the garden

it is almost that time of year...again.

we have a garden...as do most in our town.

i asked garrett if he would help me plant a garden and he agreed.

little did i know his idea of a garden was like having another farm!

it takes a full-time team to keep the "garden" under control.

when the plants start producing you need to be prepared to receive tons...literally...of fresh produce.

this is when home bottling skills come in handy

or

an extra large deep freeze.

there is a small window of opportunity to distribute, can, or gift the veggies before they go bad

so

you have to act fast!

i am extending an open invitation to those interested in bottling to come and join me any or every summer.

 this is the area of our yard that we have dedicated to the garden. as you can see, it is bigger than the lot our house sits on. that's what you get with a farmer for a husband.

my pony

Living out in the country we have lots of animals. Not your traditional "farm" animals but...animals.

We have dogs, cats and horses. 

For my daughter's birthday I decided to get her a pony...one of her very own.

As you can tell, we went through a 3 Amigo's phase.

Little did we know...our pony was pregnant when we bought her. 

We woke up one morning to 2 ponies!! 

These little horses are very tame and follow you around the yard, like the dog. 

In fact, they are about the same size as our dog.

I love living where my kids can be comfortable with animals and can run and play outside whenever they want.

Mexican Coke

The Coke in Mexico is a lot different than the Coke in the States.

It is a sweet treat and once you taste one you will have a hard time going back to the other.

They have a stronger flavor and are very bubbly.

The people here claim that it is the only thing that properly washes down the greasy tacos.

No meal is complete without a Mexican Coke...in a glass bottle.

Here they have a "Coke Man" who will come to your door to pick up your empty coke bottles and replace them with full ones.

Just like the milk man...only he's the COKE man.

There are Coca-Cola advertisements on just about every building.

Coke is the unofficial mascot of Mexico.

You cannot visit Mexico without trying their COKE.  

shopping

Shopping in Mexico is a whole new experience. 

We usually get a few girls in town and go down in a group. 

We have done this in the past  for safety reasons and now it just makes it more fun.

Our large grocery store is about 20 miles from our little town. 

The stores carry tons of things...but finding them is another story.

They haven't mastered the art of organization.

We are just grateful that they have some of these "golden" items.

The isles are usually only big enough for a single cart. 

The like to put out promotional tables everywhere too. 

I was pushing a cart with a child hanging onto each side and one got knocked in the back by a stack of crates and the other one would have to get off and walk behind me to fit down the isles. 

It is truly an experience. 

When you check out they have "bag-boys" that bag all your groceries and they like to be tipped. 

Then you are met in the parking lot by men who will push your cart to your car and load your groceries for you. 

They too like to be tipped. 

I must say the service is excellent! 

We feel like celebrities when we go "down town." 

Not too many blond, blue-eyed, TALL girls here.

{death}

Sunday night one of the kindest people in town passed away from a massive heart attack.

She was loved by all and never forgot anyone's birthday.

I had the privilege of having her as my Visiting Teacher.

I considered her my dear friend.

Her death was very sudden. She will be sorely missed.

In our community we have a "burial committee." Instead of shipping off our beloved downtown to the local Funeral Home, we prefer to handle it ourselves. It is also much more cost efficient. 

We have a committee to handle the men and one to handle the women.

(Sorry, if this is too much information.)

Under the Scout Lodge is our little morgue.  The bodies are handled by those who loved, appreciated, and worked with the deceased while on this earth. They are never passed onto a stranger, which can be comforting. And to know your loved one is being handled with great care.

In our town we are able to make all the funeral arrangements within days so there is no need for embalming. Instead a method of closing or stopping up all orifices is performed using cotton, and a salt mixture is rubbed over the skin to help with preservation.  Then the body is tenderly dressed and made-up properly for viewing. 

Some are disturbed by this method but I think it is very personal and a great way to pay a last tribute to a loved member of our community.  

My father-in-law has been over the "burial committee" for several years, and on more than one occasion, has left my mother-in-law to find a body laying on her counter top.

It is a job that he holds sacred and considers it a privilege to be able to help.

Sick

Today we are sick. 4 out of the 6 of us are sick with headaches, tummy trouble, and fevers. 

This is one of the disadvantages of living in such a small town. When one person gets sick...the whole town gets sick. 

Our little, private elementary school shut down the preschool class for the week because all the little preschoolers where sick!

Only 1/2 of our congregation attended church this week due to this infamous sickness that is spreading through the streets.

It is almost inevitable...there is almost nothing you can do...no amount of hand sanitizer or lysol will help prevent it...

Just face the facts. When you see someone go down you know you will be there soon too. 

For now, life is on hold, my bed is full of babies...sick babies. There will be lots of movies and snuggling and sleeping. We are equipped with our "throw-up-buckets" and favorite blankies.

All our efforts are centered on getting back to normal. I hope to see you on the other side. 

P.S. I am out of Kleenex...this could be a problem.

Why do you live in Mexico?

i get asked this question more than any other. here is my explanation. 

my husband's ancestors settled in mexico while  trying to escape the polygamy laws in the usa. the last 4 generations have stayed to farm the 1,000's of acres of land that we inherited. 

my children, if they decide to take over the family farm, will be the 5 generation. 

no...we do not practice polygamy anymore. that ended several generations back , however, there is another colony of Americans (here in mexico) who currently practice polygamy. they are not associated with us in any way.  

so, here we stay to raise our children in a small town while working on the farm. we have the laid back lifestyle of the mexican culture while surrounded by americans. 

yes, the country still honors their daily siestas, and most businesses close down from the hours of 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

so nice to live in a PRO-NAP country!

and yes...it is possible to raise girls to work on the farm. my kids will go out and pull weeds or help pick peaches. we start them young. 

i love having my husband home everyday at 4:00pm and he joins us most days for lunch too. i love how the kids beg to ride in the truck with dad. i love having our farm so close to home. i love getting TONS (literally) of fresh produce every summer.

for all that i can give up nordstrom and the hustle and bustle of a city. there is always online shopping, right?!