Siguiendo Mi Catracho: January 2011

I sit here and think about how fast the time has flown. Three years ago I was excited because I had my moving date to move to Honduras. And while so much as happened in that time period, it still doesn't feel like it has been three years. It seems like yesterday almost.

On this trip back to the US, I was able to visit with my grandparents, whom I haven't seen in those three years, and since 06 I have only seen a few times. I am so thankful for the time I have spent with them during this trip. They truely are very special people, anyone and everyone who has met them can tell you the same thing. I am so blessed to have them as my grandparents. I miss not being near them as I was growing up. I miss just being with them, feeling the love and warmth that radiates from these two wonderful people. I wish that they were able to travel to Honduras so that my younger children could have wonderful memories of them before my grandparents pass. Its hard to believe that they are closing in on 90 years - both of them. This past November they celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. I love it.

My Grandmother

My Grandfather

Another thing I noticed on this trip up north is how much my children have grown. I can't believe that in 3 years my oldest will be an adult. I now have to look UP when I look Andre in the face, and Sendy is right behind him. Am I really old enough to have a child that old, that grown?

Sendy

Andre - the only way he will let me take his picture

Jordan
In these past three years, Jordan too has grown and changed. She has always been a beautiful person, but she is growing into an even more beautiful child with each passing day. Dont get me wrong, we still have to deal with the normal 13 yr old drama and hormonal issues, but in general she is a great child. And hormonal or not, she has a great heart.

All the kids except Gisela
All of the kids, just looking at pictures of them over the past three years, they have al grown and changed so much, it blows my mind. They drive me crazy each and every day, but I wouldn't have it any other way. They each are so much alike, yet so different. I enjoy watching them grow and watch their personalities blossom. I can't believe that this school year all of my children, with the exception of Ari will be in school of some sort. And next February Ari will be joining her brothers and sisters, and I will be at home all alone.

Ari and Levi
Out of all the kids, Levi and Ari have been the most fun to watch.

Levi, with his mohawk
It has been said that Levi is my favorite. And it really isnt true because there is no favorite. As any mom will tell you, you love them all the same amount, only different. And I am no exception. Levi however has been the most fun out of all of the children. Everything, from his laid back attitude, to the easiness that he sheds a tear, to how attached he is to me (by the way, did you know that in the Bible it says that the name Levi means attached? That couldn't be a more accurate description of my boy, LOL). Levi has just been fun.

Thats a cut off piece pants leg

He found my eye mask one night and this is how I found him sleeping.

As Ari's personality has emerged she too has been tons of laughs. And I will admit, because her personality is what it is, I have let her get away with more than I have allowed the rest of the kids to get away with. Ari is Miss Priss. Miss Bossy. She isn't quite two years old yet ,and she loves to tell everyone what to do, and how to do it. She has no problem getting a spoon, or a broom, or if she can find nothing else, her hand and spanking whoever she feels needs it. She will follow behind one of the kids (usually it is Levi that she is harrassing) and tell them dont do this, dont do that, and if for some reason that other child does it, she will say (insert said childs name) POW POW. Then that child will get smacked. I know I am going to have to put a stop to it because she is borderline brat, (and sometimes she is capital letters BRAT) and I have raised my kids to act better than that, but it just makes me smile.

Miss Priss/Attitude!

Her Albert Einstein hair.

Her sweet side - yes she does have one.

Mickey is my little (or not so little now - I can't believe she is in a size 10/12 already) tomboy. She prefers jeans to dresses (like her mom!) and has no problem sticking up for herself or for her sister. And she has alot of spunk too. In our neighborhood there are two sisters that always pass by our house, and there is always yelling of names between those two sisters and Mickey and Isa. (I love to listen to them - they insult eachother by saying in spanish 'toad soup, toad soup, you are toad soup')

Mickey and Papi
One day there was some physical fighting between them, and I sent my children over to the other ids house to apologize. I sent Sendy with them to make sure they did as I said. When they came home, Sendy was laughing and I asked him if Mickey and Isa apologized. He said yeah, that Mickey went up to the little girls and said "My mom said I have to say I am sorry. Well I am sorry that you are stupid and an idiot!" Thats my Mickey, LOL.

My Mickey.

Two beauties. Isa (left) and Mickey (right).Lana and Isa are the two who are more calm. Although they are not calm by any means. Isa is the second meanest kid of the bunch, after Ari (who when another child is crying will walk up to them, point in there face and say HA HA, HA HA, HA HA - see what I mean about capital BRAT). But Isa is slick about it, and she gives the impression that she is the innocent one. She is one who is very smart, but spends alot of time with her head in the clouds. Which gives the impression that she isnt that smart. She will fool you that way.

Isa and Lana. My girlie girls.
Lana is just Lana. She is hardheaded, but she is so loveable. Sometimes I feel bad for her, because of her personality, she gets lost in the shuffle alot. The other kids will make themselves be seen and heard, but Lana is content to sit back and let the world go on. I have to make sure that I carve out special one on one time with her.

And Johan, what can I say about my Johan. He is his daddy's boy. Anything that Papi is doing, he wants to do. Anytime he sees his Papi getting ready to go up the mountain, or go to work, there is Johan dressed in work clothes and work boots quietly waiting for permission to go. I feel so bad for him when he is told no because he so wants to go, and if he is told no, his heart just breaks and he ends up sobbing. And its that sobbing that makes me want to just pick him up and love on him all day. He is a good boy, but he is going to give me a hard way to go. He is so handsome, he has eyelashes to die for, he loves to flirt and loves the women. He prefers to work with his Papi than go to school, and getting him to do his homework can be aknock down drag out fight. But he loves to help, and will do just about anything that you ask him too. And he is always ready with a hug and a kiss for his mother. What more can I ask for?

His favorite place to be - with Papi.

After a day of working outside with Papi and his brothers.

Last, but certainly not least is Gisela. She to has grown and become such a wonderful and beautiful young woman. She is full of life and beauty and goodness, LOL. This year she graduates and will be able to begin teaching next school year. We are going to try to get her the plaza for the school in our neighborhood, and if we succeed, then she will come and live with us as well. That can only be good things for both us, as well as the neighborhood. Then maybe the local children might have a chance to actually learn something.

At the River behind our house.

Gisela and Papi. We love it when she visits.

And again, my beautiful daughter. Maybe not by blood, but certainly by heart.

The Lord has blessed me more than I deserve, and more than I can imagine to be surrounded by so many people that I love, and that love me.

I truely am blessed.

I do apologize for not having the post up by last Saturday as promised. However there was some drama going on (isnt there always?) and I had to deal with that instead of posting this post. For a couple of days I removed my blog, and while I did put it back on again as you can see, it is under lock and key so to speak, LOL.

Now, an update on my last post... Everyone is doing well at home, and they have "fixed" the bridge with dirt until the rainy season is over with and they can actually fix it right.

Ever since I moved to Honduras, I have been asking for a pila. Whats that you say? A pila (pronounced PEE-la) is a large cement water holding area used for washing clothes, or holding water for when there is no water, etc. etc. Having a pila is a big responsibility that comes with pila etiquite as well.

When you have a pila, or are at someone elses pila you do not stick your hand in there. If you need to get water out of the pila you use a clean pana (plastic bowl) to get what you need out. It must be cleaned at minimum every week (although at our house every 2 days seems to be about right, LOL). It is just a big responsibility, LOL.

So anyways, for 3 years I have been asking for a pila, and was always told, later. Well I decided to pitch a fit and get my pila. I had already had an area picked out for my pila, and knew what I wanted, and when I told my husband, he looked at me and said no. No? What do you mean no? We have enough blocks to make it, all I need to get is cement and rebar. No, he said. I want to put it here (a totally different place - a place that I wanted to turn into a bedroom), and I want to do this, and this and this. Whatever I said, just make my pila. I should have stood my ground. 4 months, and who knows how much money later I now have 3 pilas, and a "laundry" room. Which isnt finished. Although I do have my back porch, which is about 60% finished. (there is no floor other than dirt - which is ALWAYS nice when you have as many kids as I do, and animals, and when it rains as much as it does where I live. My kitchen floor is ALWAYS spotless, LOL.)
The pilas technically arent finished yet because there is no faucet on any of the three, but the hose reaches, so thats ok. Here are some progression pitctures of the back area/laundry room progress, and even some pila pictures as well. The three pilas are for this... the small one is for washing mops, boots, feet and the like. The middle one is for soaking clothes - either in bleach or soap or whatever, and the big one is for clothes washing etc. etc.
Can I tell you I love my pila. I love my laundry room, I just wish it was complete.

I tried to fix the pictures so that they ran in order, but either my computer/internet or slide.com was giving me a hard time and wouldnt let me. So if you watch all the pictures, you can sort of see the progression, but in a time warp sequence. So sorry.