Our friends, The Hawkes, invited us over to celebrate Christmas Eve with them. We ate a delicious dinner (I provided the potatoes, gravy, and rolls), re-enacted the nativity scene, decorated gingerbread houses, and overall just had a great time.

Guthrie and Adeline could hardly wait for the present-opening. They changed into their new PJ's from Grandma Guthrie and looked so cuddly, I just wanted to SQUEEZE them all!

Kyle's family has this wonderful tradition. After Christmas is all set up and the kids are asleep in their beds, mom and dad get out the cheese, crackers, salami and sparkling cider to relax before the chaos of Christmas morning.

These last pictures are from our ward Christmas party a week or so ago. :) I can't believe that after tomorrow, our 3rd (!!!) Christmas in Mexico will be over. It seemed like we'd be here FOREVER and now we're definitley on the down-slope.

Gingerbread fun!

My sweet friend Christine, baked us homemade gingerbread pieces and brought an amazing assortment of candy for us to decorate gingerbread houses. (AMAZING is an understatement considering she had to find them here in Mexico where most candy is CHILI flavored.)

This is the beginning. We had a lot of fun constructing houses that could withstand the earthquake made by 12 people piled around the table.

I got a kick out of the way she threw her arm around my neck for the picture. AWWWWW!
You can see here that we're making some progress as far as decoration goes. :)
Look behind me at our pretty poinsettias that Kyle planted! Its just so festive I can hardly stand it ;)
2/3 of my men. :) Guthrie had SO much fun and I know Kyle did too, even though he tried to pretend he was too cool.

Adeline posing (with a silly face) and her finished product. She did a LOT of this herself. I'll admit I helped with the little banana tree to the left. You know you love it.
Guthrie had a TEENY ;) bit of help from Kyle. He did design and construct the chimney column on the back of the house all. by. himself. He was so proud of his house. He kept telling people, "I have the coolest house ever. Do you want to see it?" (Even though they had ALREADY told him they loved his house and no doubt saw it countless times in the course of the activity.)

The greatest gift of all!

This week was our first official Christmas break week. Kyle is completely done with his rotations for the semester. Overall he really enjoyed them. If he had to pick out a specialty from his rotations at this point (Cardio, Gastro, Psych, Pneumo,ER) he would probably prefer ER. He was kind of happy to realize that was his favorite, because before this we were both pretty lost as to what he would enjoy doing. He just happened to be working late at the hospital one night when they had a serious trauma come in and came home with a total adrenaline rush. Not that it was great to see someone hurt, but he realized that he could handle himself well enough in these situations.

Other firsts for Kyle: 1st time stitching a wound close, 1st (and 2nd and 3rd) Pap Smear, to give; not receive ;), 1st time to roll his eyes in disgust at Mexican doctors and the belittling manipulative tactics that they sometimes use on patients. He had some good stories.

The kids Christmas Festival was among the CUTEST things I've ever witnessed in my life. It made me laugh out loud (once inappropriately). They used voice-over narrative to tell the nativity story, and I'm pretty sure they hired some Mexican Soap Opera actors to do it, because it was pretty dramatic-sounding. (Think Breathy, Soprano voice, seductively saying, "Joseph, I just can't wait!") Of course, the meaning wasn't entirely lost to me and I was touched that they can even mention Jesus and his life in a school environment. (1 point for Mexico) The dramatic voices were accompanied by solemn background music and then, with no warning, the latin-themed Christmas music would blare over the speakers and all the kids would break out in these perfectly choreographed moves. Like I said, SUPER cute.

Note to Family: I had my friend make you a copy so you can watch it on Christmas or before or after or whatever. I think you'll see what I was laughing about - you don't have to speak Spanish to find it funny ;)

Anyway, with the kids being sick all last weekend and just being run down - I spent the majority of the week just basking in the ability to be lazy. I even ditched my running buddy on Monday, Tuesday AND Wednesday (which led to a chastizing email; my quick apology; and our subsequent forgiving and forgetting.) I was actually feeling pretty gross from too much sleep, food, and downtime. Luckily, Kyle was slightly more motivated that I, and he continued to put in a good 4+ hours of studying everyday. I tease him about it ("I can't believe you love your books more than laying with your shower-less wife in the messy family room watching re-runs of Scrubs.") but really I'm glad he's keeping his groove. On Thursday and Friday, we still didn't do much, but I did at least get my run in those days and avoided being a bad buddy AGAIN. At some point in there, I did a lot of baking and we took a big box of goodies to the mission office so they could deliver it to an elder outside of the city. (Short version: Beth has a ward-member with a son serving here in Guadalajara - so we took advantage of the small world that is the LDS church and delivered him a Christmas package.)

Thankfully today we have some Christmas activities planned. A few friends are coming over for hot dogs and gingerbread houses. We'll get to do them twice this year because the Hawke's also invited us over for Christmas Eve to do a traditional dinner, a nativity reinactment, a gingerbread village, and our traditional Christmas Eve pajama-opening. (What are the chances that they do that too??? I thought it was a sign that we should do it together since we're all away from family for the holiday.)

So, I guess we let the festivities begin!

And the greatest gift?? Of course, the GREATEST greatest gift is Jesus' sacrifice for us all and now the gift of His gospel in our lives. But the other greatest gift is that I am no longer sleep-deprived, I'm getting to spend hours and hours each day with my husband and kids, and Christmas is almost here! Does it get any better??

American Academy Christmas Festival

Right after the performance, I gave Guthrie a hug and took his hat off. I immediately felt heat radiating from his head. Kyle thought maybe it was just warm because of the insulated hat, but I could tell during the program that he was tired. He kept yawning and looked so tired. He told me that his "hands hurt" and he couldn't do the moves to the songs. :(

Kyle and I had originally planned to make the night special (Sully was w/ my friend for the night.) so we decided to try taking them out to dinner. Guthrie claimed he was *so* hungry. We went to Chili's and no sooner had we ordered, Guthrie laid his head down on Kyle's lap and promptly fell asleep. One touch to his head confirmed the fever was definitely there. We ate quickly while he slept, and then drove home as fast as we could.

The next morning, Sullivan woke up with the same fever. We spent the last 48 hours with 2 sad, whiney, sleepy, feverish kids. I think they're both feeling a little better now - so we're going to attempt our ward party tonight.

Yesterday I rocked Sully for most of the day. He was finally willing to sit down on the chair alone for a minute so I could eat and use the restroom. Time kind of slipped away from me and I ended up on the computer for about 15 minutes before I realized I hadn't heard a peep from him.

It just broke my heart to see my poor guy crashed on the chair like this. This was about 5:30 pm and he slept the rest of the night off and on. (Waking up only to cry and have his diaper changed.)
Because Guthrie was sick, Adeline went to the school party on Friday all by herself. The kids didn't have to wear uniforms. Adeline picked out her outfit and told me she wanted "4 ponies" in her hair. lol!

Tagged!

I was tagged by ASHLEY !

Hmmmm, I don't think I can come up with 7 *interesting* things about me - but I guess it didn't say they had to be interesting; only random. Random is something I can definitely do.

1. I have gypsy-blood. Not genetically, of course. But I can hardly stand to stay still for 2 minutes, let alone stay living in 1 house for more than a year. I sometimes complain about moving all the time and having "no roots", but I wouldn't have it any other way. We've been married for 6.5 years and are currently living in our 10th house. We will move again to NYC and again to wherever our residency is (all within the next 2.5 years.) By the time Guthrie is 9 years old, he will have moved 11 times. I don't really know how to Spring Clean. . .I prefer Spring Moving. (although, truth-be-told we usually move in June.) I'm hoping that its not politically incorrect to use the term "gypsy" so loosely. Please let me know if that is actually offensive to *real* gypsies.

2. I dropped out of high school when I was 16. I woke up one day and realized that I really, truly, unequivocally hated school and if I was forced to step through those doors one more day I just might come unglued. For some reason, my mom was in an understanding mood that day. I withdrew myself, drove to the local community college to take the GED, enrolled in college, and took the ACT (I scored a 33) all in the same week. My younger brothers and sister were really excited when I did it. They thought it would pave the way for them. It didn't. My mom wasn't so understanding when they declared their hatred for school. Go figure.

3. I am a self-proclaimed birth junkie. I want to have a million kids. I love children, but more than that; I love birth. I never took drugs as an adolescent(maybe that should be its own entry) but I think the "high" I feel after having a baby has to compare. My last baby was born in a tub at a birth center in Phoenix with midwives. I have dreams of having my next baby at home with no one but my husband and myself. I can't think about it too much though, because I might convince myself that I need to have another baby *right now*! And really, that's not what I want. So, if you're pregnant and want someone to come hold your hand, or massage your back, or just cheer you on; you know who to call. If I thought it wouldn't horrify you, I would offer to show you all of my videos of giving birth. Don't worry, I know it would horrify you ;)

4. My husband and I met on a blind date* I planned on getting married when I was 25* I actually got married just after I turned 19* This has always embarrassed me for some reason* The older I get, the less I care* For 2 years prior to meeting my husband, I went out with no less than 20 blind and first dates* I went on ZERO second dates* I wouldn't have gone on a 2nd date with my husband* It bugged me that he didn't ask for my phone number* It bugged me so much, that I proceeded to convince myself that he was the *only* date in 2 years that I would have actually enjoyed seeing again* He called the next day* I was pretty dumb thinking he couldn't figure out how to get my phone number* I'm glad now that he didn't ask for it, I would have made up an excuse to not give it to him* My mom still laughs at some of the lies I would tell a guy to avoid giving out my phone number.

5. I have no taste in music. I recognize when I hear a song I like, but I couldn't name 3 current bands/groups/musicians without embarrassing myself. When left to my own devices, I will listen to Country music, the Wicked Soundtrack, or some really old Dawson's Creek soundtrack that has "It feels like home" by Natalia something-or-other. (See, I told you I can't name singers; and for all I know, she's not even a CURRENT singer.) I listen to the same 6 CD's in our CD changer over and over again. So much so, that my 5 year old can sing almost every word to "My baby loves me just the way that I am." Yes, he even says the "damn" word. When I sing it, I always say "darn." Still. I use swear words at other times, but can't shake the habit of editing Martina McBride. 2 of the 6 CD's are for kids. The Discovery Kids make a *mean* (as in good) kid's CD. If you see it, buy it. If your kids don't like it, I'll give you your money back. *You* might not like it. I will *not* give your money back for that.

6. I really, REALLY like to bake. I love the finished product and the relative cleanliness of the process. I don't really like to cook (as in dinner); more pans, dishes, ingredients, and mess involved. I probably cook a solid meal twice a week. I try to cook large meals so the leftovers can count for tomorrow's dinner. The other days we enjoy quesadillas, frozen entrees, and pasta (which hardly counts as cooking in my book.) I try to tell myself that I'll enjoy cooking in our future gourmet kitchen. I haven't figured out what my excuse will be after that.

7. I'm pretty non-confrontational. If you're ever in the mood to be assertive, condescending, opinionated, rude, overbearing, unfair, or otherwise intolerable; I'm your woman. I'll never call you out on it. I have a hard time being friends with people who are confrontational. Truly confrontational people are driven completely nuts by my lack of confrontation, and they usually want to fight my battles. I won't even confront my husband for the most part. I'm a subtle clue-dropper. My clues are usually too subtle. Sometimes he confronts me about this.

I tag. . .Serin, Tanya, Shanda, Kaylea, Jenn, Becky, and Dusty.

I promise, you won't hurt my feelings if you don't do it. It would be fun to find out more about you though.

Waivers SHmaivers.

Tonight, Kyle and I went to dinner and a movie to celebrate his 28th birthday.

Happy birthday, babe! I love you so much. I can't wait for the days when your birthday means a trip to Hawaii and expensive presents. I have a feeling that when those days come, we'll be longing for these adventurous times here in Mexico. Thanks for all you're doing for our family. *BIG KISS!*

After our date night, we headed for the basement where we parked. We were exiting the parking garage through one of those circular concrete ramps. As we're driving up the ramp, I see this. . .

I got pretty excited because this is the kids' school. It has really been a wonderful school for the kids. They put so much effort into making it more than just a drop-off for kids. They really want our kids to learn to love education and to make friends.

If I didn't love the school before, I DEFINITELY love them after I saw this. . .

See that 3ftx3ft picture of the blonde girl with pig tails with the incredibly contagious smile?? Yep, that's MY little spunky blonde girl. I SCREAMED when I realized it was her. Isn't it hilarious that they can put your child on a billboard here and never even ask your permission?? (Of course, I would have given it to them.) How cool is that to have my daughter plastered all over the wall of the local mall?? If any of you are in the neighborhood of Plaza Pabellon in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, you should definitely stop by to gush :p

Child of the Week

This was a special day for Guthrie because he is the "Child of the Week." Kyle and I were supposed to plan a short activity for the class and basically just show up to make Guthrie feel special. How cute is that?

Kyle wore his white coat and brought his stethoscope. He talked to the kids about being healthy and then let them all listen to a heartbeat. We also brought them pictures to color of a doctor.

Sullivan wasn't all that happy to be kept waiting in the corridor before we went into the classroom.

Addie's Birthday

Adeline's birthday party was a hit. We had about 40 people show up at the park. You can see that she loved her pinata of Bell from Beauty and the Beast. The cake was kind of a disaster in that it was supposed to read "Feliz Cumpleanos Adeline and Kyle." Instead it said, "Feliz Cumpleanos Adeline Kile." You'd think that I DIDN'T write it out for them. Our friend April made Adeline that adorable hat and scarf. I want a set for myself now. She looks so cute in it.

Orphanage Pics

These are some of my great friends here in Guadalajara. These girls were so happy to have their room decorated. For Christmas, the consulate is having a fundraiser to provide them all with sheets and pillows for their beds.
Sullivan was surprisingly happy while we were there with the other kids. He just demanded all-you-can-eat animal crackers.
This little guy in the middle is about the size of a 6-month old, but he's actually 4 years old. He was born with Hydrocephaly, which has slowed his growth and development. He has the most docile disposition and has actually started to cruise around the furniture, so he's making progress. He melts my heart like you can't believe and I seriously want to snatch him up and take him home!
These were the youngest kids. They're all 1 and 2 years old. They were absolutely hilarious while they ate breakfast. Don't you just want to hug and squeeze them all??

Brain-dump

I feel like I just had a catch-up spree and here I am all behind again. A condensed version of the last few days:

Friday- The kids were home from school for teacher prep day. We spent the morning cleaning and getting ready. Around lunch time I took them to run errands at Costco, after which we enjoyed a hot dog and shared a sundae. Some friends came over around 2 so we could sort through all of our socks and underwear for the orphanage. The pile of donations in my dining room began reasonably enough, but quickly overtook area. Friday evening, Kyle and I got as fancy shmancy as we know how and arrived at the kids' school for our Adults-only Christmas Posada. We were rediculously prompt, arriving at exactly 8 p.m. as directed by the invitation. Of course, we were the only couple there for the first hour or so (other than our American friends, the Hawkes) - and we were rewarded for our punctuality by being the ONLY persons kept waiting for 2 and a half hours until dinner was served. Yep, that's right; we didn't eat until 10:30 p.m. You've got to love this latin, laid-back way of life. I "won" by default our tables raffle for a beautiful pewter tray, candle, and some little colored beads that made it all look very festive. We got home around 12:30 and didn't make it to bed until 2 a.m. Somehow, I drew the short straw and had to get up with the kids in the morning. Which brings us to. . .

Saturday - I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but I think I let Kyle sleep until about 8:45, then he took over the kids so I could meet my friends for a run. It ended up only being 2 of us, so we kicked it up a notch and finished in record time. I was back home by 10 ish to find Kyle asleep on the couch, Sully's diaper stinky, and the kids eating muffins on the carpet that I just cleaned and officially called a "no food zone." I don't blame him though, I was pretty tired myself. Somehow I convinced him that it would be fun to get dressed and run errands. We managed to drag ourselves and the kids to WalMArt so I could buy all the fruit for the orphanage project and pick up a few things for dinner. Shopping on Saturday in Mexico at Christmas time is total mayhem, but nobody went completely crazy and we made it out unscathed. We made some BBQ pork ribs for dinner. I give them a 6 out of 10. . . they were much better the next day as leftovers. ;)

Sunday - Stake conference helped us decide to use Sunday as a "free day." We were completely lazy all morning. I'm pretty sure I took a few naps and I read through Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time. We ate a really late lunch and got the kids to bed a little after 7. As soon as they were in bed, I started tackling the madness that awaited me.

I washed and soaked all the apples and pears for the orphanage. Kyle noticed that some of the bananas had already turned too slimy, so he picked out the good ones and I added bananas to my shopping list for the morning. I did a few loads of laundry so the kids would have clean uniforms. Why do I always save that for Sunday night?? I remembered that Guthrie is the "Child of the Week" at school this week, so I picked out his favorite toys to take to school on Monday. I poured all the juice bottles into our giant 5 gallon water bottles. At some point, we loaded everything for the orphanage into the car and shortly after, I fell asleep on the couch whiel I waited for laundry to be done.

Monday - This morning was slightly more hectic than last night, because I didn't have Kyle's help. I woke up before everyone and managed to shower and dress first thing. I boiled eggs and made hot cocoa and toast for the kids' breakfast while simultaneously making grilled cheese sandwhiches for their lunch. I had lunches packed, breakfast on the tables, and clothes set out before I woke up the kids; this definitely helped. They ate and dressed with relatively little fuss and somewhere in there I managed to blow-dry my hair and put on a little bit of makeup. We were out the door in record time (8:00 a.m.)

After I dropped them off at school, I ran to the store for plastic cups and a few more bananas and then headed for the orphanage, where I hoped a LOT of people were waiting to help me unload the car.

There were a few people there, and for a while I was disappointed at the turnout of volunteers. As soon as we had the table for breakfast set up, 5 more people walked in; and 10 minutes after, another 5 people showed up. I was pleasantly surprised to have so many of us to help out and it ended up being a LOT of fun. The most fun of all were the "Maternal" age group. They are ages 1-2.99;) The kids were just too quirky and funny about all of it. They all wanted bananas (which turned out to be good because most of the older kids wanted pears and apples.) Some of these kids are just gorgeous and it breaks your heart for all of them to be in this situation. I was encouraged to hear that Mexico has recently changed their laws and has actually made it easier for foreigners to adopt Mexican children, so if any of you have room in your houses and hearts - I'll pass the phone number of the orphanage on; just let me know. There really aren't any "babies", but they have plenty of kids from 1-16 years who are just amazing.

After we served breakfast, and left all the new underwear and socks with the director, we helped Shelley and her friends hang curtains and wall decorations in the boys' and girls' dormitories. Her mom sewed everything herself, and it was so fun to see the girls reaction to their new setup. I really think they were touched and excited about it.

I'll post some pictures later today. It was such an awesome experience. I'll admit that in the middle of preparations, I lost a little of the focus about *why* we were doing it. Now, I can see that any stress was totally worth the outcome.

Adeline and Kyle's birthday party is tomorrow, so this afternoon will be all about preparing for that. I'm actually really excited to see her face. This is her first "official" party, complete with guests, activities, and presents. I can't wait to share this experience with her.