Christmas 2009

This was our first year ever to have Christmas Morning all to ourselves and we loved it! The kids took their time opening each gift and were really excited about what the other person received. Kalli really wanted this dinosaur called Screature and she was so happy to open her present and get it. The dino roars, spits water and trys to bite you and she loves it... oh, no Barbie for my 6 year old!?! B got the Millenium Falcon and some Star Wars guys. And they got a b-ball hoop to share. Santa was very generous! (Good thing Ben drew us a fireplace so Santa could get into our apartment). The kids were so happy and exctied that they finally got to open the presents that everyone had sent them. After that we had a giant breakfast. Ben made eggs and bacon and I made waffles and cream and then we packed up for the beach.
I thought that not being around my extended family for Christmas was going to be hard but we had a great time and didn't miss everyone too much:)

These are just a few pictures of some of the things we did to get ready for Christmas. We went to a few plazas in OSJ to look at the lights and decorations, we made a gingerbread house, decorated our "mantle", Kalli had a school Christmas program, we watched the sun set on Christmas Eve and then enjoyed the gorgeous weather on Christmas. We had a great time!
This year for Christams my family decided that we were going to do a hat exchange. We drew names, adults and kids, and had to buy, make or a little of both a "hat" for that person to wear for Christams Dinner. The hat could be something the person likes, like mine (the domestic goddess), hates, like Ben's (Boston Red Socks), or is silly, like Kalli and B. Or it might be just a hat to wear. I am not sure what everyone in Utah got but I know some were very big:) I hope to see some pictures of them on my mom's blog soon. I think that it was a fun idea and I hope to make it a family tradition! Merry Christamas!

Trapped By an Iguana

So I usually keep my front door open because we don't have a/c in our house. I have a screen door that helps keep out the misquitos and this particular day it kept out a bigger pest! I was sitting in my kitchen chair texting Ben when I looked up and this 3.5 foot long (from head to tail) iguana was siting on my welcome mat looking in at me. I jumped up and screamed and ran to the door to shut it. The iguana ran away and towards the end of my porch. I slammed the door and looked out the window. It was at the end of my porch with no place to go, since I am on the second level, and it was just staring at me. These lizards are big and don't scare easily and I am a little afraid of them. So my neighbor saw me and the iguana and came over to try to scare it away. By this point Bronsen came into the kitchen and did not want to try to sneak past the lizard to go pick Kalli up from school. But we really had to go...

I had no idea how we were going to leave the house with this guy (above) now under the kids' picnic table facing us and looking at me with his scaley yellow eye. The first neighbor had called a second neighbor who by the time he got up to my porch with a broom the iguana was gone. I had looked away for 10 seconds to answer my phone and looked on the porch and the iguana was no where to be found! B. said he saw it run away but that would mean it would have had to jump off my 2nd story porch and run across the street! But the 2nd neighbor came up and did a full sweep and gave us the okay to pick up Kalli.

This is our "iguana tree" in the field right next to our house. I believe this is where our visitor came from. How many iguanas do you see?

Needless to say that this could only happen in PR!!!

Santo Domingo Temple Trip

We were lucky enough last month to take a fast trip to the temple in the Dominican Republic. It is the closest temple to PR and our stake was taking a trip there the week of Thanksgiving. We have been wanting to go at least once while we are here and just couldn't pass up the oppurtunity. It was a once in a lifetime experience and it truely strengthened my testimony about the gospel of Jesus Christ. We had 61 members from our stake participate in the trip. Ben and I were only there one day and could feel the love and sacrifice of those members. I took this picture (No, it is not from the church website or a professional photographer, or is it photo shopped. It shows exactly how naturally awe-inspiring the House of the Lord is!) A copy of this hangs in our living room as a reminder of the wonderful blessings the temple provides in our lives and to our family.
Even though all the workers and the words in the temple were Spanish it helped me to understand how important the temple is to EVERY person no matter what launguage they speak or where they are from. Our loving Heavenly Father wants all to know and understand His promises. I have never been hugged so much at any temple and could feel the love of all in attendance that day. Ben and I were able to do some sealings and baptisms for some of his ansestors and we were so lucky to be able to go. Ben says that he used to wonder how people could go to the temple all day. But now we know the excitement and blessings that come from serving in the temple. We are going to try to go in April again and stay longer:)

Ben and I right before we left to go home. The temple is made from pink stone. I don't know why so maybe do some investigating and post a comment if you know why...

These were just a few pictures that we took of OSJ from the sky and of the amazing sunset as we left PR.

More Temple Pictures

Morning at the temple.
These pictures are for my dad who likes to take pictures from odd angles

Another for Dad!