Lately in Zamora

Lately...

My family is THE most important thing to me, so being with them is all I would ever ask for.  

I do however, miss my family in Utah and I can't even imagine how Ger feels!  He hasn't seen my family or his daughter for a year and a half.  I am so close with my sisters and my parents that I can't help but feel a hole in my heart when I am not around them.  I also ache to see my step-daughter.  Her mother is not my biggest fan so I don't get to see her unless Ger is around.  I feel like I was always so harsh on her and impatient and I wish I could go back and have a do-over.  I was a step mom before I was a mom and it was hard for me because I had no idea what I was doing.  I wanted what was best for my Laurita and at times I just didn't know how to do that.  She has such a big heart and is the most loving little girl in the world.  She calls Ger and I two or three times a week.  I feel such warmth in my heart when she tells me with her sweet little voice, "I love you and miss you Cwis".  Oh I miss her so much!  

Isn't she the cutest!?  

The Good and the Bad of Mexico 

Zamora, Michoacan is a very foreign place but I have actually made a few friends and most days, I like it here.  I have acquired many nicknames and I'm not sure if anyone actually knows my real name.  Dylan falls on his face at least once a day and despite our efforts he acquires all kinds of bug bites.  We sleep under a mosquito net and spray him every day but those darn things just love his chubby white cheeks! 

His poor cheeks:(

He fell of our bed in the middle of the night and landed on the hard concrete floor:(

Poor kid still looks so happy with his fat lip

Mosquitos are not our biggest worry, it's the rats.  I HATE RATS!  The other day I was sitting on the floor playing with Dylan and his cousin Tony when I heard a little noise coming from behind our desk.  I've been here long enough to know what that little noise was so I immediately jumped on the the bed with both kids in my arms and screamed like a little girl for my brother-in-law.  The kids looked at me like I was crazy and went about playing while my brother-in-law chased out a FOOT LONG RAT!  Yeesh!  I am getting the heebie jeebies just recalling what happened.  Ger has made a lot of efforts to get rid of them and I move the furniture and clean our room like a neurotic freak every day.  I hope we don't get any more unwanted visitors or I'm gonna sleep with a bat!  

All of this being said, there are two boys in my life who constantly remind me of how lucky I am.  I just need to vent sometimes:)

The Marman's are Here!!

We recently met some pretty amazing elders here in Zamora.  Elder Clawson is form Riverton, UT and the other Elder something (can't remember his name) is from Arizona.  Ger and I love them both!  They invited us to a baptism this past Friday and it was a wonderful spiritual experience for my family. It's so funny to see Ger experience all these things that I have grown up with.  He heard (but did not believe) that Mormon's get baptized by getting dunked in the water until they see Jesus.  If they don't see Jesus then....they don't pass!  Boy was I glad to clear that up!!

The elders also stopped by last night for Gerardo's first discussion.  He expressed his love for our family and for his Heavenly Father.  He still has some reservations about the LDS faith but I believe through prayer and faith, he will come to know the truth of the gospel.  He agreed to read the Book of Mormon with me every night so last night we started with Mosiah chapter 12 and later prayed about it.  I know that he felt the Holy Ghost and I know that one day he will have a testimony of the church.  

Perhaps this is the reason Gerardo didn't get his papers.  

Our lives in Mexico...thus far

I have to admit, living in Mexico is not for the faint at heart.  I have learned how to appreciate all the things back home so much more (like having a sink and a washer and dryer)!  I do our laundry every day by hand because it takes me a small lifetime if I go a couple days without doing it.  My sister-in-law is much faster than me.  I have to hurry and do laundry while she picks up my niece from school otherwise she would sneak into my room and steal our dirty clothes to wash them herself.  

I have become even more freaked out by lizards, cockroaches, and mice....need I say more???

I have discovered that Dylan can NEVER be out of my site, or he could...

Fall of the roof into the neighbors house 

Run out onto the road and, as my sister-in-law words it, be planchar gratis (ironed for free)

Climb up the ladder in the backyard onto the roof (he actually did that while I was making dinner!)

Or he could put a bug in his mouth (he has not been successful yet..)!!!! 

All of these lovely things aside, there are a lot of things about Mexico that I love.  First of all, my husband is here and I would rather be living in a dirt hole than living in Utah without him.  Secondly, the people here, for the most part, are so polite and accepting.  I started going to Zumba every morning and the ladies that I go with are so fun!  I only understand about half of what they say, but they are super patient with me and my struggling Spanglish.  My Zumba instructor is a hot dark Latina who knows how to shake her hips and I am the opposite!   I am very grateful that there are no mirrors in the room so that I can pretend that I too am a hot Latina who can shake it.