Plaza de la Armada

These are some pictures from different outings to a park here in Montevideo that we've grown to LOVE. It's just a big plaza, Plaza de la Armada (plaza/square of the Navy) , with a lot of green space and loads of people just enjoying the view. It's very restful (even when chasing Nuala and Bran around), and usually has lots of woof-doggies we can stop and talk to/pet. Which is very important if you're Nuala or Bran.

Downtown Montevideo sticking out into the water...

Throwing rocks into the little pool.

Watching the "big" boys play fútbol...

Woohoo! Rock climbing!

Plenty of aimless running around, too...and plenty of running around aimed at something in particular -- namely, pigeons.

Handsome fellas!

I love it. People just sitting on the grass, enjoying the beautiful view...drinking maté. Like I said, very restful. They don't even seem to mind when N&B go full speed past them. OR, haha...when it's a couple snuggling and the kiddos stop right beside them and S.T.A.R.E... Oh, that's the best. And then loudly say to Z and I, "beso, Mama! Give besos!"

The crazy cool sewer troll! This is some sort of sewer thingy, and while the art is pretty awesome, it doesn't do much to disguise the smell.

Climbing up past the troll, there's even more art...

And THIS...this is the pipe that blows out really stinky air...Ah, yes, the joys of childhood.

There's a pier of sorts where people like to fish, and we like to watch.

There was one potentially traumatic experience, when a nice fisherman caught a fish and plopped it in front of N&B, who were then left watching it flop in its death throes while the guy returned to his pole. I really wanted to throw it back in, but Z convinced me it might be the guy's dinner and it wouldn't be fair. N&B seemed slightly worried about the fishie, so we said a little prayer that he wouldn't be scared and moved on. Overall, it's still fun to watch the fishermen.

Ahhhh...the beautiful sunsets...

Packin' Out

Or rather, "packed" out. All our boxes of stuff have been loaded into big wooden crates, to make the long journey via ship to our new pink house in Bulgaria. Well, except for one lonely box that gets to go by air, full of owie-pokie foam swords, 2 little yellow bicycles, and a couple of other toys. You know, the important stuff. And let me tell you, we are really missing those foam swords! In the last couple of days, we have all fallen victim many, MANY times to whackings with nice hard sticks by super-apologetic-after-the-fact Bran...just can't help himself... Anyway, it sure is empty around here! Feels kinda nice...nice and free.

This time next week, we'll be on a long flight up to VA... Doesn't feel quite real yet!

(Notice how Bran is armed with one of his nice whacking sticks. These are collected any time we're outside, and then seem to be stashed all over the place. His secret little arsenal.)

Going for rides on the dolly was lots of fun. They didn't let me have a turn.

Back to the tents, after packing up their cribs. We left them unzipped, and found them like this. Nuala had totally moved herself, her blankie, and her princess doll to snuggle by Bran. It was really cute and sweet. And her bum's up in the air, which makes it about SIX times cuter and sweeter.

Also, they aren't going back into their cribs once we get to Bulgaria! Sad, huh? We figure we might as well put 'em into "big" boy and girl beds, just let the embassy furnish those for us. So we get to do some fun sheet shopping! Nuala wants Dora or princesses, she goes back and forth, and Bran wants "owie-pokie knight" sheets. I should specify, that when Nuala's a princess, she and Bran always refer to her as an "owie pokie princess" because she is well armed and fights trolls right alongside "owie pokie knight" Bran.

Not packout related, but look at these pretty orange flowers blooming at the beginning of winter down here! Surprise, suprise!

ALSO when the aloe vera flowers are at their finest. You should see the huge spreads of aloe when they're in bloom. And you could, if I took a picture, but that hasn't happened yet. They look beautiful, though, take my word.

Two of our gardeners hard at work this past Monday. The little one is not a regular gardener, that's Bran ;) He wanted so badly to go out and work with them! He is just so sweet and cute and growing up way too fast!

I'm so grateful that I've been blessed with these little kiddos; even on rough days I'm thanking Heavenly Father for them throughout the day. On those days, sometimes it's followed with a "but..." as in, "but please help him to actually listen to me!" or "but please help me be more patient!" or "but please let them nap for about 3 hours!" Ha! As if. That one is seldom answered with a "yes." Ah, well! I'm still thankful! ;)

boys will be boys...

Doesn't matter what country they're from, or what language they're speaking. Boys are just hard-wired certain ways.

Example -- wait a sec, I'm LAUGHING again...right NOW, thinking about this...............okay, I'm ready:

A little background...In my little Sunbeam (los Rayitos del Sol, or 'little rays of sun'. Isn't the Spanish name so cute?) class at church, I have 3 little boys, and 1 girl. This is the class for children who are 3 at the beginning of the year and they turn 4 during it. So they're little guys. Wow. Bran and Nuala will be Sunbeams next year...wow. Anyway, the girl, Vicky, is the little jefa, the little boss of the class. Long dark hair, big brown eyes, super on-the-ball and bosses those boys like nothing else. I love her :) The boys, Gabrielito, Joaquim, y Joaquin are cute little fellas, too. They have their rascally moments (they ARE 3, after all), but are little sweethearts. Joaquim totally looks like he could be Zachariah's son with his red wavy hair, and the other two are handsome little dark-haired fellows, with deep brown eyes. I love those boys, too. :)

Anyway, the STORY! Potty breaks are often a necessity with our class, and one Sunday all four of them needed to tinkle. So off we go, trooping down the hallway to the ladies room, where there are two stalls. Vicky immediately dashes in one, shutting and locking the door while loudly proclaiming that SHE was in there and NOBODY should open the door, etc. etc. Hahaha :) The three boys look at the other toilet and all start the long process of undoing belts and extricating you-know-who's. Gabriel heads over to stand by the toilet first, and before I know it, Joaquim y Joaquin have joined him!! I told them to take turns and all that, but did they? Nope. Three little boys, all standing around one toilet, ALL peeing and -- this is amazing -- not ONE of them got peed on! You'd think with three little streams a-going, someone was bound to get caught in the crossfire. But, no. Apparently they are all miniature sharpshooters. And then, when I thought the spectacle of three little boys all peeing in the same toilet couldn't get any better, little Joaquin, the smallest fella, pipes up while shamelessly staring at the others' goods: "¡El mío es el más grande!" Need I translate? Probably not, but I will... "Mine's the biggest!" (But it wasn't. Don't worry, I didn't point that out.)

It was very hard for me not to bust up right then and there. Very hard. I love my class :D

LESS than a month...

A month from yesterday we board the plane from Uruguay...never to return "home" here again. I'm sad. And I'm excited. But sad. I will miss our life here. Our friends, our neighborhood, our beach trips and animals visits, our routine, our wonderful church ward, speaking Spanish.

Everything. (Not the roaches so much, who, admittedly, have been on much better behavior this past year...for the most part.)

These few weeks will zip by in a flash, I know it, and then it will be like so many other places and times in my heart. Just there. In my heart. I'm trying to absorb everything, and have been the last few months. Soak it all in...

I'm so glad our hearts are built to be infinitely expandable. Cram as many people, places and memories into them as we can, there's always going to be room for more.

Really more for ourselves, I wanted to include a few random pictures of what we'll miss, some of the stuff that may have missed getting on the blog in the past... and this is soooo not a comprehensive accounting of wonderful Uruguay and what we'll miss, but it's some of it.

Pocho, the guard across the street. N&B love him. Anytime they get outside, they head to the gate/fence and start yelling, "hola!! Pocho!!" They also love his red moto. Pocho's pretty fond of the tykes, as well :)

Fireworks from our roof at midnight on Christmas Eve. Just surrounding us...loud...beautiful...

Pato! My good friend Pato (Patricia) from church. She is a sweetheart. "Pato" means "duck" in Spanish, so the kiddos not only call her "Pato," but also "quack-quack" :)

The recicladores: Families who gather anything that can be reused in anyway. Usually with a horsedrawn wagon, so seeing "neighs" is a common sight for the kiddos, and it never gets old. They hear them clip-clopping down the street and their little ears perk right up.

Getting to ride little "neighs" almost any weekend when the urge strikes.

Paso, our favorite grapefruit soda. But we only drink it occasionally. We do have self-control... somewhat.

Ileana, my good friend and my Spanish teacher, also from church. Her daughter babysits for us, and their whole family is awesome.

The Rambla. Two blocks from our house...nice.

The missionaries! It's even more fun having them over when you're out of the country, I think. What great young men! (Even if they do occasionally invite themselves over to eat with pretty much no notice...we'll forgive 'em!)

The YW singing at the ward Christmas party.

Look at that grin! Kerstin, one of our sweet little embassy buddies here. We will sure miss her, her bro, and her parents. Good friends. I think N&B would live at their house if we let them.

City of Montevideo from Plaza de la Armada. We love going to this park.

Delia y Pedro, friends from church. Pedro sounds exactly like a Spanish Barry White. No joke. He's so cool.

In Piriápolis, one of our favorite places.

Making Christmas cookies with the cute Activity Days girls from church.

Montevideo, Uruguay temple. So beautiful. It's right next to our regular Church building.

Playing team handball every week with my Uruguayan friends! And Annie, the mission pres's daughter.

Our weekly neighborhood fería (market). Wednesdays at our nearby park. It's fun to walk to and around.

La PLAYA. I know that's been covered pree-tty well on the blog, but still...

Downtown Montevideo. A dance troupe doing a gaucho dance. We just happened across this one Saturday, and coincidentally, one of N&B's church nursery teachers was one of the dancers.

The colorful flowers that overhang and grow through everybody's fences during spring and summer...except our fence. Guess you have to water them, or something...

Not necessarily safe, but still crazy-fun playgrounds!

Seeing practically EVERYONE walking around with their maté and a thermos of hot water.

Ah, we love Uruguay!