Chile - Highlights and Memories

* Forgetting to get our luggage and my sister almost getting fined by the Chilean Department of Agriculture.
* Getting yelled at (in Spanish) by an old lady for taking her picture. (We hadn't actually taken her picture.)
* My mom being so frazzled from fighting with aforementioned old lady, that she forgot her bag and change at the grocery store!
* Running 3 blocks at mach speed to try and get aforementioned bag & change before someone else did.
* Being given the hoo-doo eye by a cab driver for slamming his door.
* Crying mostly non-stop for the first day I was there. (What can I say, I'm emotional. I was happy to see my mom, panicky to be 5,000 miles away from home and possibly never returning home to see my husband and beautiful kids...Did I mention that I have a tendancy to worry?)
* Being given a flower by a man who wanted to welcome me to Chile (even after I had made a face because he was eating french fries with mustard.)
* Saying "Permisso" (Excuse me) many times because until you do, people won't move or get out of your way!
* Almost throwing up after eating something that was supposed to be flan-like (I think) but felt more like really wet scrambled eggs with a hint of almond.
* Being very happy that they have Coke Zero in Chile! (Coca Cero)
* Enjoying the taste of empanadas fritas con queso!
* Eating sopapillas with salsa (so good!)
* Landing after a 10 hour flight and realizing that I had gone to Chile and back and survived! (And that I still had another (short) flight, but it not mattering because I was in the United States!)

Chile - Day7 (Last Day)

We woke up in Osorno and had breakfast (more cold cuts...weird). Then we walked around Osorno and browsed some shops. This is a very beautiful and grand Catholic church.

We tried some of this root (?) from a street vendor. It is sour and you dip it in salt. It was interesting. We had just eaten french fries and a pistachio ice cream, so the combination wasn't the best.

This is an apartment that my mom stayed in during her time in Osorno. This was considered very posh, and I think even it didn't have hot water and stayed very cold.

A view of two volcanos out of my window in the airplane. We almost didn't get on the flight out of Puerto Montt because they had oversold the flight, so there were some tense moments, but at the last second we all got seats. It's a good thing too, because if I had missed that flight, I wouldn't have made my connecting flight home to the states, and I was more than ready to come home!

Chile - Day 6

On Day 6 morning, we woke up and had the continental breakfast at the hotel. It consisted of cold cuts, rolls, yogurt, toast, and juice. Then we took a bus ride (1 1/2 hour) to Osorno. This is the first place that my mom was assigned on her mission.

We stayed in this hotel on recommendation of the Santiago Temple president.

This was the chapel that my mom attended during her time in Osorno.

My mom and I with Olaya & Leo Villarroel. They were very sweet to her when she was here on her mission. The little girl is from another family, but attended the same ward.

The Chacon Family. (The boy in the back is purposely standing in front of the antlers.) Luis, the father, is a jeweler, and made my sister and I and our daughters beautiful necklaces with birthstone pendants. He handmade the chain as well.

Chile - Day 5

First thing on Day 5 morning we were picked up in front of our hotel by a big tour bus. Unfortunately, we were the first ones picked up and the last ones dropped off, but we did get to see lots of scenery and the seats were comfortable. Then we drove along a rode that skirts Lago Llanquihue, a huge, beautiful lake.

Our first stop was the Saltos de Petrohue (I think it means Petrohue rapids or falls). It was very windy and bitterly cold, but beautiful. We had a perfect view of the Volcano Osorno from here.

Then we drove a little bit more to get to the boat that would take us across Todos Los Santos. It was a very nice cruise.

You could either sit inside, or outside. I tried to split my time between both. The air was so clean and clear here, which was a stark contrast to Santiago where it is so smoggy that you can rarely see the Andes mountains!

We got off the boat in a small town called Peulla (which I still can't pronounce). We had a choice of a couple of activities (canopy (zip line), horseback riding, 4x4 safari), but we chose a 1 hour horseback ride. They took us by bus a little ways from the town to a farm. When we got there there was a condor sitting on a stable. (The condor is the national bird of Chile). It was so cool to see him! But then I was hurried off to get on my horse. Our guide, Marco, didn't say much, but the ride was nice, even though the horses seemed to not like us. We got to ride through water, which I had never done before. The horses kept wanting to stop to eat. (My mom doesn't like horses, so she waited for us at the hotel.) Then we came back to Peulla and had lunch at the Hotel Peulla. We all ate salmon, because it was the only choice besides the pork, which we were instructed not to eat by our tour guide!

Chile - Day 4

Day 4 was September 19th, Chilean Armed Forces Day. There are many parades on this day, but we were headed down to Puerto Montt, so we didn't get to see the parades, but on our way to my mom's office in the morning, we did get to see these troops marching to get in line for the parade.

We had to run by the office before we left so that my mom could get her passport.

Then we flew down to Puerto Montt.

We had dinner (a meat festival) and then walked around down by the water. It was very cold and windy.

Chile - Day 3

Day 3 was the 18th of September, a patriotic holiday in Chile. You can read more about it here. We attended a festival at Ines Suarez park, close to where we were staying in Santiago. They had booths set up with hand made things to buy, rides for kids, live animal displays, and lots of Cueca dancing.

Later that day we attended another festival and watched a history of Chile on horseback. It was fun to watch despite not understanding a word the narrator was saying and the LOUD speakers that we were sitting near. Then we walked around the festival grounds and had a lunch of empanadas fritas con queso (fried empanadas with cheese, my favorite food of Chile), french fries (my mom thinks that Chile has good fries, and I agree), and Pastele de Choclo (Chilean corn and meat pie). (I have never tried the recipe that I linked, but I thought some of you might find it interesting to see the ingredients).

I took this picture because my mom was telling us how this was her favorite place to stand when she rides the bus, and I wanted to remember it.

Chile - Day 2

We spent most of the morning (and some of the afternoon) at Centro Artesanal Los Dominicos. It is a really fun shopping village that has all kinds of hand made goods. We shopped and had lunch there. It was a very beautiful day.

Then we took a bus and walked to Cerro San Cristobal (St. Christopher's Hill, one of the highest hills in Santiago). We rode the cable car to the top, and then my sister and I climbed the rest of the way to see the (huge) statue of the Virgin Mary.

Chile - Day 1

Our flight arrived at 8 am and in our excitement to see our mom, we forgot to get our luggage before we left the security area! In order to go through customs, you have to pick up all of your luggage, have it scanned and turn in your customs forms, and then exit. So, we have to find someone to let us back in so that we could complete this process! Not a great way to start the trip, but it turned out okay.

We took a taxi to the church offices in Santiago where my mom has been working. The office is on the temple grounds, so we got to see the temple, the hospidaje (a hotel of sorts where people can stay when they come long distances to the temple), and meet all of her senior missionary friends.

That night we went (with some of her Senior Sister Missionary friends) to a Catholic Mass. We visited Chile during their Independance holiday, so there were a lot of patriotic things going on. This was a special mass with singing and people in traditional clothing/costumes.

I have returned from Chile!

So, I have returned back to my homeland. It was wonderful to see my mom and see where she's been serving for 18 months.

I ate lots of new foods and saw lots of beautiful things and places.

Stay tuned for more...

The rest of our Saturday...

So, since I was at TOFW, for the majority of the day, Mike & the girls had all day to play! Mike ran 5 miles pushing both of them in the jogging stroller (!!!). Then he loaded them up in the bike trailer and rode down to see the Tour of Missouri ride through our backyard (practically, it was near City Hall). Then we left the girls with a babysitter and we helped our friend Chad celebrate his birthday with a surprise dinner. Fun times!

Chad, Karyn, & Gabby

Time Out for Women

Today I attended Time Out for Women with a bunch of my ward sisters. It was such a nice, uplifting experience. I really needed to hear a lot of those things like: Satan wants me to think that I'm unproductive, Heavenly Father wants me to love my children, I need to surrender my problems to the Lord, I need to find JOY! in life, I need to listen to my children, I need to speak in "accents of wonder", I need to write more letters/notes, I need to listen longer after I pray (instead of falling asleep), I (and everyone else!) am a Child of God, and I'm sure there was more.

Here are Leslie and I. (I look weird in this picture, but it was the only one that wasn't blurry.)

Here are some of the presenters: Jane Clayson Johnson, S. Michael Wilcox, Cherie Call, Jason Wright, & Pam Hansen

Me and my friend, Kate!

Cherilyn, Hilary Weeks, and moi!

Seatbelts buckled...so we can be safe!

Sydney wanted to put her bear in her carseat and buckle him up, but we needed to get going, so I just strapped him in with her. (Don't worry, safety police, I repositioned the upper clip before we went anywhere!)