Our weekend

We were happy to spend a weekend the way that I guess most families spend weekends . . . together as a family! I was in desperate need of some more orientation and help getting around the city so we spent Saturday morning running a few errands, helping me feel more comfortable taking taxis and just having fun together. We only have two towels in our apartment and the washing and line drying was making it rather difficult to manage so we went to a department store and bought a few more to help with that situation. Getting around is my biggest challenge - as I knew it would be. It's difficult enough getting around the US in my own car with two little ones while pregnant and everyone speaking English so it is that much more difficult spending a lot of time on foot in a big city where no one understands me. Rhett wanted me to be more comfortable taking taxis so I didn't feel so tied to our apartment and neighborhood. It is quite cheap to take the taxis all over town. I feel better about it today but I feel like when Rhett is with me we get better prices and I don't like feeling like I'm being taking advantage of (even if it is $0.50). The picture above was taken at a great restaurant called El Pez Amigo here in Miraflores. I'm fairly certain that I ordered the lobster and rice but I ended up with shrimp and rice which while quite delicious wasn't lobster. I'll try again another time . . .

I find this quite funny - we brought 49.5 lbs (just under the 50lb limit) of books and various toys with us but this is how our kids spent the weekend - playing "taxi" and "airplane" in our entertainment center! The taxi is apparently taking them to the park and the airplane is taking them to Kenya. I love seeing Claire and Ford playing together. As an only child it looks like so much fun to have a sibling and I'm so happy for them and their special relationship. In case you are wondering, yes, that is a pink paci Ford has. They are his favorite. They are hot pink and say "Claire" on them but he loves them. We only use them at home or in the car to protect his tough guy reputation!

I had Claire's hair cut in a precious little bob right before we left on our trip. It required a little maintenance (a squirt of mousse and quick blow dry) but it was so cute. Well, as soon as we got south of the Equator her hair kinked right up curlier than it ever has been! It is really cute and is so low maintenace that I don't even really brush it. I guess that is what a little humidity can do!

Have I mentioned how much I love little boys in camo? Oh my, take my heart and smash it on the floor!

Thanks again for all of your prayers . . . here is an update.

Praises:
1. I am taking Spanish classes two nights a week with a group of people from Rhett's course. This will hopefully help me with language enough to get around a little more comfortably and give me an outlet to socialize a little bit. I'm thankful for this opportunity and that it is only costing about $5 a lesson.

2. Ford is settling in and sleeping well. The little guy just needed some extra reassurance since his whole world has been turned upside down in the last few weeks. After spending a few nights snuggled in tightly between Mommy and Daddy in our double bed he is back to sleeping in his crib but does require someone to hang out in there with him until he falls asleep which sometimes is 5 minutes and sometimes is an hour ;) Overall both of them are thriving in this environment and really enjoying having their Daddy around quite a bit more than he is in Birmingham.

Requests:

1. I've had a tough first week getting settled in and learning how to get around. I'm quite intimidated with my lackluster 10th grade Spanish (I got a C and it shows). Hopefully, my language classes will help me with this and by the end of our time here I hope to be comfortable. Please pray that I will gain confidence and feel more comfortable getting around.

2. Continued health and safety for our family. You might have heard about the earthquake that struck here just a little while ago. What I saw on the internet said it was a magnitude 5.8 and the epicenter was located about 100 miles from here. Quite unsettling to be on the 13th floor of a high rise with two small kids and the building start shaking. I was a little rattled but feeling more calm now that everything seems to be moving back at a normal pace outside. I haven't heard any reports of damage or injuries. Please just pray for protection for our family from any type of harm and wisdom, clarity and discernment in these types of situations.