Poodle in Washington D.C.

This past week I spent a few several days visiting Poodle in Washington D.C. The best part was seeing her. Here are some of our adventures:

Baking: We made chiffon cupcakes (yummy and light)

and caramel apples.

Teaching physics: (actually Poodle taught, I watched.) They had a robot battle, which was quite exciting. (robots from her robotics class) and another class rode bikes down a hill and calculated their coefficient of friction for the ride.

Solving mysteries: The case of the vanishing chocolate-covered marshmallow clown face-on-a-stick.

Apple picking: (we ended up settling for a trip to the country store and me choosing a pumpkin from this pumpkin patch.)

Community service: We attended a "trunk or treat" at the local ward and gave out Halloween candy. Poodle and Rochelle dressed up as flowers.

Bargain hunting: With Poodle closeby, I managed to find two pair of jeans (regular price $99.00) for $7.97, and a cute scarf (regular price $38.00) for $5.00. It's amazing!

and finally Dining out: We ate at several great ethnic restaurants.

A perfect trip to D.C. Thanks, Poodle!

Dear Fernash,

I can't read your blog.
And I really want to.
Check out Shady's 10 easy steps to make your blog cute! (actually it's cute, I just can't see the print)

Thanks and love you,
Mom

Dear Poodle,

Do you remember I'm coming tomorrow? Sure hope so.

Love,
Mom

Public Service Announcement

The following announcement was posted on the AAP website: (See link to the right)

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is doubling the amount of vitamin D it recommends for infants, children and adolescents. The new clinical report, "Prevention of Rickets and Vitamin D Deficiency in Infants, Children, and Adolescents," recommends all children receive 400 IU a day of vitamin D, beginning in the first few days of life. The previous recommendation, issued in 2003, called for 200 IU per day beginning in the first two months of life.

The change in recommendation comes after reviewing new clinical trials on vitamin D and the historical precedence of safely giving 400 IU per day to the pediatric population. Clinical data show that 400 units of vitamin D a day will not only prevent rickets, but treat it. This bone-softening disease is preventable with adequate vitamin D, but dietary sources of vitamin D are limited, and it is difficult to determine a safe amount of sunlight exposure to synthesize vitamin D in a given individual. Rickets continues to be reported in the United States in infants and adolescents. The greatest risk for rickets is in exclusively breastfed infants who are not supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D a day.

Adequate vitamin D throughout childhood may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. In adults, new evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a role in the immune system and may help prevent infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer and diabetes.

Please visit the above link for any questions regarding the study results.

Reed Family Pet Hall of Fame

Our family has quite a history with pets. So much so, that if the SPCA saw this list, they would probably ban us from ever owning a pet again. But they were a big part of the lives of our children for many years. Please vote for your favorite Reed pet.

Woodsy - Golden Retriever puppy - which says it all. Purchased for dad-the-bad for our 5th anniversary. (we also had three children ages three and younger) Very much a puppy - jumped on the kids and made them cry, pulled the laundry off the line, chewed everything imaginable. Sold back to the owner two weeks later. Happy Anniversary, DTB!

Paloma - Many years later another try - this time a very large black Great Dane. More of a horse to the kids. They rode on her and jumped on her. She was great to run with - people saw us coming and moved to the other side of the road. Unfortunately, she insisted on being in the house (her whining was unbearable) and brought enough fleas with her that I looked like I had chicken pox all the time. Was given away.

Lucky - (actually not so lucky) got his name from Ryan, who picked him out from a litter of rabbits. He was the runt, and Ryan nursed him back to health. Disaster struck when one of our house guests thought Lucky needed some "space" and let him out of his cage, not knowing that our neighbors had dogs trained to hunt rabbits. They literally ripped down our fence to get to him. Sad :(

Sonja - Funny story - one Saturday when I was very pregnant with our 6th child and trying to take a nap (we had a young women slumber party the night before at our house) dad-the-bad awakened me to tell me he was taking the kids to the animal shelter and would I mind if he brought home "something." I told him I didn't care if he brought home an elephant, just please let me sleep. It wasn't an elephant, but a large German Shepherd. Sonja was at the shelter because she had attacked her owner's smaller dog, not the greatest reference for her. She was taken back to the shelter a week later when she attacked one of the neighbors and bit him. Very sad day for Ryan and DTB.

Max - We were talked into taking Max by a neighbor who didn't want him. Max was a perfect dog for the kids - playful, energetic, friendly, but he came with some boundary issues. No matter how high or deep the fence, Max could escape - which meant that every garbage day I would get bombarded with calls from angry neighbors. He was the ring-leader of the neighborhood and convinced the dog next door to accompany him on his escapades. Eventually we found a friend with a nice large ranch with no fences. (he's still chasing their chickens)

Winkie - (DTB's personal favorite) The best word to describe Winky would be "frisky." This rabbit could jump four feet into the air, turn a summersalt, spin around, and land on his feet. Winky also had some "libido issues." Once dad-the-bad was under the car changing the oil, his big gray mop of hair sticking out, and Winky mistook him for a female rabbit. I'm surprised he survived the experience (Winky, not dad-the-bad). DTB was not Winky's only victim. He was also friendly with Lindsey's stuffed "Shamu" whale, as well as other stuffed animals, and even the dog next door.

Spike - Sad to say, we never quite bonded with Spike, nor he with us. Actually, he was Brittany's iguana - her 13th year birthday present. Spike tried to whip anyone that attempted to pick him up with his long, spiked tail. Sadly, he died of anorexia nervosa before we could get him into therapy.

Chumley - was named after my brother. Chumley - a stray - was rescued by Lindsey after falling out of a tree when he was only days old. Lindsey cared for him consistently and he was growing well - until one sad morning. He loved to sleep under my truck (on the axle.) I took off early for the hospital one morning and, after several minutes heard a meowing sound. Suspecting the worst, I pulled over on the freeway and tried to find the source of the meowing. I never did, and we never saw Chumley again. I still feel guilty.

Value Time - (short for Value Time Cream Sandwich - the kids felt was a more creative name than Oreo) VT was a black and white stray cat with no tail - technically not ours, but since Lindsey fed him every day, he claimed our home as his own. He was the stud of the neighborhood, and every few months we would see a new batch of little kittens running around - always one of them black and white with no tail.

Alice - Classic case of Narcissistic personality disorder with borderline traits. This cat's favorite family member was Ryan. Every time he came home from college Alice would pee in his suitcase. (Don't ask me how she knew which one was Ryan's.) She shredded our new couch, carpet, and chair - stolidly refusing to use her scratching post, and left "remnants" in every closet in the house. Since we couldn't get her into a shelter, we finally paid Lindsey's friend $100 to "find her a home" while we were in Spain. She dumped her on a lady with so many cats she never knew she had one more.

Pedro - (actually a female cat) Product of a pregnancy/toxoplasmosis rescue mission. ( I'm a sucker for pregnant daughters.) Pedro had gender identify issues (thanks to Brandon and Clark), and suffered from bipolar disorder. She finished off the couch Alice started, and also took care of the carpet on the stairs. Pedro would come flying through the house, slip on the wood floors, crash into the wall, and then race up the stairs - for no reason at all. We paid another $100 in cat food for a sweet Mexican guy in our ward to adopt her.

Cooper - My personal favorite. Other than a few phobias and a slight case of OCD, Cooper was the best dog ever! He loved long walks, playing catch, and dad-the-bad. He was consistent as the North Star, and refused to go a different route on our walks. If we tried, he bolted and pulled us back to the usual trail. He was afraid of getting into cars/trucks, and once inside he would stick his rear end out the window instead of his head like normal dogs. He is now in "dog heaven" with a family that lets him stay in the house, sleep in their bed, and eat gourmet dog food. We miss you, Cooper!

Don't you wish you lived in Mexico?

When I filled out the forms to volunteer at the hospital, they were very confused about my name. In Mexico names are passed down differently.

If we lived in Mexico, the names of my children (married or not) would be:
Bethany Reed Fagg
Ryan Reed Fagg
Brittany Reed Fagg
Ashley Reed Fagg
Carrie Reed Fagg
Lindsey Reed Fagg

If you don't like your last name, you can't marry someone to change it. Women keep their name, or they add de Peterson at the end. But the legal name would still be Bethany Reed Fagg.
Pretty fun, huh?

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Dad-the-bad for excellent labs. We recently went for expensive physicals and here are the results everyone has been waiting for:

Last year total cholesterol: 235

This year total cholesterol: 180
HDL: 54

(He's been taking Niacin for the past few months and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon a day for the past 6 months.)

Way to go, dad-the-bad!!!

Oh, but he has Giardia. Oops! :(

Great idea!

I've discovered they do things a little differently here in Mexico. Latest incident: As I attempted to exit our housing development the other day I was stopped by a man dressed in a bright (and I mean bright) red top hat and long-tailed suit. There were also posters in the median strip of our street with my neighbor's name in bold print: Teresa Cohen. Teresa is not only our neighbor, she is the official bookkeeper for the neighborhood association. Assuming she was running for public office, ( in which I was not interested, since I don't vote here), I ignored the signs, as well as the gentleman in the Cat in the Hat suit. He attempted to give me a flier, which I politely attempted to decline, to no avail. When I reached my destination, I read the paper, and, much to my surprise, Teresa Cohen was not running for public office. Apparently, she has not paid the company that provides 24 hour security for our housing complex. She (we) owe them a whopping $32,000 US. I'm not sure what the crazy outfit had to do with anything, but I can suspect he was thinking: Oh, oh, I know, if I wear a Cat-in-the-Hat suit and put posters in front of her house, surely that'll make her pay us the $32,000 she owes us. NOT! But nice try. We have, however, decided not to give her any more money, since it appears as though she's keeping it instead of paying our help.

I'm back in the saddle again . . .

well kind of.
Yes, I started working at Hospital ABC Amistad Clinic (as a volunteer.) My first day went pretty well, other than the fact that when the staff introduced me to my first patient, they told me he had recently been diagnosed with diabetes (at least that's what I thought they said.) Turns out, after a half hour conversation with mom and son on the differences between type 1 and type 2, recommendations on diet and exercise, and an explanation of the genetic inheritance of the disease, I learned that what they actually said was hepatitis A. Big difference, as you might imagine. At least I got some practice explaining the perils of diabetes in Spanish. And I think there's plenty more to learn.

Tagged!

Rules:
Link to the person who tagged you: Poodle
Put the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Six things about me:
1. I am nothing if not consistent. You can count on me - eating chocolate, wrecking cars, buying things for my grandkids, and making it to church every week (even a few days after giving birth.)
2. I am better at listening than I am at conversing.
3. I found something I love in Mexico - coconut ice cream. Maybe I'm getting desperate, because technically it's not ice cream - the first ingredient listed is water - but still, it's great with fresh pineapple and raspberries.
4. I love "things to do" lists, and put things on it like "run in the morning" that are automatic, just for the joy of crossing them off the list.
5. I have never had a pedicure or manicure (professionally.)
6. Sometimes I chew gum just to bug dad-the-bad.

I tag:
dad-the-bad, Heidi, Emily

A weekend with Ashley

A weekend with Ashley can be lots of fun. Additionally, it can be very informative. Here's what I learned:

1. Ashley doesn't like dark chocolate (I gave her a bag of chocolate-covered hazelnuts from Costa Rica)
2. She keeps a full agenda. Never a dull moment!
3. I need to apologize to our moving company for blaming them for all of the items that never made it to Mexico. I found them this weekend.
4. She has really great friends. (see, or not see, the picture below)
5. She LOVES argyle. (Her friend Rachel gave her an argyle makeup bag)

(sorry, my camera doesn't take good pictures anymore)
6. You can cook an omlet in a plastic bag! She had an "egg boil" activity before conference and everyone made their own omlets in plastic bags, we threw them into boiling water for several minutes, and voila! They were great!
7. Dallas is beautiful!
8. I actually love sushi.
9. I love Ashley more!
10. I have the best husband in the world. This is the note I found on the bed when I returned to Mexico:
Great weekend! Thanks, Fernash!

Happy Birthday, Fernash (a day early)

Since I will be in Dallas tomorrow, I won't be able to post on my blog. Hence, I will post Ashley's Birthday Blog one day early.

Ashley - a girl of many talents

Did you know that . . . Ashley loves ears - and grandpa



is a great fisherwoman,
is athletic,



and also fun-loving, sassy, and a little accident prone?











She came into the world in her own way - surprising everyone, especially the nurses. Good thing dad was there to "catch."
Other great remembrances of Ashley:

• Talking to people at the gas station about how we couldn't afford the "supreme" gas (when she was two)
• Talking non-stop in complete sentences before she was two
  
• Wearing cowboy boots with a frilly dress to nursery (she insisted!)
• Falling off a cliff in Slot Canyon (see above photo)
• Staying out way too late in High School
• Trying grandpa's wading boots and falling in Moosehorn Lake
• Teasing the alligators at Brazos Bend State Park
• Playing a saxaphone duet with me and laughing so hard she couldn't play
• Getting bit by a dog at BYU
• Being the "sharp-shooter" shortest girl on the BB team in Jr. High
• Running everywhere
• Playing kick the can in the street with the neighbors
  
• Eating pie on the roof at Thanksgiving
• Taking "fake" dates to grandma's for dinner to win brownie points
• Driving the car through the back of the garage into our bedroom
• Always spearheading the "fun"
  

Happy 26th Birthday, Fernash!!! I love you!

Tagged, from Bexie

Here's a synopsis of my high school years - BORING!:
Your High School's full name: Olympus High
School mascot: Titans (as in ancient Rome)
Did you date anyone from your school? Yep. Eric
What kind of car did you drive? Car? Are you kidding? Remember, I walked - uphill both ways (in the snow)
It's Friday night, where are you? Usually making donuts or french fries with DeAnn and my brother and his friends
Were you a party animal? No, I was a dork.
Were you considered a flirt? Didn't even try.
Were you in any clubs? NHS and French club is all (unless you count the Lonely hearts club I started for everyone not invited to Prom)
Did you ever get suspended or expelled? Hah! The worst thing I ever did was skip school a day and take the bus downtown.

Can you sing the fight song? We had no fight song. But I remember our school song, only because it was SO boring the opposing team would fold their arms and bow their heads in mockery when we sang it. Through the years Olympus Proudly we hail As we walk along your victory trail, Though the years may find us From our Titan band Yet will the sounds and cheers resound through the land Olympus we are ever loyal, onward go, Olympus your band stands for light and help as we go And as we leave your hallowed halls through longing doors, Onward, Olympus, we're every yours!

Precious, isn't it, then put that to music that sounds like a church hymn, and you get the picture.

Who were your favorite teachers? Easy - Mr Barfuss - partly because he taught math, my favorite subject, and partly because I could identify with having a last name like Barfuss.
Where did you sit during lunch? If I sat during lunch, it was with Rachel and her friend.
With whom did you go to Homecoming? Eric (also a dork)
If you could go back and re-do High School, what would you do? No Way!
What do you remember about graduation? I finished making my dress 10 minutes before graduation, and was in such a hurry to get there on time I forgot a slip (the dress was pretty see-through), but not to worry, we had those lovely long gowns to wear. My biggest fear, however, was having my name - Susan Fagg - announced in front of the entire audience and having everyone laugh.
Do you plan on going to your 10 year reunion? Only if I can find a time-travel plan.

The secret's out!

The following is a public service announcement: (All sources have been confirmed and cleared)

Ryan and Brianna Reed are thrilled to allow me to announce for them that they are expecting their first child around April 15 of next year!

Congratulate them and offer your name suggestion! We're thrilled!!!

Aren't I the great bargain hunter?

So, yesterday I decided to buy tickets online to go see Poodle. (Yes, she misses me!)
I found an awesome deal on Orbitz - tickets for $400 total. Considering the tax for international flights is $100 that's a pretty good deal from Mexico City. Problem is, the computer has been a little slow and I'm a little impatient. When it was doing the spinning thing and verifying my credit card, I thought it was done, and closed the window. Then I realized I never received a confirmation number. I went to my e-mail and no confirmation notice - which usually happens instantly. Being the intuitive person I am, I assumed that I had interrupted the process and didn't have a reservation. So I made another try. This time it worked, and I received a confirmation. I then checked my e-mail to verify, but alas, I had not one, but two confirmations. Nonrefundable is the key word here. So my great bargain turned out not to be so great. Anybody want to go to D.C? (You have to come to Mexico City first)

Creative designers unite

I recently purchased this lovely bedspread (on the advice of Poodle) for the "guest room." It is a great improvement to what was there previously.

It clearly needs help. Any ideas? Poodle suggested light blue pillows.
I'd appreciate your ideas! (The color in the picture doesn't come through well, but it's dark brown - no reddish hues.)

Estimados jefes de la Ciudad de Mexico,

This is why we need wider lanes, larger parking spaces, and wider parking ramps. My husband would very much appreciate it if someone could facilitate this task.

Muchas gracias,
Madre la Bomba

Free lunch? I'll take it!

DTB and I spent a wonderful weekend in Costa Rica. The best part was that it was FREE! I know you've heard there's no such thing as a free lunch, but this one was pretty close. We stayed in a nice hotel, spent a day with a good friend and his wife who used to work with DTB in Mexico, dined at fancy restaurants, and were escorted on a canopy tour and shopping trip. The cost: a serenade with Nat King Cole,observing an exaggerated self image, and a whole lot of BS.

Viva Mexico!

While driving home from the airport with our chauffeur last week I noticed green, white and red lights draped over the streets, with huge red bells hanging from them. "This is unusual," I thought, as Mexicans aren't known for their "timeliness." I commented that they were getting the Christmas decorations up pretty early this year, to which Angel laughed. Apparently, the Mexican flag contains the exact same colors as Navidad. They were decorating for Independence Day, which is today, September 16.

At 12 midnight there is a shout, "El Grito" by Mexicans throughout the country to usher in "Dia de la Independencia" and commemorate the famous shout for Independence led by Miguel Hidalgo. Luckily it was raining pretty hard last night and it didn't wake me up.

Happy Anniversary!

After 32 years of marriage we finally broke down and bought some nice dishes. After 20 years of using China I bought at Randalls (grocery store in Houston) for the bargain basement price of $0.79 per plate, I opted for something different. We usually buy a joint gift for our anniversary, so this year Dad-the-bad and I went to Puebla and picked out Talavera, which is a high-end pottery made and painted by hand. We actually bought a 12 place setting. Isn't he the best to pretend that he wanted to buy dishes for our anniversary gift?

Who done it?

Apparently, someone edited the profile on my blog. It won't take much to figure out who. How did you get my password? Oh wait, I guess everybody knows it. That doesn't make it much of a password, does it?

Sweet land of Liberty

There's nothing like living abroad to make you appreciate your own country. Although I love Mexico and the wonderful people here, I am in my heart, and always will be a proud American. I am in awe today of the sacrifices so many have made for our great country. I am more aware now than ever before of the importance of maintaining our liberty, freedom, and land of opportunity. My thanks to all those, past and present, who have made this possible and to those who are attempting to maintain these values. I love America!

Parking Perfection

Try out the cool new game to the right. I hope you have better luck than I have. I crashed on my first try.

We have a winner!

Brandon correctly identified the photos taken by dad-the-bad and I on August 25 in Mexico City.

The news clip below tells of the devastation of the storm. Because of the snow (hail) a mudslide covered Ahuehuetes Norte. This caused water to dam up and begin flowing into the equestrian center just below the street. The water came so fast, the horses couldn't be saved, and the man trying to save them perished also. The man lived in a little home/shack next to the horses. On most days we watched chickens and small children playing in his yard as we walked past. The day after the flood an Acura was on his roof, (and it didn't drive there.) Very sad!

News Report:
Mexico flooding kills man, dozens of horses
MEXICO CITY – Heavy rains have killed at least 50 horses at a Mexico City equestrian club and the 71-year-old watchman who tried to save them, officials said Tuesday.

A Monday night storm sent mud and floodwaters spilling through the La Barranca horse club, trapping many of the horses in their stalls, said Mexico State emergency director Arturo Vilchis. At least 50 of the horses drowned.

Night watchman Emilio Campos died while trying to save the animals, Vilchis said.

The equestrian club is located at the end of a tree-lined cobblestone road in a wealthy neighborhood on the edge of Mexico City.

By Tuesday afternoon, the waters had receded and 10 horses milled about a large, muddy corral. Workers lifted the carcasses of the dead animals with a bulldozer and carried them away in large trucks. Neighbors, meanwhile, swept mud and debris from their own homes.

The club owners declined to talk to reporters.

Manuel Heiblum, 54, who lives nearby, said he saw ranch workers desperately working to keep the floodwaters at bay. "I saw a huge amount of water. Rivers and rivers of water.

"Obviously, the water won."

Pop quiz

The first one to correctly identify the exact date and place of these two photos (taken the same day) will receive dinner for two at their favorite restaurant.

Good luck!

Worth the Wait

No, this isn't a blog about abstinence. For those of you who have been DYING to hear/see how much fun Poodle had in Mexico - finally - you don't have to wait any longer!

Here's pretty poodle at the beach,


jetskiing,


wearing her swimsuit inside out,
(she's the only one that can pull that off)


and on the banana boat. (The water skiing is still being developed - the BEST)


There was also a trip to the zoo with cotton candy and a paddleboat ride.



We took a GREAT seven hour hike (and we weren't even lost)


and wrapped up the week visiting Templo Mayor and hiking to a volcano near Toluca.






Here is Poodle trying the local cuisine - elote (very chewy corn smothered with mayonnaise and sprinkled with chili - she elected to use lime and chili)




All in all, a great week! Thanks for coming, Brittany!

Learning

We experienced a family tragedy this past week. Although there was almost unbearable pain and heartbreak, we also had tender moments that I will cherish always. It was an experience I would never hope for, but one that brought tremendous insights. First, and most importantly, I learned how much I love my sisters. I was able to witness the incredible strength of my youngest sister, and the sensitivity and compassion of my middle sister. I watched as my sister's children rallied around her and came together as a family with tremendous courage, devotion, and support of one another. I witnessed unending acts of charity and love towards her family by neighbors, countless friends, and church members. Bountiful, Utah has some amazing people! I learned the importance of family and our role in uplifting one another. I witnessed the tender compassion and inspiration of leaders of our church. I learned how refreshing and healing the humor and candor of a six-year-old can be. And last, but not least, I learned that I need to chill out and not worry so much about myself and re-creating my professional life. Thanks, Cindy, for being my inspiration. I love you and your great family.

Soccer

Ben's Game Stats:
Score: 20 to 1 for the Black Rockets
Ben: 4 goals, assists on every goal that was made while he was playing
Cheerleaders: Lizzy, Tia Susan, Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Janet

You know you're playing soccer in Utah when . . .
the referees, coaches, and most of the spectators have a kid on their hip
the boundaries change every few minutes because someone's sibling on the sidelines took off with the cones
the strongest language from the players is "oh my heck"
and time outs are called most often for a child that has crawled onto the field.

Ben

this is ben brown and i like to play sports

Lizzy

hi people of the world i am lizzy brown and i like to party and dance i am so cool because i am on the computer say hi to me!!!!!!!

Not again!

The staff at Walmart now officially hate me. Remember how I dropped a watermelon a couple of weeks ago and it exploded on the floor? This time I was getting down a six pack of Dr. Pepper and knocked off a single can, which punctured a hole as it hit the floor, spraying Dr. Pepper all over me and everyone else around me. The can just kept spinning and spraying, like it was break dancing. I wanted to help the cleaning staff, but they asked me to leave.

Stay tuned for cute pictures of Poodle on the beach when this picture upload system gets fixed.

MOMTHEBOMB's New Clothes

As I mentioned earlier, Poodle came to visit last week. Because she is the queen of shopping, I now have a new wardrobe, including:

cute jeans from the Limited (retail price $78.00)



darling black and purple dress (retail price $69.00)
dark blue shirt from Limited (retail price $38.00)
beautiful aqua wrap shirt from Ann Taylor (retail price $36.00)
pretty green crop sweater from Ann Taylor (retail price $79.00)


long-sleeved green T-shirt from Ann Taylor (retail price $28.00)
classy jade bolero jacket from Ann Taylor (retail price $88.00)
earrings - jade chunky dangly (retail price $26.00)
and, classic red hoop earrings (retail price $24.00)

all at the Poodle bargain price of $100.00 Is she amazing, or what?
Thanks, Brittany!

Poodle

Anyone want to see pictures of Poodle water skiing in Acapulco Bay? Too bad. She forgot her camera, and mine ran out of batteries. You'll have to wait until we get the prints developed from the disposable camera we bought.

p.s. She is an awesome skier!

Mexico is SO fun!

Poodle is coming today! We're starting out in Acapulco with some jet skiing, water skiing, and tons of water sports. We're going hiking in Desierto de los leones and we'll probably make a trip to Puebla and pick up my talavera. Anyone jealous?

Fun with the Funks

This week my friend, Dorothy and her family visited Mexico City. We had a great time visiting many sites in and around Mexico City

Acapulco
I actually found my way to our hotel in Acapulco with the help of a GPS donated by a friend of ours. He was having dinner with us Sunday just prior to the trip and sensed the anxiety of dad-the-bad concerning my actually making it safely to Acapulco without him. Good old "Garmen" not only helped us find Acapulco, but found the hotel, which was quite a task given that it was flooding because of the torrential rain, we'd never been to Acapulco, and arrived about 10:30pm searching for anout-of-the-way hotel.
Helpful hint for booking hotels online: Even if the "reviews" online are great, the fact that the hotel is only charging $45.00 (US) per night tells you alot!

The vendors had a great day at the beach. Dorothy bought seven purses!



We also enjoyed a "banana boat ride.




and the cliff divers were amazing!


They climb up this cliff (even in the rain) and dive into the water (after making the sign of the cross several times for good luck.)




We even stopped to buy roses from a sweet little family - $4.00 for 5 dozen.


Next trip was to the Anthropology museum and Teotihuacan.



This is a picture of us at the top of the Pyramid of the Sun.



Cholula
Thursday we drove to Cholula where we explored the ruins of the ancient pyramid, the huge Catholic church built atop the pyramid, and nearby Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl (volcanoes.)




We finished up with the Zocalo, Templo Mayor, Metropolitan Cathedral, and Palacio Nacional with many murals by Diego Rivera.

I had a wonderful week with great friends!

Bored?

I don't think I'm going to be bored for awhile. The reasons:

1. Dad-the-bad and I will be teaching Institute (in Spanish) every wednesday evening.
I have to teach by myself on the days that he is out of town (fairly often.)
2. I continue to serve as RS president because they have not called a new bishop
for the International Ward.
3. That didn't stop the Palmas (Spanish) ward from calling me into the RS presidency
in their ward, so we attend both for now.
4. I just talked with the head of the ABC Hospital Amistad clinic, who is more than
delighted to have me work in their clinic (for free, of course, but I'll take
what I can get.) I even sent him my CV that I translated into spanish.
5. There is still plenty of work to do with the Refugio which we help, although I
decided to scale back after they took the $200(US) worth of food from Costco that
I bought for them (they had a gas leak in their stove and the children were using
it, which was dangerous, so I bought food that didn't need to be cooked and told
them to stop cooking and use the other food) and they sold it on the street
instead of giving it to the children. I don't think I trust them anymore.

Preview of next two weeks

Tomorrow, my friend, Dorothy arrives and we're going to Acapulco. We'll also be visiting the pyramids, Cholula, and the zocalo. The next monday Poodle is coming to spend the week. We're going to do whatever she wants!

Where's Waldo?

Actually, Waldo's is my new favorite store in Mexico City. It is the Mexican version of the dollar store. That may not sound exciting to most of you, but everything is $1 (actually 11 pesos) and guess what I found there? Dots and Baby Ruth candy bars. I know, I'm pathetic!

Visitors welcome

I just booked a flight for Poodle to come visit us in Mexico! We're going to have SO MUCH FUN! Anyone jealous? Because you can come too!

Grrrrrr

Internet Service facts in Mexico City:

Number of hours I utilize the computer daily: 2-3

Number of times the internet service fails: At least 5-6 times per hour.

Number of times we have failed to pay the bill: 0 (the company pays, i.e. Claudia)

Degree of frustration: Red Alert!

Name of server: Telmex

Type of business: Monopoly

And that says it all!

I have a job!

Yep. I have a job. It's even in pediatrics (I will actually see all ages, but some will be children) - with a Catholic clinic in the south end of Mexico City. The pay is pretty low (nada,) but I get to practice! Yahoo! I LOVE Oscar! His dad found me the job.

New toy

I got a new toy! A new (almost) blackberry (free - I think.) The reason for my new toy is that dad-the-bad got himself a new i phone. I love hand-me-downs.

Cute pic!

Check out this cute picture of dad-the-bad with Caroline. What a pair!

What a relief!

Yesterday I taught the lesson in Relief Society (a meeting for women in our church.) For those who don't know me, I'm not exactly what you'd call a "poster girl" for Relief Society, but what makes it even more interesting is that I taught in Spanish! It actually went very well. I'm just glad it's over!

No watermelon today!

Today I was shopping in the produce department in Walmart trying to select a perfect watermelon - you know, green back, yellow belly. Apparently I got a little carried away with rolling the melon for the inspection and it rolled right off the counter. It clearly was way too ripe, as it splatted on the floor, sending ripe watermelon several feet in every direction. The produce manager caught my eye and I muttered a quick but very sincere "disculpe!" and made a quick exit. Oops!

Blessing

Yesterday I received my first Catholic blessing, complete with the cross, and the typical ceremonial "in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." It was while giving a 95 year old toothless, sunbaked Mexican woman a ride home from "Feed the Women." Apparently, she was so relieved that she arrived home safely, she blessed me (and my car) before getting out.

Puebla

This weekend we took a trip to the quaint little city Puebla, known as "City of the Angels." Rich in Spanish history, puebla is well-known for its' fine cuisine and colorful, hand-painted pottery known as Talavera.

We stayed in an ex-convent with a beautiful courtyard (see above picture) where they served a fabulous breakfast buffet.

In Puebla we discovered:
Tacos árabe (I´m thinking they dethrone the previous favorite Tacos al Pastor)
Street vendors selling churros filled with chocolate, nutella, or caramel
A great talavera shop with hand-painted "Families are Forever" ceramics (they have lots of missionaries as customers)
The best hot chocolate from a tiny street café, steamy hot with mounds of whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate
(Too late)that it is actually more efficient to pay a taxi rather than try to find things on your own. They know that the even streets are on one side of Reforma and the odd ones are on the other, saving hours of walking.
Walking is actually great exercise.
We need a weekend getaway more often!

Unwanted guests

Apparently, the expression that I have used so often "mi casa es tu casa" has been misunderstood. Over the past week I have encountered (on two different occasions) black scorpions utilizing the premises as if they were invited. My offer of hospitality was not intended for poisonous creatures. Please stay out! To discourage them, I will be fumigating the house.

By the way, does anyone have information on the danger of black scorpions?
P.S. Everyone else is still welcome!

My GREAT weekend!

For those of you who may think other destinations may be more fun than Mexico City, check out these smiling faces:

My favorite cousin, John and his son, Trevor visited us this weekend. They only had one day to spend with us, which necessitated a whirlwind tour of the city. (They were here installing mirrors and art glass that John created in the Mexico City Temple) Trevor took a thousand pictures and John and I stayed up late talking. It was the best weekend I've had in a LONG time!

No hablo Español

Today I went to the beautician to get a haircut, color, and style. I was taken upstairs to the color experts, even without an appointment. Maricel was my technician, and asked me (in Spanish) if I needed my hair cut and styled as well. I responded, ¨Si!¨(yes). A few moments later she turned to another customer and told her (in Spanish) that I did not speak Spanish and would she ask me (in English) if I wanted my hair cut and styled. The woman came to me and asked me the exact same thing again in English, that I had already answered. Again, I answered ¨Si!¨, because I'm a little stubborn. I was considering not returning, but they did such a FABULOUS job on my hair, so I guess I´ll swallow my pride and just brush up on my pronunciation of si.

This has been a pretty humbling year. I don´t think I can take much more humility.

101 things about me (inspired by Poodle)

1. I was born in SLC, Utah.
2. The doctor who delivered me was inebriated.
3. That explains a lot.
4. I am fiercely independent.
5. My mom tells me at age 6 months I refused to eat unless I could feed myself.
6. Apparently, she let me.
7. My first memory is of eating a bottle of baby aspirin for breakfast (mom was still sleeping, so I helped myself)
8. My confession involved awakening my mother, showing her the empty bottle, and telling her I was "all better."
9. My honesty was rewarded by getting my stomach pumped.
10. Because they were holding me down (I put up quite a fight) and I could not breathe, I assumed they were trying to kill me as punishment.
11. It still freaks me out to be held down by ANYONE.
12. I love to learn.
13. I learned to read by looking over my older brother's shoulder while my mom helped him with his reading.
14. I was SO excited to go to Kindergarten, because I assumed I would be learning more.
15. Huge disappointment - only graham crackers and naps.
16. The graham crackers were OK.
17. The naps were a BIG problem. I flunked Kindergarten.
18. My dad was shot in the head while deer hunting when I was 6.
19. I took the bullet to school for "show and tell" and lost it.
20. I still feel guilty.
21. I have guilt issues.
22. Everyone always thought I was older than my older brother.
23. That was probably because I was always left in charge of him, for some reason.
24. I used to help out on my grandpa's farm (hauling hay, picking fruit, harvesting potatoes)
25. I loved helping the "guys" prepare the turkey every year for Thanksgiving (this involved my grandfather killing the bird, and us stripping the feathers.)
26. This disturbed my mother greatly.
27. I love to cook.
28. I am a little OCD about certain things.
29. One of them is making eclairs - they HAVE to be perfect.
30. My kids make fun of me for this.
31. I love my family more than anything in the world.
32. I have four adorable grandchildren.
33. I love Utah in the fall.
34. I love springtime in Texas.
35. I moved to Mexico a year ago.
36. I lost a lot of weight after moving here.
37. I have a sweet tooth.
38. Mexico has nothing with which to satisfy my sweet tooth.
39. I love traveling.
40. My favorite family vacation was a trip to Brazil.
41. I was locked in the bathroom in our hotel - scary!
42. So scary in fact, that I vowed I would never go to the bathroom again. (Obviously, that didn't happen.)
43. My favorite vacation with my husband was picking up my son from Peru.
44. I find it difficult to spend money on myself.
45. Unless it's half-priced candy.
46. I usually don't eat it all, however.
47. I love hiking in the mountains.
48. Once my friends and I threw colored water over the ice cliffs next to the highway in Utah.
49.The next day we skipped Sunday school to go see them and all of the motorists had stopped to take pictures.
50. I love to run.
51. I've run six marathons - one for each kid.
52. I love going for walks with my kids.
53. My favorite pet was our dog, Cooper.
54. I like dogs, but not cats, especially the ones with personality disorders.
55. I am intensely competitive.
56. I gave my first talk in church at age 4 - the poem "I Love You, Mother".
57. I still can recite it.
58. I love children.
59. I also love teenagers.
60. That's why I became a pediatrician.
61. I took my son, Ryan to the beach when he was only a week old.
62. He is now an avid surfer.
63. I started a home business typing medical records less than two weeks after Ryan's birth.
64. I typed autopsies to put myself through college.
65. That was the beginning of my fascination with medicine.
66. I threw a paper route off and on for several years.
67. I once thought that I would be throwing papers forever - on into the next life.
68. I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen.
69. I'm learning Spanish.
70. It's harder than I thought.
71. I quit college to put my husband through school.
72. Bad idea!
73. I had constant dreams (nightmares) about being in school and not being prepared.
74. They ended the day I enrolled in classes to finish my degree.
75. I got a little carried away and went on to medical school.
76. I loved every minute of it (well, almost every.)
77. I'm pretty persistent.
78. My husband calls it stubborn.
79. I can sometimes jump to hasty conclusions.
80. Like the time the Health Center at Northwestern called and told me my husband had left his wallet after his "minor surgery." (They wouldn't tell me what minor surgery.) I had just given birth to our 2nd child in two years, who cried every night, most of the night. I was fuming when he got home.
81. Turns out, he had a piece of wood removed from his foot that had been embedded for years.
82. He even had the bandage in the appropriate spot to prove it.
83. I hate to sew.
84. I used to sew most of my girls' dresses.
85. I saved myself from eternal damnation and stopped (sewing, that is.)
86. My husband and I met on a blind date.
87. We were engaged within a month.
88. He tells people I asked him.
89. That's not entirely true.
90. It's not entirely false, either.
91. I love fishing with my kids in the Uintah mountains.
92. I don't require a lot of sleep.
93. Christmas is my favorite holiday.
94. It's even better if my kids are with me.
95. My daughter and I used to play a flute/piano duet - Pachabel's Canon in D.
96. It's now my favorite piece.
97. I have few regrets.
98. One of them is telling my daughter she shouldn't become a high school teacher instead of getting a PhD.
99. I'm glad she doesn't listen to me. Best decision she ever made!
100. The other is not being able to attend my oldest daughter's graduation from Ob/Gyn residency.
101. Lucky for me, my kids love me, even though I'm not perfect.