Colegio Dalton

The morning before we went to El Bosque we took a tour of Daniel's old school. His mom and aunts actually attended this same school.

Daniel's sister Lucy, Tia Gloria, the Headmistress, and Daniel's mom Lucy

Students in PE class

This little boy in class made me imagine Daniel attending here when he was younger. We made quite the disruption. They had a professional photographer there to document our visit and gave us a full tour of the school. All the students were so distracted. I felt bad for the teachers, but many of them remembered Daniel and his family and came out to greet us. Sam was a big hit.

This is one of Daniel's former teachers.

Here is Daniel's mom at a fruit cart. The avocados and cherimoyas were so delicious.

First Day in Lima

I finally got together with Israel and Melissa and got a copy of their pictures so I can fill in the gaps on the days I forgot to bring our camera. These are pictures from our first day in Lima when we went to "The Bridge of Sighs" and the ocean lookout in Barranco, the district where Tia Gloria lives.

Barranco is a very artsy part of Lima. The buildings are older (much of the architecture in Lima is really modern) and it is a center for folk music and art. It has a reputation for being very romantic. While we were in this little plaza a group of street musicians played an old song and everyone started to dance and sing. It was kind of cool.

This old church is famous, there are pictures of it on Google Earth, there are always a lot of Gallinosos (big, vulturey, chicken hawk birds) perched all around it. I cannot remember the name.

Here we all are at the lookout. It is strange that Lima is so close to the ocean. I would forget how close we were, and then all of a sudden there it was.

One of my favorite parts of the trip: eating. This is "lunche". It is an evening snack of some type of bread and something hot to drink. I have to appreciate a culture that schedules about 6 meals a day. Yummy!

Mirabus Tour of Central Lima

We left El Bosque at about noon and had lunch at Pardo's Chicken and then we took a double decker bus tour of downtown Lima. It was beautiful.

I loved the colonial balconies built by the Spanish colonists. They were very jealous about their wives, so they built elaborate balconies that the women could see out of, but nobody could see into. Many are in disrepair, but there has recently been a movement to restore downtown Lima. A lot of the balconies have been adopted and restored by individuals and companies.

I think this was either the congress building or the library. (My Spanish is sometimes not so good.)

We had the best seats on the bus.

For a change a pace I thought I would answer the meme Cassie sent me forever ago.

Four Things About a lot of Things

4 Jobs I Have Held

1. Registered Nurse at Utah Valley Emergency Room. Oh the stories I could tell you. People are weird, really weird.
2. Loan Shark. Well, not really, but I was the assistant office manager at Quik Check. Giving high interest loans to those who can least afford them.
3. Intern at the Naval Reactor Facility. Early mornings, long days, creepy guys; ahh memories. But it was good money and sometimes kind of interesting.
4. Night Manager at Papa Kelsey's Pizza. Actually more fun than I had expected. I worked with fun people and got to come home every night smelling like grease. (Okay, the last part not so good.)

4 Movies I Can Watch Over and Over

1. Gone With the Wind. "After all, tomorrow is another day." I love that show and still fantasize about wearing a hoop skirt.
2. Return to Me. Love the music, love the old guys, good memories, good show.
3. The Gilmore Girls series. I own them all thanks to my wonderful husband who always gives the best gifts.
4. The Godfather I and II. Violent, I know, but there is something fascinating about the mob isn't there.

4 Places I Have Lived

1. Our Little House on Twelfth North. It's been an adventure. Amen
2. Our Little House in George Washington's backyard. Alexandria, Virginia for the summer. We stayed in the basement of a beautiful house less than a mile from Mount Vernon. It was pretty cool.
3. Our Little (little) House. Our Provo apartment when we were first married was tiny, but we lived right next door to some good friends and it was just perfect.
4. My Little House on Leona Circle. Where I lived most of my life. I love Idaho Falls. It's a good place.

4 Categories of TV Programming I Enjoy

1. Cop shows: I know! I love Law & Order, but my dirtier secret is that I even like COPS and all those shows where the cops chase people and I like those shows on court TV with the deep voiced announcer who tells you all about Suzy Homemaker and her secret life that ended in Murder! I just can't help but get sucked in.
2. LOST: Not really a category, but in reality, a category within itself. Confused? Yeah that's right.
I am a Lostie. I love it. Daniel and I watch it together even if we have to tape it and watch it later. It's our thing.
3. Comedy: The Office, Scrubs, Frasier, Becker. I have lots of favorites
4. Gilmore Girls: Again, not a category and yeah I already mentioned it in the movie category, but I Luhove this show. I think it is hilarious and one of the wittiest best written shows ever.

4 Places I've Been on Holiday

1. London: When I arrived in London after my all night 16 hour flight I was a little giddy. I was excited and TIRED! The customs officer had the funniest accent (everyone had a funny accent, they were British, I was sleep deprived, and I found it unbelievably funny). He asked me, "Wot is the purpus of your visit?" and I laughed and said, "What?" He repeated himself, very seriously and I laughed again and said, "What?" Then he said "Are you on 'oliday?" And I said, "No, I'm here on vacation." He rolled his eyes and stamped my passport. Stupid Teenaged American.
2. Peru: So fun. We are already planning our next trip there.
3. Oregon Coast: A beach house with all the family, yummy seafood, walks on the beach. If it was warmer it would be paradise, but it is almost as good.
4. Pella, Iowa. My own little Amsterdam. I really like this little town. Visited the first time with my family on a road trip to Nauvoo. Daniel and I stayed in a bed and breakfast there on the way back to Utah from Virginia.

4 of My Favorite Dishes

1. Corn Chower, Blue Cheese Walnut Salad, and a Pumpkin muffin from Mimi's. Yummy.
2. Grilled Steak Alfredo from Olive Garden. Balsamic glaze and blue cheese is so, so good.
3. Arroz con Pollo or Lomo Saltado. Peru has good food.
4. Shredded Chicken Salad from Cafe Rio.

4 Websites I Visit Daily

1. yahoomail.com
Nobody ever emails me though.
2. blogspot.com
I visit Lindsay and Cassi and Courtney and then I always feel like a voyeur, but I visit the site of a friend of Lindsay's. I don't even know this person, but her blog is so funny. I read it every day and I feel like we're friends. She has no idea who I am. Is that creepy? I hope not.
3. ihc.net
Stupid work
4. livejournal.com
My friend Ashley is so funny and I don't feel like a spy when I read her goings on. My friend Debby from high school has a journal here too. I like blogs for keeping up with people. It's so convenient.

4 Places I'd Rather Be Right Now

1. Vacation. I like it so much better than real life.
2. Visiting my family in Idaho
3. Visiting Daniel's family in Virginia
4. Ikea: It's my new Mecca. I really like it.

4 Friends to Tag with this Meme
1. Ashley
2. Debby
3&4 Everyone else

Horses and the Playground: El Bosque Day Three

They had an awesome playground that Daniel remembers from when he was little. Sam loved the swings.

This was a really cool pirate ship.

Sam and I rode Penguino.

Melissa and Israel

Israel, Tia Gloria, Sam and Daniel, Tia Mary, Abuelita Lucy, Tia Lucy, Abuelito Israel, Jenna and Tati

Feeding Geese in El Bosque: Day Two

Everyone loves me! I am so loveable! I am so cute! Give me kisses! Everyone loves me!

Melissa and Israel with the crazy geese. These geese had creepy blue eyes and would attack your boat for bread. They actually bit Melissa and Israel.

Daniel was our boat rower. He did a good job staying ahead of the mob of geese.

Sam wasn't sure what to think. He liked them, but they were a little scary.

Walking around with Tia Gloria

Swimming in El Bosque: Day Two

The second day in El Bosque we went swimming. It was actually a really nice day, warm and sunny, but the water was FREEZING! Sam seemed to like it though.

He was really excited and splashed a lot. He only swam for about five minutes because I didn't want him to get hypothermia. I stayed in for a while and had a blast.

Daniel wasn't so brave. He never got in, but he and Sam soaked up the rays poolside.

The brave swimming babes: Jenna, Lucita, Melissa, Lucy

Sam and Abuelito Israel bonding

Here we are eating yummy lunch. So good! I miss the food.
We ate at the snack bar (which had the same menu basically as the restaurant) because it was convenient and also because we were still in our swimming suits and banned from the restaurant upstairs.

El Bosque Country Club: Day One

When we first got to Peru it was about 6:00 AM, so we went straight to bed and that afternoon had lunch at Tia Gloria's and walked to a really cool bridge and ocean lookout. We of course didn't have our cameras that day, so we are waiting to trade pictures with Daniel's brother who didn't have his camera in El Bosque. We went to the country club the second day in Peru. It is about an hour away from Lima and it was so nice. We had such a great time there that we wished we could have stayed longer.

Sam and his Abuelito feeding the geese.

Sam and Aunt Melissa

Sammy was fascinated by the stones in the pavement. He tried to step only on the circles. He liked to touch the little stones and slide his feet like an ice skater. He also liked to chase the pigeons.

This was a yummy restaurant where we had lunch the first day. The food in Peru is so good and so cheap. The entrees were all less than $5.00 (and this is the fancy restaurant where you aren't allowed to come in your swimsuit. More on that tomorrow)

All Hail The Birthday King!

Sammy's first birthday was on the Fourth of July. We celebrated a few days early in Peru. Daniel's aunts threw an amazing party for Sam and we all had a lot of fun. Everyone was so kind and generous to us during our stay in Peru. We can't thank them enough.

Look at all the yummy treats. There were so many good things to eat. This is a picture of Daniel's grandmother "Tati", Tia Judy, Tia Mary, Tia Gloria, and Sam's "Abuelita".
Sam loved being the center of attention. He now expects applause for every little thing he does.

Here's Sam cutting the cake. In the picture from left to right are cousin Angela, Tia Lucy, cousin Silvana, and Tio Aldo

Sam really had a good time. He crawled on all fours for the first time and then entertained everyone with some pretty great walking. He walked to and from people for a good 45 minutes, giggling the whole time and soaking up the applause.

One of the best things about our trip was being able to spend time with Daniel's parents. They loved getting to know Sam and he loves his Abuelitos.

This is Tati and Tia Judy decorating Sam's cake.
(We have lots more pictures to post, but I thought I'd start with the birthday party.)

We have arrived! We are home from Peru and were met at the door by all the stresses of real life rushing back full force. I was afflicted with a horrible and much delayed case of Montezuma's revenge. It was truly awful. I stared to have a little stomach ache on the plane back to the US, but by the time we got home I was miserable. But the really bad part was that upon opening the door we were met by a wall of stench. Disaster of all vacation disasters: Rotten Fridge.
Daniel being the ever cautious, fabulous husband that he is, was worried about the electrical breaker to the dryer causing a fire while we were gone so he turned it off, but unfortunately he also accidentally tripped the breaker to the fridge as well. Let me tell you, no power, record high temperatures and a fridge and freezer full of perishable foods is a foul combination.
Bless Daniel's soul. He deserves a million billion points for emptying the fridge and freezer and completely cleaning it, maggots and all. I can't even imagine. He cleaned it with bleach water, baking soda and water, took it outside and cleaned it, scrubbed the drip pan, cleaned the condenser and coils and yet the stink goes on. Last night we plugged it in and following the many suggestions found all over the Internet I soaked paper towels in vanilla and put them in the fridge. We have spread baking soda on baking sheets and put them in the fridge and freezer, but nothing is working. My next step is to buy coffee beans and stuff them in nylon stockings. That was a suggestion from a Hurricane Katrina victim. The house reeks. It is nearly 100 degrees outside and Sam is the grumpiest one year old ever. Since we've been home he is so whiny and needy and wants to be held all day. I think he doesn't feel well (he has a bad cough and cold and diarrhea). I am nearly at my wits end. If I had an extra $500 bucks I'd just buy a new fridge. It is vile. Suggestions anyone?