wed.  june 24.  2015

today is the day-that we decided to have the village kids help us pick up trash around the village.  for some reason, guatemalans have the most beautiful landscapes, and they throw their trash on the ground.  we gave them all a latex glove, and a bag to put trash in, and they were off!  kids kept coming back multiple times for more bags, and loved it.  they thought it was a game-i think.  one girl brought back a bag of leaves, so i’m not sure if they understood what we were saying completely.  they were rewarded for their work by receiving a waffle with nutella-which is a huge treat.  then we found napkins thrown on the ground that they had had with their waffle, so once again, maybe not grasping the whole no garbage on the ground thing.  alex taught them red light-green light.

we went to the field to play with the new ball and jump rope we had gotten in pana for them.  they loved them-it’s amazing what one toy does, and they try it once and pass it around.  they wanted to go to the park next and we hung out there for a bit, and then they wanted to go swimming in the lake-so we headed down with them.  it was awesome.  cam jumped in, then alex and madison.  so much fun.

we headed up to dinner, with our group of kids following us wherever we go.  an older woman was coming down the sidewalk, and stopped me.  she introduced herself, and asked us what we were doing.  we told her were staying here for 6 weeks, and we play and do art with the kids.  she turned to me and said, “your halo is blinding.”-and walked away.  brought tears to my eyes.  i don’t feel like we are changing anything, but just playing with kids and building friendships.  it was such a kind compliment.

june 22.  2015

we were so grateful to meet american families down here, and have fun getting to know them.  the kelly kids decided they wanted to come back out and hang with us and the village kids today.  they came early and we had lunch together, and then we headed down to be with all the ninos y ninas.  some days it’s crazy, especially when the boys get a game going.  alex taught everyone how to make origami frogs, and then the games outside.  after being there a couple hours, we told everyone it was time to go, and we headed to the school field to watch the kids play  little more.  they get a little wild sometimes, and we were tired, so we headed up to the house.  we were figuring boat times, and thought we were playing it safe to catch the last boat to pana, and figured we’d have dinner together at hans’.  after ordering dinner, we find out the boats had stopped going to pana at 5:30, not 8:00-i totally had the directions of the boats and their times mixed up.  devon called and got a private boat, and we finished eating and visiting.  even though we messed up the boat times, it turned out being fun having the kids stay longer and visiting with them.  tiffany and timeca and nadia played together so well the entire time.  we had great discussions about what’s important in life, plans for the future, and traveling.  we dropped the kids off at the dock, and it’s pitch dark except for a couple lights in the village.  the girls and i head home and it was a little scary hiking up the mountain in the dark, but we made it.  we really had enjoyed the day.

sunday.  june 21.  2015

some of us weren’t feeling up to par today…colds and super tired, so we called it and made it our day of rest.  we enjoyed laying around, reading, watching a movie, playing games and eating popcorn, napping…a very much needed day for us.  we have been going full steam this week.  we are sad we missed church, but look forward to going next week.

we also wanted to wish our awesome daddy and husband the best father’s day.  after he got back from guatemala, he was home a day, and then had to travel to california where he’s been until today.  we are so grateful for a dad who teaches the gospel, is a great example, loves these girls with all his heart, and works so very hard for us.  we love you!

saturday.  june 21.  2015

we walk down to the dock to catch our boat to san juan, and there’s another couple here for the week going there too.  we hop on the boat, stop by jess’s dock, and we are all heading over to the other side of the lake.  we get off, and get a great deal for tuk tuk’s and a tour.  we go to a cotton-yarn dying co-op, and organic herb and medicinal shop, at lunch, went to an old church, and then went to an art museum.  we got into a bit of a conundrum trying to get a boat home, negotiating and so forth, but we got it done, and came home.  fun filled day learning about the culture, history, and artisan crafts of the people here.

we picked up a few groceries in our village, and headed home.   made some spaghetti, and chilled together before heading to bed.

friday.  june 19.  2015

we invited the kelly’s and the jensen’s and of course the price’s to our house for a picnic lunch and to visit, and then to head down together to play with the village kids and do crafts.   we had so much fun getting to know each other, and it was awesome of everyone to hike up to our house:)

in the village, we did loom bracelets with the kids, and they taught us how to do them on our fingers.  then we tried charades with them, but they didn’t care for it too much, especially since they seem pretty shy in front of other people.  the older boys started a soccer game, and that got everyone going-crazy and fun.  we probably had around village 30 kids-as they would hear the playing going on and more would come join us.  it was a lot of fun!  there was 24 of us with our four families, and with all the village kids, it was a fun afternoon.

we walked the kellys and the jensens to the dock to wait for the boat, and saw them off.  the prices had headed over to the village school and was playing with a lot of the kids in the field.  we joined them for awhile, and then luciano told us the hot tub was ready he had cleaned and filled and heated with wood, so we headed home.  we sat with our feet in the hot water for a bit, the kids swam for a bit, and luciano and the girls ran around the garden and the patios for an hour or two playing and laughing and finding fruit in the massive garden throughout the mountain.

we headed off to bed, it was a great day.

thursday.  june 18.  2015

the kayak guy, is also the mountain climbing guy.  he gave us a deal for both families to come mountain climb, and pay him to make lunch if we wanted…yes please!  it was 200q per family-$26 to hike with a guide and mountain climb.  then $4/per person for lunch.  best money i’ve spent.  it was quite the hike i must say-but we made it.  the kids did great climbing the mountain-alex’s stress fracture is hurting, so she didn’t climb.  we had to leave before the price’s were done, because it was almost 2:00-and we had to get to pana to grocery shop.  we hiked down the 30 minutes, said good bye to Lee, the owner, and ran to the dock just as a boat was passing.  they swerved and picked us up-so lucky!

made it to pana, walked 20 minutes, ate dinner, walked 10 more minutes, got some groceries, went to another grocery store, and we all carried groceries the 20 minutes back to the dock.  rode the 20 minute boat ride home, and hiked through the village and up our mountain with all the groceries.  alex was amazing-had a box of heavy stuff she carried on her head and shoulders the whole way.

we put stuff away, cleaned up, did math, showered, and wound down watching a movie.  it’s no wonder when 8:00 pm rolls around, we are exhausted.  it was a great day.

wednesday.  june 18.  2015

we didn’t go anywhere past our own village today.  cam and nadia went down to the village by themselves to get eggs-so awesome!  we made yummy big pancakes, did some school work, read books, layed in hammocks and listened to music, played a couple games, worked on personal progress, and chilled together from home.  we didn’t go anywhere, but we enjoyed being together and getting a lot done.  nadia took care of a snail for most of the day, that kept her pretty busy.  it was a nice day.

tuesday.  june 17.  2015

jarom left to head back to the states today.  job and all.  we’ve got to figure out how to change our lives from the rat race, to the lives we want to live.  figuring this out, isn’t easy.  miss you already jarom!

walked down to the dock to catch a boat, and there are probably 20 bags of cement, and two ladies loading them and carrying them with their heads.  i think i would just go back to bed if that was my job for the day.  but that’s not an option here.

jess and i and the kids got a private shuttle, and drove the 15 minutes to the orphanage this morning.  we had no idea what to expect.  reading the website and talking to the founder was an incredible story.  this couple moved to guatemala in the ’70’s.  when women have babies down here, local tradition is to not bathe for 40 days-the baby or the mother-after giving birth.  one baby had gook all over his eyes, and had never opened his eyes since being born-for 40 days.  this american woman cleaned his eyes and put vaseline on them, and he opened them.  the locals thought her a healer.  and that’s how the orphanage began.  long story short, after many years, they needed a bigger place, and found a $600,000 timeshare place that had foreclosed, and bought it for $160,000.  it’s atop a mountain, overlooking the volcanoes and lake.  breathtaking.  the couple ran it for decades, and now their daughter and husband and children run it.  they have a private school on their grounds that other kids in the area can also come to.  they feed the very poorest of the poorest children in the village every tues., wed., thurs.  they have awesome facilities for the younger kids-toddlers and babies.  a sports court that is covered is out back and they are currently building a volleyball court.  swimming pool area.  it’s beautiful.  these kids have about 5-7 outfits each.   their lunches even looked yummy-way better than what kids in america eat at their schools.

we spent 3 1/2 hours there hanging out, holding babies, playing with toddlers and watching how things work.   one baby is 1-the one camden is holding, but he has seizures and a few other issues, and looks like he’s 6 mos. old.  one baby was left in the hospital-the newborn.  one baby was left on the road with placenta and umbilical cord still attached.  and there was another baby-whose mom was a 16 year old girl who gave the baby up.

watching the toddlers eat lunch was incredible.  they sit, they eat, no whining, no complaining, no yelling, just sat, picked up their spoons, and ate.  that’s how it should be.  we cater way too much to our kids in america.  you don’t want this, ok, you can have this.  just make a good healthy meal, serve it, the end.

before we left, cam and madison and joselyn did a little magic show for the kids, and nadia and joselyn had made loom bracelets for four months to give out, and they shared those.

it was a lovely day, and our girls will hopefully remember it forever.  we stopped by the dispensa on the way home-everyone raves about it, like it’s kinda a walmart.  but no.  wasn’t great at all.  headed to the docks to get home.  hiked up to the house just while the first drops started coming down.  and then it downpoured.  i love being here during the rainy season.  it’s awesome!  we started getting ready for dinner, potatoes and zucchini, and the power went out.  it’s only happened twice before on sunday mornings, when we are trying to get ready, but this one lasted from 4:30 until midnight.   we made use of the light that was left, got math lessons done, and some of us went to bed, while a couple others watched a movie.  it was a fun, fulfilling day.

p.s.  if anyone wants to help a child further their education, $25 will pay for a month of schooling for a child at this orphanage. education is so vital here, since most kids stop at 6th grade, to continue doing what their parents do.

http://www.eaglesnestint.org/index.php

monday.  june 15.  2015

oh man, what a way to start off the day.  we found the kayak rental place along the lake-everyone got their own kayak(nadia rode with alex), and we were off.  beautiful calm green waters, huge volcanoes shooting into the sky, warm and beautiful-just a perfect morning for kayaking.  we rented for an hour, and it was just lovely.  we were at the next town after ours-santa cruz-and decided to eat lunch there.  i don’t know the name of the restaurant-but it was absolutely amazing.  the BEST chicken sandwich i have ever eaten in my life!  my mouth is watering just thinking about the huge homemade slices of bread, sauce and chicken and tomato and onion…oh, i don’t know how they made it, but i’m going back.  it is rated on tripadvisor, so there you go!

we caught the boat back over to jaibalito, and made it up to the casa in the village.  we invited kids along the way.  alex taught fingerpainting today-they did a great job!  alex showed them how to do giraffes with a hand, and the boys were amazing-did it looking at the picture once.  this is the first time alex has been able to come down to do classes since last week we were all feeling poopy.  she loved it, and is now making friends too with the little monkey in the village.  then jess prepared the funnest game-they loved it!  capture the flag/tag.  they absolutely loved it, and they run pretty darn quick!  we love these little ninos y ninas.  they have become our little buddies!

since we know we all have giardia…because we all have the symptoms, and everyone gets it here, we were on our way to the lab to test-and then they prescribe antibiotics, but luckily, the more natural nut i am, we ran into a german expat who said they treat it with diatemaceous earth and grapefruit seed extract.  i had read about that.  it was amazing luck to run into her-we were walking by in the village-and i felt like i should turn around and ask these ladies about what they do for giardia.  the other woman is an iranian princess who has a very large and beautiful home in the village.  they say everyone gets it a lot, not a big deal, this kills it, and doesn’t destroy your gut flora like rounds of antibiotics do.  so-bueno!  we started the protocol tonight.

while jarom ran to pana to exchange money and eat with the kids, i ran to santa cruz to meet gabi and get the stuff for giardia.  right off the docks is a restaurant-cool cafe i sat in and got a hot cocoa and did a few things while waiting.  i bought the natural meds-headed home-and then ran into another expat and talked village politics and shared stories.  jarom and kids got back, and we headed up the street in the village to our home.  i know we shouldn’t just give stuff out to the kids, but we had a whole left over pizza, and we know these kids are very hungry, so we told them uno pizza per persona.  it was gone in seconds.  we said our good-bye’s, hiked the hill with flashlights, got our math lessons and scriptures read, and headed to bed.  we left the house at 9am, and got home at 7pm.  that, my friends, is a fun filled day.

p.s.  apparently 42 people can fit in a guatemalan boat.  makes for a cozy ride.

sunday.  june 14.  2015

church was great.  we were only a couple minutes late…which when you are catching a public boat to get to pana, you never know how that’s going to work out.  picking up words here and there, and following along in the lessons, i could feel the spirit and needed to hear what was taught today.

the kelly’s invited us and the price’s over, and their good friend-the jensen’s, for dinner.  we had hawaiian haystacks, so yummy on our tummy’s.  we provided brownies for dessert, oh lovely chocolate.  we visited for 5 hours with these families, it was so neat to hear their stories of selling their belongings in america, and making the adventurous move to guatemala to live.  i dream of selling our stuff, and heading to europe.  the jensen’s started a non-profit, not only teaching the mayan people to set up garden boxes, but also how to garden, and what to do with the food once it has grown.  the people down here don’t know how to eat vegetables.  self-sustaining is always the best route to go.  the kelly’s started a non-profit, teaching women how to make jewelry, and the mayan women get paid really well to make it.  it’s sold in the u.s. and wherever the kelly’s travel.  what a great way to help women be creative, work for something, and help support themselves.  we really enjoyed visiting about homeschool, raising these kids differently from the world, and sharing all our different stories.

we all jumped in the back of the toyota truck, and were driven back to the docks to catch our boat home.  it was a lovely sunday.  we read family scriptures and talked about the ruins, and lake atitlan, thought to be the waters of mormon.  we had family prayer, and the girls worked on some personal progress.

just feel like it was so inspired for us to come here, and meet these families.  i have had the itch to live abroad for some time now, and hearing their stories, pushes me a little more that way.  if only we could figure out an income for jarom to make abroad…