I Hope I Don't Get Ebola

Everyone in my family except for Austin and I left on Monday for the border. Our car has to be driven out of the country every six months. Nicole hasn't been out of the country in a while so she decided to go. So here I am, taking care of the school, building project, and house...all by my glorious lonesome. I am thoroughly enjoying it though so don't ya'll go feeling bad. Everybody needs some alone time - and I'm getting mine this week! (Except for the fact that Austin is still here...)

This morning, Unnamed Student informed me he was having stomach problems and asked to go to el baño. A couple factors influenced the next sequence of events.

1. Too much TP
2. A wooden stick when a plunger couldn't be located (can you say "frantic"?)
3. One too many flushes

Vile and wretched story short - I spent my lunch break bleaching the bathroom within an inch of its life and wishing I owned an Ebola containment suit. I'm a leetle tempted to go into more detail, but my dad's warnings are ringing in my head. Something having to do with not lowering my blog's standards...hahahahaha.


~Bethany~

Too Good for School

Sometimes I think Austin thinks he's above school....

(Yes, I know millionaire is spelled wrong, and yes he corrected it)

When he brought me his book to grade, he had a cocky little attitude and a smirk on his face. He rolled his eyes as he told me, "I used a little sarcasm.". Said he needed to add a touch of humor. Apparently his work is just a little too boring for his taste. 

~Bethany~

Voting 2014

While we were in the States, just so happened, it was voting time! How perfectly providential! We filled out our absentee ballots that had been previously mailed to us while sipping hot chocolate and other yumminess at Starbucks. 

Filling out my ballot

Austin read his Bible while we filled out our ballots. 

We hardly knew any of the names of the people we were to vote for...Google to the rescue! Between Dad and I, we looked up every single name on the ballot to see what they stood for and who we should vote for. 

Research, research! 

~Bethany~

Vianey's Funeral

As you all probably know, Sis. Vianey passed away after months of suffering. We went to the hospital Saturday morning to see her and say our last goodbyes. On Sunday we got the call that she had passed away. Monday we had a small service at her house for friends and family. Tuesday we had the funeral at the church. 

This was me and Nicole's first Christian funeral in Mexico - usually when someone in the church dies, the family swoops in and takes over and everything is done in the Catholic way. We were very pleased when Sis. Vianey's family chose to honor her wishes of having her funeral in the church. None of the Catholic nonsense. No chanting and wailing over the body, no sprinkling it with water, no money left in the hand of the deceased to get them past the Jordan River and buy them food and clothes in the next life. 

This funeral honored Sis. Vianey and it honored the Lord. 

Hno. Baltazar reading her obituary

The flowers from the younger Wakefield family

The flowers from the Elder Wakefield family

The casket was opened so the family could say their last goodbyes

After the funeral, we drove about 14,000 miles out to the middle of nowhere, where there was a cemetery. It started out as an ordinary trip, but then Elissa had a diaper blow-out and I got to witness how to deal with a terrible explosion in a moving car. 

We had a little service around the casket then we watched as the casket was lowered into the ground. The men started shoveling dirt on to the casket - it is the creepiest sound - and a few people started wailing and crying. It was sad. 

My precious Gramma

Elder Wakefield saying some last words

Beautiful flowers - all the flowers that were given to the family were used to cover the grave. That is the tradition here. 

~Bethany~

Thanksgiving 2014

 We had a nice little Thanksgiving this year. For the first part of the evening it was just Nicole and I and Gramma and Grampa. Then a couple hours later Tio Mario, Tia Hayde, Abner, and Elissa arrived. That is when we started to eat. About an hour later, Bro. Jorge, Sis. Natalia, and Eliana arrived. About an hour after that, Grampa left to go pick up Mom, Dad, and Austin up from the airport. The rest of us stayed home and continued eating :)

Grampa and his battle-scared arm. He got in a fight with a thorny tree. (He did win, no matter what it may look like!) 

Our little princess

Group #1, round #1

While we ate, Elissa sat over in the living room on her blanket playing. It was the weirdest thing - she dozed off while sitting up and her eyes were still open. She was kind of swaying backwards and forwards...it was funny and pitiful! I went over and scooped her up into my arms and her eyes immediately shut and she fell asleep. Zzzz....

Shnuggling on the couch 

Nicole and little Miss Eliana

Trying to get Elissa to show us how she crawls

Seeing our boy for the first time in a while

Elissa fell asleep...again...this time, in the arms of Nicole. Look at that little smooshy face!

~Bethany~

Together Again on Thanksgiving

Yesterday was Thanksgiving which also happened to be the day our parents and Austin were going to be flying in. This is not the actual Thanksgiving post, but a preview. 

I just wanted to show you all how tall Austin has gotten this past month. Before Austin went to the States at the end of October, I was half an inch taller than he was. As you can see, he has now surpassed both Nicole and I in height - no squinting and wondering necessary. 

This is Austin's favorite outfit. His overalls. He'd wear them everyday if he could - he loves looking like a farmer.
When he first got them, he couldn't wait to wear them to Starbucks (a pretty classy place here in Mexico). 

We were supposed to both kiss Austin at the same time - 1...2...3...nope, didn't turn out! 

~Bethany~

Home!

When I finally arrived home, to my very own house, I walked into my room and was delighted to find this little basket on my nightstand! This was Nicole's way of saying, "I love you and I'm willing to stay up till all hours of the night hearing all about your trip to the US." Notice how their are two packets of M&M's, two chocolate popsicles, and two bottles of soda? One for me, one for her.  

I was touched by this gesture! 

I had specifically told her that when I arrived home, I would appreciate a Kit-Kat and a bunch of bananas :) She came through for me! 

As I mention in the previous blog post, my suitcases were left in Houston, Texas. I was trying to mentally prepare myself for the possibility that my beautiful, purple Samsonite luggage was lost forever, along with most of my worldly possessions. I didn't have to go far with this mindset, however, because my main suitcase was delivered that day! My little roller carry-on was delivered the next morning. I was a very happy camper! 

The suitcase actually was delivered wrapped in very thick plastic and the zippers were zip-tied shut. Nothing was stolen or rifled through, thank the Lord! 

I immediately set out digging though my stuff, getting all Nicole's goodies together. 

I pulled out this bag of popcorn and Nicole wanted to know whyyyy I brought it back?! Well, my problem with this monster of a suitcase is that I have plenty of ROOM, but the airlines only allow 50 pounds. Popcorn doesn't weigh anything...and it's kettle corn! Yummm...a treat for us down in Mexico, for sure! 

I don't have any pictures of the things I brought back for Nicole - I made her close her eyes while I arranged everything out on the floor in front of her. Anyways, we had a good night and I finally breathed a sigh of relief because my suitcase and kettle corn were back with me where they belonged. :)

~Bethany~