Will you be my Valentine??

Happy Valentines Day a day late!!  I find myself writing these posts after everyone is asleep.  This year we have the best Valentines ever!! We started the morning off with lots of snuggling and watching some cartoons in Spanish.  Isaac said it is just like being in school right...he is learning Spanish! Ha!  Jeff got a box of milk duds that I brought from home, and I got a poem written by my dear husband...(yes this is a long standing tradition that Jeff does...some are hilarious as he will just throw in random things to make it rhyme) :-)   This weekend we plan to venture out for a Valentine lunch!

Today Cecilia came with a driver and picked us up to go to the immigration offices to register our visas.  We thought this would be a smooth process but Cecilia told us there have been many new changes so she was unsure of how long we would be gone.  When we got to the counter we had everything we needed and then we were asked for our blood type...hmmmm....not 100% sure of either of ours.  The officer tells us that it is absolutely necessary to know it to register us so if we are unsure we will need to go to the laboratory that is 4 blocks away to have our blood drawn.  OK...roll with it.

We walked to the clinic and were able to both get blood drawn and the results with in 15 minutes.  $20 total for both of us and that is without insurance.  So crazy how cheap the medical care is here and it is wonderful care.  The nurse was great and spoke English so it was fun for me to see how things are done.  She says a prayer before she starts that she is able to draw blood with the first poke and sure enough!! :-)  Back to the offices to complete our registration and have fingerprinting done.    Once again we were moved along faster because we had kids with us.  Isaac and A were such troopers.  Cecilia said that it was new that she was not allowed to come in to the office with us.  Usually she is able to come in and help translate.  We managed but once again Isaac was using his Spanish.  It took us longer to get to the appointment and back than it did for the actual appt. The traffic here is crazy.  It is grid lock and literally you feel like you could walk faster than you can drive.  I will try and get some pictures of this next time we are out.

This afternoon was low key again as I wanted to make sure baby A got a good nap.  She is a bit off from the immunizations yesterday.  I spent the afternoon with Juanita the cook as she was teaching me to make empanadas.  I love to cook so it is fun to learn to do this.  We were laughing so hard she had tears running down her eyes as I was trying so hard to communicate.  We were saying what I speak is more like Spanglish...LOL...I am learning!! :-)  We feel like we are playing charades as when we don't know a certain word we start acting things out.  Juanita has worked here for 23 years.  She is so much fun and such a good cook.  Isaac eats everything she makes!! The meal we made was delicious but it is a lot of work!  She had me write down the process so that when I come home I can cook these for my friends.

Isaac and A are going to bed around 8:30 or 8:45 so Jeff and I usually plan out the next day, send emails and watch Homeland a series we brought along with us.  We also have been getting the olympics but everything is in Spanish.

ground beef, peas, green onion, tomato, garlic, and spices for the inside of the empanadas

Juanita mixing water with the corn flour to make the dough

Rolling out the dough and putting in press to make the shape

Juanita taking my picture and making me laugh...they shout whisky instead of "say cheese" here!!

It was a great Valentine's Day.  One we will remember for a long time!! 

1 Corinthians 13: 4–8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails ...