Happy Thanksgiving.

Finally a minute to get to the internet cafe. It is actually the second minute I have had since May, but because I kept hitting the wrong key on the keyboard (its a different type of keyboard than I am used to) I kept deleting my post. I finally got fed up and just left, LOL.

Because I only have a minute, this is going to be a short post, but I figure short is better than none at all. Everyone here is doing GREAT. I will be back in the US for a couple of weeks in January, so I will be updating with some pictures then. My camera was eaten by ants, seriously it was, so I am trying to get someone to lend me one to take pics of the kids for my mom, and for updating here.

Ari is growing like a weed. She is so freaking fat. At 8 months she is 23 pounds. I dont know how long she is, but she is big. She is in size 18 to 24 month clothes and size 5 shoe. Looking at her is is hard to believe that she was 5 weeks early. She doesn´t crawl, but she loves to ¨walk¨in her walker. She will stand up by herself in it for almost a minute before she sits back down in it. But she is all over the house in her walker. She doesn´t like to lay down, which would explain why she doesn´t crawl.

Levi is now talking up a storm, in both English and Spanish. Out of all of my kids, he is the most fun. His personality is so much fun.

Lana is excited because in February she will be going to school (kinder) with the rest of her older brothers and sister.

Johan had a hard time adjusting to school, but after a bit he did well. Hopefully next year he will start the year with no problems.

Isa graduated kinder this year, and next year she starts school. Along with homeschool, she will be attending school with Mickey. She likes school, and can´t wait to go to the big school.

Mickey did great this year. On her end f year report card the lowest grade that she got was a 94%. She was a sobresaliente on everything from her behavior, to her appearance, to everything.

Jordan is heading back to the US to spend the Christmas holidays with her father, but she is doing well. She starts collegio (high school) next year as well. She too will be homeschooled. But this way she gets to be around other kids her age. We don´t let her out to much in our neighborhood because most of the kids her age and a bit older are boys. And well, that can become a problem, LOL.

Sendy is doing well as well. If you remember, Sendy is my stepson. He lives with us now, and has been with us since June. Its funny to watch him and Andre together. They act like normal 14 yr old boys (Andre is 3 months older than Sendy) but Andre has a fit because he isn´t used to how other 14 yr old brothers act.

Andre also is doing well. He has lost his chunkiness, and turned it back into muscle from working. Its hard to believe that he will be 14 the end of December. Where did my little boy go? He is coming up with me in January, and he is looking forward to visitng family and friends in the US as well.

Well that was the quick version. When I land in the US, you will know because I will be posting updated pics of the kids and more blog posts.

I hope everyone has a GREAT Thanksgiving, and know that I miss you all :)

No longer a baby - and please vote...

Yeah I know at 18 months, he is still a baby - but he had his first real hair cut today, and he looks like a little big boy, and not my baby. These aren't the best pictures, but he is sick, and cranky and not really willing to take pictures for me.

Here is my baby boy.

Sorry its so small, but here he is getting ready to be buckled in the car seat, looking like a little big boy.

Andre wants me to let him do something, and I am having a hard time allowing him to do what it is that he wants to do. So we made a bet, and its up to you all to see who wins the bet. Here are two pictures of Andre. One before his haircut, and one after his haircut. Which one do you think looks better - with his hair shorter or with his hair longer. (And usually when I get his hair cut, it is alot shorter - as in skin on the sides, and almost skin on the top - but because he has had it long for so long, this was a huge shock to him, so I let him keep it longer).

Depending on what the comments say, that will determine what Andre will be allowed to do. And I know that I am being vague, but that is because I don't want to throw the voting either way. I will take comments until Midnight Sunday night (EST) and post the results as well as who won the bet, and what that person has won. (Am I making sense here??)

Long Hair Andre

Short Hair Andre

I will say though that I think he looks so handsome with his hair short. I mean he looks nice either way, but I love it when his hair is short - he looks a little less Farrah Faucet-ish - you know with the feathered hair ;P

Oh - and did you notice? What you ask. Did you notice that little shadow the is under Andre's lip - but above his mouth. Thats right, its a mustache. And it is about stinkin time. I mean after all, he is 13 (and almost a half) you know. Whats that you say, you didn't see anything there - well thats because he has shaved it off. Yes you all, Andre now has mustache hair (albeit maybe only 4 peices of fuzz, but still, its there) so he must shave. And not only must he shave, he must do it EVERY MORNING, becuase if he doesn't his upper lip is prickly. This according to one of the girls at his school. I do need to ask how she knows if his upper lip is prickly or not though.

Anyways, leave me a comment letting me know which way you vote - Andre long hair, or Andre short hair, and help us settle our dispute.

(*vote for short hair Andre, vote for short hair Andre*)

Randomness

16 days from this moment I will be at the airport on my way home. Because of that, I have been having trouble sleeping. This past week I have had no more than 2 hours of sleep a day. One day I was up for 37 hours. Can I tell you something? It sucks.

Tonight is no different. The house is super quiet, and here I sit wide awake making lists. Lists of what I need to do before I leave, what I need to do when I get to Honduras, what I need to do over the next year. I am making wish lists, and goal lists and so on and so on. As much as I love lists, I need a break before I start making lists in double.

Instead I am going to try to clear out my brain some and share my randomness with you all. This probably wont make any sense to anyone - not even myself - but work with me here.

• I have so much stuff still to pack, and only 3 more buckets to shove it in. I *really* need to look for some space bags and see if I can make me some more room in the buckets. But seriously, where is everything going to go?
• 16 days left. Man the time is passing so weirdly. It is flying by, and yet it is passing so freaking slow. And they can't get here fast enough. I am going through withdrawels of my husband. It seems like everytime I talk to him now, I have tears in my eyes. But up until recently I wasn't really that emotional about it. Maybe its hormones?
• I went to The Wal-Marts today. I was looking for some clothes for me. I really need some. I was so frustrated. Thanks to the awesome recipes on PW's website, the insomnia - and the munchies that go along with it, I am not losing weight. Which sucks in and of itself. However, I am also in between sizes right now, and I am not getting the larger size when I already know that I will lose weight when I get back to Honduras. And why waste the money for a week or two. And I wont get the smaller one because how do I know it will look ok on me anyways. (if its a $3 clearance item, thats different, I will get that). And it is not to great on your self esteem when you go clothes shopping and cant find anything that fits right.
• My arthritis really has been bothering me this past week. There were a couple of days that I could barely move. And could barely pick up/hold Ari. My medication just wasn't working. Its funny though, because when it doesn't work, I can pinpoint out where exactly the arthritis is in my body. Its in my neck, both shoulders, both hands and wrists. It is also in my left knee, and my entire left foot. As well as my ankle and leg where I broke it last year.
• I bought seeds last night at Target. (ugh - I so don't like Target, and do my best not to go there). Lets hope that I can make it past customs without them being confiscated. Some people are lucky that they aren't detected, and some people have them confiscated. If mine are confiscated, I will have my mom send me a ton in the next box she ships to me. I will get the seeds that I want, one way or another.
• Ari still needs her passport. I am getting antsy because I dont have my appointment yet. But that is not my fault. I have to wait until no more than 14 day out from my trip date. I can call Tuesday to make her appointment. Hopefully I will feel more at ease after I make the appointment. (probably not - I will probably feel more at ease when I have her passport in my hands)
• I am reading Square Foot Gardening, by Mel Barthalomew and really like it. I got it from the library, but want a copy for myself. It is one of those books that I would love to have as a reference. Or maybe the All New Square Foot Gardening. I haven't seen that yet at the library, but I wonder how different it really is. My mom is on the lookout for both of those books at yardsales etc. If any of you have an old copy you dont want, I would gladly take it.
• I got a comment from someone the other day asking me if I would be interested in having old (used) magazines sent to me each month. I thought about it and said YES!! I'm not even gone yet, and I am already excited waiting to get my first package. (she is going to send them to my mom, then my mom will send them to me once a month).
• Along the same tokens, if anyone has any old hand me down books - adult or children - I would gladly take them off your hands if you want to mail them to me. (actually my mom - but then she would mail them to me)
• If you look on my sidebars you will notice that the links are gone. I am hoping to get some time and put my 2009 goals on there, then at the end of the year go back and post what I got done vs what I didn't get done. All the links that were there before are now in a post - with the link to the post posted instead.

Feeling Domestic

This past week I have been trying to get everything together. There is less than 3 weeks left until I am back in Honduras. And while it sounds like I still have a bit of time, those last 3 weeks will fly by. They already are flying by, LOL.


This time packing to leave is harder than last year. Last year everyone went down with me, so everyone had a ticket, which meant everyone had 2 suitcases - 100 pounds - that they were able to bring. This time instead of 8 people going down, it is just 4 of us (plus the baby, but she doesn't get a luggage allowance). Which means only 8 suitcases. Well my mom is going down too, and I told her I was getting one of her luggage allowances as well. So I have 9 buckets total, and in those 9 buckets I have to pack all of Andre and Jordan's stuff. As well as Ari's stuff, my clothes, Levi's clothes (he had none when we came up here, and now he has a bunch). Then I have to pack clothes for Lana, Johan, Mickey, Isa, Gisela, and Sendi. There is stuff that I bought for the house. Shoes and what not for the kids. School supplies and so much other stuff. I have 6 of the 9 buckets packed, and I dont know how I am going to fit everything else in the last 3 buckets.


Anyway - to give myself a break from the stress of packing, I have been cooking. (I know I mentioned it in the last post). I thought I would share some of the recipes of what I made this week.


I am sorry that there are no pictures. My laptop is having issues (it turned itself off the other day, and now wont turn on) and I still havent gotten a card reader, so I can't upload pictures with my moms desktop.


On Wednesday I made BBQ meat for sandwhiches, mashed potatoes and spinach. YUM. This recipe is one of my favorites. It is easy, its cooked in the crock pot, which means dump it in, and forget about it until time to eat, and it is just so good.


On Thursday we had Baked Soy Lemon Pork Chops, PW dinner rolls, and butter noodles.

On Sunday we are having PW Brisket - but I am more excited about leftovers on Monday. PW Cowboy Nachos. I have been wanting these for awhile.

Lets get started shall we?

Barbecue

• 2.5 pound boneless roast
• 2 medium onions
• 1 (12 oz) can cola (Coke/Pepsi)
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1.5 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 TSP beef bouillon granules
• 3/4 TSP dry mustard
• 3/4 TSP chili powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 TSP ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 TBSP butter or margarine

Place roast in a 4 quart crock pot/slow cooker. Add onion. In a seperate bowl combine soda and next 7 ingredients. Remove 1 cup of sauce and chill covered in the fridge. Pour remaining sauce over roast.* Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours, or LOW for 9 hours or until roast is super tender. Remove roast with chopped onion from cooker using a slotted spoon, and shred meat with 2 forks.

Combine reserved sauce, ketchup and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated. Pour sauce over meat and stir.

I also have made this recipe using chicken breasts. I just threw some boneless skinless chicken breasts into some seasoned water and boiled them until they were done. Then I shredded the meat, and added it to the sauce and let it heat through. Then I took the meat out and added it to the reserved sauce/ketchup mixture. I don't know why I didn't just throw the chicken into the crockpot to cook. Maybe I didn't know that was what I was going to make, and had to do a rush version?

I have used the left-over BBQ chicken meat and made BBQ pizzas for the kids too. I just take some pizza dough, smear it with cream cheese, put on some of the BBQ meat, top with cheese and bake. The kids love it.

*I usually make an extra batch of sauce to add to the crockpot, but thats just me.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Soy Lemon Chops

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1/2 TSP ground black pepper
• 1 TSP vegetable oil
• 4 pork chops

In a large ziploc bag or shallow dish stir together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and oil. Add the pork chops, and turn to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour, up to 8 hours. The longer they marinate, the better they taste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pork chops in a dish and bake in a pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes*, basting often with the marinade.**

*I use those thin sliced boneless pork chops, so my cooking time is alot less than 35-40 minutes. Your time can vary too depending on the type of pork chop and thickness that you use.

**Even though the recipe says to use the marinade, I made an extra batch of marinade to baste with.

A Day In The Life Of

One of my first posts that I had planned to write about was what a day in my life was like. Then I got here, and promptly forgot. Now that 3 of the kids are in school down there, and then Andre and Jordan will be added to the school mix, PLUS be homeshooled, I have begun to think about my schedule and think about how am I going to get everything done.

My schedule, once I go back, will be adjsuted probably for the entire month of May until I get everything under control, but I think I have a basic schedule down.

Below is what my schedule was (before I broke my foot and couldn't do anything) and the stuff that is in blue will be what I have to add on.

3:20AM - the alarm goes off for Lale to get up to go up the mountain. I get up, turn off the alarm and wake up Lale. I lay back down complaining to myself that 3:20AM is just to freaking early to be waking up.

3:30AM - I again wake up Lale. I let him know that I am not waking him up again because I am going back to sleep, and if he doesn't wake up, or if he is late getting back with the milk, well its his own fault. He *usually* gets up.

4:00AM - Lale heads out the door to get the horse, and get him saddled. I get up go into the kitchen and make a cup of coffee for him to either drink before he goes up, or on the way. I also will make something for breakfast for everyone so that when the time comes it is already made and just needs to be re-heated. Unless its a cereal day.

4:30AM - Lale leaves to go up the mountain to milk the cows. I lay back down, but dont go back to sleep. I just lay there and enjoy the quiet for a bit.

5:00AM - I get up and start to gather the dirty clothes, soap and other clothes washing items that I need and head out the door. I also wake up Jordan and send her to my bed in case the baby wakes up.

5:15AM - 7:00AM - I spend this time (hopefully no one wakes up) washing the clothes out back - by hand. It would make it so much easier if we had a pila, and not just a cement/rock table that is to short for me. But I don't complain to much because believe it or not, I enjoy washing the clothes by hand. It gives me time to myself to think, and as silly as this sounds, I enjoy seeing them clean, and knowing that I did it.

6:15AM - time to wake up the kids to start the day. They make their beds, and clean up for breakfast. Jordan can make breakfast for Isa and Johan if I am not done with the clothes in time.

7:00AM - Kids sit down to eat breakfast, and I come in. Andre will go hang up the wet clothes. I take a quick shower and change my clothes.

7:15AM - I get Lale's breakfast made so that it is ready when he comes home. Once he gets home, I will get the milk ready to either be boiled if we are keeping it, or I get it strained and put in the right container if we are selling it to the milk man, while he gets the horse taken care of and put away. If he is working up the mountain and send the milk back with a moso (helper) then I have his breakfast and lunch already packed to send back with the moso.

7:20AM - Isa and Johan have to get ready for school.

7:30AM - I take Isa and Johan off to school, while the other kids finish up breakfast, wash the dishes and Andre and Jordan begin their schoolwork. Mickey and Lana also have 'school' to do for an hour. Then they can play.

8:30AM - I should be back by now and I check over schoolwork and to make sure they know what they are doing for the morning. I finish cleaning up the kitchen and begin to clean the house.

• sweep the entire house
• mop the entire house
• make my bed
• clean the kitchen counters
• do the weekly/daily deep cleaning
• work on lunch for the kids

11:00AM - have the older kids put away their schooling for now, eat and get ready for school. Get lunch ready for Lale.

11:30AM - drop off Mickey, Jordan and Andre at school. Pick up Isa and Johan and go home.

12:30PM - feed Johan and Isa lunch.

1:00PM - put little ones down for a nap. Johan and Isa can begin their homework while I finish the daily cleaning. (While the list doesn't look that long, it sort of it. The daily/weekly deep cleaning tasks take a while to do). Clean up after lunch, wash dishes.

3:00PM - begin dinner prep if there is any.

4:00PM - begin dinner

5:00PM - go pick up Andre, Jordan, and Mickey.

5:30PM - eat dinner

6:00PM - help the older three with their homework if needed, get the kitchen cleaned up from dinner, dishes washed etc. etc. Little kids to take a bath and get ready for bed.

7:00PM - older kids finish homework, and take a bath, little kids have play time for awhile

8:00PM - little kids clean up and in bed by 8:15PM

9:00PM - older kids in bed. Probably make a snack for Lale, as he usually is hungry again this time of night.

9:15PM - I take another shower (I have to go to bed clean, or I can't sleep), do last minute straightening of the house.

10:00PM - usually I am heading to bed about now. But it depends on the baby and what time she is up to eat.

After I finish cleaning up from dinner, I will sit down for a bit and watch a movie, or read a magazine (for the 500th time - because I only have so many books/magazines there) and will get up to do things as they come into my head.

On Sunday evenings I plan out the menu for the week, write out what needs to be done each day for the meals. For instance, lets say that friday we are having lemon soy pork chops, and on Sunday I want to make the Pioneer Womans Brisket - which takes 2 days to marinate (and you can make her Cowboy Nachos with it YUM!!). And on Saturday morning I want to make the Pioneer Womans Cinnamon Rolls. So on my paper, I have it listed that in the AM I will throw the pork chops in a container to marinate. I will also throw the brisket in a (different) container to marinate. Then in the PM I will make up a batch of the cinnamon rolls, and put them in the fridge, so that Saturday morning all that has to be done is they come up and can be thrown in the oven to cook. But I have my plan for the week.

I also would like to take a day - not sure if it is going to be Saturday or Sunday (am leaning more towards Sunday) and I will be baking rolls and bread for the week. Thats the plan anyways, but we will see how that works out, LOL. (I would make bread on a daily basis BUT I sold my bread machine before I moved down there last year - and making bread by hand daily, well that just seems to daunting to me.)

*The Pioneer Woman has a page listing her recipes if you are interested. I would highly suggest that you check it out! Just to see the pictures of the awesome food is worth it. While you are there, check out all of her other parts of her website too. (I have her to thank for me not losing anymore weight since having Ari. I have been making her recipes making sure that they are something that I can make in Honduras.)

Her cooking page is here.

Her recipe list is here.

I *heart* Pioneer Woman

Thats My King! I wonder if you know him...

Hope you all have a happy Easter.

Rock On

When Andre came back to the US to go to school, my mom was able to get him guitar lessons. Now he began the lessons around the beginning of October, and he only has lessons for a half an hour, one day a week. (They are lessons given by the school he goes to)

On the 24th of this month he has a talent show at his school, and today he was practicing what he was going to play for the talent show, and I thought I would share it with you. Hope you enjoy it.

(and please ignore the hair. I hate how long it is, and cant wait until it is time to go to Honduras. The weekend before we go I am going to cut it short!! YAY!!!)

Like a weed

That is how she is growing. Like a weed. A fat weed at that.

Think it has anything to do with the 6-7 ounces she eats every 3 hours or so? She is such a piggy, and it is beginning to show in her belly.

She looks like a sack of flour with barbie legs stuck in the bottom



They are getting fatter though




I think most of her weight has been gained in her 2nd chin



Look at that second chin



Halfway smiling








Look at how fat she is getting













One of my favorite thing to look at on her.Her lips.

Was it/Is it worth it?

Since I have been back, I have been asked in different forms, was it worth it for me to have gone to Honduras. The obvious answer is yes it was - and since I am going back, it still is worth it. It irritates me somewhat though, when I tell people yes it was worth it, that they don't believe me. Oh you are just saying that so that you dont have to admit defeat. And that isn't it at all. There was a big adjustment period that we all had to go through, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that bad. It could have been alot worse.

I still get the whole what are you doing to your children line of questioning, and then I get an attitude when I give them an honest answer. I am giving my children a chance at a family. Me being here in the US, along with the kids, and my husband in Honduras - what kind of family life is that? I know that there are people who are living this way right now, and it is so hard, and it certainly isn't a long term solution. I am also giving my children a chance to see how other people live. I am a big believer that traveling, and experiencing other countries is a HUGE educational experience. While they are being homeschooled (I love SONLIGHT), they are also going to a (private) Honduran school. Why both you ask. I think that even though the Honduran school is below US educational standards, it is a way to re-inforce spanish in a way that I cannot. My children can learn to speak it with the correct grammar, as well as write it and read it. Next year Andre will begin his career classes in his school. He is at an age that come next school year he can choose a career and they will begin to teach him that. He is looking into Auto Mechanics right now, but he has a whole year to decide. Again, learning a trade while in Honduras could help him when he comes back to the US for college. He will have some education in a trade where he can work while going to college. (unfortunately he wants to learn Marine Biology - and that just isnt a career that they teach in the Honduran high school system, LOL).

Everytime someone asks me if it was worth it, I sit back and I think about the 8 months that I was there. Even with all the issues that we had to deal with - and there were alot - alot more than I have posted on here - and each and everytime the answer is yes.

I love to hear the little ones speak spanish now. I love how to them (and to me - because if you are going to move to Honduras you HAVE to be able to look at things this way) that everything is an Adventure. A month with no running water, no problem. It is raining hard enough that we can all take a shower out back. Lather up, and let the rain do the rinsing. Or the creek is right up the street - perfect place to take a bath. We need to wash the dishes? Load them up in a bucket, and haul it up to the creek to wash. Kids adapt to just about everything, and mine are no exception. And I am proof that adults too can adapt.

Growing up anytime my mom asked for help in her garden, I always told my mother that my hands were not made to touch dirt. Flowers are pretty and nice and all, but I am not a garden person. However I now have a notebook filled with plans for garden when I get back. Granted its for a vegitable garden to help cut down on our food costs, and to help up the amount and varieties of veggies we eat, but it is still a garden. I am nervous to begin this garden because I have no clue what I am doing, but again - everything is an adventure. I hope to get my kids involved with it so that they can learn how to garden and can teach there friends and others.

This move has changed me in so many ways. It has made me think about so many different things. But more importantly, I found my home. A place where I feel at ease, where I feel content. And it actually has nothing to do with my husband being there. There was a time when we were first adjusting to everything, we had some major issues, and there were days that I asked myself did I move thousands of miles just to end up thinking of divorce. And I did some major thinking about if my husband and I were to seperate, and the one thing that was clear was I was at home. Even if we did seperate, or something like that, I would not leave Honduras. I would not leave my home.

I still feel that way - not about leaving my husband, we worked through our issues, LOL - but about Honduras being my home. I know my mother is here, and my brothers (ok my sisters too - but they don't count since they dont talk to me) and my extended family are here. I also know that this is where I was born and raised. Laurel is my hometown, but it isn't my home. I don't feel comfortable here anymore. I don't feel at ease anymore. I feel like a visitor, and that is what I am. I just want to go home.

I asked the little ones still in Honduras (Mickey, Isa, Johan, and Lana) if they wanted to come to America, or stay in Honduras and this is what they said -

• Mickey said that she wanted to stay in Honduras but she wanted to have someone she knows stay in America so that they can send stuff she wants in the mail. Especially macaroni and cheese, and chocolate cupcakes and play food and dress up clothes.
• Isa said she wants to stay in Honduras but she wants (these) special cupcakes from America.
• Johan said he wants to ride in the airplane again but still stay in Honduras. (guess he just wants to fly from La Ceiba to San Pedro to Tegucigalpa then back again??)
• Lana - she didn't answer my question, she just kept telling me that she wasn't done talking to me yet, LOL.

I then asked the older two about going back to Honduras, and suprise suprise,

• Jordan said she is ready to go back. I thought for sure she was going to say she wasn't ready yet. She hates to say good-bye to her friends (dont we all?) but she misses her life in Honduras she said. Which really and honestly suprised me. I thought for sure she would have said no she wasnt ready. But I do know she misses her brothers and sisters in Honduras. I also know she wishes that she hadn't left early to spend that extra time up here with her father. (She wasn't supposed to come to the US to visit her dad until November, but he was in Guatemala in August and asked if he could take her for those extra 3 months since she wasn't in school down there yet, and I said yes. So instead of being with him from Nov. - Jan, she was with him from August to January. Before this she has never been away from me for that long, and that far. It was VERY rough on her, and very hard. It also wont happen again.)
• Andre is ready to go back, but he wants to wait another month so that he can finish out the school year. The school has accelerated his classes so that he can complete his school year before we leave, but he will be missing out on a couple of fun field trips and a dance. And he has to say good-bye to Madison, his 'giiiiiirl-friend'. (oh how I love to give him a hard time about having a girlfriend) Sadly though, I cannot wait until the end of the school year. We bought the tickets in January for May 5th - and at the time that I bought the tickets he was not going to be going back with me, but staying with my mom for another school year. But things change, and he is going back with us. He keeps talking about all the fishing he is going to do, and his machete's and bike and how he will get to see Pedro again and so much other stuff. So he is excited too.

My mom is even going back with me for 10 days. When she comes back, she can maybe post a guest blog about her experiences and what she thought about our life. (she will be back on her birthday. Poor mom, saying good-bye to all the grandkids and spending the day flying, and then landing at 2AM on your birthday. Having to spend your birthday recovering from vacation)

Twitter...

I just signed up for twitter for when I am back in Honduras. I may not always be able to get online (as we all know, LOL) but I always have my cell phone, so I can update twitter when I am not able to update my cell.

Some Random Thoughts

Operation Shoebox

"The way out of poverty is education." by Jose Mariano Castillo. When I read the linked article, this quote really struck me, because it is so true. (read the article - its a great story) I have been thinking - for a long time - about a way to help out people in Honduras, and among a few other ideas, education is one of them. I have alot of ideas in my head that are just sort of bouncing around, and I need to sit down and get them on paper. But one of the things that I want to do is to make it easier for the kids in my area of Honduras to go to school. As you all know, I live in a mountain town of Honduras. Which also means a poor town of Honduras. While the schooling is free, being able to go to school is not. Each child needs to buy a daily uniform, as well as a uniform for PE day. There are different shoes that are needed for the day to day schooling, as well as for PE day. Then there are the supplies. To start out with, I would like to somehow help out the kids to go to school by being able to give them a backpack with the needed school supplies. Eventually I would like to try to find sponsers to help out the highest acheiving children in each grade to maybe pay for a private school for the kids - the ones who show that they want it by their grades. (Private school per month is between $40 for elementary school, and $80 for the higher grades), plus the cost of uniforms and supplies. But that is in the future. For now though, I ask you all that read this - think about your house, and your car and your desk at work. How many pens and pencils do you have floating around? How about those free pens you get from the bank or from wherever else. How many pens do you really need. Why dont you get a shoe box and just start to throw the pens in the shoe box. Then when it gets full ship it to my mom and she will ship it to me to be given to the kids in the school. If you have the urge, and funds and want and see a box of crayons on sale, or pencils, or rulers, or any other school supply and want to pick it up and stick in the box, that would be great too. At a later date I will post a wishlist of items on one of my side bars, as well as an address to send them to if you feel the need. It would be wonderful if every child at the school would have what they need to begin the new school year next year. Keep an eye out for an upcoming blog with more information, as well as the notification of the wishlist on the sidebar.

There are a total of 80 children that go to school at the local school. I would love for them all to be able to continue to go to school next year as well.

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I can't wait to get home. Not just because I miss my family, but more so that I can take charge of my kids again. No one can raise your children like yourself. During the week, my inlaws take care of the little ones while Lale is at work. Unfortunately that isn't a good thing. They love my children, but they let my children get away with so much. And there is no discipline - until Lale comes to pick them up. Well kids need discipline right then and there when something happens.

See, my sister in laws kids live with my in-laws. Because my sister in law in here in the US, and their father isn't in the picture (hasn't been except for when they were first born) everyone felt sorry for them. So they had no discipline growing up. Now at 15 and 17 they are horrible. They have no respect for my in-laws, who have been the ones raising them for the last 12 years. The words that come out of their mouths when they talk to eachother and others is horrible, and my kids are picking that up. And because no one will spank them, or do anything except say wait until your papi gets here, my kids are becoming horrible.

Today, while I was talking to Mickey, Isa was in the background, mad because she was told to sit down, so she told Jessica (the 15 yr old daughter of my sister in law) callate cara de burro - which means shut up donkey face. While I was laughing on the inside - because really when you hear someone call someone else a donkey face, its a bit funny - I was mad because Isa knows better. And this isn't the first time she has called people names. She told my father in law that he was a burro que come basura - a donkey that eats trash. She likes to tell the neighborhood kids that they are stupid, and just a bunch of stuff that she knows better. I got all over her case today and had her crying for acting like that. But that isn't going to do anything to stop it. Nothing is going to happen until I am there again full time, and lay down the law.

I am having the same issue with Johan too. But at least on his part, he doesn't know what he is saying. He repeats what my sister in laws daughters say to my mother in law. And in one way its worse - way worse than being called a donkey - but in another way its just a bit better because he is just repeating what he hears, and he has no clue that what he is saying is really bad. (I am not even going to put it on here, what he says)

They are going to hate life when I get back, because I so don't put up with that crap. And I refuse to allow my children to become like their cousins. I refuse to let my children just run amock and do what they want and come and go as they please, and just turn into hellions. Out of all of the cousins, (in Honduras) none of them are really disciplined. And that pisses me off. Kids who are left to do what they want, usually dont get better as they get older, they get worse. But whatever. To each his own I guess.

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I keep thinking what is wrong with me - why am I so stressed about moving to Honduras - AGAIN. Then I realized, it was my way of thinking. I am not moving to Honduras again. I am not moving back to Honduras either. I never moved from Honduras, I just left for a 4 month vacation. (If you can call having a baby vacation, LOL). The only thing I have to do is get Ari's birth certificate, and get some summer clothes for Levi. Everything else can be done in Honduras. If I get a chance, then I want to go shopping and pick up a bunch of stuff that I want for the house, but other than a squeegie and a mop bucket, I don't NEED anything that is on my list.
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My in laws had their appointment today at the US embassy in Honduras, and they were approved for a visa!! They will be here in the US to visit my sister in law, my brother in law and other family sometime later this month. I am so happy for them. They finally get a break.

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And finally, a more recent picture of Ari. This was taken earlier this week.

Honduras 3 - 1 Mexico

On the road to the World Cup, once again Honduras beat Mexico.

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/114/mexico/2009/04/02/1187472/honduras-deal-mexico-costly-defeat

I am sure that there is tons of celebrating going on in the streets of Honduras right about now. Wish I was there too ;)

Only 33 more days to go, and I will be there.

Kitchen Sink Cooking

Welcome to the first (and probably only) episode of Kitchen Sink Cooking. (I am calling it kitchen sink cooking, because that is how I cook. I make a recipe, then begin adding all sorts of things to the recipe that originally wasn't there - I can add everything including the kitchen sink) I would like for this to become a weekly recipe thing, but I know me, and I also know that there are only 34 more days left until I go back to who knows when internet, but maybe I can get at least another two or three episodes of KSC.

I am not the best cook. I make certain things really well, but they are special meals, not everyday meals. For instance, I make an awesome lasagna and cheesecake. But it isnt something that I can make on an everyday basis. Not even on a weekly basis - it costs to much money. Another thing I do well is I cook for alot of people really well. When I have to cook for one or two people it never works out right. So I guess its good that I have so many kids - I can cook for an army all the time.

While in Honduras I lost alot of weight. 50ish pounds. And it wasnt due to any parasite either. At first it was because it was so hot that I just didn't want to eat. And add to that I had a bunch of work that I had to do, and get used to doing, that when it came time for everyone to eat, well I got everyone elses food ready and handed out, and by the time everyone had there plate, people were bringing their empty plates in the kitchen to be washed. So I would clean up the dishes and the kitchen and tell myself that I would eat when I was done. Then by the time I was done, I no longer was hungry, or I was just to tired to eat. Then I got pregnant. I found out I was pregnant right after my surgery, and poor Jordan was doing alot of the cooking (reheating) and because I was in the bed, I was out of sight, out of mind. I didn't want to make it any harder on her, so I wouldn't bother her about not eating. When I was really hungry, I would send her to the pulperia to get a cup o noodles soup, and that is what I would eat for the day. But that was ok to me because at the beginning of my pregnancy I just didn't want anything really. I didn't get sick, I just passed my days semi nausous. Then later in the pregnancy I would have cravings for certain foods, and they wouldn't be available. (Cheddar cheese was one of them). And if I couldn't eat what I was craving, then I wouldn't eat. Because if I tried to eat what I wasn't craving, I would just throw it up. There were times when all I had was some hard cheese over some fresh fried tortillas. The last month or so that I was in Honduras all I had was potatoes and ketchup. I would fry a potato just so that I could eat Don Julio's Ketchup. I went through a gallon of ketchup in two weeks. It wasn't until I got back in the US did I realize that it was what I was eating (or lack there of) that caused so much of my hair to fall out. Ari was taking all the nutrients she needed, and in doing so, she was causing my hair to fall out. (now I look super sexy - its growing back in, and so all around my head it is sort of fluffy looking under my thin thin hair, LMAO)

Now that I know what is available, and at a good price for us in Honduras, I am taking advantage of being in the US and looking up recipes that will work well in Honduras. I thought I would post them here for you. I would like to say that it will be a weekly post, but I know better. I have a bunch of recipes to share though, so we will see.


Today's recipe is Honduran Coconut Bread.

I got the original recipe from Olancho Bound Gringa's blog, and I like how easy it seemed to be, and it had ingredients that are readily available in Honduras so I decided to make it the other day.

When I first made it, I took the original recipe and doubled it. I also made some adjustments to it. I didn't have shortening, so I used olive oil. And I used splenda instead of sugar. Also in the directions - it says baking soda in the ingredient list, and baking powder in the instructions - and I used baking soda.

So I mixed up the batter, and put it in the pans. The batter made 3 loaves of bread. I made one loaf plain coconut, one loaf with dried cranberries, and one load with more splenda and cinnamon added to it. Then I decided to taste them. The plain coconut one wasn't to great. It tasted of baking soda. (and when I was putting the 8 tsp in, I had to open a new box of baking soda, and I may have added 1 tsp to much to the batter). The cinnamon and extra splenda was better, but still had the baking soda flavor to it. (I mixed up one batter, then split it into 3 different mixes). Then we tried the dried cranberry loaf. YUM. It was eaten up almost right away. The cranberries took away the baking soda flavor.

A side view of the three loaves that I made

The plain coconut bread

The cinnamon loaf that I made. It isn't burnt, its just the cinnamon.

A view of the cranberry loaf.

Because I wasn't sure if the baking soda flavor had to do with me possibly adding 1 tsp to much, or if I should have used baking powder instead. So I went online and looked up what the difference was between the soda and powder, and decided that I was going to use baking powder in my next attempt. I also thought that since this would be for my family, muffins would be much better for my kids than a loaf that you would have to slice. If they were in muffin form, the kids could just grab one and go.

With all of that information, I went shopping, picking up some other items to make different versions of the coconut bread.



The ingredients used in todays muffins.


Here is the recipe, with the amounts, that I used (I tripled it because of my family size)

• 6 cups of flour
• 2 cups of sugar (and I used sugar the second time around)
• 8 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp salt
• 4 1/2 cups of milk (although I accidently misread the original amount, so that when I multiplied it by 3, I made it 6 cups of milk. oops)
• 2 tbsp melted shortening
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups coconut
• *dried pineapple
• **crushed pineapple
• ** marachino cherries
• ***dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Add shortening, milk and vanilla. (note to self, either warm the milk a little bit, or do not mix the shortening into the milk. Think about it. Melted shortening, being mixed into cold milk equals no longer melted shortening. Yeah, thats what I did.)
3. Add in the beaten egg and coconut.
4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour in a greased loaf pan****.

* Pina Colada Muffins - I added dried pineapple to part of the coconut bread batter to make what I call the PC muffins. They were yummy. I had 12 ounces of dried pineapple that I cut up and added to the batter. However, I also had a 16 month old snacking on the pineapple while I was cutting it up. So I would say maybe 8 ounces of the dried pineapple actually made it into the batter.

Levi helping me seperate the dried pineapple. Some for the bowl, some for his mouth.

The dried pineapple - what was left after Levi.

The Hawaiin muffins on the left, the Pina Colada ones on the right.

Hawaiin ones on the bottom, Pina Colada on the top.

Pina Colado on the left, Hawaiin on the right.

** Hawaiin Muffins - I only call them Hawaiin muffins because when I thought of coconut, the cherries and pineapple together it makes me think of Hawaii. This one is my favorite out of all of the different muffin variations I made today. These muffins were extra moist due to the liquid from the crushed pineapples. (I did drain them, but obviously I wasn't able to take all of the liquid out, which was fine)

Here is the crushed pineapple and cherries all cut up and mixed together.

And the reason why, if you are going to cut the cherries you should wear gloves. (can you see how pink my fingertips are?)

***Dried Cranberries - I just mixed in a bunch of dried cranberries with some plain batter, just like I did with the bread.

And here are the cranberry coconut muffins. In the background are the Pina Colada muffins as well as the plain coconut muffins.

**** When I made it originally, I found that 1 hour at 350 was to long. BUT my moms oven has issues, so I don't know if it really was to long, or if it was the oven. When I made the jumbo muffins today it took them approx 25 - 30 minutes to cook. So when you make this bread, make sure you keep an eye on it, and on the clock to see if you have to adjust the time, or if it was just my moms crazy oven.

Sleigh bells ring, are ya listening...In the lane snow is glistening.

Well in Honduras it isn't. Its more like in the lane, everyone is glistening (from sweat).

**(I know Christmas has past, but I was looking through my pictures and came across these and realized I didn't post about my first Christmas in Honduras. So here it is, a couple of months late)**

I am a four season type of girl. And no not the music group, but actual four seasons. You know, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. (all you have to do is call, and I will be there, yeah yeah yeah - oh sorry. It seems that I am having music tourettes syndrome today).

Anyways... I grew up in a state that has four distinct seasons, and without realizing it, I used the passing of seasons as my own calendar. Back to school was at the end of the summer, and I knew that when the early mornings and evenings were sweater weather, but by 10 AM you were sweating rivers, well it was time for back to school. Cool crisp days and the smell of apple cider in the air (or when it felt like it should smell like apple cider), well that means that it is almost Halloween. (also known as that day where you wear an expensive costume and then cover it up with your winter coat because it is freaking cold outside, and you wasted all that money so that the kids can knock on doors showing off different colored tights and maybe next year you can get away with just having them wear normal clothes, a winter coat and colored tight and pretend they are wearing a fabulous and expensive costume but always seem to forget and maybe everyone should just stay home and eat hand out the candy instead)

Once Halloween is over, the days get shorter and cooler, the sky becomes more grey. And that can only mean that it is time for the Christmas decorations to go up at the malls and Main Street etc.

For me the Christmas holiday makes its presence known by the crazed red nosed shoppers at the Mall (OK we all know I don't shop at the mall - lets be honest. The crazed Walmart shoppers), and tons of people trying to find the best parking spot. Black Friday was always a fun time for me too. All of this to me means that Christmas is on its way. And my favorite tradition of all, wrapping presents on Christmas Eve, while talking to my friend Carrie as she wrapped her kids presents. (and the conversations almost always was more - I lost my scissors, I lost the tape. How can I lose the freaking scissors/tape when I just had it right here. OH here they are. Rarely did we actually talk)

However, in Honduras, there was none of that. To be honest, Thanksgiving (which we didn't celebrate this past year, but will this year) snuck up on me, as did Christmas. But it is hard to think of Christmas - for me anyways - when I am wearing shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. They don't have a Black Friday, and it wasn't until the week of Christmas that I realized that there was Christmas decorations up at the stores of Tocoa.

For my kids, Christmas time meant decorations around the house. A tree, and things hung from the ceiling (that was the only place I could put decorations without the little ones breaking them) and Christmas cards hung on the wall. But my tree and decorations were still in the US, and there is no mail system in Honduras, which basically means no Christmas cards to hang on the wall. They kept asking if the tree was coming because that meant that it was almost Christmas.

All of these things added together, and there was a decidedly non Christmas feel in my house. And I wasn't prepared for the lack of Christmas feel. (although this year I know what I am up against, I know more about what I want to do to remedy that)

And while I am not a big Christmas shopper - where I give the kids tons of presents - I still like for them to have some things to open. But thanks to money being extra tight, I hadn't been able to go shopping for them either. I thank God though for my mom. She sent me a box of things that I had left, plus she threw in Christmas presents for each of them, and she also sent me her Nana box. The Nana box is a box she kept for when the grand kids came over, they could pick something out of the box to play with or eat. (She would fill it with McDonald's - and other fast food - kids meal toys, and lollipops, pens, etc). But since it is usually just my kids that are at my moms house, (my other brothers live to far away) the box was just sitting in the kitchen not being used. So she sent it to me. There wasn't a ton of stuff in there - especially after I separated it into a pile for each of the younger 5 - but it was enough for the kids and they had a great time opening the gifts, and playing with them.

One of the things that Lana, Mick and Isa got were McDonald's Barbies, and while I don't have a picture of it, that was Levi's favorite thing. He would hold one in each hand, and kiss one, then kiss the other, and he would do that for at least a half an hour at a time. The boy loves women - be it real life women, or plastic ones, LOL.

You can see how happy the kids were while opening their presents.

Brotherly love - yuck...

Having grown up in a household full of boys (my sisters were all older and out of the house by the time I came along) I know all about brotherly love. I think I am such a tough (strong - can take pain etc.) person because of all that brotherly love. (think having to play tackle football in the STREET as a form of blackmail - I had to play so that they wouldn't tell mom that I skipped school)

So I get it when I hear my two oldest bickering and arguing. I know that it is normal. And I know that my brothers and I drove my mother crazy with it when we were younger.

I also know when my two oldest - my 13 and 11 yr olds - argue and bicker (over nothing, and over everything - today was among other things, yogurt) its normal. I get it, really I do. But I refuse to let it drive me any more crazy than I already am. The only problem is, how do you stop it? Let me tell you it takes some creative thoughts, but I finally found a way to get them to stop. And it works 99% of the time.

First off let me tell you that they have always had a love/hate relationship. They either love eachother, or they hate eachother. And it can change second to second. When they were younger (5 and 7) they would go at it - fist fighting, and it took me forever to get them to stop. What finally worked was I used masking tape and taped off a square on the floor, popped popcorn, and Lale and I sat on the couch and made them stand inside the square. I told them that if they wanted to box, then fine they could box all they wanted to, but we wanted some entertainment, so we would watch. After I made the boxing ring, they just stood there looking at eachother and refused to hit eachother. After that, there has been no more physical arguing - except maybe the occasional 'accidental' pushing and the like.

Now that they are preteenagers/teenagers they prefer to use there mouths to get at eachother. And there are days I swear it would drive me to drink. I hate it. I mean if you want to argue, the least you can do is make it over something big. And Im sorry, the fact that she said sorry she stepped on your foot is NOT a reason to get an attitude. Neither is the fact that he ate a cheesecake yogurt, and left one for you. (Yes I did say LEFT one - not ate them all, but LEFT one).

Well a little over a year ago, I realized the BEST punishment for all of this brotherly love. It is sort of like the forced apology, but only 100 times better. I just call it the Brotherly Love. Oh kids, if you dont shut it up, you will get the Brotherly Love. Usually just the threat of it is enough to shut them up. It is rare that I actually have to make them do it.

Today was one of those days. And look how happy they were to demonstrate how much Brotherly Love they have... (just check out the expressions of joy)




Yes thats right, I make them hug. But it isn't just any old hug, oh no. It starts out as a 5 minute hug. And if they argue or make any comment while doing that hug, the time doubles each time I have to talk to them. If after the hug, they continue to have issues, they will have to hug again, and again and again until they can learn to get along. And each time they have to hug the time is doubled from the previous time. So it goes 5 min., 10 min., 20 min, 40 min. and so on and so on.

The first day I used the Brotherly Love we made it to 20 minutes before they realized that I wasn't playing. After that day, usually just the threat will work, but on the rare occasions that I have to actually resort to it, 5 minutes seems to cure the attitudes. Plus now that they are older, I can add the threat of posting pictures of them hugging online (I wouldn't do that though - would I??) and it has been rumored that I have told them I would record a video and put it on youtube too. Oh the horrors of being a teen and having me for your mother.

HEHEHE - never underestimate the power of embarassment. Really. I always threatened my kids that if they acted up in school, I would be the parent who would show up in curlers, a muu muu and flip flops and would sit next to that child all day long, hold his/her hand between each class and basically embarass the living daylights out of said child. The threat seems to have worked so far - and they know that I would gladly do that too, LOL.

After they were done hugging, I made Jordan take off her robe (it was cold in here) so that I could take a comparison picture of the two of them. Look at the difference between them in Honduras, and them here in the US.

What a difference fast food makes, LOL.

Ari - Day 12

I love this picture of Ari - she looks so chunky - all cheeks.

You can see in this picture, that she really isnt nearly as chunky as the previous picture makes her look. Look at how teeny tiny her legs are.

Life with Ari has been good. She is a good baby, a good sleeper and just an all around joy. I thought for sure that she would be a more high maitenance baby, but not at all.

Being Blessed

When we decided that I would come to the US, Lale and I made a game plan. Ok, I made the game plan (I am all about making lists and having plans - he is all about just tell him what to do and it gets done - sort of) but we agreed on what needed to be done. So besides coming to the US to have the baby, I also came to work for 3 months to make some extra money so that we could finish some things that needed to be done on the house.

Here lately though I have been feeling frustrated because things just arent going the way that I wanted them to, nor as I planned. I knew before I got here, that there just werent alot of hours at work, so I knew that I wouldn't be making tons of money. But I still had my plan. I wanted the back porch finished, I wanted a pila, (no I NEED a pila), I wanted to put tile on the floor - I promised Mickey I would do that for her, and if there was enough money after that, then there was some other things on my honey do list.

Well I went to work, with my list placed on the first page of my calendar/day planner so that whenever I was missing my kids, I could look at the list and know that I was doing something for us. Each paycheck, and my taxes were sent home, and things were getting done. The only thing was, it wasn't anything on my list. Other things came up, and talking to Lale, we decided that the money was better spent on some other things. And school for Isa and Mickey, with the uniforms, books, and what seems like weekly extras has taken up a bit more than I had planned for. (for all those weekly incidentals). And I didn't take into consideration that I also had to use that money to take care of my household here - food, school stuff for Jordan and Andre, clothes for them both etc. etc.

Add to that, that Ari came 5 weeks early, which meant that I am not able to work those last 4 weeks that I was going to work, which means I am out close to $1000. And that just got added onto the stress. Now I had to get stuff for Ari, clothes for Johan, Isa, Mick and Lana, and some stuff that I had on my list for the house. Plus I have to send this box of stuff down. All of that takes money, and that money is no longer coming in. And it is frustrating. Beyond frustrating. That frustration (and I am sure being hormonal after having a baby didn't help either, LOL) began to eat away at me too. I was thinking about how I am up here for nothing - other than health care for me and the baby - but that I wasted all of that time working, and for what. 4 cows and another truck? (the money went to more than that - but that was what I Was focusing on). Why couldn't Lale just do as I asked and finish the back porch/build the pila/buy the tile etc. etc. It didn't matter that I was in agreement that we spent the money on other thing, I just focused on what I didn't have. What wasn't done.

Then a couple of days ago, I came across a blog post in my google reader. A post on the Hayes blog. It is titled A Borrowed Thought. I read it, and it made me cry. It made me realize how very truely blessed I am. When Ari was born, I really didn't have anything for her. I had 2 outfits I think. And they were to big - since at 34 weeks she was approx 6 pounds, we had bought a couple of 3 month clothing knowing she would be big (I mean she still had 6 weeks to grow!). But other than some to big clothes, bottles, a can of formula and a boppy pillow, I had nothing for her. My mom took some money and got me a couple of onsies that would fit her, and my friend Carrie, and my sister in law Gloria each brought me some clothes for her when they came to visit at the hospital. The clothes they brought are to big for her now, but she will grow into them soon. And they will be great for Honduras too. I then remembered that I had some cousins that had some premies, maybe I could get a couple of outfits to tide me over until Ari was big enough to fit into the clothes that we have. So I sent them an email asking if they had a bouncy seat (mom sold mine while I was in Honduras), a monitor, and maybe a couple of peices of premie clothes. I got a yes from them, and an offer for baby clothes bigger than premies. And Jennie, whom I love dearly, and who has basically been my BFF since we met back in Feb 2006, when we were both pregnant, she sent me a HUGE box of onsies, and a couple of outfits of clothes that range from newborn up to 6-9 months. I am so blessed. God does provide.

On Monday, when I went to KFC to pick up my check, I got some lunch for me, mom and Levi to share, and while we were eating I said to her I have to get Johan some pants and shorts because his clothes don't fit, but I have to figure out where the money is coming from. Not five minutes later, my manager, Danielle, asked me if I knew anyone, or if I could use boys clothes size 5T and up, because she was going through her sons clothes and had a couple of trash bags filled with jeans and shorts and some shirts that she would gladly give me. I told her yes, that was perfect for me for Johan. I figured that the 5 would be a bit big - he was a 3T when I left, but we would have them to grow into, and I could get away with just buying a couple of pair of shorts. Well, I called and talked to the kids today, and I asked my neice to check Johans pant's and guess what size they are. Thats right, a 5T. It looks like I need to buy nothing for Johan either. I am blessed. God does provide.

Also reading that blog post from the Hayes, it made me realize, once again, that there is a reason for everything. And while things are not getting done according to MY plan, they are getting done according to HIS plan. Tile on the floor, well that money will come when it is time - again He does provide.

I fought the law, and the law won... (tons of pics today)

The law of gravity that is. You know, when I tell people my what has happened to me – breaking my ankle/foot/leg while chasing cows, then what happened this past Friday, I really look and sound like a clutz. But I’m not. Not really.

This past Friday I went to my moms house, like any other weekend. We did our normal stuff – she took me to run errands – and then after I put Levi to bed we went to Walmart. I had to do some window shopping for the baby. I mean after all, I only had 4 more weeks until I was going to be induced. So I wanted to get an idea of what I wanted to get for baby girl. My foot (the one I broke in Honduras) had been bothering me all day, so we kept our trip to Walmart short and headed home. Around 10:30 I decided that I was going to take a shower before bed and hoped that it would help my foot feel a bit better. So I did what I had to do to get ready for bed – you know, brush teeth, take meds, etc. etc. and around 11:00 was ready to get in the shower. I had the water on already so that it would be the right temperature, I opened the door to the shower, stepped in and then fell. I landed on the door track on my shin. It hurt like crap and I wanted to cry. But the funny thing was, as I was falling I tried to grab the wall (um smooth wall – nothing to grab onto, LOL) and in doing so, I knocked down the shower head – in this shower they have one of those hand held shower heads that you can take down, and so when I knocked it down, I was so worried about it spraying OUT of the shower, that I was only thinking of shutting the door so that I wouldn’t flood my moms bathroom. I wasn’t worried about me or anything else at that moment.


Lovely shots of the bruises from me falling...




I finally got up (my previously broken foot wasn’t co-operating) and even though my leg hurt, I took my shower. I then got out of the shower, got my nightgown on and went and sat on the bed. Within 5 minutes though I realized I was bleeding. No it was not my leg, it was the baby. I freaked out, jumped up, took off my nightgown (because it had blood all over it) wrapped myself in a hand towel – ok, so I didn't exactly wrap myself in it, but when I grabbed the towel, I didn’t realize it was a hand towel, and being fat and pregnant, and trying to cover myself with a hand towel, well I am sure I looked funny as hell. Anyway, I am running through my moms house a little after 11, naked besides the hand towel, and everyone is sleeping, and I am literelly gushing blood all over the house, and I am yelling for mom to wake up because we have to go to the hospital. She gets up, comes with me to the bathroom and I tell her to please get me some underwear and put some pads in it so that I can wash myself off again, get them on, and we can go. So she does, and I do, and then I get dressed and come out into the bedroom thinking my mom is ready to go to the hospital. I sat down on the bed and had to laugh.

My mom, who was thinking more clearly than I was, was still in her pj’s with rubber gloves on, and had the carpet cleaner and a brush out. She was cleaning the blood up off of the carpet. I am sittin here hurrying her along in my mind, and laughing out loud because she is cleaning the carpet. If It was me, I wouldn’t have thought of that. But she was right on 2 reasons. 1) She has white carpet, and do you know what happens when blood sits on white carpets??? Exactly. And more importantly 2) Rob was going to stay with the kids while she took me to the hospital, but I had woken up Jordan to come and sleep in the room with Levi in case he woke up. And if she woke up and saw all of that blood, she would have had a fit and been hysterical not knowing what had happened.

So we get the carpet cleaned up, and we make it to the hospital. I knew that I was going to have this baby that night, and I was ok with it. I was just worried that maybe something had happened to her and I prayed that she would be ok. So the doctor comes into the room and says it looks like you have had a placental abruption, and we are going to do an emergency c-section because the baby needs to come out NOW. And like that the room was filled with doctors. I made sure though that I spoke up and said what had been on my mind, and what was needed to be said.

“If you are going to cut me open, then I need you to tie my tubes”

The doctor asked me if I was sure, and I assured her that yes, 8 was enough, and if I was going to have any more children, they would be gifted to me, I would not be birthing them. So it was agreed. She told me that when I was in the OR signing the consent to surgery forms, she would also have me sign the consent to a tubal form. Only as they were putting me to sleep, they had yet to bring me the tubal forms. I had signed the other forms, just not the tubal. I was yelling that they either bring me the forms now, or they had better do the tubal, and I would sign them when I came too. They brought then as I was falling asleep, and I barely remember signing them. I just know that I did. And they keep telling me that they did the tubal as well. I guess I will see with in the next year if thats true or not, LOL.

The next thing I remember is waking up and the doctor askin me if I was in pain. Like a dummy I said No. Um, I was still under the influence of the general anesthesia, but yeah I was in pain. You just sliced me open, took out a baby, tied my tubes, and then stapled me back together. Do you even have to ask? Just give me the feel good meds man.

The next thing after that I remember is them telling me that the baby was ok, she weighed 6 pounds 2 ounces, and that I couldn’t see her now, but I could see her in the AM. I cried and cried and my mom finally went and took some pics on her cell phone of the baby for me. I really couldn’t see much, but I felt a bit better, and calmed down enough to go to sleep. I am sure whatever meds they put in my IV bag helped me calm down and sleep too. I don’t remember much else about the rest of the night except I was mad because I wanted someone to take off the massage leg things they put on your legs. It was hot in the room, and those things just made me that much hotter. But no one came into my room from 2:30AM until after 8AM.

It wasn’t until after 11AM that I was able to see my baby girl. She is so tiny. But for one that is 5 weeks early, she was pretty big. 6 pounds, 2oz and 19 inches long. She is darker than the rest of the kids, I think maybe even darker than Johan. So it looks like her and Johan are the only Spanish looking kids out of the bunch, LOL. And I just might be lucky enough to finally get a child with curly hair. But I wont hold my breath.

Oh, and her name… Well, let me introduce you to – Ari Geronima Santos Leon. (pronounced ah-ree heh-ron-E-ma) My pretty little girl.









Levi loves his baby sister - but for only 2 or 3 minutes at a time...


Jordan loves her baby sister all of the time...


Andre does too...




Look how little her arm is...








She is on a king sized bed. She looks so tiny. Well she is tiny, but still...




We are home now, and we are all doing well. Ari has jaundice, and while her numbers are still going up, they have slowed down in how fast they are going up, and the Dr. thinks that it should peak tomorrow. We will go in on Friday for her 1 week check up and if needed, we will have her blood drawn again.