Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh no!

This week has been my favorite week of classes because it was my turn to do kitchen. I realize that there's not much that you can do with a microwave, 5 kids that are between 4-10 years old, and a 20 minute class period, but I was up for the challenge. I love cooking and I really wanted to do something fun with the kids each day in our class. I'd say we had some pretty good success!

Monday we started off with what I called "Spaghetti Monsters," although I'm sure there's something more creative out there. (note to moms with young kids-just stick uncooked spaghetti in like 1/3 of a hog dog and then cook it. Stick some ketchup on it and you'll have some pretty happy kids. We cooked it in the microwave, but obviously the stove would be a better choice. The kids loved sticking the spaghetti into the hog dogs! )

  

Tuesday we made 'Banana Men'! They have a lot of the mini bananas here in Mexico. I love them! I think they taste way better than regular bananas and they're so cute! (Yes I'm a girl, therefore I think everything small is always cuter.) We covered the baby bananas with chocolate frosting and used pretzels as arms and M&M's as the eyes. They were a hit. Every bite they took they'd look at me and say, "teacher, yum yum!"

 

 Wednesday- Osositos! aka Little Bear Faces-This was probably my favorite. That morning my host sister and I spent 2 hours making a bunch of mini pancakes to use as bear faces. Then at the school we cut the bananas for the ears and nose and then used raisins as the eyes. I put the chocolate frosting from the day before in a bag and we drew happy faces on the bears. So fun!

 

Thursday we made marshmallow snowmen. It's always a fun game trying to explain what a snowman is because no one here has ever seen snow. haha Fortunately the movie Frozen has helped out in that aspect. They all know Olaf the snowman. Thank you Frozen for becoming a beneficial teaching resource. We stuck toothpicks into the marshmallows and then used peanut butter to stick the M&M eyes on the froot loop buttons on, finishing with the classic pretzel stick arms.

I was lucky to find pretzels at Wal-Mart. Most of the kids had never even tried them before. Generally speaking most of the kids really don't like peanut butter either. It's almost impossible to get them to eat it, but once they start eating it though they're just fine. haha

 Friday we frosted cookies. My host sister and I made all the cookies that morning and I made the frosting. I took the white frosting to school and the kids got to choose what colors they wanted to put into the frosting. It amazing how much you can get them to talk when they get input as to what color of frosting they will have. 

I love my kids so much!!! They are waaaay to cute! 

Tehuacan Zoo! 

(aka could possibly be considered a petting zoo in the U.S.) 

                              Lions...(he sounded pretty hungry...like he wanted to eat a nice tender gringa

         and tigers...                                                                             and bears...

There were like 6 tigers in this huge overhead cage just as you walk into the zoo. They're beautiful and their paws are incredibly massive. The bear on the other hand...yikes. I may or may not have tried to tap the cage and he turned around and threw his paw at the bars. I don't know if I was so shocked I didn't scream or I was just stuck with seeing my life flash before my eyes that I forgot to run. I don't know. I sure hope I don't meet one of those in the mountains. 

 

So we came to safely assume that the animal laws in the zoos here in Mexican differ greatly from those in the U.S. The availability that animals have to human fingers, arms, faces, you know the usual, seemed to be quite a bit closer.

 I love me a friendly roaming turtle on occasion.

  

I even got to feed my dream pet! How could anyone NOT want a monkey! I mean, look at him! He's adorable! :)

and that baby. It was SOOO cute! It just hung on to it's mom while she swung back and forth on different parts of the cage.

Some of my favorite signs hanging up around the zoo were about the monkeys stealing your cell phones. haha Another signed that saved our lives was one that we had seen in our childhood at The Hogle Zoo. I couldn't find an exact one on the internet, but this one gets the point across. 

It (the sign) saved our lives...we were standing directly behind a tiger...it lifted its' tail ever so slowly but we made a run for it like little screaming school girls. Thank you Hogle Zoo and you tiger warning signs. Another favorite moment of the day was when we were feeding the animals carrots and Grace turned around spitting and screaming. Have you ever heard that llamas spit? Well, it's true. They spit. I laughed so hard. It probably wasn't very nice of me, but...well, I still laughed ha. She had specks of carrot all over her hair, face and shirt. And I'm still laughing. 

Such an incredible animal. I couldn't get it to turn it's head towards me no matter how far I put my arm in the cage....haha jk kidding mom. I prefer to look more now with my eyes than my hands these days. :)

 Oh hey, Cosmo, hey.

 Did you know that Rudolph doesn't actually wear his red nose year round?

I lived in a town called Borrego Springs for 4 months and actually never saw a Borrego, despite all my hoping and keeping my eyes peeled for one. So here I am in Mexico and I foundd a Borrego. Hello, friend.

I was really hoping for the chance to hold the baby lion that was at the zoo a few weeks ago. Some of the other teachers got to hold it and I thought that would have been so cool! Unfortunately they had already sent it to another zoo. :( But I guess being able to see this beautiful blue eyed white tiger was worth going. :)

 We went swimming on Saturday. The first time I've been swimming in a good two years or so, so I did what any normal person would do and I bought powered donuts and Doritos to take to the pool. Because sometimes you just have to do that. Just in case anyone was wondering Mexican nacho Doritos are about the equivalent of American spicy hot nacho Doritos. haha Everything in Mexico has a bit more kick. I'm not complaining. It's just the acid that is burning up my throat pretty much all day everyday that my body doesn't enjoy so much.

and then I remember I live here and I almost get jealous of myself.

 We took a 10-15 minute combi ride to the swimming pool that was just outside of Tehuacan in a pueblito. We got on the combi and it was totally packed. So the 4 of us that went swimming were standing. I was trying to not bounce into these two ladies the whole time, hold onto the bar above my head, hold my bag, try and get some pesos out to pay the driver and lick my Dorito fingers all at the same time. It was quite the site. haha (yes, I ate the Doritos before we actually got to the pool...don't judge haha) Was the ride worth it?! Claro que si! Look at the view we had! Practically perfect in every way.

This little Merry Go Round was on the playground at the pool. It said ages 2-5, so naturally I got on. There was a smurf. Who wouldn't get on?! Come to think of it, if you take the dash out of 2-5 it says 25 which I'm in my 25th year, so really I wasn't breaking any rules. :)

Well, there you have it folks, the oil aisle at Wal-Mart. It seems like eternity it goes on so long. 

Oh my!!! I almost just forgot a very important part of the week! Mexican ward father's day party!!! It wouldn't be a Hispanic ward party without some dancing! You ask who is the guy in the costume and what is he? You know, it didn't seem that anyone actually knew.

I love everything about this.

Fuimos al templo!

I love these Hermanas! They are on of the sets that are serving in the ward that I'm attending. I had to get a picture with them before the blonde Hermana dyes her hair. They told me that that's what they're spending their P-day doing. Poor güerra. :) I love her though. She reminds me SO much of my trainer and she's even from Boise! (I think I actually look "tan" in this picture!!!! yay!!! ha yeah right, like that day is ever going to come, but a girl can hope. Let's just say I look less white.)

I hope you enjoy these landscapes from the bus windows as much as I did.The drive to Oaxaca was truly beautiful. Heavenly Father really knew what he was doing when he created all of this.

 I actually saw some BIG mountains!!! I loved these trees as well. I think they kind of look like Lion King trees.

From a distance these trees looked like the burnt pinetrees that Utah has after a big fire, but they're actually all catcus! The mountains were covered with them! They look like funny little stick men.

As typical in most of the cities I've seen, as soon as you drive into the city there is a massive statue of some man that has done something important in history. Don't ask me what this man did. All I know is that he's at the middle of the round-about where we were stopped for quite a while due to some friendly protestors.

And of course, the highlight of the week! 

On occasion I get lucky and get an awesome shot with my little camera. :)

 Just as beautiful as always. I love to see the temple. That's for real.

 Teachers Grace, me, and Morgan

 Add teacher Stephen to the picture...a little taller than the rest of us...actually a lot taller than pretty much everyone in Mexico.

'Selfie with the temple.'

   I love the picture to the right. We were outside the gates on the back sick of the temple, but there was something so pretty about it being part way hidden behind the trees. It reminds me of the temple in Winter Quarter's Nebraska.


                                                           

 A walk through Tehuacan

 I love walking pretty much everywhere we go. There are so many incredible old pieces of art, sculptures, entrances to houses, etc etc.

Don Sebastian's ice cream is the oldest and biggest ice cream shop in Tehuacan. I can't remember exactly, but if I were to guess a number I'd say that it was founded 60 years ago, and the family still runs the business.

I don't feel like I can let another week go by without introducing you to "The Milk Song." Everyday at the beginning of our classes with our kids we start with the weather and what the date and day of the week are and then we sing a few songs.  'The Milk Song' is easily a favorite.

happy father's day to you, happy father's day to you, happy father's day....ok that's enough

Dear Dad,
When I think of my childhood I think of practicing basketball and softball with you. I loved playing 'PIG' out in the driveway. Behind the corner of the roof were my favorite shots. I don't think you ever went easy on me, but I do think you probably missed a shot or two once in a while just so I could win. We would throw the softball back and forth, back and forth, practice my stepping into it, pointing, and following through, throwing back and forth, back and forth  (come to think of it, that's probably why boys are scared of me....I've been told I have a pretty fierce look on my face anytime I'm about to throw any sort of ball at them. haha).
I loved beanie baby fights while running through the house. I followed (quite literally) your footsteps and/or achilles tendon with my plastic lawn-mower while you had the real one going. I don't know why you let us have pets, but we sure did love our kittens. I remember every month when mom would go to DUP, Cammy and I would get so excited because we'd always go up to our room, shut the door, turn out the lights, put the CATS cassette tape, turn it up as high as we could without you "hearing it" and then we would jump on our bed as high and long as we could. The mattress would slide off onto the floor and with all of our little might we would push it back up and continue jumping. This processes was repeated several times for about an hour and a half. I don't know if you actually ever knew about that, or if you just let it happen. I guess it's better late than never to tell you of our mischievous acts.

I remember times that we were all around the kitchen table after dinner and you'd be telling some sort of hysterical story from your childhood about falling off a horse on Cedar Mountain, usually containing a good amount of hyperbole. We'd be laughing so hard we'd be crying and in the mean time you'd be getting more and more animated until...yeah. good times.

Sometimes you'd make us sing at the dinner table BEFORE we could eat.  "There is beauty all around, when's there love at....") We'd purposefully sing half steps off from each other and you'd look at us in a serious face and tell us, "wow, you're all really improving your voices." or something to that effect. Love it. It makes me always want to sing out of tune...ok, not really.

"Hey, have you ever heard the joke about the deaf guy and the idiot?" "huh?" "what?" "huh?"-your favorite joke oh, except for the gravity one..which I can't remember. The first joke is pretty much the only joke I can ever remember and say right the first time. Oh, and any joke about Obama or the Clinton's sitting in hell with the devil gets ya every time. haha

The first song you taught me on the guitar-"jail-break." Classic. I'll never forget it. :) I remember singing John Denver when I was a kid while you would play the guitar. I think that's what inspired me to start playing the guitar (as poorly as I play, I still love a good John Denver song in my life). We would/we still laugh so hard every time you would say "It's my sinuses," when you weren't singing in tune, although I think your sinuses are clearing up because last time I heard you sing you sounded pretty good! Thank you for teaching me about the Mama's and the Papa's and Simon and Garfunkel and all their buddies from your youth-ly days. Good stuff. In fact, I listened to the Mama's and Papa's today. They've become a regular in my youtube browsing.

I brag that my dad can make a half-court basketball shot sitting down-that IS pretty cool and impressive. Also, your vertical jumping ability and your calves...hahaha I don't even know if I can go on about the calves. It's been a while since I've seen you've shown them to anyone...I'm laughing so hard right now just thinking about them. Disgusting.

Did I mention BYU football and basketball? You are very passionate, yes, passionate. 

Oh my, this hysterical story just came to mind-One time I was in Orem with some friends, but ended up meeting up with mom at Jenny's soccer game or something. You didn't know I was with mom, but you called her phone and I answered. I convinced you that you had called my phone. You hung up. Dialed mom's number again. I answered. "I swore I called your mother's number," you said. This happened several times. You started freaking out that "the system is having problems, the system is having problems." You called my phone. Mom answered. (mind you, Mother and I are dying laughing. It was seriously hysterical.) When we got home I snuck out of the car so that I could go in at a different time as mom, so you wouldn't know that we were together. For weeks you talked about how "the system was having problems." (Though, I don't know if that's as funny as when I came home from choir tour one year with a blue chunk of hair and mom cried for 2 days asking herself, "where did I got wrong?" I then pulled the clip-on out of my hair in front of her, while lying on her bed and laughing. Yes, I waited two days. Yes, I laughed. And yes, I was that big of a brat.)

Remember that one time at Thanksgiving dinner you went through the whole alphabet and then started on AA, BB, on things that you knew about Mitt Romney? yeah,....pretty sure I don't know anyone else that can do that. I think being really into politics is a talent-I received several talents from you (my ability to talk to strangers, being loud, youtubing for longer than necessary...) but I don't think I received the "being into politics" talent. But I do think I got my ability to be dramatic from you. I remember one time Jenny got stuck in a cupboard in the kitchen heard first and you were freaking out and hyperventilating saying, "We need to call the fire department!" haha Yeah, it's ok, I'm a little over-dramatic sometimes too. haha I think my ability to make people feel awkward in an incredibly fast about of time came from you as well-although most of the time I do it on purpose.

I remember one time (ha one of many times I tried) I ran away-you followed me. I was so mad. It was all planned. I was going to run after softball practice. I had my bike, my softball mitt, no money, no jacket and it was raining. I started biking to the back roads towards Provo. I did everything I could to ditch you and your car...but no, you kept following me. What kind of dad were you? Trying to keep your stupid 14 year old daughter safe... geesh. The audacity. I remember this family pulling over in a van (right after I went under an overpass and I'm pretty sure there was a homeless man and that scared me enough-now homeless people are my friends, I like them.) and they were all worried and asked if I needed help or if I wanted them to call the police because they saw a man following me. It was you. I was so convinced to tell them to call the cops, but something told me that would be a bad and very stupid idea, so I grudgingly told them that you were my dad. It continued to rain harder.I finally got in the car. Thanks for following me. Only a true dad does that.

Even though you can now get the 10% senior discount at Wendy's, I'll still claim you as my father. Your scriptural knowledge and everything you know about the prophets and church history has always impressed me and given me a greater desire to study. I am grateful for the blessings you have given us when we've been sick and as we've started the school year. I am grateful that because of you and mom we have the gospel in our lives and we grew up going to church every week.

I am grateful for your dedicated service to attending pretty much every concert and performance I've had (and that's been a lot) with the exception of a few in college. Thanks for being a proud dad-you never miss an opportunity to tell others what your kids are doing and I know it's because you love us and are proud of us. Thank you for your support in everything that I have done and am doing now.

so, I'm like having a moral dilemma as to whether I should post these pictures or not, but I don't think I can pass them up. They're SO good. And I think that that's why you're such a great dad-because once in a while things like that happen. You let us do your hair (like curling iron, hair ties, hair spray etc, the whole sha-bang). And what's even greater? I think you'll probably still talk to me after this-You might ask me to take the pictures off, but if I don't, you'll still talk to me. (at least I think so...)  Thanks for the advice you've given me and for the chats we had before and after the mission-I've appreciated them.

Happy Father's Day?

Very Sincerely and with Love,

Your oldest eldest daughter Kjersti

p.s. Thank you for staying for staying up all hours of the night many many times to edit my papers that were due the next day because I never started any of them earlier than that. :) Don't worry, you don't have to stay up and edit my blog. It's merely for my own enjoyment. :)
p.p.s. Thank you for teaching me to not do things by purpose and on accident. haha just kidding, I know it's on purpose and by accident.
p.p.p.s. What would you do if I failed Mexican history next semester? Or when Nathan fails Canadian history at BYU this semester?

You are 17 going on 18

 

Dear Nathan,

I will never forget you humming through the dictionary as a toddler....hmmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmmm, page by page, your calculating large numbers in your head and people thinking you should be on a TV show because you were a genius... (too bad public school ruined you. :) ) You playing adorable little Winthrop in The Music Man, and you didn't even have to fake a lisp because you were really missing your two front teeth! Your singing has improved 10 fold since then. You started to play the bass even though it was 4 times bigger than you. Your ability to pick up a puzzle piece and place it in the right spot first time, every time, still drives me crazy. And one day I'll beat at Boggle....well, probably not. 

You are without question one of the biggest nerds I know. I think you even proclaimed it yourself along with one of your Facebook statuses-"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." -Albert Einstein 

You're my sweet little brother...(most of the time).

Always excited for school....

...and always excited for an adventure. 

(even if it means driving to Beaver with me in the middle of the night.. *cough cough*)

You're too talented and nobody knows what to do with you. When you would sit down at that piano and your little hands and brain were just busy at work...I was jealous every time.I'm being serious though, you've got to pick the piano back up! It'll get the girls every time. No joke.

You were so cute with that massive bass and your little body. 

 You're always there to make us laugh-you do it to me. You make me laugh all the time and I love you for it.

You can be anyone you want to be, from Mickey....

...to a cowboy....

...to Davy Crockett...

...but I like you just as yourself. (Can anyone say 'sappy' please?)...although you do make a pretty handsome cowboy-just sayin'.

 I think we're the luckiest family to have you as our little brother. All of us knew we didn't want another girl. We wanted our baby brother and thank goodness we got him!

But really,  how did you get it so good to have 3 awesome older sisters?! :) 

You used to be so short and cute,

and then something happened,

and you grew,

and grew....(and hopefully you'll keep growing...at least another inch or two, or until you get your mission call-but I hope the spiritual growth will continue forever!)


Even though I don't know much about tennis,

  I think you're one of the best,

  and definitely cutest out on the court.

I have yet to meet a kid that can sing harmony like you can. If you remember correctly, I did have to bribe you with a Happy Hour-Sonic run to be able to record this video. You and your root beer. haha Can I take you to Sonic when I get home? I'll even pay. :) ...but only if you'll sing with me. :)

 You were always so excited to go to scout camp, even though you usually came home with some sort of broken bone or other injury. haha I think you've broken more bones than the three of us girls put together.

 But I'm proud of all the work you did put into the Scouting Program. (I must admit I don't know much about that either, other than it's a lot of work.)...

 ...and you did it! You got your Eagle!

I love it when you get a little emotional and you try not to let anyone see. I think it's the cutest thing ever.

 I know mom and dad are proud of you and everything you've done. And grandma and grandpa too!

I am sad that I have missed so much of the 6 years of your life with being away
at school and my mission and all those things, but I have loved the times that I
have gotten to see you sing and play and perform. You truly are brilliant, I mean really, who gets a 5 on the AP Calculus test at 16 years old and acts like it's no big deal. I barely made it through Pre-Calculus. ha Each of my siblings gets more smart and more talented...you're lucky you're last. I am so excited to see you start your freshman year at BYU and see all the great things you'll do there!

I know that mom would be there if she could,
 at every moment to hold your shoulder and make
sure you're doing what's right. Only because she
loves you so much.

Thank you for supporting me in everything I do, even if it means traveling across the country to see me in Nauvoo, or not hating me for coming to Mexico and missing your high school graduation and your birthday for the 3rd year in a row.

 It's been fun to watch you and your friends grow up. You're not kids anymore though-you have jobs, girls friends, mission calls, high school diplomas, college acceptance letters, etc,etc but I'm happy that you were blessed with good friends!









 Even if I can't get you a physical birthday present right now, like a tennis racket or another frisbee, what do you want from Mexico? I'll bring ya something great!

 I think you're already an old man, but I hope that you'll always be a kid at heart...

 ...and join me and my kids at least every few years at Disneyland! :)

I always know when you and Jenny have been in the car too long together...

because things like this start to happen....

...and they continue to happen...

...and get worse...

...until....yeah. uh, I don't know.

Nathan, I hope you will keep playing--play music (and sing!!!!!), play tennis and frisbee, play in the rain and snow and sun and on the beach and in the mountains. to play=happiness   (could that even be considered equal to a real math equation?-I highly doubt it. ha)

Yup, bottom right corner, that's you. What a cutie head. I can't get over it. haha the more I look at the picture I think you're the only looking at the conductor hahaha, and you have the best posture and vowels. hahaha You kill me kid. Who knew you were such a natural even at 6 years old?!

But also work hard, and then you'll be able to sleep pretty much wherever you want, even if you don't fit on the couches anymore.

You lived the braces phase and I think you even kept your friends through all of it.

I don't even know who this girl is...

It scares me that you can date. yikes...but I guess that's old news now. I still just haven't been home long enough to have it really sink in.

men in black? ...Tanner, did you miss the memo?

But from what I can tell, you and your friends are, well, wanted, in high demand...? Do I sound like an old lady right now? I really don't know how the kids talk these days.

I seriously can't take you seriously in this picture.

ha of course Cezar is dressed as the Mexican.

Do I even want to know?...what is the blue man anyway? (and yes, at this point I am stalking your Facebook, the little there is on there, for these pictures-because like I said, I've pretty much missed the majority of the last 6 years of your life...a good solid year and a half for sure.)

Springville High School Tennis-Nathan, Tanner, Jordan

 I wish I could have seen you sing the lead in Bye Bye Birdie this year, but as you know I was on my mission. Remember how you made me sing over Skype at Christmas because you sang some of your songs from the play. You seriously amaze me. You sing and I don't know where it's coming. It's effortless. Jealous.

I would do anything for shaved ice right now...maybe we'll do that instead of a Sonic run when I get home.

I know Cammy loves you too...and we'll just pretend that other kid in the picture is Jenny hanging out with you... Actually, I know we all love you and are proud of you and it might turn into a highly heated discussion if we tried to figure out who loves you more.

Hobble Creek 9th Ward Seniors 2014

 I am proud of everything you've done in your callings and for the example you've set at church in holding the priesthood and serving others! I pray that you will continue to do the same throughout your life.

I'm so proud of you for graduating from seminary! Onward to institute...(lots of free food. :)  and of course spiritual learning.)

You wouldn't have been a true high school graduate without suffering a sufficient amount of "senioritis"...which I think that you suffered sufficiently.

You're the last to leave the nest...leaving mom and dad, well, empty nesters...except for the fact that a few weeks ago 100% of their children lived there...so maybe they won't be real empty nesters for a while.

Springville High School Graduate 2008

Springville High School Graduate 2010

Springville High School Graduate 2012

...and last but certainly not least, Springville High School Graduate 2014! Congratulations, Nathan!

Your birthday never comes around without me thinking of our Grandma Stapley. I know you didn't know her. She died the day before your 1st birthday. That was 17 years ago, but I will never forgot how I felt that day. I was so sad that my grandma had died. But even at that young age I felt in my heart that I would see her again, a feeling that was reaffirmed by our cousin Devin. He found me crying behind grandpa's big tree in the backyard, but he hugged my little body and told me not to worry and that I would see her again. I believed everything he said even though we were only 6 and 7 years old. I still believe those words he told me. I know we'll see our grandma and grandpa again! I know that whatever happens to our family in this life that because we're sealed in the temple, that everything will work out and we will all be together again someday! They're up there watching over you, and I know they love and are proud of all the good things you're doing.


I love you Nathan and secretly you are my favorite brother! I can't believe how fast you have grown up. I still picture you as my "little" brother. You used to be so cute and I keep asking mom, "what happened to you?" haha I still think you're just a little stud though. I love you! Life has great things that will come to you if you serve the Lord faithfully and work diligently in all things.

Love,

Kjersti