Two Questions

1. Ever have a picture that is just wrong, but you still really, really like it?

2. How many of you have husbands that wait patiently while you shop? Or do they act as if some wet, slimy creature is crawling up their back as soon as they step foot in the mall?

(Mine is of the patient variety. hooray!)

Christmas Package

A big THANK YOU to Uncle Scotty, Auntie MJ, Mikayla, and “Little Baby” Katelyn (as we call her around here). The two summer outfits you sent for Christmas are the cutest things ever and perfect for our hot Paraguayan Christmas.

Also, thank you to Daddy for throwing stuffed animals in the air in order to get such great smiles out of the girls! (A great tip I stumbled upon somewhere on the internet.)

Christmas Eve

This Christmas Eve we had two special guests…all the way from Peru! They are planning on being missionaries here and are on their survey trip. There was food and fun. The perfect holiday components.

Grilling is serious business in our house!

So is taking pictures! Here are our two “invitados” arguing about who took the best shot.

We had steaks, sausages, peaches and pineapple on the grill. Very good.

My living room doubled as an internet cafe while the food was cooking. 🙂

My sister snapped so many pictures we were all being blinded by her flash, but as always, she got some great shops. Photography is slowly taking over our lives!

What I learned on Christmas Day. Part 1.

Sometimes a blurry picture is a good thing. A really good thing.

Opening presents is a lot of fun.

The Hagerman girls have beautiful smiles.

Brenda knows how to decorate a table.

American children wear Crocs.

Christmas decorations look great against a summer sky.

I need (want?) a Flip.

I don’t look good in fedoras.

Merry Christmas!

I have beautiful pictures to edit and post for you.

I have delicious recipes to share.

I have great stories to tell.

I have decorations I want to show you.

But…

I ran out of time.

Sorry.

Will you be terribly upset if I continue the merry making for after Christmas?

(Please say it’s ok!)

Eat a lot of pie for me! And cookies, and cake! Sing songs, hug kids, open presents, have a wonderful holiday, and I will see you next week. With a LOT of pictures, stories and recipes.

Until then, from my family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa,
This letter may come as a surprise to you, I’m not sure if you have ever recieved one like it, but as a mother I feel it is my duty to write it.

Please do not come to our house on Christmas.

Allow me to explain…My three year old daughter is terrified of you. In her words: “I just can’t like him!”

(I think it has something to do with your beard.)

So deep is her dislike of you that her Daddy is under strict orders to punch you in the nose should you attempt to enter the house. For your own safety, I suggest you stay away.
She may change her mind when she is older, but for now she is convinced that you TAKE presents, instead of BRINGING presents. And that is definitly scary when you’re only three years old. You understand, I’m sure.

I’m sorry for any extra trouble this may cause you. We have bought her plenty of presents and her grandparents have as well. Maybe next year?

Until then…

Me

Flowers

Many times, at the end of the day, I feel like this sunflower. Picked over and done in.
I think that just means I’ve had lots of love from small hands.

My husband brought home a mixed bouquet of flowers from the fruit market and Fripits enjoyed placing the flowers in different glass jars for me.

I think she did a great job, and my front porch was certainly more cheery thanks to her eager help.

Addiction.

It’s official. I’m addicted to large floral print purses.
The more pink – the better.
What do you love?

Blogging Bash

A group of Paraguayan bloggers, (and someone who reads Paraguayan blogs faithfully) got together to eat, chat, and meet each other for the first time.

The table was beautifully decorated, and of course the food was delicious.

The best part, in my opinion, were the very interesting conversations which took place. I won’t share all that was talked about, but here are some very interesting things I learned on that night.

• Parrots can die from being too cold in 80 degree weather.
• There once upon a time was a car that honked every time it made a left turn.
• Argentines are very friendly in their country.
• Peanut butter Twix bars arrive in Curracao once every eight years.
• I should stock up on the imported Jalapenos in the Stock grocery stores. They won’t last forever!
• A french animated film can actually be very interesting.
• The pysche hospital in Filadelfia may not be as nice as it sounds.
• All the imports at Real cost $9.15. (The ones involving chocolate anyway.)

This is all very important information. We should definitly do it again. 🙂

Summer Time

It’s so hot here.

It’s very, very, very hot.

I could go on and on but it would bore you, and unless you’ve been to Paraguay in the summer you just won’t get it.

Here’s what I don’t do this time of year in Paraguay:

Baking.

Go for walks.

Wear Christmas sweaters.

Sleep without the AC blasting.

Drink hot liquids, except for coffee because, well, it’s NECESSARY.

Here’s what I do:

Take (at least) three showers a day.

Drink camel-like amounts of water.

Feed my family fruit, cheese and crackers till about mid-March.

Swim in my parents pool.

Turn the AC on first thing in the morning.

Stay inside. A lot.

Whine. 🙂