More Randoms

I haven't taken pictures of very many things this past week, but here are a few more random ones:

I walked downstairs the other day to find Kylee drinking a bottle full of Coke while watching tv with Linc. Now I know why Daddy is her favorite!

 Lincoln went to Trompo Magico with us on Saturday, since he'd never been before. Kylee showed him how she shops for produce...

And checked Lincoln's ears in the doctor's office...

 We spent a couple of hours there, then ate lunch and bought some ice cream bars. By the time we left, Kylee had peed through her pants & had ice cream all over her face. This is what she looked like on our way out to the truck...

Poor child. 

On Saturday night, Lincoln & I got a babysitter & went to a dinner benefiting one of the local orphanages. Our favorite part was having the orphans play music for us. It was so touching. I can't believe how many children they have in orphanages here. A lot of money was raised for the orphanage that night & we were excited to witness it all. I forgot to take my camera, or I would have gotten some pictures of it!

Every Monday, Kylee & I go with Verenice & Elijah (and sometimes Montse & Ian) to the tiangis. We shop for produce & eat a delicious breakfast of sopes and fresh juice. It is one of the highlights of our week! Today I bought some shoes & also fresh flowers from the tiangis. I think I just might buy fresh flowers every Monday from now on! This bouquet only cost 30 pesos (about $2.25) & I got another bunch for just over a buck!

 I think I've mentioned "tunas" before. They are one of our favorite fruits to eat here. Here's a random pic of  me talking on the phone & eating a tuna...

My parents are coming to visit tomorrow, which means I should have fun pictures to post soon!

Sighs of Relief

Since I've lived in Mexico, I've found myself breathing a huge sigh of relief (on a semi-regular basis), after accomplishing something way out of my comfort zone. There have been things here that I've been asked to do that I was very afraid to try. I've set goals for myself that can feel uncomfortable and nerve-racking when I'm trying to achieve them. I should probably have more faith in myself, but I'm perfectly aware of what I know & don't know in regards to certain things (like my Spanish) & it's hard to see how I can push past my insecurities & limitations & become who & what I want to be! Yet when I pray for the Lord's help, he ends up pulling me through. I sure am thankful for His help and love and understanding, because without that I wouldn't be capable of doing anything that I'm doing!

Tonight I was in charge of my first activity as the Faith In God leader. I taught the kids how to play kickball & how to make "ants on a log". :) They seemed to like it. I just had such a hard time when a child would ask me a question & I wasn't understanding what they were asking or didn't at all know how to answer them. Luckily a few leaders were able to translate for me, but it was still a hard position to be in. But I did it, and I left smiling and feeling grateful for my calling.

Next weekend is my first piano recital. I am terrified. I am so afraid that I will get up there & my mind will go blank & I won't know how to play any part of the song I've put so much work into. Yes, I realize I shouldn't be so scared. But I am. So once again, I will trust in the Lord & remember that He sees my efforts and that He will bless me accordingly. 

This post was pretty much for myself. I hope I always remember that just trying can be the hardest part, but that it's something I'll never regret. I also want to remember that the Lord is perfectly capable of turning my weaknesses into strengths & that I need to let Him show me that. I need to keep trying new things & with each sigh of relief I breathe, remember that I am growing as a person & that I am accomplishing worthy goals!

Another Update

It's October! Lincoln only has 7 1/2 weeks of school left until he is done with his second semester and becomes a SECOND YEAR med student! How did that happen?! This semester has gone by WAY, WAY faster than last semester did. The stresses of having to find a home, buy all of our appliances, navigate the city, wait for the culture shock to wear off, make new friends, get used to being away from family, and adjust to life in medical school, were a lot to handle all at once. This semester has been so much easier. We are pretty well adjusted now. We have made amazing friends, improved our Spanish, and have become more accustomed to the Mexican culture. We absolutely love our home and neighbors. Life is good.

We are all on our way to better health, which is a relief. Kylee is finally feeling better after about 6 weeks of being sick every day. She is dealing with some allergies right now, but nothing else, thank goodness! I was so sick all last week with the worst cough I've ever had. The cut on my knee got infected too, which really hurt. I was pretty miserable. Today I left my house for the second time in 10 days, and it felt so good! I am still not feeling great, but hopefully in the next few days I will be able to start running again and settle back into a normal routine!

I was looking at past blog posts the other day, and saw how much I used to write about our dogs. I guess I'd better still write about them once in awhile, because I LOVE them and they are a big part of our lives. Daisy is a sweetheart. If I am ever downstairs by myself at night, Daisy will sit by me until I am ready for bed. She waits until I have turned off all the lights and started walking up the stairs before she walks upstairs herself. I love it. :) hallux had a huge fascination with flushing toilets when we first got him. It was hilarious. Now he likes to try to chew on my hair, follow girls down the street when they walk by our house, tear pieces of paper to shreds, and play fetch with the tennis ball. He also enjoys attacking the mop when I am mopping the floors, which kind of drives me nuts. When I go outside to wash the sliding glass doors, Hallux stays inside and tries to bite the paper towel tht I am using to wipe he window. He definitely makes me laugh. Hallux's best friend is the Haskin's dog Luna. When they get together, they will literally chase each other around the house for hours. Daisy still gets annoyed with Hallux at times, since he is still in that hyper, needy puppy stage...but for the most part, they get along really well.

This is the first Halloween and Thanksgiving that we will spend away from our families. Celebrating the holidays with my family this summer definitely helped, but it still isn't really the same. However, we do have some really fun things coming up in October, including: a visit from my parents, the Pan American games (I just wish we'd gotten tickets to an event!), an extra day off of school for Lincoln, a couples' Goth Halloween party that we are throwing, and the Halloween Wives Club activity for the kiddos.

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!

Kylee: September 2011

I want to get back in the habit of posting monthly updates on Kylee, because if I don't write down the little things she does each day, I will forget them. 

Everything is "cute" to Kylee right now. One of my favorites was when she walked up to Lincoln while he was holding the hedge trimmers & told him "Cute scissors Dad!" She has also told him that he has a "cute outfit" on when he is wearing his scrubs. :) Kylee's favorite shows this month (yes, they still change on a monthly basis!) are Super Why, Caillou & Barney. I love Super Why & guarantee it would have been my favorite show when I was a kid if it had existed back then! Kylee is very into letters now & knows a few, probably because of that show. She loves to put her arm in front of her while I say "Super readers, to the..." and she yells "RESCUE!!!" Lincoln is NOT happy about the fact that Kylee likes Barney, but for the record...that was all her. Kylee still loves Snow White, but Dumbo is her new favorite movie right now. She watches it pretty much every day.

Kylee is also very into role playing with her toys & dolls. One day in the bath, she grabbed the lid off my shaving cream & sat her Eeyore bath toy on it, while exclaiming "Look Mom! Eeyore's going potty!" She also puts her dolls in time-out. Apparently yesterday, one of her dolls pushed her & bit her ear. Today they both hit her. 

My favorite song to sing with Kylee is "You Are My Sunshine". Whenever we sing songs, I leave the last word off of each phrase & she finishes it for me in her cute little singing voice. Well, for some reason she knows all of the words to the song, except that when I sing "How much I love..." (it's supposed to be "you"), Kylee sings "Sweets!" She sings it that way EVERY time! She really does have the funniest sense of humor & is constantly making me laugh.

Kylee likes to take charge of the dogs. She also likes using the same words that I use when I am talking to Hallux & Daisy. When the dogs want to go for a walk (Daisy walks up to me & stares at me & hits my leg with her paw when she wants to go out), Kylee says, "Ok. Walk in just a minute!" She also says "Great job boy!" when they go to the bathroom during our walks. (She still doesn't understand that Hallux is a boy & that Daisy is a girl and uses girl/boy/her/him interchangeably between them.)

Kylee is in love with her new cousin Cooper! She asks to see pictures of him on the computer & likes to talk about when we went to his house to visit him and she fell on Shawn & Ashley's sidewalk. :) By the way...I forgot to mention that Melissa found out a few weeks ago that she is having a GIRL! Now Kylee will have her first girl cousin on my side. She is very excited about it & talks about the baby in Melissa's tummy, then usually proceeds to tell me that Kylee has a baby in her tummy too, but that Mommy doesn't.

Kylee is learning more Spanish. In fact, she got a new stuffed dog from our neighbors and decided to name it "Hecha" (which means "made" in Spanish). We told her that it was a boy & that maybe she should change his name to "Hecho", so she did. She can be heard talking to Hecho in her room, & since we told her that he only speaks Spanish, she says "Hola, Hecho!" I also taught Kylee a song that I learned in 2nd grade that says "Hola! Como estas? Muy bien. Let's sing it again." Kylee knows how to sing it herself & it is adorable!

Kylee loves to find "wish flowers" (dandelions) on our walks & thinks it is so fun to blow on them & make wishes. When Kylee doesn't want to do something (mostly when I ask her to say something to somebody) she says, "I can't. I'm really shy." When I ask Kylee if she is tired, she says, "No bedtime. Stay up awhile. Two more hours." I don't know where she got the "2 hours" thing, but she says it a lot! When it is time for Kylee to go to bed, we tell her to look at our watch & ask "What time is it Kylee?" to which she replies in a disappointed voice, "Bedtime." What a funny girl.

Today Kylee was watching her Barbie Sing-along movie. I was reading on the couch & heard her say "Jackson's in heaven." I looked up & there was a part with a bunch of people in white, dancing around a golden room. I'd never noticed the part of the movie before & couldn't believe that she said that! I've been telling her that she has a brother in heaven named Jackson, but I don't know how she thought the white & gold symbolized heaven.  It was a sweet experience.

I mentioned before that Kylee had been sick for a month, but that she was starting to feel better. Well, I spoke too soon. These past 3 days have been horrible! She has a bad cold and is SO fussy, and refuses to take naps or go to sleep at night. She is my GREAT SLEEPER so it has been hard, especially since I've been sick for the past 5 days too, with a cold & cough. Plus, I still have a hard time going up & down the stairs because of my injured knees. So hopefully things will get back to normal around here soon!

To keep ourselves from going crazy because we've been stuck in the house, Kylee likes to:
Lick the bowl when we make brownies...

(Do you see that green thing in her hand? It is a cactus fruit here in Mexico that is called a "tuna". It's delicious!)

Dress herself...

Take care of her babies...

And fall asleep in random places & positions since she isn't sleeping much...

Kylee still has her mullet! When we go out, I always have her hair in pigtails, but since we've been home I don't even bother with it. Don't worry Kylee...someday you'll have hair. Someday.

Potty Training

I have been totally lazy with potty training Kylee. She's been telling me before & after she goes to the bathroom in her diaper for the past 5 months or so. The few times I tried to get her to go in the toilet, she really didn't want to...so I just kind of left it up to her. Probably not the best idea, but since we've been out of town, sick, etc. it was easier this way. 

Anyway, we bought Kylee an Elmo potty book ("Elmo Va Al Bano) last week & an Elmo potty DVD this week. This, along with knowing that some of her friends are potty trained now, has made her more excited to sit on the toilet...

She looks way too cute sitting there with this enormous book & just her legs poking out underneath...

And guess what? Yesterday when Linc & I were both standing there with her, Kylee went potty in the toilet for the first time! Yahoo!!! Isn't it funny how excited a parent can get about stuff like this? :)

WAY TO GO KYLEE! WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!

Running Injury

Clumsy Anjane' + Uneven Sidewalks=
THIS....

Lincoln thinks it's "hot" that his wife has a "sports injury". Yup, this picture has "HOT" written all over it!
(Disclaimer: This nasty pic of me is a self portrait. I know you want to copy it & hang it up in your house, but you'll need to ask for my permission first.) :)

An Update...

There's been a lot going on lately, so here's an update:

Lincoln: He is doing well in his 2nd semester of school. I can't believe how much he already knows about the body & the way that it works. It's pretty incredible that he has learned so much in such a short amount of time!

Kylee: After being sick for a MONTH, she is finally starting to feel better. However, she has had a major problem with hitting, scratching, pinching, pushing & biting. I'm honestly afraid that she will be kicked out of nursery. I know of 5 kids right now who have marks on their face from Kylee's nails or teeth! Kylee is SUCH  a sweet girl most of the time, so it's hard to see her do those kinds of things to others. Most of it has happened this past month, since she got sick...so I'm really hoping that her lashing out was mostly because she didn't feel well!

Me: I'm busy with lots of different things right now!

1) RUNNING: I started running 2 to 2 1/2 miles every morning. For the record, I have told multiple people that I had NO desire to EVER be a runner. And I honestly didn't. I don't absolutely love it, but I'm doing it for my health. As a mom, it seems like the most effective thing that I can do to get in shape. I definitely wouldn't be able to do it without my running partner, Heather! Maybe when I get used to waking up at 6am, & when I stop being sore & exhausted from running, I will enjoy it more! :)

2) PIANO: I've had about 6 piano lessons so far. I go once a week for an hour, after Lincoln gets home & while Kylee is napping. Piano is very challenging for me, but I am really enjoying it. I have been trying to practice for an hour every day, and have seen (or heard) some results...but I still have a long way to go. The piano is the first instrument I've ever played, & I definitely have a new found admiration for people who play instruments!

3) MY CALLING: I have a new calling. I am the Faith In God leader & am over the boys and girls who are 8-12 years old. We combine with another ward, & there are about 18 kids total. The boys here don't do Scouts, so this is like an Activity Day for all of them to work on something from their Faith in God book. I went to my first activity last night, which the leader from the other ward was in charge of. I'm in charge of the next activity in 2 weeks & I am a little worried. Hardly any of the kids speak English, so I have to be in charge of all of these kids who speak a different language than I do! How am I going to establish structure & help them learn & have fun when I can't communicate well with them? I'll definitely have to be creative & do a lot of planning! I also need to keep track of where each of the kids are at in their books & follow up with them each week. Yikes! :)

4) SEWING: I am trying to sew something every month or so. I've only made a few things so far. Hopefully I'll be able to find the time soon to work on becoming better at this.

5) FRIENDS: Kylee & I (&Linc once in awhile) have been hanging out with a lot of friends lately. It is so fun to strengthen our relationships with them & to know people who are in a similar situation as us. I don't get to hang out with Lincoln as much as I'd like to, so I sure am grateful for the other friends that I have.

6) CLEANING & COOKING: I never really learned to manage a household. When I had endometriosis, I was usually just trying to get through each day. Adequately managing a household sounded like a dream to me, and now I have been given the strength & health to be able to do it. But I'm not where I need to be with that yet. I'm improving though!

I am hopeful that I will be able to keep up with everything, because it sure is making me happy to have new hobbies & other positive things to do!

Peter Piper Pizza

Last weekend we went to Peter Piper Pizza with the Haskins & the Powells. Kylee definitely isn't a fan of these little rides when they start to move...

But she liked sitting in the broken Bob The Builder ride!

Elijah climbed into this thing & couldn't get back down. It was kind of funny...

This was Kylee's favorite game to play: the circles take turns lighting up & you hit the one that's lit. She was a pro...

Showing me her tickets & one of her two little turtles that she traded them for...

Mexican Independence Day

This past Friday was Independence Day here in Mexico. There was a big party, combined with another ward, at the church on Thursday night. Lincoln had the next day off of school, so we were pretty excited about that!

Ready to go to the party (with peanut butter all over her face)...

Kylee wanted Daddy to sit in the back seat with her while we drove to the party, & he agreed to it. She loved every second!

Cooking tacos outside of the church...

They had food outside, & music and dancing inside. Linc & Kylee got out on the dance floor...

And Dylan & Kylee showed everyone their moves...

We left the party around 10pm and the party was still going strong. The people here sure do know how to party!

Girls' Nights

I've enjoyed a couple of girls' nights these past two weeks. I do have to say that I have never had a close group of girlfriends who all know each other & hang out together. I have a few great girlfriends back in the U.S., who I have close one-on-one relationships with. I also had a few groups of guy friends before I got married, but obviously when I got married, that changed...so I am so happy to FINALLY have a close group of friends again!!! (Does that sound pathetic? Oh well.) 

One night last weekend, we went to downtown Guadalajara to do some shopping. This wasn't a typical night though. The streets were FILLED with people & there were multiple bands performing on the streets. It was craziness! This is a horrible picture, but it gives you an idea of the crowds we  fought just to walk down the street...

After walking around for awhile, & realizing that this wasn't the best night to come downtown, we made our way to a hot dog stand. This place had the yummiest horchata ever! 

Verenice, Kim (she doubles as my friend & piano teacher!), me

This past Friday night, we took a late-night trip to the crepe stand. This picture is of the food (tacos, etc) part of it. The crepes are on the other end. Man, I wish you all could experience this food!

 The three of us had a great time eating gorditas & crepes and talking about our lives as women & mothers. I love these girls.

(Heather, me, Verenice)

I'm horrible at taking pictures of food & this pic definitely doesn't do this crepe justice, but here it is in all its glory! A crepe made my favorite way: cream cheese & cajeta (like caramel) inside, then fruit, chocolate & cajeta on top, with a side of ice cream. I prefer my crepe without the nuts on top, but Bruno (my crepe guy) forgot that. :) Bruno is moving to Mexico City in a few months, so hopefully the crepe guy who replaces him will be decent.

Goofy pose...

Disclaimer: I had girls' nights very rarely before I moved here. I either didn't feel well enough to go, or Lincoln was home & I wanted to spend time with him. Now my husband studies almost every night & Kylee goes to bed at 8pm...& I get kind of bored. So just a warning...you may see many more girls' night posts in the future! :)

Trompo Visit #2 & BBQ

I'm determined to feel comfortable driving in Mexico by myself...so I drove to Verenice's house last Saturday to go with her to Trompo Magico. Granted, the drive to her house is pretty easy, & Lincoln was in the car with me, but I still felt proud of myself. :) The dogs even came along for the ride...

This was our 2nd visit to Trompo & it was a lot of fun. Kylee took care of the babies in the doctors' office...

She went grocery shopping...

(And even had a grocery list to shop from.)

She cooked food for me...

And served London fresh fish...

London & I had fun trying some of the science exhibits...

Then Kylee fished...

(Both times we've come here, Kylee has been afraid of the actual fishing process. The parents aren't allowed inside this exhibit, so this poor worker had to fish for Kylee, then let her take the fish from the end of the pole. (They just use plastic fish with magnets on the end of their mouths & a magnetic fishing pole.) This worker probably did this for at least 15 minutes. Luckily by the end, Kylee mustered up enough courage to fish for herself!)

Then it was time for lunch outside with the other Wives Club families that came, before everyone headed home for the day. Heather informed me that she was staying for a few more hours & invited me to stay with her. Since our husbands were studying together at my house anyway, & they had a big test on Monday, I figured I'd better keep Kylee away as long as I could. :) So we ended up staying at Trompo for 4 more hours!

Heather bought Kylee a bubble gum ice cream bar, which she obviously loved...

We looked at the fountains, & played in them...

(Until we were informed that the fountains weren't to play in.)

Riley struck a funny pose, while hiding from her mom & sisters behind a bench, (which may or may not have been my idea)...

And Kylee tried to imitate Riley when I took her picture...

After all of us got sunburned, we headed back inside again. Kylee had so much fun dancing to "Pump Up The Jam" in front of the "magnet dance" display...

Kylee & I headed to the reading area next, where I brushed up on my Spanish by reading "Oink, oink, Benito"...

Then it was back to the fishing area to play in the bubbles. When it was time to leave, Kylee wouldn't come out of the exhibit & no parents are allowed inside, so Riley came to the rescue...

When we got home, Heather & I decided that we might as well eat dinner together too. Lincoln cooked some burgers on our back patio & we had a little BBQ. Afterwards, the older girls played the iPad while the younger ones showed us their "tricks". Here's Kylee performing her favorite trick...

(Love the one slipper again & the big blob of something stuck to her other foot!)

Lincoln even did Kylee's signature trick...

It's so fun to have such good friends to spend time with on the weekends!