{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?!

American Girl

Yes, American Girl dolls. My girls are of the age to take very good care and these one-of-a-kind dolls. This is their new hobby. These dolls get dressed every morning and brought to the couch for family scripture study. They are now part of the family.

I'd like you to meet Victoria (my twinn) and Molly in their new pajamas that Aunt Carol hand crafted for them. The quality of these clothes are better than the ones you can order online...from the company!

We are so lucky to have her next door! My girls love to go over to her house (several times a day) to have their dolls try on new outfits...

go in for "fittings"...

get their hair brushed and styled...

Yes, Aunt Carol is too good to my girls...and their dolls.

Today...

We slept in again today. It's okay because our school is only a 2 minute drive from home. 

Get dressed.

Make beds.

Say prayers.

Read scriptures as a family.

Eat a hot breakfast.

Do 4 heads of hair.

Grab backpack and GO.

We can master our morning routine in about 30 minutes. We like to push our luck.

Garrett was able to stay home this morning while I ran Tori to school and then went to the High School weight room to work-out.

 

The Girl's P.E. teacher stopped me and asked if I would help with teaching the DANCE unit next week. I love doing that sort of thing.

I stopped by our little market on the way home for some milk, bread and fresh tortillas (I'll have to use them for lunch today). Everyone comes home for lunch...everyday. I love it.

Once I got home I fed the baby, tucked Benton into bed (he is sick today), Alex ran off to Aunt Carol's house to get her new American Girl doll clothes that she perfectly hand made, down to the last detail, and sent Garrett off to work.

Another day...another dollar...

And Adalyn is 4 months!!!

tractors

This is not an uncommon sight here.

Living in a farming community EVERYONE has a tractor...or 12.

I remember the day that Garrett bought this tractor. He was so excited. We almost drove it to church. Ha.

I love being able to have our farms close to our home. Garrett's favorite thing to do is ride the tractor. He considers it one of his hobbies...and we so happen to get paid for this "hobby."

I love having him come home for lunch on those days that he is working on the farm.  

I am so thankful that my husband loves what he does and waking up to go to work is exciting for him, especially at the beginning of planting a new crop.

Don't get me wrong, farming can be very stressful. We are at the mercy of Mother Nature. But it is also very rewarding.

Watching something grow from a seed to a beautiful piece of fruit is a very cool thing.

I always imagined that I would marry a lawyer or a doctor but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being able to raise my kids in this farming community where they learn the meaning of HARD WORK. 

my maid(s)

I have lived in Mexico for 8 years!  Wow, time flies!!

It is common for every household to have a maid. They are very inexpensive and a dime-a-dozen.

I, however, do not have a maid. In the 8 years that I have lived in this country I have been through 8 different maids. 

I don't consider myself a picky person but I do expect my bathrooms to be scrubbed, not just wiped down. My three year old can do that for heaven's sake!

I have had a few of them caught stealing from me...cutting their hours short...leaving me hanging without notice...asking for advances continually...etc.

I once had a tiny, little maid who couldn't weigh more than 80 lbs. and she would break my ironing board and pull my closet door off it's track EVERY SINGLE time she came to work. I don't know how she did it!!

I figure it is not worth employing someone you cannot completely trust and have to clean up after them because they did a shotie job. So, I do not have a maid.

I know there are some great maids out there, and I have had 2 that I absolutely loved, but they were only temporarily available because they worked for the older women in our community so their loyalty was already established.

I figure my odds were stacked against me so I gave up on the quest looking for that perfect maid.  I don't regret it. My kids are learning responsibility and how to properly clean a bathroom, a mop a floor, put away laundry, etc.

I may not have this "Mexican convenience" but my kids are learning life skills because of it.