Muchas Gracias, Mexico!!

Mexico was very kind to us.  I'm sure it was due to the prayers of family and friends, but Brad and I had a wonderful, safe trip as we spent the week with Aly in Teuacan, Mexico this past week.  It was a long first day, as we started at 9:30 a.m., and after a 3 hour flight, a bus ride of 2 hours, a wait and a 2nd bus ride of another 2 hours - arriving in Tehuacan around 10:30 p.m.  Hugs and tears came as we embraced our daughter in a very foreign country and was introduced to her "family".  After taking our luggage to our room, we headed out to dinner....3 doors down to one of Aly's favorite eating places and had our first taste of Mexican cuisine.  The final meal is usually eaten very, very late, but we enjoyed learning about our hosts for the next few days.
The next morning, "Magda" took Aly, Brad, and myself for a walk in one of their parks.  Since the streets are very crowded, very small, and cars in general do NOT stop for pedestrians, they travel to a park-like area for a nice relaxing walk in the cool morning.

Afterwards, we delivered flowers to "Chio", the 15-yr. old sister, who was creating her own "offering" for their celebration Dia de los Muertos - a grand celebration of sorts for all those who have passed on to the next life.  It's a 5-day celebration with each day focusing on a group to honor and remember.  Little children, accident victims, adults, all the saints, and a culmination of all who have died are the honorees of this celebration.  Chio attends a private school, which was very nice and very clean.  She is in a high school of about 500.  We came home to a very delicious breakfast, truly Mexican in flavors and textures and oh-so-delicious!

Aly's group of teachers she works with...and a few extra kids on the right!

Next up was following Aly to her "school" where they were also holding holiday celebrations.  We took a Combi - a gutted out van - and made it alive to our destination.  I can't explain the driving in Mexico.  Brad was enjoying the similarities to his experiences in Korea as a missionary, but for me....I counted it as a blessing we are alive and well.  Enough said!  At these celebrations, the offerings are very elaborate.
Brad and I got the grand tour of the ILP School where Aly spends most of her days:

Did you know that bobbing for apples in not a tradition in Mexico?  Aly and her friend, April, showed the kids how to grab an apple with their teeth and then they had fun trying it on their own.

April, as a mad scientist

a beautiful young girl, who tried so hard, but did not like getting her face wet!

After the celebrations, we were all very tired and came home, enjoyed some down time and spent the rest of the evening all snuggled together in Aly's bed watching "FireProof" on Aly's laptop.  We shared headphones and it was absolutely wonderful!!
Saturday was Market Day.  Magda took Brad, Aly, Fanny (the older daughter), and myself to Market for another yummy breakfast and some good bartering/shopping.  I loved all the smells of the market, especially the peppers - which turned into some amazing salsas!  Again, we ate delicious tacos with blue corn tortillas and beans.  Brad and I also tasted one of their "snacks" - a cricket...legs and all.  It wasn't too bad, but the thought of eating a cricket was a little too much for me to enjoy and want more.  Afterwards, Magda wanted to share her love for crafting with me, so Brad and Aly headed for her room for some needed computer clean-up.  Magda has a small craft shop she is intending to open someday, but for today, she taught me the art of "quilling".  She laughed - quite politely - at my first attempt, and promptly told me to "practice" while she petered around her shop.  With her broken English and my very broken Spanish, we were able to communicate very well.  Sometimes, I would have to say:  "Lo Siento - no entiendo!"  She would try to explain with her hands and we got along splendidly

Hers is on the left - mine on the right

Later that evening, we traveled with their whole family to Oaxaca, about a 3 hour drive.  It was a beautiful drive and we made a few stops to enjoy the view.  The family was very considerate and played both American and Spanish music.  They love the Beetles and played versions of their songs!

We arrived in Oaxaca later that evening, went to our hotel, where Aly found a tub she could enjoy, and we had air condition!  We all went to dinner (which is usually around 10:30 or 11:00 p.m.), then went to the city square to look at all the offerings and other art that was created and bought a few goodies for the family.  We ended up back at the hotel sometime after midnight.

These were made out of dirt, then spray painted...amazing!

The next morning - Brad, Aly and myself took a taxi to the Oaxaca Temple, where we enjoy some alone time, took time to read from the scriptures, talked to some missionaries who thought we might "want to know more", and headed back to meet up with the other family for breakfast.  The temple is so beautiful in a city where the buildings are close and crowded and the streets are very noisy.  Not this place.  There was a peace and calm that was felt by all of us.  We couldn't get into the gates, but enjoyed looking at one of the many "Houses of the Lord".



Next up was to Monte Alban and the ruins. This place was absolutely amazing. We happen to be there on a holiday for the Mexican people, along with the Dia de los Muertos holiday. Also, were some "sun worshippers" who were getting "charged" from the sun, and laying on the ground releasing the negative energy into the ground....weird! We all had to get hats because it was a very hot day....we look like such tourists!!

BUT - it was a lot of fun to imagine what Book of Mormon stories took place at this place.  It would be easy to see King Benjamin standing in the middle, with all the families and their tents in this huge temple area.  The acoustics are amazing and you can really hear across the flat area.  Or looking across the valley and being able to see the Lamanites coming in for an attack.  You can see forever from the top of these towers/ruins.  It was inspiring!!

(Can you see the Lamanites marching up the valley here??)

We traveled home late that evening.  One driving rule we learned:  A blinking green light really means "run!" or speed thru because the yellow is basically a nanosecond before the red.  It was a long day and we promptly headed to bed after arriving back home.  The next morning we went to the town square and had a look-around, visited the grocery store, and then enjoyed a very delicious breakfast with the family.  They were so excited for us to try one of their delicacies.  I tried one first and then, Brad followed.  It was a first, that was for sure!

Mexicans are very proud of their town squares!

Yes, you are looking a worms - a delicacy!!

We said our good-byes to this host family, and with Aly and her friend, April, headed on a bus to Puebla for 2 more days of sight-seeing and much needed relaxation.  After checking into our hotel, we headed to the Town Square for a 'historical' tour and some shopping.  Yes, we sent Brad back to the hotel while us girls did our shopping!!

A Holiday Express in Puebla, Mexico

One of the oldest Churches in Puebla

Inside - very ornate...but missing the "feeling" of something special

A historical monument - Puebla is rich in history and they are very proud of that!

A tip of one of two volcanoes surrounding Puebla....and  Burger King!

Shopping was quite the experience it went something like this:

I look around at all the beautiful stalls down the Artisans Market.

Ladies saying:  "Senora, Senora - mira!!  Muy bonita, si??"

Me - picking and choosing what I want and then turning to Aly and saying: "Do your thing"

Aly, in Spanish, barters a better price and pays.  Conversation in Spanish follows and I chime in "Gracias!!"

On the last day, Aly and April headed to the gym for a good work-out, and then with me,  spent the afternoon at the mall with a visit to Tony Romas, where the girls enjoyed some American ribs.  They ate a whole plate by themselves!!  Everyone who knows Aly will understand how much food that is!!  We met up with Brad at the town square in the evening and after our shopping.  Everyone was dressed up, parades of the dead, and so many people.  We found a place with yummy tacos and trimmings that we all enjoyed.  That is one thing I miss...the food was fantastic!

This was a wonderful experience for Brad, myself and even Aly.  We made a list of all the good things and not-so good things about Mexico.

Good things included the food at the top of the list - it was amazing, the salsas were delicious, and avocado was plentiful - which I loved!  Even though Breakfast wasn't served until 11:00 a.m., it was delicious and usually consisted of fresh fruit, fresh OJ juice and homemade tortillas - with salsa of course!!  The marketplace was filled with beautiful fresh flowers and all sorts of produce.  None of that preservative stuff we Americans eat.  Everything smelt fresh and yummy!

We took buses everywhere and they were surprisingly clean as were the streets.  Every morning you would see the shop owners cleaning and sweeping their spots. 

Another thing we noticed was the importance of families.  They were everywhere.  Even at night and in the square, the families were together.  At 11:00 p.m. or even later, the kids were out with their parents - which was mind boggling since school was the next day.  I asked the sister about that and she told me that was the custom.
The people of Mexico are generally laid back and quite mellow.  "This morning" could be 8:30 a.m. or as late as 11:00 a.m.  Even with the driving as crazy as it was (I just closed my eyes and offered a prayer), and basically no rules on the roads, the drivers are courteous of each other and actually help those who need to pass.  You would never see that in America!  Now, the taxi drivers do NOT wait for the people to cross the street AT ALL!  You had better be moving quickly if you cross the street and don't want to be hit.  They would travel down a small street - lickety split - and people just ran across the roads or waited.  Amazing!!

What did I miss??  Water!!  Not enough.  You could only buy water in the bottles and sometimes that was a little expensive.  I missed my ice machine!!  And also fresh salads.  I was too afraid to eat too much of that, so I passed and was fortunate to make it thru our vacation without any serious "side" effects. 

 It was hard to see the little ones, maybe 4 or 5 or maybe 6, pulling a wagon of miscellaneous goods to sell.  Some of these little ninos were up at midnight trying to sell some items for their families. 

There were a few Mexican customs that were hard to get used to.  Slamming the car doors is a no-no and trying to close the door and not slam it was an art.  Everyone in the house is very quite in the morning, so for us to arise early (you know, around 7:00 a.m or so), we would have to whisper, tip-toe and use the hair-dryer sparingly.  I also did NOT like the TP etiquette rules, but will not go into detail in this blog :) 

I was so impressed with Aly and her adjustments to the Mexican culture.  In reality, she only speaks Spanish about 5 hours a day with her host family.  The rest of her time is spent teaching English to the little Spanish kids.  She had to be the "take-charge" person while we were there.  She navigated each taxi ride, paid and bartered each time talking like a native Mexican.  After living in Mexico for just 2 months, it was amazing to see her communicate as well as she did.  She has learned so much and I am so proud of her for undertaking this challenge.  I think she missed us just a little and we enjoyed our time together more than words can express.  We relished the time we read scriptures together and prayed as a little family.  It strengthened me and gave me the reassurance that Aly will be okay for the next 6 weeks...and counting!!

 Muchas Gracias Mexico - for a wonderful experience without any mishaps and a memorable week with our beautiful daughter!!

Sweet, Beautiful Jade

I am blessed.  I feel this every day.  No matter what comes in the face of trials, obstacles, or hurdles - I have so much to thank my Heavenly Father for.  Today, I post 10-month old pictures of this sweet bundle of energy and smile at every picture.  She is an easy subject to shoot, but it also helps that we have an amazing photographer, Jacque, to capture the many faces, attitudes, and personality of our grand-daughter, Jade.

ENJOY!!

Have a GREAT DAY!!

New Tradition - Kargas Style

We joined in with the Kargas family last night for a very fun evening of Halloween fun.  All the "young marrieds and young adults (that would be Kade and Jacque) carved pumpkins for the very first 

Kargas Karved Pumpkin Kontest

sponsored by the Kargas Family.  It was a top secret event and Aaron and Savannah would not let us peek, not one little bit -  as they carved their pumpkin together.  We met over at Roxanne and Dennis's home where all who were in the contest displayed their creative side. 

What a tough decision the "judges" had as they had to decide the "most creative", the "scariest", the "most original", the "most unique" and so forth.  Roxanne, Brad and myself took a little while to make the decisions...with the "Best of Show" as the Grand Prize Winner.

Roxanne came up with a prize for all, and for the "Best of Show", a Halloween basket full of goodies that will pass from winner to winner each year of this new tradition.
 

(PS: Savannah is holding the new precious son of Katie and Ryan!!)

The winners of the First Kargas Karved Pumpkin Kontest??

Harmony and Kevin!!

WAY TO GO!!!

Wall Project - Family Style

I have wanted to spruce up our walls for a very long time.....probably since we moved in 8 years ago.  But as time goes on and life speeds by, projects get pushed aside for other things.  That is...until something important is happening at your house and you want to make it look good.  You know, like for baptisms, wedding receptions....and boutiques.  So, with the help of all kids present (one in Mexico, remember?), we set to making our walls look fabulous.  We had Tyler, the main man, measuring and making sure everything was secured.  Aaron as the "hold-the-ladder" and "don't-let-anyone-fall" go-to guy, and Jenny, Savannah, Jacque and myself as the creators and designers.  Oh....and Brad...this is what he did...and very well!!

So, we hung pictures in the front room, in Brad's office, and down the stairway.  THAT was very, very tricky!  At least I was smart enough to make patterns of paper so that we weren't holding up heavy frames going down the stairs.

 

If you look closely, you can see that hanging pictures in the middle of the wall, while going downstairs was going to be quite an accomplishment.  So, with Aaron at the bottom holding one end, Jenny at the top holding the other end on a precariously situated box, Tyler risking his life and limbs to please his mom, and the rest of us girls as assistants to Tyler, we were able to hang all the pictures without any falls or mishaps. 

   Brad and I looked back on this evening with smiles on our faces.  We had our family together, doing a project for "mom", eating and grilling some dinner and in the end??  We have a fabulous wall collage!!

We couldn't have done it without our family's help.  They ARE the BEST!!!

Fancy, Schmancy!!

So our resident chef, aka Jacque, had a dinner party here at the house.  This is no regular dinner party.  This was another magnificent meal created by an up-and-coming chef - Luke - and a wanna be nurse/photographer/chef - Jacque!

Who benefits from these delicious meals?  Jacque's nursing friends.  They come over, help with prepping the food and then they all enjoy a scrumptious meal with friends, laughter, and good times.

The menu?  It started out with pork loin wrapped in prosciutto and dried apple bits, all wrapped up in a pastry dough topped with an apricot glaze. (Luke created this)  Homemade applesauce and crispy polenta were also dishes by Luke.  Ginger-glazed carrots and a Frisee` salad with maple bacon vinaigrette complimented the main dish. (created by Jacque)  Dessert consisted of REAL pumpkin pie - meaning not from a can - was Luke's and Jacque created her famous pumpkin roll.  Jacque declared that she had been officially out-cooked.  BUT - all the friends declared the dinner amazing and another party is scheduled in the near future.

Just an Update....

So, a few things have been going on the the Weech household and this is the blog to "catch-up".  I wish we were these interesting, fascinating people who had extraordinary lives....but....alas....we are just "ordinary folks" doing "ordinary things" and trying to enjoy our very "ordinary lives!!"  I am just grateful I have family who complain when I haven't updated the blog.  It makes me realize that we are loved!!

First is our littlest angel and her new way of transportation. This little 'monkey' knows when she is in shorts and when she is in a dress.  You see, when in dresses, it is very hard to crawl - normal style.  So she adjusts.  When she has a dress-like outfit on, she walks like a monkey.  It's the cutest thing and hilarious to watch!  By the way....can you tell that Jade ADORES her daddy??

When we celebrate a birthday at our house, that individual picks their favorite restaurant and as a family, we enjoy a fun evening together.  However, this year, Aaron requested "Mom's Diner" - with a menu of chicken dumplings and all the trimmings.  So, we cooked a gourmet meal, invited Grammy and Grampy to join our family and had a pretty good dinner...at least...that was the general consensus!!

Cheesecake courtesty of Savannah!

Anyone who know Aaron and his collection of Legos must know that he is STILL collecting!!

Yeah, little Jade has EVERYONE wrapped!  Aaron and Savannah gave her a little outfit on HIS celebration.  Oh, no....she isn't spoiled AT ALL!!

This past week, we had a wicked storm!  During most storms, Brad and I are oblivious to them and sometimes miss out.  Our house is pretty soundproof.  But this storm?  We definitely heard it, especially as the hail pelted my newly washed windows.  Isn't that always what happens?  Well, as true Arizonans, we rushed to get our cameras and video to document the storm, the hail, and beautiful weather!

(PS:  See Aly - your dog is still alive!!!)

The past two weeks, the Mesa Temple has been closed.  I truly feel a little more anxious and a little more cranky when I don't have the blessing of a temple so close.  So, this past week, I asked Carolyn to take a day trip to Pima and there, we could go thru a session, have lunch, and enjoy some much needed cousin time!  As Carolyn and I were sitting in the Celestial Room, we wondered if our ancestors were amazed at the roads we both have traveled.  After all, we both (being cousins and best friends) have ties to the Gila Valley.  Both of us married men from the valley who also have ancestral ties. We traveled up in the morning, went thru a very busy session, had lunch at the "Casa", and came home.  It was a near perfect day!

Last, but not least, was our experience today.  Back in June, Brad was diagnosed with a blood clot that ran the length of his leg...literally.  With medication, we thought the clot would dissolve in time, according to the doctors' prognosis.  But, in the last two weeks, his leg has been swelling and he decided to have his doctor take another look via a sonogram.  Brad was told he was "holding his own" meaning, it wasn't getting any worse, but not any better either....even with the medication he has been on for 4 months.  So, a procedure was scheduled for today, at Banner Desert.  We were told that it could last 1-4 hours, and that if necessary, he would be admitted into the ICU unit after the procedure, depending on what the doctor could do.  Brad and I prepared for an all-day event.  He was given a wonderful blessing by his son and with the faith and prayers of our family and friends, we headed to the hospital in good spirits.  The procedure lasted about 1 hour, there were no complications and by 12:30 p.m. we were headed home!  It was another tender mercy from our Heavenly Father, who heard our prayers, listened to those who were fasting on Brad's behalf, and granted our request.  How blessed we feel to have such a wonderful family!  I can't tell you how much it means to both of us to realize that our families are united in love and concern for each other.  How grateful I am for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the power of prayer, and the gift of having the priesthood in our home, where our sons can take the opportunity to bless the lives of their families!  It was a good day, another blessing in my life.

I also had the opportunity to be a blessing in the life of a stranger.  I sat down, in the waiting room, and a nice older gentlemen started up a conversation.  I am so glad I responded in a friendly way.  His wife was getting her results from her latest biopsy....she has lymphoma!!  It is her 3rd relapse.  I told him all about MD Anderson, and our experiences down there.  He sat there with a gleam in his eye and said:  "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you.  I feel you have been placed in my life at this moment so that I can help my wife".  He had never heard of MD Anderson Cancer Clinic, in Houston.  He took down my information.  I gave him all the info I could remember on MD Anderson and wished him well. Isn't it amazing how the Lord puts us in situations so that we can help each other?  Many were placed in our lives to help Brad while, at the same time, I was in a room helping someone else.  I love how the Lord works!!   

Happy Birthday Aaron

Happy 27th to Aaron!

Pretty soon, he's going to be too old to put his age on my blog!  But for today, I want him to know how much he is loved.  He is someone who always goes about doing good for others.  From a young age, it was easy for him to serve those he loved.  I think one of my favorite childhood stories is when he would babysit his siblings and let them "order" dinner from a menu he created.  He would fix it all up and serve them restaurant style. 

He is the one who always remembers birthdays and special events.  I can't tell you how many phone calls he has made to both Brad and myself - "just checking on us" for the day.  It always brightens up my day!

Aaron is always "behind" the scenes.  Taking pictures, taking video - knowing that it means so much to me to capture all the fun times we have as a family.  When we have a computer problem...who do we call? 
Well, it's NOT the Ghostbusters!

Aaron's greatest talent is loving his family.  I can't think of a time he didn't put the needs of his family before his own.  Even with a new job and many hours at work, he always finds time to help his mom with computer issues, his sister in another country, and those who call for his help. He also checks on his grandparents regularly just to make sure they are all right and to express his love.  They have told me on numerous occasions how much that means to them.

We have been so blessed to have both Aaron and Savannah living with us at this time.  They are both always willing to help with projects and dinner and shopping.....especially the Saturday night run!!  I have observed the love between these two young marrieds and they make me laugh!  They fit together perfectly in every way.  Their little family of two is perfect and I feel so blessed to be a part of their lives.  I think I have learned from Aaron how important it is to do the little things for those you love.  Acts of service, a happy call, a kind note are all important!

Aaron - I hope you have a great day!  You are a wonderful son and I am blessed indeed to be your mom!!