Rosario

Last Monday, the 20th, my husband had the day off.  The annual Christian Carnival had commenced.  Many countries celebrate Christian Carnival (especially Brazil), & each country has their own twist on it, but essentially, ‘God is blindfolded for one week’ allowing mankind to do whatever they want.  Yikes.

So…we decided to avoid the hoopla & drive to Rosario (about 2 hours away).  It rained the entire day, but we had a great time.  We visited El Monumento de la Bandera which is a beautiful monument honoring the Argentine flag.

Nathan’s guardian angels watching o’er…

Sitting next to the creator of the Argentine flag.  Carlie is in shock. 

She was probably looking at this…

AnnMarie took this last picture. She must share my love of doors. ;)

Life Is Good

Lately, my life has been busy.  No more than all of you, I’m sure.  Mothering never stops.  Never.  I’m beginning to seriously question my ability to handle three.

At any rate, I’ve been relearning how to live in South America.  Before coming back to Argentina earlier this month, I was convinced that I WOULD find a more efficient way do things here – from cooking, to cleaning, to socializing, to integrating my children into society, to getting from Point A to Point B, everything.  I was going to make this experience easier.

Hmm…let’s stop right there. 

“Character cannot be developed in ease & quiet.”  - Helen Keller

Ease?  Yeah, that’s probably not a good goal.  How about efficient though?  One problem, I’m 5 months pregnant, & let’s face it, I’m getting slower by the minute.  (In my defense, pregnancy hormones have been proven to cause short-term memory loss.  Oh well.)

So efficient or not, we’ll smile because after all, each day is a gift.  Life is so good.

(And…Uncle Nate’s still here…. and will be for 2 more months….Woohoo!  We’re so lucky.)

 

 

A Good Delay

Phew!  I made it back to Argentina…but only with the help of my little brother.  Nathan traveled with me, & I don’t know how I would’ve done it without him.  Traveling that far never gets easier, but I have gotten better at  taking in each moment a little more & enjoying the journey full of all it’s little surprises.

Speaking of surprises, we had a 4 hour delay in SLC which was extended by 2 hours due to an exterior decal on the plane that wasn’t positioned just right – yeah, I don’t know what that was all about.  While waiting, we spotted Elder Holland at a nearby gate.  This was a huge deal for us!  You can read more about him HERE.

Since it was a Wednesday, there were plenty of missionaries in the airport who wanted his attention, but he found a moment to visit with us.  It was amazing.  He asked, “So you’re traveling to Argentina…with these two little kitties?  That’s wonderful!”  His enthusiasm was a boost, & he was so proud of Nathan’s recent return from the Roseville, CA mission.  He thanked us for our efforts, & told Nathan to ‘keep that Roseville look about him.’  AnnMarie was so cute – she said she picked out her favorite sticker & gave it to him.  She appears to be going through her selection in the picture ;)!

We had a few mishaps in Atlanta, but essentially, due to the delay in SLC, we missed our flight to Buenos Aires.  Luckily, Delta Airlines gave us a free hotel voucher along with plenty of meal vouchers.  It was crazy, but after 3 solid days of traveling across the world, we made it.

As for now, I’m resting, adjusting, & enjoying my little brother.  I’m so happy to be with my husband again & especially grateful for the girls to have their dad back.