Falling leaves

Autumn is here!  Warm days mixed with a few cool ones here and there and very cool nights.  I was driving down a certain road that I love in the fall because of all the big trees and beautifully changing leaves.  I was thinking, "I have seen this before and I purposefully drove this way to see these things because I knew they were here."  So that might sound a bit crazy, but it was a realization of the fact that we have been here long enough to see seasons again, to know what to look for, and where to see it.  I love living here and I feel that this is home...almost.
There is always that part of me that knows this is temporary.  I never felt that this when we moved in the US even though we moved often.  But here the talk is always, how long have you been here, when do you go back, where will you return to.  There is always this little part of me that just can't quite get comfortable and fully settled.  So thinking about this second fall coming and being here has been good because it reminds me that life moves, it grows, it has it's up and downs no matter where life takes you.  I miss the US, but I love living here too.  My life is not perfect and maybe not the ideal life for all people, but I get to share it with the 5 loves of my life.  And life may not always be exciting, but we are here together and we can do these hard things together and we can also experience the joy together.

And with that I will give a little run down of our week.

Arts in Action -- A celebration of the art, music, and dance.

Cute Drew!

He is always in the very back, so to get this I had to go right up front and embarrass my 7th grader, good thing he loves me.

Easton was having a hard day so he skipped jardin (preschool) and was great company for me.

Can you find Mason?

Cub Scout Activity - A trip to a car collector's museum for inspiration for the Pinewood Derby.  With two boys in cub scouts, that means for the second and last time Mark will help two boys make cars.

This was the boys favorite room by far...tanks and military trucks to climb on, in, and under. 

For Grandpa Hamilton...Go Beavers! 

Easter Weekend

Easter was fairly low key this year.  But it was good because it allowed for less bunny and more of the truth of Easter.

 The kids had Thursday and Friday off, which was a well needed break.  We spent Thursday doing a few fun things.  As my kids said, we stunk up the kitchen with vinegar.  Once the windows were open, the fun began.  We also went and had lunch with dad at work.

 

We had Drew's class pet, Charlie, for the weekend.  How lucky are we, we got to have the Easter bunny on the perfect weekend.  

The bunny always visits on Saturday morning (we made a deal with the bunny when Mason was a year or two old).

Finding the goods.

Taking inventory.

We are so grateful to have had a weekend to be at home and think on the amazing things our Savior, Jesus Christ has done and continues to do for each of us.  We had some deep discussions about the events of the Atonement, death, and resurrection of Christ.  I am amazed by my children and their knowledge and understanding of the gospel.

Cub Scout Campout March 15 and 16

The three younger boys and I headed 75 kilometers south to spend Friday afternoon and all day Saturday (we got back really late...to say goodbye to Mark who left at 5am Sunday for Brasil).  We were exhausted, but it was a very good weekend spent out doors and with friends.  And the night sky was spectacular...I have never seen so much and so clearly of the night sky, even space clouds, like the Magellan clouds.  It was so beautiful and even among the 25 cub scouts running and screaming I was hit with a deep appreciation to God for the beauty of this world.

My boys were able to hike, zip line, swim, participate in skits, run, bike, and enjoy their friends.  You never know how those things are going to go, but it was so well done.  It was hard on Easton as he ended up not feeling well, but he did fairly well.

One good thing about camping with less people is that I only had to put up the small tent.

Learning about taking care of our environment

So this campout was a bit of a cheat as we ate all meals in the cafeteria prepared by the employees of the campsite.  Really roughing it you know!

Because

Everyone needs a little Calvin and Hobbes in their life!  I remember my dad and younger brother reading Calvin and Hobbes all the time when I was a kid.  And now my kids love them.  In fact a couple of weeks ago was spirit week at the middle school and each day had a different theme.  One day was fictional character day and Mason went as Calvin, carrying a stuffed tiger owned by Drew.  Calvin will always remind me of my boys.  The curiosity, adventure, imagination, and that little bit of crazy and mischief of Calvin's makes me smile and think just how great it is to be the mom of 4 boys.  Sure keeps me on my toes!

Teenager!?!

A few weeks ago my baby turned 13!  There is now a teenager in our home.  We celebrated a bit differently this year because he was gone on a week long camp for Week Without Walls at school.  The seventh grade made there way 8 hours south to a beautiful place in the mountains to learn teamwork, confidence, and ecology.  So we went to lunch, opened presents, and then had cake the weekend before.  Then on the 23rd we made our way with five 13 year old boys to the local amusement park.  It was a good time.  Mason had his cell phone and off he and his friends (and brother Dallin) went to ride all the rides that make my stomach spin and neck ache.  We crossed paths to check in with them every once in a while or to get them food.  Mason and friends said it was a big success.

 

The weekend before his birthday.  

 At Fantasilandia with friends!

Mason has a good sense of humor and can make me laugh loudly.  Mason is protective of his brothers (even though they don't always appreciate it now, they will) and family.  Mason is extremely intelligent and can draw conclusions from things he studies that surprise me and leave me in awe often times.  Mason is adventurous and willing to try new things.  He can be stubborn, which can drive a mom crazy and yet make me so proud that he will not back down on his standards.  I love this little guy!  Mason, thank you for making me a mom!

Adventure is out there

The last Saturday my parents were here, Mark, Mason, Drew, Easton, and Grandpa headed up into the Andes mountains to find some adventure.  Dallin went to a birthday party and my mom and I headed to Pomaire.  A great little town about 30 km out of Santiago that is famous for it's blocks and blocks and more blocks of earth ware pottery (it is a fun place to shop for there are deals like you can't believe).  My mom and I were successful in our shopping and the boys were successful in adventure.

A few little things

What have we been doing in between all of our trips and excursions this summer?

Easton had swim lessons.  And I have been trying for 2 days to get a video of it uploaded with no success, so I just have to share that he went from floaties and Never putting his face in to swimming under water for 5-6 feet.  Wow.  Now we just have to keep it up so he keeps improving.

Lots of this. 

And this too.

My parents and I went to the LDS temple in Santiago.

Hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa.

We took my parents to our favorite Thai restaurant.  This is the outside, it is not marked and looks a little sketchy, but as they say, never judge a book by its cover.  You just have to walk through the gate to see it's an amazing place with fantastic food.  And the look on my parents face when we said this is the place - priceless.

Have you ever done perlers?  They are these tiny little plastic things that end up all over you house that occupy your kid for hours and once they finish, you iron it and make little projects that your kids think are great.  And I am amazed...Easton sat still for hours working on these.  He has been making them the last 3 weeks or so, but sadly we ran out earlier this week.

Look what happens when your entertainment goes back to school and your mom gets in the shower.  You take over 50 pictures of yourself and the ceiling using photo booth and all it's options.

Just a reminder of the magnificent place we live in.