Back to our regularly scheduled program of summer highlights, and on to the (hopefully) obvious summer highlight - spending time with friends and family. Seriously, what an amazing blessing it was to have 6 whole weeks to relax and spend time with these people.  This is definitely a perk of being a school employee's wife!


First we had 3 weeks in Reno to spend time with my parents, my grandparents (who came to visit for a few days), and the many friends who we came to love so dearly during our 5 years in Reno.  Then, we headed off to the other coast to see Dave's parents, siblings, uncle, a few friends still living in Maryland, and some very generous friends who made the trip to see us while we were closer than usual.  Of particular importance to me was the chance to spend a long weekend in Virginia with five of my closest college girlfriends, who were willing to make their way from 4 different states when I could be there.

It was so good for my heart and soul to be able to spend time fellowshipping with ever single one of these individuals.  I loved watching them love on my kids, was overwhelmed with their generosity of time and resources toward our family, soaked in the conversations, prayer, and laughter, and was just genuinely thankful for each of them all summer long.

Thank you , thank you, thank you everyone!  To those we missed or didn't get to spend as much time with as we had hoped 1) we'll be back, let's find a way to make it happen next time and 2) you are always welcome to come visit us in Mexico...seriously.  We hope to see each of you again soon!

Tucker as a puppy

For several months now we have been considering finding a new home for our dog, Tucker.   Although, we love him dearly and brought him all the way down to Mexico with us he had a difficult time adjusting to having two kids in the house.  There were no longer enough laps for our little lap-loving fur-ball, and although he adjusted well to having a baby in the house, having a two year old in the house is a whole different story.  Eli and Tucker had a love/hate relationship and fought like naughty siblings.  Tucker would chase Eli around  if there was any food in sight and make his best effort to steal it (often successfully) and Eli in turn would chase and taunt Tucker at whim.  Although Tucker was basically our first child, and a precious companion to the family for six years, we finally decided that it was in everyone’s best interest to try to find him a new home sans toddlers and with plenty of lap space.

Our little hiking companion

In addition, Tucker is probably one of the world’s most allergy ridden dogs.  We got our first taste of this when he was less than a year old and was stung by a bee in our front yard.  Within seconds he had gone into anaphylactic shock - keeled over, throwing up, almost completely rigid, pupils dilated and tongue white.  I sobbed as we rushed him off to the vet, sure that my first “baby” was about to die.  At the vet they hooked him up to an IV and put him on an oxygen mask.  If you have never seen a dog this way, it is a both sad and somewhat humorous sight.  (I pray I never have to see either of my kids this way – there will be no humor in that situation.)  Tucker stayed at the vet over night and the next day we were provided with a prescription for an EpiPen that we were supposed to keep on hand at all times for the dog.  That was only our first taste of Tucker’s allergies…

Later he would develop stomach issues, rashes, and ear infections that eventually led to allergy testing and allergy shots that we had to give him regularly at home.  He’s allergic to poultry, cotton, most types of grass and trees, soy, brewer’s yeast (found in practically all dog food), and sage just to name a few.  With a strict diet, change of bedding, lots of bathing, and the shots we kept his allergies fairly under control in the states.  Then we moved to Mexico, found a dog food and shampoo that worked for him, and he became miraculously healthier.  No more shots and practically no health issues at all.  Before we had our second son we had already determined that Tucker was better off in Mexico and should stay here whenever we move back to the states.

All of this is to say that Tucker has a new home.

Another teacher at Dave’s school has taken him in and seemingly fallen in love with him.  Students at school often come and tell Dave about all of the pictures she has shown them of him. 

Three weeks later Eli still prays for Tucker when he goes to bed and asks about him periodically.  Tucker was certainly part of the family, but this new situation is the best for all of us.  Perhaps it seems silly to write such a long post about a dog, but he was a part of our lives for six years and I though he deserved proper goodbye.  After all, he’s already had two previous posts on the blog: 

Dog Marriages

Ode to Dad and Dog

Goodbye, Tucker.  Thanks for being part of the family and helping to prepare us for parenthood.

While we were in Texas for the Christmas holiday Dave and I had the privilege of attending my grandparents' church.  We sat in on one of the Sunday school classes before the service and were surrounded by many of the typical characters.  There was the guy in the front row who basically answered “Jesus” to every question.  The guy somewhere in the middle of the room with long rambling answers that started on the right topic and then went off on a seemingly unrelated tangent.  And then there was the class clown in the back row who went off on tangents of his own, randomly started singing the Texas A&M fight song, and did his best to make everyone laugh.  The girl sitting next to him kept a pleasant smile on her face and periodically elbowed him when his remarks got too out of hand.

Sound familiar?

The only difference is that this was not a group of preteens, but the oldest Sunday school class of the church.  Dave and I were the youngest in the group by around 50 years.  And the class clown in the back…yeah, he’s my grandfather.  The girl next to him is my grandmother, and after 64 years of marriage she knows his ways all too well.  She elbowed me a couple of times as well, so that I would stifle my laughter over his off the wall remarks and the pastor’s attempt to wrangle him back onto topic as he taught the class.  I have a lot of respect for that pastor.  His previous 10 years as a youth pastor are being put to good use with his new 80 year old pupils.

My grandfather, Popoo, the class clown

Despite the humor in the situation what was also impressed upon me during that Sunday school hour was the amount of life still left in this aging group of churchgoers and the amount of history they share both individually and collectively.   Individually they have vast amounts of life experience to share and collectively they have experienced many ups and downs as they have lived out life together.  My grandparents have attended that same church for around 50 years, my parents and both of my mothers’ siblings were married in its sanctuary, and more than one individual informed me that they remembered holding me as a baby.  Lives have been lived out at this church by the people in that room full of legacy.

While Dave and I were in Texas both my Dad’s parents and my Mom’s parents also shared with us many stories of their lives.  A number of them I had heard many times before, but a few new ones were thrown in as well.  I wanted to sit there and soak in all the stories.  Life is short - at this point I can never be sure that I will get to hear these testimonies of lives richly lived again.  I want to be able to pass these legacies down to my children, who at 2 years and 5 months old may have only limited memories of their great grandparents.  These are the moments when I question our choice to live in a foreign country so far away from family.

My favorite story of legacy is one that my Mom’s father tells often.  His parents were immigrants to from Greece (well, actually they came directly from Turkey, but that’s another story).  They came to the United States speaking no English and moved to the tiny town of Vernon, Texas.  They did not attend church in Vernon because there was not a Greek Orthodox Church in their town.  Then one day a neighbor showed up at their door and invited to take the family to church and the children to Sunday school the following Sunday.  They agreed and never stopped going.  Because of that woman my grandfather became a Christian and passed his faith along to his children who in turn passed their faith along to their children.  I am a part of that friendly neighbor woman’s legacy.   I wish she knew the rich history she shares with my family.

All of this makes me think about my own life.  At this point I’m pretty sure that I have many years ahead of me.  What kind of legacy will I leave for my children and the people around me?  What kind of stories and experiences will I be able to share 50 years from now?

I have never been one to make new years’ resolutions, but as this new year begins I want to work on being intentional about the way my legacy develops.

It's official...on August 21 at 12:37PM Josiah Henry was born and we became a family of four.  As an only child, I've never been a part of a family of four before.  It still sounds a little strange for me to say.  

However, so far, being a part of a family of four has been a wonderful experience.  From the beginning Josiah has done his best to make life pretty easy for us.  Yes, he's only 2 weeks old now and I have yet to spend a day alone with two kids (thanks hubby, mom, and mom-in-law for making this possible), so we have a long way to go, but so far life is good.

Here's a quick ( not at all graphic) run down of the birth experience and life with Josiah so far:

Contractions started at regular 7 minute intervals at 2 am on my due date (seriously, how many babies actually arrive on their due date?) and increased to a steady 5 minutes apart over 3 hours.  This was actually ideal for us, as it meant that Dave was home and my very pregnant sister-in-law was off the hook for driving me to the hospital while Dave was at work.  Plus, that early in the morning is a pretty low traffic time here in Mexico City, which relieved the stress of the 45 minute plus commute to the hospital.

My doctor arrived at the hospital as we were checking in and was there for almost the whole time I was in labor.  The whole time I was in labor at the hospital amounted to a grand total of 5 hours - so much better than the twenty hours I went through after I was induced a week after my due date with Eli.

Everything progressed quickly.  I turned down an epidural knowing that last time I had made it a full 10 hours without one and it had largely worn off by the time I actually gave birth.  Although, I realize that it is no great feet to give birth without anesthesia, people in Mexico (including my doctor) seem to be amazed that I did so.  Apparently it's practically unheard of here.

After three quick pushes (so much easier than the 1 hour plus of pushing last time) out popped our healthy, 6lb 8oz. 19.5in. little boy.  My doctor has since likened the experience to being on a roller coaster with her driving and me on the accelerator.

Since then he has been amazing.  He breastfeeds without any problem and pretty much just sleeps or quietly looks around when he's not eating.  He already regularly gives us 5-6 hour stretches of sleep at night.  Seriously, Eli wasn't a difficult baby at all.  How did I get SO blessed this time?

So, for all who have looked at us with concern as we have prepared to have a baby in Mexico, do not be concerned at all.  We had a wonderful birth experience and received great care during our stay at the hospital.  My biggest complaint would be the amount of moving around they made me go through during the birth process. Four different rooms and five different beds seemed a bit excessive, but certainly not a reason not to have a baby in Mexico.

So here we are, getting used to life as four:

After a wonderful summer of time together as a family Dave is back at work today.

Our summer is officially over and I have to say that I am a little sad to see it go.

I know we are lucky that Dave working as a teacher means we get to spend the summers together.  I know that many families do not get to spend as much time together as we do.  I am counting the blessing, but I am also already missing him just a bit.  It has been nice to have more time to experience life inside and outside Mexico together.  It has been a joy to watch Eli have extra time to play and learn with Daddy.  And yes, at 38 weeks pregnant those extra hands and feet to help chase a toddler around have been absolutely wonderful!

Thanks, babe, for all you have done for our family this summer.  You have certainly taken on more than your share.

Now we begin the final countdown to the next stage in our lives.  Sometime in the next couple of weeks we will officially become a family of four.  I am excitedly anticipating seeing the face of our next sweet little boy.  I am intrigued to see how Eli, at just 21 months, adapts to life as a big brother.  And I am more than a little anxious to see how I manage as a stay at home mom to two little boys.

Changes are coming our way.  It's time to start adapting to all that is ahead of us.

I know it's been kind of quiet around here. The death of my computer was followed by Dave's spring break ( yea, for being married to a teacher who gets a week of spring break!), this brought the inlaws down to visit and several fun adventures (more on that later), and then a full week of a horrible cold and now a throat infection for me (yuck). However, this downward turn has reminded me of some of the things I have to be thankful for here in Mexico.

Many people have asked me if the medical care here is up to the U.S. levels and so far I have to say that the answer is a resounding YES. We have been well taken care of by all of the doctors we have seen so far. It's standard practice here for doctors to give you their cell number so that you can get a hold of them any time. When I called my OB on her cell yesterday she immediately made a referral to a general practitioner and gave me her cell number. I called her and she got me in the same day, and even apologized that it wouldn't be for two and a half hours. When I got to the office (which yes, was a little far away - it's a big city after all) there was no wait, and the doctor had already spoken with my OB. It was a great experience and we have had similarly uncomplicated ones when taking Eli to his pediatrician (who we love).

No, we are not among the nation's poorer classes who cannot afford the private doctors we have seen, but we have also used the government run medical system (IMSS) for Eli's vaccines and had positive experiences there as well. As the U.S. contemplates major changes in their own medical system I'm becoming more and more inclined to think that a socialized system with the option for privatized medical care isn't so bad.

But away from the political. That's not really my forte.

The truth is I have been blessed, not only by great medical care, but by an amazing family. In the midst of Mommy being sick, and therefore less energetic than usual, Eli has done his part by being his usual happy, easy-tempered self and taking good naps to give Mommy a break when needed. I'm so blessed by the joy that kid brings into my life. And Dave, despite not feeling great himself, has stepped up over and over again to help take care of Eli and I.  I love that man so much!

More on our spring break adventures next time. For now here's a shot of me pre-sickness at 20 weeks pregnant on top of the Great Pyramid of Cholula.

The weather has turned warm and sunny here in Mexico City.  The first glimpses of summer (even when they come during winter) always remind me to be thankful.  I am thankful for the warm sun on my face - the grace of God shining down even on little, undeserving me.

I have had my up and down days (even hours) since moving here to Mexico.  Too often I’ve forgotten to be thankful for all that I have.  But bright blue skies and warm weather always seem to lift my spirits and remind me of all that I have been given.  I look at Eli and am so thankful for his precious smile, I hear his sweet baby laughter and pray that somehow I can preserve it in my memory for a lifetime, I look down at my growing pregnant belly and am I reminded of the amazing miracle God is creating in me, I feel Dave’s arms around me and remember how blessed I am to have such a loving, steadfast man in my life.  All of this is only by the grace of God.

I’ve had this song by Jenny & Tyler playing on repeat.  I think I’m trying to pound into my head to remember the sunshine and just how blessed I am.

If you need the reminder too the whole album just happens to be free on Noisetrade right now.  Just click here: Jenny & Tyler, Faint Not.

As an added bonus, if you purchase their cover of The Sound of Silence from their website or iTunes right now all of the profits go to International Justice Mission (IJM) and their fight against human trafficking – go ahead do little something to make a difference int he world!  Learn more about it here: The Sound of Silence and IJM.

Dave and I had a great life in Reno.  We were surrounded by friends.  My parents lived right around the corner and were available to help all the time (thanks for all that free baby-sitting, Mom and Dad).  We both had great jobs and amazingly supportive bosses and co-workers.  Lake Tahoe and the gorgeous Sierra Nevadas were right there for us to enjoy any time we wanted.

Life was good, but it was full.  It was abounding with commitments – all of them good things, and all of them things we enjoyed doing, but we were busy practically every night of the week.  It was overwhelming at times.

Life in Mexico is simpler – more relaxed.  I’m no longer working outside the home.  Dave is home from school much earlier.  We spend more time just being a family.  We learn and grow together every day as we create our life in a new culture.

Life is also simpler because we don’t have as much.  Our apartment is comfortable, but much less full.  We’ve come to like it that way.  Sure, there are a few more appliances I’d like to have.  For instance, we have a washer, but no dryer.  Somehow I’ve even come to love going up to our cage on the roof of the apartment building to hang clothes to dry.  There’s something nice about standing outside, feeling the sun on my face, looking over the city and pinning my clothes on a line.  Where else can I look out over Estadio Azteca (the only stadium in the world to host two World Cups, as Dave and James often remind me) while I do such a basic chore as laundry?  Hanging clothes to dry is not something I thought I would ever appreciate. I won’t turn down a dryer when the time comes. But in this moment I’m happy with what I have.

I’m enjoying my simpler life.

Mom, Dad, and Eli

So, you may have noticed that I have been on a little blogging hiatus.  My parents were in town for about a week, and while we played host and tour guide I took a little break from the blog.  Did you miss me?

Good news!  Some friends of ours from our church here in Mexico are moving back to the states and selling us several pieces of their furniture super cheap.  We’re sad that we only had a short time to get to know them, especially since they were some of the very few English speakers there, but SO THANKFUL for their generosity.  The amount of furniture in our house will once again doubled, in fact, we’ll be almost fully furnished.  The only thing still missing is a dining room table and chairs…we’ll get there.

Now that we have hosted our first guests (thanks for visiting mom and dad, we had a great time) Hotel de Cocina in Mexico City is officially open for business.  So come one, come all!!  Our new furniture will provide us with not one, but two guest beds, plus we have super comfy (although rather bright) couch!  We have practiced our tour guide skills and learned a thing or two about touring Mexico City (practically none of the tourist sights are open on Mondays…oops). 

We’re ready for you, so come on down!

Am I flexible enough?  I ask myself this question a lot.  I don’t mean flexible in the sense of being able to touch my toes (which is not one of my strengths by the way).  I mean flexible in the sense of being able to take whatever life throws at me with grace and courage.  Can I handle changes in my lifestyle or even changes in the day to day and still smile and count my blessings?

Mexico has required me to be flexible.  My whole world has changed and I would like to believe I’ve handled it pretty well so far, but I’ve definitely had my grumbly moments (ok and sometimes days).  I just want to make sure that overall I’m not just rolling with the punches, but actually being flexible, adapting to the new, and counting my blessings.

I am blessed to be able to stay home with an adorable, healthy, even-tempered, and joyful little boy (I should probably take some cues from him).

I am blessed to be married to a God-loving man who enjoys his work, supports his family, knows how to make me laugh, and gets home by 4:30 every day.

I am blessed to live near family who loves me, supports me, and has been overwhelmingly willing to help me as I adjust to a new culture.

I am blessed to have loving family hundreds of miles away who I can still talk to regularly over Skype and who prayerfully support me no matter where in the world I am.

I am blessed to live in a new culture – to have opportunities to explore and expand my horizons.

There are so many reasons I am blessed.

Proverbs 31:25-26 says “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.  She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

I want to be that woman.  I want to always be ready to take on the days ahead with strength, dignity, wisdom, and kindness - no matter what they hold.

Well, we made it Mexico City yesterday evening without a hitch and today we enjoyed a fairly relaxing Sunday.  I say fairly because we have all been pretty exhausted today.  Eli's sleep schedule has been off for quite some time now and last night was the worst night yet.  I can't blame him though.  In the last 6 weeks we have slept in 12 different homes/hotels in 7 states and 2 different countries in 3 different time zones.  Despite it all he's still one of the happiest kids I know.  We've been blessed.

In all of our moving around we have been shown more hospitality than I could begin to tell you.  Thank you to everyone who has taken us in to your home over the past several weeks.  We're currently staying with Dave's brother and his wife, and although we're very comfortable and so thankful to them we're ready to have a place we can call our own.  Four adults, two small children, and two dogs in one small house can be a bit overwhelming at times.  Please continue to pray that we find someone to rent our condo back in Reno.  Until that happens we'll be staying here while we send a big chunk of our income back to the states.

And finally, the first installment of "Things I'm adjusting to in Mexico City":
1 - Speed bumps that aren't marked at all
2 - Getting my toilet paper on the way into and often paying for public restrooms
3 - Not flushing toilet paper
4 - Roosters crowing on the neighbor's roof
5 - The trash collectors ringing a cowbell when they come to collect the garbage (there's no set schedule)

Thanks for taking the time to catch up with us - more to come...

So we're not the best at keeping up with this, but here's a little update:

Over Christmas Eli saw LOTS of family including 4 great grandparents, 4 grandparents, 1 great great aunt, 2 great aunts, 3 aunts, 2 great uncles, 1 uncle, 1 first cousin, 5 first cousins once removed, and 2 second cousins once removed (I think).  The whole cousin thing gets a bit confusing.

I've including a couple pictures of the many reunions.

Eli is now 2 months old and definitely thriving.  He's at 60% for height and 80% for weight for his age.  Needless to say he's pleasantly plump!  I haven't seen a growth chart for foot size, but I'm pretty sure he would be off the chart, as he's already maxing out the 6 month socks.