Baby Diaz

Ok, so it looks like our lil baby is right on track. We took the last ultrasound. He´s in position and has already dropped. That means that he could come anytime. 36 weeks...but the doctor is almost sure that he´ll come before Jan 15th...the due date is approximately Jan 27th...but we´ll see what happens. What´s really funny is that I don´t think the doctor is used to part north american babies. They are usually a lil bigger than latin babies. So, she´s pretty sure that he´ll come out early and a perfect size.

You know what I love! I love going to the doctor and she checks out everything and says...PERFECT! Or what a good strong heartbeat your baby has...or perfect size...or...your gaining the perfect weight...good job...perfect, no dehydration, good level of iron. I just leave the doctor feeling much better about my baby. She said that at this point it is very very very unlikely to present any kind of complication...I just have to keep taking care of myself.

Anyways, I´m feeling good. A little overwhelmed with all the baby preparations and cleaning/disinfecting that I have to do before the baby gets here. I was planning a relaxing extra month to do it all, but the doctor says that it wouldn´t surprise her if he´s here next week. So, its time to get on the ball. I´m just glad that there´s a lil flex time between the holidays. Can you imagine Christmas preparations and a baby coming at the same time!?!

Oh, and we have a problem. We still haven´t decided on a name! IDEAS!?! SUGGESTIONS!?! We seriously need help. We want him to have to have an english name and a spanish name. IDEAS??? His last names will be Diaz Taylor...so basically something that goes well with _______ ________ Diaz Taylor. HELP! Anyways, that´s life. I really don´t know why I´m blogging when I have a TON to do...I guess I´m just looking for an excuse to sit down and rest a lil bit. :) Ok, gotta run. And HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Funerals

Ok, so I know its never all that great to talk about funerals, but its wearing on my body. Here funerals are quite different. The stake patriarch died on Tuesday and was also in the ward. Now with Christian in the bishopric there are a lot more responsabilities. The bishopric has really taken a hand in all the preparations for the funeral service, and of course I´m there to support in whatever needs to be done. Especially since the patriarch´s wife and 2 daughters are good friends of the family and have always been soooo kind to me.

So what´s so different about funerals here in Peru?

1. There´s a thing called a "velorio". That means that the day that one dies all the family and friends go and "pay their respects" by sitting around the coffin all night long until the early morning. So, yesterday night and the night before we stayed until 12am Tuesday night and almost 2am Wednesday night. I´m exhausted. I can´t even imagine how tired the family is. In these "sittings" generally they serve some kind of soup or crackers and a drink. Its really quite costly. Anyways, we stayed so long mainly because the bishopric needed to be there to make sure everything went smoothly and to close up the church building.

2. After the funeral service everybody walks behind the car with the coffin for about 5 blocks stopping all traffic. Then, everybody gets on a bus to go to the cemetary.

3. The burial ceremony is about the same, just a lot of catholic traditions unless you talk to the coordinators first. Oh, and generally they let the family members and close friends throw a handful of dirt and say a few words over the coffin once it is in the earth.

You know its interesting, but while living in Peru I´ve gone to/participated in 4 funerals. Today is the funeral service and burial. Just a note about Brother Villavicencio. He was a great man with a kind, loving spirit. He always had a smile on his face and thought of everybody individually. I feel privelleged to have known him.

Moments in pregnancy

I´m sure several of you have gone through some sort of back pain in your life. I just have never known it to be such a constant thing. Well, baby Diaz is about 31 weeks along and boy does my back ache. It seems to ache sitting down, laying down, standing, walking...pretty much all the time. I can usually change what I´m doing to take it away for a little bit, but its really annoying. But I´m getting the pregnancy "waddle" down.

Other than that pregnancy isn´t too bad. You know the basic stuff. A little bit of nauseousness every now and then, trouble bending over. I can´t see my toes anymore. You know, all the normal symptoms. I get tired, but have been very blessed to have an active baby that lets me know that he´s ok. Now he does have a habit of pushing in weird places causing me to be short of breath, be shocked in weird embarassing moments, etc.

Today I was teaching my sunday school class for the youth 14-17 and the baby moved so suddenly that it shocked me, I made a weird face, and ran out of breath before I could finish my sentence. Of course, the young women thought it was the cutest thing ever and the young men had a good laugh. Funny how that works, huh?

Oh, another scary pregnancy moment. Yesterday, I went out with my mother-in-law to stop by people´s houses to invite them to the baby shower she´s throwing me. Well, needless to say the streets here don´t have curbs, but every now and then people will put a giant curb in front of their house going perpendicular to the street. Well, needless to say my mother-in-law was in a hurry and floored it and hit one of those unseen curbs. My sister-in-law was thrown from the back seat towards the front and needless to say baby Diaz got a pretty big shock. OUCH! My tummy ached like no other and I couldn´t breath. It was horrible. I got home and put my feet up and rested until I felt better. The good thing is that that night baby Diaz started moving a bit. I was really worried. I think he got really shocked because he didn´t move as much as normal until about 2 p.m. today. He´s over the shock it looks like. But, a scary experience needless to say.

Those are just some of my pregnancy moments. What are some of yours like?

Tagged

Even if you don´t like the tag games...sometimes its fun to just play along.

RULES

1. Post rules on your blog

2. Answer the six "8" items

3. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV Shows - in no particular order

1. Asi es la Vida

2. 2 Hombres y Medio

3. Matrimonio con Hijos

4. Esposa y hijos

5. Fuego en la Sangre

6. Cine Satelital

7. Simpsons

8. Cinescape

8 Things I did Yesterday

1. Homework

2. Cooked lunch

3. Family Home Evening

4. Shopped for food

5. Experimented with Baby Shower invitations

6. Blogged

7. Read 10 Ways to make the Diamond in you Sparkle

8. Laundry

8 Things I look forward to

1. Christmas

2. Our baby´s arrival into the world

3. Shopping for baby stuff

4. My next doctor´s appointment for the baby

5. Getting the package my mom sent me

6. Awaiting the arrival of my hubbie at the end of the day

7. Chatting with family and friends

8. Christian´s visa

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. Porton Gaucho

2. Nachos

3. Betos Grill

4. Olive Garden

5. Sonic

6. Pizza Hut

7. Pardo´s Chicken

8. Rebachini

8 Things on my wish list

1. All of my baby things I need for free or at least discounted!

2. A baby shower

3. Friends and family at least close enough to visit once or twice a year

4. Health insurance

5. A crib, playpen, bassinet for our baby

6. Massage chair, or a really good massage each day...especially in my back

7. American food variety

8. To be able to get up to BYU-Idaho and graduate

8 People to tag

I´m not going to tag anybody...but if you read this it would be fun to see your answers too! I must admit a lot of my answers may not be very well known...since I´m living my life in spanish. But, heck, its my life!

Earthquakes

Earthquakes here in Chimbote have been a regular occurrence the last couple of weeks. We´ve felt little rumbles, to long rumbles to, quite nerve wrecking shaking. Well, for the past 2 DAYS and NIGHTS we´ve been on alert for a BIG earthquake...you know one that´s bigger that a ricter scale 7, one that knocks down houses and buildings. So, we finally got our act together and put together an emergency bag. Its not anything too fancy, but its got the basic needs. Snacks, water, change of clothes, toothbrushes, toilet paper, flashlight, matches, medicine, first aid kit, money, etc. You know the stuff that you would have to have if something happened for a couple of days. I really feel much better having something prepared. Just in case. Now, I´m not a fanatic. My brother and sister in law have slept in their clothes...shoes on and everything just in case they have to leave the house running. I put shoes by the door to grab if we needed to leave quickly, but come on. I´ve gotta sleep and I can´t live my life scared all the time. I know we should be on the alert and all, but lets not be too extreme.

Plus, when we heard about the warning we said a prayer and we both felt better. We felt like we needed to pack an emergency bag...just in case, but that everything would be ok. I love prayers! 2 nights ago we went to my mother-in-law´s house and we both slept in the kitchen on a twin size mattress. Now when they say a twin size mattress is meant for one person...it is definately true. 2 people just don´t fit on it comfortable for an entire night´s rest. Then, last night we took turns of staying awake. One would sleep 1-2 hours while the other one stayed awake just in case a big earthquake came and we had to leave the house quickly. Well, needless to say we woke up exhausted. Tonight I´m sleeping on a normal schedule, earthquake warning or not. The good thing is that we haven´t had an earthquake and everybody is safe and sound.

I feel really blessed. You know everybody complains that they are losing sleep and sleeping in tents and uncomfortable because of a possible earthquake, but you gotta look on the bright side. There hasn´t been a big earthquake and everybody is ok. Everybody would be really really uncomfortable if there was a big earthquake and their houses were destroyed. Count your blessings. Anyways, that´s enough babbling from me. Maybe I´m just soooo tired I just keep babbling. Happy blogging and have a great day!

Baby Somersaults!

This blog was at the request of Amy. She just wants more blogs to read and more updates. Well, our baby has found a spot that he likes....and he doesn´t want to move. So...what has happened. I was put under "observation". What does that mean? It means that I´m in "bed rest" for a couple of days (a week) to see how things go so that the baby can get to where he´s gotta go and not come out too early.

Things I do.

1. Watch movies and TV...but who can watch that much TV? after a while me head just aches.

2. Read. I try and read, but unfortunately I haven´t found a book that really keeps me AWAKE and a have to read.

3. Sleep. The problem is that when I sleep too much in the day...night time comes...my hubbies exhausted and I´m wide awake.

4. Sit at the computer trying to do something productive.

5. Occassionally, I´ll try and cook something simple or sweep or do something simple...just to not be too stiff and get rid of the lil headaches.

Ok, so kinda boring, huh? I´m just a more active person and its bugging me soooooo much to have to stay in and do sedentary stuff. Its kinda depressing honestly. Ok, so its really depressing, but I try and keep good spirits...luckily it shouldn´t be too long. But, baby Diaz has stuck his head right up at the point of my rib cage and kicks down low. Its almost like he´s standing. I still try and keep house clean and organized, but Christian just has to have patience when I can´t get things organized until 8 pm. So, hopefully everything will get resolved soon and I can start doing stuff again.

27 weeks

Ok, so I realized that I haven´t blogged for a while. So, as far as the pregnancy is going. Its going fine. I must admit that my back and shoulders are a lot more achy and its getting harder to sleep at night. I´ve been told that this kind of thing happens further on in the pregnancy, so I try not to complain. Well, one night we decided to take photos of my baby in my belly for my parents. So, here they are. This was taken last week. He´s a growing lil baby boy!

Its a BOY!!!

Well, that´s right ladies and gentlemen. We got the ultrasound done and well...its a boy. He´s a big lil fella. He´s actually growing much faster than expected. The ultrasound says he´s 27 weeks old, when he´s actually 25 weeks old. But the best part is that he´s good, strong, and healthy. He´s got about 12 weeks now to get into the right position. I´m not so fond of the idea of a C-section. Ewww. Knives. Uggh! So, we are just hoping that in that time he gets where he needs to be. Anyway, that´s the big news. Now, we can start getting ready for a BOY! We are sooooo excited!

Am I living each day to its fullest?

Copy and paste the 200 statements then bold the ones you have done!! Hope you enjoy it!! 1. Touched an iceberg 2. Slept under the stars 3. Been a part of a hockey fight 4. Changed a baby's diaper 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Swam with wild dolphins 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a tarantula 10. Said "I love you" and meant it 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise 15. Seen the Northern Lights 16. Gone to a huge sports game 17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope 20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Bet on a winning horse 23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Taken an ice cold bath 28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Ridden a roller coaster 31. Hit a home run 32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking 33. Adopted an accent for fun 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment 36. Loved your job 90% of the time 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Watched wild whales 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach 41. Gone sky diving 42. Visited Ireland 43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited India 45. Bench-pressed your own weight 46. Milked a cow 47. Alphabetized your personal files 48. Ever worn a superhero costume 49. Sung karaoke 50. Lounged around in bed all day 51. Gone scuba diving 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Done something you should regret, but don't 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Been in a movie 60. Gone without food for 3 days 61. Made cookies from scratch 62. Won first prize in a costume contest 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Been in a combat zone 65. Spoken more than one language fluently 66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone 67. Bounced a check 68. Read - and understood - your credit report 69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy 70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did 71. Called or written your Congress person 72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over 73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge 74. Helped an animal give birth 75. Been fired or laid off from a job 76. Won money 77. Broken a bone 78. Ridden a motorcycle 79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph 80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon 81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing 82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days 83. Eaten sushi 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read The Bible cover to cover 86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about 87. Gotten someone fired for their actions 88. Gone back to school 89. Changed your name 90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands 91. Eaten fried green tomatoes 92. Read The Iliad 93. Taught yourself an art from scratch 94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt 96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language 97. Been elected to public office 98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream 99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care 100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you 101. Had a booth at a street fair 102. Dyed your hair 103. Been a DJ 104. Rocked a baby to sleep 105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four 106. Raked your carpet 107. Brought out the best in people 108. Brought out the worst in people 109. Worn a mood ring 110. Ridden a horse 111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap 112. Cooked a dish where people asked for the recipe 113. Buried a child 115. Been inside the pyramids 116. Shot a basketball into a basket 117. Danced at a disco 118. Played in a band 119. Shot a bird 120. Gone to an arboretum 121. Tutored someone 122. Ridden a train 123. Brought an old fad back into style 124. Eaten caviar 125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need 126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant 127. Published a book 128. Pieced a quilt 129. Lived in an historic place 130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage 131. Asked for a raise 132. Made a hole-in-one 133. Gone deep sea fishing 134. Gone roller skating 135. Run a marathon 136. Learned to surf 137. Invented something 138. Flown first class 139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite 140. Flown in a helicopter 141. Visited Africa 142. Sang a solo 143. Gone spelunking 144. Learned how to take a compliment 145. Written a love-story 146. Seen Michelangelo’s David 147. Had your portrait painted 148. Written a fan letter 149. Spent the night in something haunted 150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane 151. Ran away 152. Learned to juggle 153. Been a boss 154. Sat on a jury 155. Lied about your weight 156. Gone on a diet 157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget 158. Written a poem 159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box 160. Gotten food poisoning 161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission 162. Hiked the Grand Canyon 163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks 164. Gone to the opera 165. Gotten a letter from someone famous 166. Worn knickers 167. Ridden in a limousine 168. Attended the Olympics 169. Can hula or waltz 170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books 171. Been stuck in an elevator 172. Had a revelatory dream 173. Thought you might crash in an airplane 174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert 175. Saved someone’s life 176. Eaten raw whale 177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint 178. Laughed till your side hurt 179. Straddled the equator 180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing 181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival 182. Sent a message in a bottle 183. Spent the night in a hostel 184. Been a cashier 185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 186. Joined a union 187. Donated blood or plasma 188. Built a camp fire 189. Kept a blog 190. Had hives 191. Worn custom made shoes or boots 192. Made a PowerPoint presentation 193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course 194. Served at a soup kitchen 195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube 196. Know CPR 197. Ridden in or owned a convertible 198. Found a long lost friend 199. Helped solve a crime 200. Kept a journal Sometimes I ask myself if I´m living each day to its fullest. According to this list I´ve experienced a lot of stuff. But, there is soooo much more to experience. Life is good.

Pregnancy Question??

Ok, so I know this sounds weird and all, but I´m kinda on my own in this one. For those that have/are pregnant, around 5 1/2 to 6 months did you get sharp pains in your belly? Sometimes I don´t know if I´m freaking out for a good cause or its really nothing and its normal. I have to admit, I´m not so fond of my gynocologist (she´s REALLY laid back and unproffessional), but according to my mother-in-law she´s a good doctor and knows her stuff. So, I really don´t feel all that comfortable calling and asking silly stuff like this and according to my mother-in-law everything is normal until you can´t get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. I´m not so sure about that one. HELP! Let me know. Its probably nothing, I just wanted to calm my doubts.

English Classes

I noticed it had been a while since I blogged. Well, I need your opinion. With expenses of pregnancy and a new baby coming up I was doing some thinking of some sort of job I could do to earn a lil extra. Can´t quit school. So, I was thinking that perhaps one of the biggest things in demand here is English classes. Now, I´m not talking about the literture classes in high school type stuff. I´m talking about the language. You know its funny. Everybody that speaks english as their first language take spanish classes in school and everybody that speak spanish take english classes in school. So, what I thought I´d do if give private tutoring classes. What better way to learn a new language than from a native speaker. Many people have asked me to teach piano and english classes. Well, I just don´t have a piano to be teaching classes...and the majority of people here don´t have a piano nor do they want to pay for the lessons (they want it free). So, english classes. I think that I´ll start by tutoring. You know parents want their kids to learn English well while they are in school and get good grades. So, I thought about making a few announcements at some of the private schools. I think it´ll go well, especially since my brother and sister in law have gotten much better grades in their English class since I married their brother. But, here´s my question. WHERE DO YOU START? HOW EXACTLY DO YOU TEACH ENGLISH CLASSES? Its quite different being able to speak, write, and understand it than teaching it and giving reasons to why the grammar is that way. Does anybody know a good website of basic grammar and pronunciation rules for English? It would be even better if its teaching from Spanish to English. Let me know what you think about my idea and if you know of any good websites for English grammar.

Bolivia Trip

Ok, so I know its been a long time since I´ve blogged. Some of it was just plain laziness and some of it was because we took a vacation/honeymoon. Well, ever since we got married we had been talking about the idea of going back to Santa Cruz Bolivia, where we served our missions. But, there was always some sort of excuse as so why not go. Well, one night in our family home evening we just felt very strongly to go now. Or, that a very same weekend. So, we went! And what a trip! To get there by bus it takes about 50 hours! So, you can imagine the trip. There were tons of problems getting there and getting back. So, the next time we take a trip like this we are going to try and be a lot more prepared for whatever comes our way. 1. After the first bus trip my dear husband came down with some sort of horrible stomach flu. So, we ended up staying in Lima a day instead of going on with our trip. 2. After 24 hours of being stuck in a bus...without a complete bathroom we got to the Bolivia/Peru border. We cross the lil bridge and get to Bolivian immigrations just to find out the law had changed about 6 months before. Before, anybody could enter in Bolivia with a tourist visa for 90 days and then leave. NOW, North Americans (nobody else) has to have a 5 year visa to just enter into Bolivia. Well, needless to say the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, doesn´t like North Americans. So now we had to pay a $135 visa just to get in. We even thought about just turning around and going home. 3. We finally got to La Paz and they said, sorry that last bus to Santa Cruz already left. You´ll have to travel to Cochabamba first and then Santa Cruz. We could have waited until the next day in La Paz, but noooooooooo. La Paz gets way way to cold at night and the majority of the people there are theives...it was best to just get out of there. So we made the trip to Cochabamba and went to get bus tickets to Santa Cruz... 4. There was a trasportation strike in Santa Cruz. No buses were entering or leaving Santa Cruz for perhaps one day or two or three, nobody really knew how long it was going to take to open bus routes again. So we hung out in Cochabamba for about two days waiting it out. We went by the temple (closed for maintenence...just our luck) and we went to the giant Christ. We thought about turning back and go home. But the road opened up and we went to Santa Cruz! 5. We finally got there!!!!! We got there about 4 days later than we had planned, but we got there! What joy! It was a fabulous experience to see old faces and visit with converts and members and friends. We really had a great time! We really only had time for visiting...because shortly after...bigger problems came around. 6. The Bolivian country folk doesn´t like how Santa Cruz is going about things....so....BLOCKADES to every route out of the department (state) of Santa Cruz. Now what? 7. So we stayed one more day and were obligated to buy plane tickets to get out of Santa Cruz. There weren´t any buses leaving Santa Cruz and we just wanted to visit...not stay and live there. Well, all and all we got out safe and sound. And just in time! We found out that about a week after we had left there were more problems. They cut the gasoline from getting into Santa Cruz. More strikes, more blockades and the country is really in problems now. The west is divided from the east. The East (Santa Cruz, Beni, Tarija, Pando) want to separate and become independent. The East is the wealthier section...petroleum and that kind of stuff. And the West is where all the government comes from and they are generally farmers. Anyways, theres been a lot of problems...they sent the militia into certain cities, killed somebody, taken away the citizen rights from certain parts of the country. And the president of Venezuela wants to get a piece of the action...possibly a civil war. Things just aren´t looking too good. The thing is that its a horrible situation. I feel horrible that there are such wonderful people in Santa Cruz and they have nothing to do with this, but they are the ones that are and will suffer in the end. They just want to live their lifes without all these problems. Sucks, huh? But, you know what, it makes me feel really grateful for all the many blessings I have. I´m from a GREAT country. U.S.A.! And am living in a fairly stable country politically and economically. I just hope and pray that all my dear Bolivian friends are ok and that this political problem can be resolved quickly.

Ok, Are you ready for the big news!

Ok, so I guess the cat in out of the bag. And, I think I´m ready to let people know now. Yes, I´m PREGNANT! I know, crazy! The great thing is...that I hardly feel a thing. No "morning sickness", no wierd cravings. Just more tired than normal that, as always, being tired can cause more headaches for me, and i´m hungry alllll the time! But nothing out of the normal. The funniest thing is that nobody here even suspects. I think our baby is playing hide and go seek. I have a lil gut, but I´m a lil more than 4 months pregnant and still can tell a thing...unless I put on really tight fitting shirts. Anyways, its a fun and interesting experience. So, our family will become 3 instead of just 2 people at the end of January 2009.

Dreams

Do you ever have these weird, unexplainable dreams...and you just wake up confused? Well, that´s been me lately. For those of you that know me REALLY well...I just don´t remember my dreams. Here in the latin world...everybody remembers their dreams and I seem to always be left out...well, not any more. For example, last night I had a dream that will obviously never happen. Here´s why. It was about my good friend, Amy. I dreamed she was a missionary in Ohio and just tearing up a storm. I think that she was one of the best sister missionaries I had ever seen. Plus, tons of fun. I was her companion. We had a blast. Oh, and way spiritual. Now, why would that never happen? Well, for one...both of us are already married. I doubt either one of us would go back to living without our husbands. But it was really cool...just weird. The first dream that I remember in a LONG time is about something that is unlikely. Second, so my head was kind of aching so I decided to lay down and take a lil nap. Well, that lil nap turned into a 3 hour nap. Oooops! So, my good friend Amy was there again. It was right after a big football game...in high school. (Which also doesn´t make any sense since we didn´t even go to the same high school and its been years since we were in high school.) And there were lil pizzas and tortilla chips and Pace Picante Sauce. Now, maybe I´m just craving chips and salsa...but heck I would eat the chips and salsa like crazy and Amy would tell me..."hey, quit eating all the chips. They´re for the football champs." I didn´t care....but I just wanted tortilla chips with cheese sauce or pace picante sauce. Now for those of you that haven´t ever gone to Peru or Bolivia, (I´m in Peru.) Tortilla chips are non existent! And a hot sauce that has tomato in it...you can only find it in your dreams. So, maybe thats why I dreamed that. What I just don´t understand is why in both dreams Amy was there? Amy is a great person and I love her half to death...but when I remember my dreams...it never has anybody that I actually know well in it. So, who are the dream interpretators? And what do they mean? Who knows, they could just be weird dreams and thats all. But, if you are let me know.

Memory Tag

This sounds like an interesting game. I think I´ll try it and see how it works. 1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! 2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Post Office

Ok, so must I say overseas customs and post office requirements are ridiculous! Ok, so my family sent me a package. Cool, huh?!?! Certified and everything. Got there great. Thanks! I told them to put my mother-in-law´s name on the package because her address is more reliable. Well, lo and behold its not as simple as just going to the post office and picking up the package. 1. We got there and had to make copies of her id card. 2. Wait for about 30 minutes until they call your name. 3. They had to know how "Brian Taylor" was related to my mother-in-law. Luckily, I was with her and could clear that one up. He´s my brother and she´s my mother-in-law. 4. Here´s the kicker. My mother-in-law´s id card had expired...4 months ago! She didn´t realize it expired because she used it for everything else. So, what did we have to do? 5. Go to the National Bank of Peru...pay a fee 6. Take photos (passport size) 7. Wait for them to be developed 8. Go to Reneic (the legalization gov´t place) to start the process of a new id card 9. Go back to the post office before 12:30pm 10. Then, my mom sent some vitamins that I had asked for...one problem...there they consider it medicine. So send medicine over seas you have to have a prescription in the box or in your hand. 11. Well, after she signed what seemed to be 20 papers and explaining the entire reason and what the situation was they finally gave it to her. 12. The guy in the post office said that the next time you send something overseas through certified mail...when it asks for a description of what´s inside...just put "presents". Otherwise there´s a heck of a lot of problems. Anyways, I´m very very grateful for the package. Now, we know the entire process and whats best and whats worse. It was kinda a crazy round about but in the end everything turned out fine!

Torta de Galletas

Ok, so my sister-in-law came over last week...she´s 13...and taught me an incredibly yummy and simple dessert. It one of the easiest things ever. We had to put a limit on ourselves as to how much to eat. The first time I ate it I ate a TON and later had a tummy ache...so now I´ve learn...all good things in moderation! So here´s how you make it. Make up Vanilla Pudding Make up Chocolate Pudding Buy Vanilla wafers or cookies...whatever is more available (in Peru its vanilla crackers) Then put a chocolate layer of pudding on the bottom Then a layer of cookies Layer of vanilla pudding Layer of cookies Layer of chocolate Layer of cookies ...continue this process until there´s no more pudding Top with crushed vanilla cookies and refrigerate That´s it! I know way too simple...but its SOOOOOOO GOOOD! We enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy!

So, what do you put in a blog?

Ok, so this question has gone through my head sooooooo much. I have a blog and I don´t even write in it. How lame is that? (Don´t answer that.) Well, honestly there really isn´t anything all that interesting happening. I am proud of myself though. Lately, I´ve been REALLY tired. I mean REALLY tired...so I haven´t been up to much housecleaning. I´ve done minimum housecleaning for a while. You know, dishes and sweeping, and putting stuff away. Well, today I swept and mopped all the floors, super cleaned the kitchen, AND super cleaned the bathroom. Christian just might be surprised/or notice when he gets home. I asked Amy one day what I should put in these blogs...she just said ordinary stuff. Sometimes I see all these blogs with kids in all the pics that I just don´t know what to put. So, as far as ordinary stuff goes...its kinda like this. Yesterday, was National Strike day in Peru. Something about the mines and the money it produces here. Crazy stuff, huh? Its insane how often there are strike...basically when this happens NOBODY works unless its in a calm area and you can walk there. Transport is completely down and its kinda like a holiday...at home...within walking distance. So, yesterday was kinda weird. We woke up to sirens just to look out the window and see a teenager running as fast as he could and the police right behind him. Well, the police started knocking the crap out of him and some of the neighbors started yelling at the police for them to stop. I guess I´ve gotten kinda used to it...but its definately not something I´ve seen in the U.S.A. The rest of the day was beautiful. The sun was out and we just kinda hung out. I think I know why Peru is considered a 3rd world country. Well, for one there´s always some sort of strike. This year alone there´s been at least 6. Nobody studies, works, or anything. And they don´t have things like "bad weather days" where they make up the days. So, if nobody is working and everybody´s always mad at each other its kinda hard to progress. But, there´s nothing really all that dangerous or unpleasant unless you go to the center of the problem. We just stay away from it. So that´s probably the news in Peru. How´s that for a new blog. Hope it puts me back into the blogging world.

Photos?

So, I´m sure you are all waiting for photos. Well, so am I. Don´t worry I have taken photos of our various activities. However the usb port isn´t functioning. Meaning that downloading photos from the camera to the computer is a bit difficult. We have two options, call a technicion or buy another computer. So, until then it´ll have to be online pics, old photos, and just plain words until its fixed. Sorry.

That Darn Cold

Well, I have to admit, I´m not at the top of my game. I´ve had a pretty nasty cold for the last couple of days. It hasn´t been fun. I´ve gone from a lil scratchy voice to no voice at all to congestion to headaches to sleepiness to sneezing to basically all the cold symptoms you can imagine. But don´t you worry I´m working on getting myself better. Let me just enlighten yall to medicine.

This is the traditional medicine that we all know.

This is the typical medicine that we take. But I´ve been taking other stuff...for migraines and now for the cold symptoms. Its called homeomedic. Its basically little dissolvable balls that are elements in the periodic table of elements that help train your body to overcome the problem on its own. There is a delicate balance and it helps.

So, look it up. Its actually quite interesting. They´ve been using stuff like this in the eastern world (Asia) for centuries. The Western Hemisphere is just a lil behind on medicine.

The New Look

Well, its finally happened. I cut my hair...and it turned out cute. Photos yet to come...don´t you worry. Ok, so I have to admit I was really nervous. The thing is my mother in law told me to go to a specific salon, because they apparently do really good haircuts. BUT, the last time I went there I was butchered. I mean literally butchered. It was too short to do anything and then Christian (my husband) had to help me fix it. What a nightmare! So, several months later I´m going to the same stylist. You´d think I had learned my lesson. I was set on how I wanted it cut...until Lucy (my sister in law) and I started looking at magazines. Well, I found one I liked. So, it about 5-8 minutes I was done. It wasn´t exactly like the pic...it was better. She cut it more or less the same style...just adjusted it to my type of hair. The thing I did like is that she asked me before she started snipping. So, now I´ve got a new hair cut. AND, might I add its very managable. I only have to form or blow dry the front 2 strands (I´ve got some major wave there) and then everything else air dries right where it should be. The other part of the "new look" is that I have lost weight. I doubt any of you have seen me this weight since 8-9th grade. It not too extreme, however...I have gotta eat more and do some weight training. For so many years I had tried not to gain weight but stay healthy and here in Peru I don´t have to do anything and I lose/maintain my weight and eat healthier than any other time in my life. Crazy, huh? So, what was that quote...oh thats right...The only thing constant is change.

Change

You know its interesting how life changes. I´ve been thinking about these changes in family lately. I have fond memories of playing Rummikub Sunday evenings with my parents and siblings. I remember getting home late at night to jump in my parent´s bed and tell them about my exciting excursion out. I remember going off to school and sitting in a little nook talking to my parents for hours. In the mission I almost couldn´t sleep a wink the night before Mother´s Day and Christmas. I know I´m weird. The interesting thing is that the lives of my siblings have changed too. I suppose I thought that I could go about changing my life and that everybody else would stay frozen in time. Anyways, it appears that people did not freeze in time. I just haven´t been around for all the changes. Two and a half years since I left for the mission. One brother: Divorced and remarried. One sister: 2 babies and moved to Arizona. Brother: Returned from the mission and is studying at BYU. Sister: Studied at BYU-Idaho and now a missionary in West Virginia. Brother: About to graduate High School and does all sorts of extracurricular activities. Mom: Working Full-Time (she never worked outside of the home much while growing up). There´s been lots of changes. The biggest and best change was when I was married and sealed to my eternal companion, Christian. I never would have thought that my life would change so much marrying him. Its a wonderful change. My friends lives have changed and keep changing. Somebody once told me the only thing constant is change. I believe its true. Remember, THE ONLY THING CONSTANT IS CHANGE!

10 things I absolutely love about where I live!

Well, I was thinking about how important it is to just love life and everything life has to offer. So, what better place than where you live, where your family is, and where home is. 1. Panaderos...the bread is always made fresh and its delivered right to your door in the early morning and at 5:30 to 7:30pm. 2. Costal climate. Its never really unbearable. There isn´t need for heating or air conditioning...cheaper electric bill. 3. Liquid Condiments. Can you just imagine all the freshness of ground garlic or cilantro or fresh salsa at 20 cents. It one of the best and easiest ways to cook fresh. 4. Ventas. Its basically a little one-stop store, but its one every street...not just the busy avenues. They sells all the basics. That means that if you forgot to buy something, don´t you worry you can buy it right next door. 5. Little Doors. Everybody has a main front door, but nobody uses them...they just use little half size doors to go in and out. The big doors are just for looks. 6. Latin dancing. Now I can´t say that I´m all that good at latin dancing, but I sure do like it. Everybody dances here...when there´s a party or birthday you can count on everybody dancing. If you don´t know how do dance you might as well not be social. 7. Pirated Movies. Ok, so maybe occassionally to picture isn´t perfect, but we are talking about movies that are still in theaters and older are for 1.50 soles or 40 cents (dollars). 8. 2 hour lunch break. Lunch is a sacred hour here. Nothing is open between 1-3pm. So, you just get to eat and hang out with the family. 9. Mototaxis. They are basically motorcycles with a lil buggy behind for people to sit. They get you whereever you gotta go. They are a lil bumpy. 10. My husband, Christian. He makes everything worth it. I love him. He makes me smile and laugh and helps me be the "real" me.

You wanna know about my husband?

How did you meet your significant other? 1. Where did you meet? In Santa Cruz, Bolivia as missionaries. 2. What was the first thought that went through your head when you met? Well, he sure is excited about the Work! 3. Do you remember what he/she was wearing? I´m sure white shirt and tie. 4. Where was the first time you kissed this person? In the Lima Peru Airport the moment I got off the airplane. 5. How did he/she ask you out? Well, first he said, "So would you like to go to Macchupiccu?" over the phone. 6. Where did you go for your first date?Cusco and Macchupiccu, cool first date, huh? 7. How long did you know this person before you became a couple? 11 months 8. Has this person ever proposed to you? Yes 9. Do you and this person have kids together?Not yet, but hopefully in the near future 10. Have you ever broken the law together?No 11. When was the first time you realized that you liked this person? Admire and like are different...I suppose I began to admire him when he helped some friends of mine. 12. Do you get along with any of the ex's of your partner? I've never met them 13. Do you trust this person?Yes siree 14. Do you see your partner in your future? Por tiempor y eternidad 15. Whats the most expensive thing this person has given you? uhmmm, trip to Cusco or engagement ring. 16. What are you attracted to the most about her/him?His love for the God and the Gospel, the pure love he has for people, and his desire to make things better than they are now. 18. Where do you see each other in 15 years from now? With kids, teaching them correct principles in a home full of love and wholesomeness...whereever in the world. Ok so my answers are kinda cheesy...but its true...Thanks Amy.

Chillin´ on the beach

I know its been a while to blog. I was just waiting for the perfect moment. Just when you think I´m not going to blog...there it is.

Now don´t be jealous. But let me just tell you I´m not freezing cold. Its summertime here and yesterday I contemplated the ocean, communciated with the crabs and ocean animals and took in some sun. Sounds like a perfect day, huh?

That´s right. Yesterday, we took at trip to the Huanchaco Beach. Its one of the most beautiful beaches in Peru. It was a wonderful day. Unfortunately, now I´m suffering the consequences of not applying sunblock more frequently. I´m a tomato! The city of Trujillo is moving up scale. Its almost like living in the U.S.A., but with a lot more culture and history. Someday, maybe we´ll live there. That means that the beautiful Huanchaco Beach is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Cool, huh? But for now, its about 2 hours away.

We played in the waves, built a sandcastle, sat and talked by the ocean and well, Christian and his siblings ate ceviche. (I´m stilling trying to adjust to that dish.) Doesn´t it look fabulous (the beach).

Here we are on the deck. Its started out being cloudy, but that sure didn´t stop the sun from giving all of us sunburns.

Check out the boat that the lifeguards use.

After the beach we took off to check out the new mall in town, get a bite to eat, and see a movie. It was a very fun day. It was our summer vacation! Cool, huh? Enjoy!