This last year brought about so much change that it's almost hard to know where to start. So I suppose that I'll start off with our blessings. Finally, after the new year passing, Efrain's paperwork was approved at the Embassy in Juarez. He left not one minute after the approval and he returned to the USA by catching a ride with some strangers at the border who took him to the airport in El Paso. Then he flew to PHX in an ecstatic state of relief- This was between the escalation of violence in Juarez and the mass exodus of its citizens. I thank all who helped to support us in that time as it was so challenging spiritually and monetarily. We couldn't help but to have a somewhat emotional holiday season this year knowing that just last year over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, we didn't even know if Efrain was going to come home again. Talk about counting your blessings!
Two short months after Efrain returned home, the Winter Olympics began. They were not far from my old stomping grounds (Vancouver B.C. is about 30 minutes from where I was born), so it seemed more intimate for us as some of our friends went to events and posted the films. It also was ironic because, as I was watching the triathlon and seeing the athletes sprinting uphill on cross country skis, I was bouncing on our therapeutic ball and going through my own kind of race where the finish line included a new baby boy named Aramis. I went into notable labor at 2 p.m. and called the midwives at about 4 p.m., they arrived at about 5 and I gave birth at 6. There wasn't too much time to prepare and I must say that I was glad to have had so many steady hands around because I just couldn't push anymore in the end. Efrain and Deborah held me up on shaky legs while Paula coaxed Aramis out into the birthing pool. Aramis is quite a big boy (9lb, 3oz at birth) which explained why I felt so tired. By the end of the Olympics I was almost fully recovered from birthing and we all enjoyed the calm presence of our new little man.
Now, Issa is enjoying playing with a baby brother who crawls after her and is close to walking. Issa is stringing together sentences, jumping, running, and doing head-stands. She loves things like drinking hot chocolate out of a spoon, wrapping herself in our robes in the morning, painting on shirts, sledding, and watching Astro Boy (strange, I know). There are occasional bouts of jealousy between her and her brother but they are few and far between in comparison to how much they love to play together. Issa's newest thing is to pretend Aramis is a dog and to walk him around the house (even though he's just crawling where he wants really). We typically have a dance hour at home and the kids love to dance to new Scottish rock involving bagpipes. Aramis head bangs while Issa leaps around the house and I teach her new dance moves.
A few months after Efrain came home from Mexico, he finally found a job at Arizona Highway Safety Specialists where he had to leave for four days of the week and then return for three days (which was really just one whole day) and then leave again. One wonderful thing that came from this job was that they provided the rig and training for Efrain to get his Commercial Drivers License and he passed the test with flying colors. The hours and strenuous labor proved too hard on him and our family though, so he went out job searching again in November. "Yavapai Metal and Steel" in Dewey was happy to hire him and now he is working about 15 minutes Northeast of our home. He is enjoying having a chance to use a variety of his skills and to also return home at the end of the day. We are all enjoying working out at the local gym these days. We are both going to Zumba together, which leaves us happy and tired at the end of the day. Efrain is also always trying to find that new entrepreneurial idea that will help us to settle into a steady and successful career path. We have a lot of connections in Mexico and are hoping that those will turn into good business relationships, so we will be able to visit his family while working across borders in the future.
As for me, I've been here at the house, caring for the children, cooking, cleaning, building fires and cutting wood (I realize what increadibly bad aim I have especially when I'm weilding an axe). There are things in life that I realize I knew nothing about, like cutting wood and building fires, and am now taking it upon myself to pick up the axe any time the men are out of the home (which is essentially Monday through Friday).
As you can imagine, combining households with my parents has thrown into sharp relief how much junk we both have collected over the years. So I have been doing my best to fix and revamp what I can to sell these things either on-line or through a friends booth in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). As I said, I have been going to the gym too, which keeps me happily in pain most days. I love Zumba because it is such a happy way to work out. When I'm feeling more solitary, I like the rowing machine because I can just zone out or daydream that I'm sculling somewhere exotic.
In the spare time that I have otherwise, which is not much, I have been writing a book (sounds a lot more audacious than it really is) and speaking Spanish with Efrain; still in the hopes to become more fluent. My mother bought the Rosetta Stone in Italian, so I studied Italian 1 and 2 already and am moving on to either Swahili or German. My hopes for the future still lay with working in an American Embassy so what I should be studying is Turkish or Chinese (once I can afford a program, I will surely buy one), but what I have at hand is Swahili or German. I love the sound of Swahili and have a friend who can help push my learning along nicely here in town so I may be leaning that way.
My feelings have stayed the same from the last year to this. We may not have all the money in the world but we have a home, good food, friends, and a core family that has proven to be unshakable. I strive in this new year to stay inspired by life, to be inquisitive, and to remain above all things, a positive force in this world.
Much love and light to all of you out there~~~~
Two short months after Efrain returned home, the Winter Olympics began. They were not far from my old stomping grounds (Vancouver B.C. is about 30 minutes from where I was born), so it seemed more intimate for us as some of our friends went to events and posted the films. It also was ironic because, as I was watching the triathlon and seeing the athletes sprinting uphill on cross country skis, I was bouncing on our therapeutic ball and going through my own kind of race where the finish line included a new baby boy named Aramis. I went into notable labor at 2 p.m. and called the midwives at about 4 p.m., they arrived at about 5 and I gave birth at 6. There wasn't too much time to prepare and I must say that I was glad to have had so many steady hands around because I just couldn't push anymore in the end. Efrain and Deborah held me up on shaky legs while Paula coaxed Aramis out into the birthing pool. Aramis is quite a big boy (9lb, 3oz at birth) which explained why I felt so tired. By the end of the Olympics I was almost fully recovered from birthing and we all enjoyed the calm presence of our new little man.
Now, Issa is enjoying playing with a baby brother who crawls after her and is close to walking. Issa is stringing together sentences, jumping, running, and doing head-stands. She loves things like drinking hot chocolate out of a spoon, wrapping herself in our robes in the morning, painting on shirts, sledding, and watching Astro Boy (strange, I know). There are occasional bouts of jealousy between her and her brother but they are few and far between in comparison to how much they love to play together. Issa's newest thing is to pretend Aramis is a dog and to walk him around the house (even though he's just crawling where he wants really). We typically have a dance hour at home and the kids love to dance to new Scottish rock involving bagpipes. Aramis head bangs while Issa leaps around the house and I teach her new dance moves.
A few months after Efrain came home from Mexico, he finally found a job at Arizona Highway Safety Specialists where he had to leave for four days of the week and then return for three days (which was really just one whole day) and then leave again. One wonderful thing that came from this job was that they provided the rig and training for Efrain to get his Commercial Drivers License and he passed the test with flying colors. The hours and strenuous labor proved too hard on him and our family though, so he went out job searching again in November. "Yavapai Metal and Steel" in Dewey was happy to hire him and now he is working about 15 minutes Northeast of our home. He is enjoying having a chance to use a variety of his skills and to also return home at the end of the day. We are all enjoying working out at the local gym these days. We are both going to Zumba together, which leaves us happy and tired at the end of the day. Efrain is also always trying to find that new entrepreneurial idea that will help us to settle into a steady and successful career path. We have a lot of connections in Mexico and are hoping that those will turn into good business relationships, so we will be able to visit his family while working across borders in the future.
As for me, I've been here at the house, caring for the children, cooking, cleaning, building fires and cutting wood (I realize what increadibly bad aim I have especially when I'm weilding an axe). There are things in life that I realize I knew nothing about, like cutting wood and building fires, and am now taking it upon myself to pick up the axe any time the men are out of the home (which is essentially Monday through Friday).
As you can imagine, combining households with my parents has thrown into sharp relief how much junk we both have collected over the years. So I have been doing my best to fix and revamp what I can to sell these things either on-line or through a friends booth in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). As I said, I have been going to the gym too, which keeps me happily in pain most days. I love Zumba because it is such a happy way to work out. When I'm feeling more solitary, I like the rowing machine because I can just zone out or daydream that I'm sculling somewhere exotic.
In the spare time that I have otherwise, which is not much, I have been writing a book (sounds a lot more audacious than it really is) and speaking Spanish with Efrain; still in the hopes to become more fluent. My mother bought the Rosetta Stone in Italian, so I studied Italian 1 and 2 already and am moving on to either Swahili or German. My hopes for the future still lay with working in an American Embassy so what I should be studying is Turkish or Chinese (once I can afford a program, I will surely buy one), but what I have at hand is Swahili or German. I love the sound of Swahili and have a friend who can help push my learning along nicely here in town so I may be leaning that way.
My feelings have stayed the same from the last year to this. We may not have all the money in the world but we have a home, good food, friends, and a core family that has proven to be unshakable. I strive in this new year to stay inspired by life, to be inquisitive, and to remain above all things, a positive force in this world.
Much love and light to all of you out there~~~~
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