One week down

So I have been here one week. I did fall apart today. I learned last night that Ken and my brother will not be here till around June 8th. This will be a full month since i have seen him. I miss him a great deal, but I got to Skype with him alot today and it helped alot. I needed to talk to him. I am better now. I got out for a jog today and saw some beautiful country out of the town. i do like it here. Things are simple here.
Some interesting things, we buy milk in a small bag and pour it into a pitcher at home to keep in the frig. We buy small amounts of fresh bread everyday or two. It is yummy. I am sure I am going to gain wieght. Wine is CHEAP! eggs are expensive. Meat cheap. I accidentally bought lamb the other day, but it was very good. I will probably get it again. Honey is think and not clear like ours. Pastries are everywhere. It is common to have tea(or coffee) and cake around 4 or 5 then eat supper at 8 ish. Things just run on a different schedule here. I have figured out that in order to have hot water throughout my shower I have to turn on the cold water in the bathroom sink. I am getting better at the fire aqnd not burning myself. People here are very nice and the country side is gorgeous, reminds me of Maryland and Pennsylvania.

In Villarica

So we made it to Villarica early Sat morning. It was raining, but we managed tp walk to the cabana where Carmen welcomed us and fed us a nice breakfast. We sat for a while. Carmen took us to the store. We had no wifi. I took a much needed shower and nap!!!! Kids watched spanish cartoons. Later we bundled and went out into the rain tp find an adaptor for the computer. We also located a larger supermarket. Got a few other things. Back to the cabana, supper in my wee kitchen. And then we all snuggled in together in the living room in front of the fire. Late we got a knock, 2 of the 4 suitcases had arrived. YEAH!!!! Clean underwear. it was like christmas opening those 2 bags. Alot of the items were wet so I laid them all around the living room to dry. FYI, there is a learning curve to tending a fire for heating your home and keeping it going at night and while you are out. I am learning and have the burns to prove it. Life is very simple here. I am enjoying that. Sunday it is still raining. We venture out and try very very hard to find wifi. Dispite getting soaked we were unsucceessful. By Monday moring I am feeling a bit more rested and normal and the sun is shining. We find wifi cafe and a friend of my brothers who is british and therefore, speaks English. YEAH!!!!!!! They hang out with us and treat us to lunch. We also get to see the beautiful Volcanoe which had been hidden by the clouds.
Some other interesting things have occured but I will save them for another day.

My hubby and brother are in Costa RIca trying to get the truck on a ship. Have been told flying the dogs on Copa will not be a problem. Hope they can get the truck taken care of. Please keep them in your prayers.

In Chile....Getting There

The Kids and I have made it to Chile. Thursday Morning we caught a flight out of Dallas to Miami. Our flight was 1h and 45 min. delayed and I only had a 2 h layover in Miami. Needless to say, we missed our next flight. Although I did force the children to run like crazy through the airport. Theodore almost threw up and they were both sheet white when we made it to the airline who informed us it was too late. This was almost 5pm. So back to AA to wait in line forever. I do not know if it was because I had 2 pittiful looking kids with me or what, but AA was very good to us. They put us on a direct flight to Santiago that night at 11:25pm. They also gave us a food vochure for supper. So we arrive in Santiago early Friday Morning. Manage our way through imigration. Get some pecos and a taxi. The taxi of course does not take me to the bus station I ask it to. Anyways we book a bus to Villarica for 10:40 that night. So what does an exhausted woman with 2 kids and some back packs do in Santiago alllllllllll day? Oh I did not have to worry about the rest of our luggage, it did not make it onto the plane with us. We wonder mindlessly for a couple of hours, get a snack, finally find a mall, which I am convinced must have wifi. Finally find the wifi, check email. Hang out experience the pay public bathroom. Then we had some incredible icecream and later a bit to eat for supper. It was getting dark and I had been warned Santiago was dangerous so back to the bus station. Because that seemed so much safer hehehehe, not! We hang out and read and wait, till finally we can get on the bus. I am sooooooooooo completely exhausted at this point, but afraid to fall asleep.

A few initial observations. I HATE SANTIAGO!!!! If I never have to go back there great!
These people have a strange hypocracy about cleanliness. There public bathrooms have a full time person in them cleaning (you do have to pay to use them) but thier streets are filthy. I will say I have not seen a fly or misquito. Lots of places are open air, which you would think would be a problem but there are not bugs flying around. Santiago reminds me of DC only ugly and poor. It is loud and dirty. I need never go back. Also I think they woke up one day and realized they were heavily populated and now they are playing a losing game of catch up.
These people LOVE sugar and ice cream. Although, the ice cream is excellent. It was interesting to order food and not be absolutely sure what you are getting. It has been an adventure.

Where are we?

I realize I need to finish telling about DC and such, but I thought you maybe wondering where we are and what is going on. We are back in Lubbock briefly. We are busy trying to get things nailed down for departure. It has been decided that the kids and I will fly out of Dallas next Thursday. We will get to Chile and secure housing where they will allow the dogs, by June 1st. My brother has secrured housing for the kids and I until June. Ken and my brother will leave next week to drive thru Mexico (swine flu!!!!!) and shipped the truck from a port in central America and fly over the Darien gap with the dogs to where ever they pick up the truck. They will then continue on driving down into SA and Chile.

FYI flying large dogs out of the states, long distances, in the summer, sound much simplier and easier than it actually is.
I will have wifi in the cabania where I will be staying and I look forward to catching up on all we have done and all which has happened. I am certain my first few days alone in Chile with my children will prove to provide a lot to blog about. Keep reading, I will try to be more faithful about updates and stories and pictures.

DC day 1

First day in Washington DC started with a great morning opening the door of the hotel, which was at least 50 miles out of downtown, to find the road we would soon be on full of bumper to bumper traffic on all 5 (yes 5) lanes. Atleast the sun was shining and Ken was driving. After fighting traffic and getting to downtown we FINALLY located a parking spot. The spot was about 5 blocks from our first destination, Ford's Theater. We loaded the meter for 2 hours (all it will accept) and headed off. The streets in Dc have crossing signals which are timed. This led to my attempting to jog across the intersection. HAhahahahaha!!!! Remember the fractured sacrum. Jogging was NOT, i repeat, NOT an option. This was incredibly painful.
On to the theater to pick up our tickets. We then located an interesting little place called The Waffle Shop. I found the fact it was ran by a family of asian ethnicity a bit odd. Nonetheless, the food was acceptable and reasonable priced for the area. After eating the kids and I went to locate tourist info, while Ken when to reload the meter and get me more pain killers. Back at Ford's Theater we saw a 2 man play tittled, The Road From Appomatox. It was quite good. Virginia thoroughly enjoyed it. After we traveled across the street to the house where Lincoln died. I plan to post pictures soon. We then moved the car, had some snacks and went to the National Air and Space Museum. We headed out of the city at the stroke of 3 as instructed by my uncle. The traffic was already beginning to get bad. We met up with my uncle Dan, who was gracious enough to allow us to share his home for the next few days.
BIG Thanks to Dan, Tammy, and the kids. The visit was wounderful.
We had a great meal and some enjoyable catching up. We even played a bit of Wii. This was a first for Ken and I. Then off to bed we went.

Easter and the fall

I know I said the next blog would be DC, but I am had forgotten an important event. We returned to GA the Saturday evening prior to Easter. Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I love the dresses and hope and joy in the air. We had big plans for church food egg hunt, etc. We planned to leave for DC on Wed. Early Sunday morning I am, as usual the first one up and in the shower thinking of the happy family day ahead of me. Now I have never been accussed of being an overly graceful person. So as luck would have it, I slipped in the shower landing suarely on my rump. It was appearant immediately that I had fallen pretty hard, but I was moving and progressing. Long story short, I managed to get through the day with the help of LOTS of pain killers and people around me. By Monday afternoon I had agreed to go to the doctors, where I was herded through and given more pain killers. Ken had to do all the packing for DC. Wed. we headed out toward Maryland. Along the way we got the phone call from the doctor confirming what we had already concluded, fractured sacrum. For those of you who have never experienced this, sitting and walking are rather painful. Note to self...when planning a long car ride and trip to a city like DC where you walk alot, be more careful in the shower. We managed to find a hotel got some supper at Bob Evans and go to bed with my believing by Friday I would be jogging again. Ahhh, the things we tell ourselves, hehehehe!

Catching up

I have not posted in a while. Internet access has been at a premium. There is alot to post about and I do not want to do it all in one day, so I will be backtracking for a bit. The trip to Florida was great. Left March 27th and returned April 10th. Saw old friends and had a blast.
Big THANK YOU to Heather, Rick, Gary, and Penny for thier hospitality.
The drive down was rainy so we packed everything in plastic bags. Stopped off at Lakeridge winery, just off the turnpike by Clermont. Very good sweet red, called Southern Red. It can be purchase at Publix in brevard. I recommend stopping for a complimentary tasting if you are in the area or at thier sister winery in St. Augustine.
We went to the zoo where the kids got to feed the birds and play in thier water area. Took the kids to walk along the beach and do a bit of shell collecting. Went out to the space center and did some gator spotting. Took the kids to Lone Cabbage fish camp to try catfish and gator. Both were a hit, but they prefer gator. Did some shopping and strolled through Cocoa village. I got out and shot pool. I did a few other interesting things that I will leave till after I see my friends in TX. Certain things are just better told in person.
I will try to get some pictures up soon. Next post will be about our trip to DC.