"What is your address?"

Ah, the common question... "What is your address?". Right now, I don't like that question, because I don't really have an address.

We had our crazy switcheroo of plans and we are currently staying at my parents. We don't mind being here one bit. But, our 4 noisy kids and all the drama that comes with having 4 girls I think is a bit overwhelming for my parents.

We asked our current renters who are in our home, if they would be willing to move out within the next few weeks, and they declined. We can't blame them, we did have a contract, and we will honor that. We were hoping to be in our place and settled back into "normal" life in a month or so, but I guess that will have to wait until February. The month of love... and I will LOVE being in my house!

In the meantime, we have tried to figure out where to live so that our kid feel settled, welcome and content. We thought about renting a house, but there aren't any in the area around our home. We have asked some neighbors if we could rent their basement apartments, to which they have been wonderfully willing. We are SO grateful! We certainly haven't declined any of those offers, as of yet.

You know when you have a thought, and it seems like a good idea, and the more you think about it, the better the idea is.... so then you act on it. Well, we were having dinner with some of our best friends and they mentioned that we should just buy a fiver-upper house and live in it while fixing it up and then sell it. I laughed, mocked and threw that idea right out. Then... just like when the offer of "what do you think about moving to Mexico" when I woke up in the night and couldn't sleep... well it happened again. I woke up in the night and the idea no longer seemed unrealistic. Actually, it sounded really quite perfect for our situation. So, we spent the next day looking at some doozy of houses. We were really quite discouraged because nothing worth our time or money was showing it's ugly face. We were driving on a main road about a mile from our house in SoJo, and Ryan said, "let's turn into this neighborhood and see if there is a crappy house". I told him he was nuts and that it was a nice neighborhood and if there was a dumper, it wouldn't be in our price range. Well... then we saw it! The house with the 3 foot tall weeds. It called to us! We had to see this dump of a place. So, within an hour or so, we had a realtor with a key and we were in. Within another hour... we made an offer. Now we play the "waiting game", and find out if we will have an address next month.

I keep saying this... but if you would have said a year ago, "oh... next year, you will live in Mexico, homeschool your kids, live with your parents and buy a 2nd home" I would have laughed and thrown a pie in your face. Okay, I don't make pie... but I would have laughed at you.

So, here we are.... more grateful for the little things today than we were yesterday. What a crazy journey we have had. I usually make an ornament for each of my kids for Christmas. Something that they love or that they have accomplished that year. It's a wonderful tradition my Mother-in-law did for her kids. I love it. This year, I think I have about 6 ornaments per kid. So many things they have accomplished, so many things they love. As for my ornament... I think just a picture of my little family hung by a string on our Christmas tree this year will sum up this whole year for me. Quite the accomplishment, and a whole lot of love!

I am one lucky, blessed little lady. My Heavenly Father must love me a lot for giving me all that I have.

Change

What an enjoyable summer we had!

We got to visit family and friends, and enjoy late nights in the warm summer sun. It was an absolute treat. We got new clothes, and new school materials and new shoes and all kinds of new everything so we could enjoy the next 6 months here in Mexico.

Isn't it interesting how things change.

A wonderful blessing came into our lives, and provided us a better opportunity. Ryan has taken a job with another company and will continue to do the wonderful work for the Lord in building his temples. We are packing up our beautiful home here in Mexico and are returning back home to Utah, tomorrow.

We have so many emotions and mixed feelings about this. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here. We have loved the people we have met, the people who have touched our lives. We have loved the culture and the food. There is so much to do and I certainly home someday soon we will get to come back and visit. There were so many places we didn't get to see, and I am terribly saddened by this, but hopefully, someday.

My Heavenly Father loves me, and I am truly grateful for the gospel and for the beautiful, wonderful opportunities it brings to me and my family. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to experience all of the amazing things I have and I wouldn't have been able to show my children just how blessed we truly are. When you live the gospel, you are blessed. It's a promise He gives!

Onto our next adventure and chapter in our lives.

México, un país hermoso.

Carne, & Queso Tacos with Chile Arbol sauce

Once again, Edith made an AMAZING Mexican dish. She is a really good cook, and I am loving it! I am putting these recipes on the blog so that I have them when I get home. I don't want to have to keep track of them here. Plus, I figure I would share. ;) Let me tell you how it usually goes when I get these recipes. She tells me something in Spanish that she is going to make, and gets the ingredients. She will tell me when she is going to start cooking and so I grab my little notepad and scribble EVERY SINGLE STEP and ingredient as she is preparing it. It is usually in a crazy order, but it's all I got folks. So, enjoy! 

Carne, & Queso Tacos with Chile Arbol sauce

1T oil 

1 roma tomato

1c water

1 chile arbol

1 clove of garlic

Heat 1T oil in small pan, w hen it gets hot, take it off the heat. Place 1-2 peppers in oil and baste pepper until it isn't hard and brittle, about 1 minute. Put pepper in blender with tomato, 1 clove of garlic and 1/2c blanched water.  Blend well, set aside. This is the sauce for on top of the tacos. 

1/2 lb bacon, cut unto 1 1/2" pieces

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1/2 onion

1T oil

1 pkg sirloin pieces

1/2t salt

1t chicken bouillon

7oz (.200 grams) Oaxaca cheese, pulled apart into 1/4" x 2" sections - (similar taste and texture of Mozzarella cheese)

Cook bacon, until done but not crispy. Keep bacon grease for later. Boil tomato in water, set water and tomato aside. Scrape seeds out of peppers, cut into 1/2" cubes. Put in bacon grease, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, Cut onion into 1" chunks, and separate layers. Add to green peppers. Cook until tender but not mushy. Place in bowl and set aside.  

Heat 1 T oil in pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add sirloin and salt. Cook until no longer pink. Add onions and peppers, bacon, bouillon to meat, stir well. Cover with cheese, place lid on top and keep warm over low or no heat.   

This was SOOOOOO delicious! Probably my favorite, but then again, I think that with every single dish she makes. 

Driving in Mexico

A friend of mine here arrived the day after me, also coming from Utah. We get each other and can vent and chat about the lives, hates, likes, things we miss. It's a lot of fun. She stated perfectly exactly how driving is in Mexico.

"Let's talk about driving here in Mexico. First off, to get a license here all you need is some cash and a heartbeat. No test or driving school required. That should tell you a lot. When there are supposed to be 3 lanes, people will make them into 5. If you aren't 2 inches from the car next to you and the car in front of you another car will try to squeeze in. Forget using your blinker, that's only to make foreigners stand out. Stop signs are optional, as are some but not all stop lights (good luck trying to figure out which ones). If you aren't aggressive you will never get anywhere...literally there are too many cars here to wait your turn. Cops will ignore all traffic violations unless your license plates happen to say USA.  And if you put your hazards on, anything goes. #livinginmexico #ididnotexaggerate"

Thanks Cassi, you nailed it!

Mexican Tinga Recipe

Edith made the YUMMYIEST (is that a word) dinner last night. Mmmmmmmm

It's called Mexican Tinga


EDITH'S MEXICAN TINGA
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (the boil the chicken here to cook it)
3 roma tomatoes
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 large onion, cut in thin slices
2 garlic cloves
1 sm can chili chipotle
2 T oil
1 1/2 t. chicken bouillon
pkg of tostadas


Blanche tomatoes in water, keep water. Place tomatoes, garlic and 1/2 c. water from blanching in blender. Mix well. Add 1-2 chilis (for mild/med hotness, add more for spicier flavor) and blend until well mixed.

Heat oil in pan over med/high heat, cook onions for about 3 minutes in oil. Add tomato mixture and another 1/2 c. water from blanching, and chicken bouillon to pan. When it starts to boil add chicken and turn heat down to med/low. Let simmer 15-20 minutes until liquid cooks down and leaves only the chicken/tomato mixture.

Serve on tostadas with sliced avocado and sour cream.

I had it last night and again today for lunch. My kids loved it as well. DELICIOUS, and quick!

Visitors!

We were so lucky to have my Gramps, my nephew Taylor and my Mom come visit us for a week and a half. It was SOOOO wonderful to have them here. We saw sites, we put together huge puzzles, we ate out, we played a few games, we laughed. It was amazing. I will cherish those few days we had together.

We went to the pyramids, ate dinner in a cave,we went to Xochimilco again, we went to the Zocalo and saw the gorgeous cathedral. We even went up on the roof of the cathedral to be there for when they rang the church bells at noon. We had a blast!

Flowers

There are flower stands and street vendors selling flowers EVERYWHERE here. Beautiful, freshly cut flowers. They are dang cheap too!

Ryan makes sure I always have fresh flowers in our house. This is going to be one of those things I will miss when we get back home. It's just so cheap and readily available here.

Love it! Love him!