I know that you truly (with a little sarcasm) understand how hard it is to leave friends.  I know that you moved when you were 8 too, but it is still hard and it makes me want to cry every time that I think about it."  So I guess that I have played out that bit of mommy-wisdom and better find some new material because he is hurting.  The hurt is going way with each new friend he makes at school, but he still chokes up when he talks about his friends in Peru.  In my experience, this will last another month or two until he has solidified good relationships, which simply happens way faster for children than adults.  

My point is that I don't think that it matters how many times that you have done it, it is still hard.  And while I might do a better job of preparing myself and my family each time, transition is tricky and I feel as though we lose some of our "life" momentum.  The kids digress in some behaviors, new routines have to be made and don't even get me started on extracurricular activities.  Brooke, back me up on this one please?

Now here I am, adjusting again.  This time we live near family and we were mobile on day one (the past 2 moves we have had to rely on taxis for 2-3 months before our car arrived), but Steve is gone and evenings are too quiet. Truly, for a girl you does not like to be alone, it seems that the Lord had a lesson in store for me.  We sit in a temporary house waiting for our household shipment to arrive so that we can move into our permanent home and it looks as though we are a month out. This means that we are moving into an empty house in 9 days with barely the essentials while we wait for the less than essential items like the dining room table and bed frames.  I mean, all you really need is the mattress, right?   And quite honestly, I am not sure how much we should settle.  Should I buy the furniture I really want in hopes that we will be able to use it for a few years before heading back overseas and sending it all to storage, do I buy super versatile boring average furniture from Costco that I don't love so that there are more possibilities for it to work in other homes or do I buy what's cheap because we don't even know where we will be a year from now?  All I know for sure is that it will not be here.  

I love home decor and having my own furniture for the first time in 5 years is such SO EXCITING!  I passed a Drexel Heritage store today and let out a few muffled words which I should not repeat here for my children to one day read. (Read here if you don't understand the reference.) It will be too soon if I ever see a piece from their Queen Anne collection ever again.  I mean really, this is what my children will think of when they think of their childhood.  They will remember what great forts those ugly pillows made and I will remember the awful print that must have been meant for my grandmother to love and the totally impractical cream cloth seats that you have to pay for if the spaghetti sauce from the 4 year old doesn't come out.  At least they are free to me, right?  And when the kids cause "normal wear and tear," I get to leave it behind for the poor soul who replaces us.

What I love :

This photo does it no justice.  The sofa and loveseat set are so pretty.

and don't forget my Peruvian Pottery that I love:

What is versatile:

Does the view come with the sectional?

or this in microfiber without those pillows.

What I am destined for:

So it is in these quiet nights that I just want to decorate and build up a home that I really love to come home to, but instead I might just have to keep focused on the landscape of the country outside of our home.  It will always be visually more interesting and entertaining than Drexel's 1980's sofas intended for retirements homes.   

Our Despedida

Today we spent the afternoon with great friends to celebrate our post here in Peru.  A post overseas is all about the people who you are posted with.  The friends that we have made here in Peru have been such a blessing and made the last two years so memorable.

I left my camera in the corner and so Sister Bloomer (Cherilyn's mother-in-law serving a mission in the Church Archives) is always taking pictures and documents everything.  She made sure that I had photos of everyone.  Thanks Sister Bloomer!

Jim and Cherilyn

Yep, I am taller just this once. :)

Bloomers

Goughs

Schiffmans

President and Sister Dorius (Nicole and Nicholai not pictured)

President and Sister Manning with their very special YW Natalie

Davies

Packards

Cordons

Cavanaughs (Steve's Mission President)

Metcalfs

Perrys

Tangonos

Hoveniers

Johnsons (New YW President)

Sorensons

Carol Waddell, Melissa and Sarah Stoddard

Cherilyn, Roxana and the Perry Twins

Danielle Tidwell

My new favorite nativity...  the perfect reminder of Peru and great friends!

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...