Welcome to Dominica..

On Wednesday, April 28th we had confirmed our Continental flight to Newark at 4pm from Omaha, NE. However, since Newark had the fame for the least on time airport, that day couldnt be an exception. We were delayed for an hour and a half, and with little ones, time doesnt literally fly while you wait. So we said good bye to Grandpa and stayed with Grandma's company until we left. Benjamin enjoyed sitting with her and trying to call.. the cougars? that is what he said.. Samuel just toss the ball at daddy, and since he started having an audience, he decided to do it further and further away..

Here is the video to prove both..

Finally, we made it to Newark at 9:30pm and overnighted there. My youngest aunt from my mom side lives 15 minutes away from that airport. So, nicely she let us stay with her and her family who I hadnt seen in 10 years.. when I stopped there on my way to UT as an exchange student in August 2000. Yes, it had been a while. Her children Santiago and Sarah, were not babies but already 13 and 11. I was sooo tired that I forgot to take any picture.. or video.. is that sooo bad? I am still mad at myself.. My aunt took some pictures.. so whenever she emails them to me I will post them. They loved playing with Samuel and Benjamin.. Besides, they had delicious Brazilian food for us.. yum yum.. Jay and I ate seconds.. We were very glad to have stayed with them. Very hospitable and great quick visit.

Next morning, as usual Samuel pooped on his night diaper as soon as he woke up. I noticed it really stunk.. but our surprise was to see the awfull diarrhea the little had. I still think it was the pepperoni they gave us as snack on the plane. Jay adviced me to leave him in a diaper. As usual, I disagreed and said he was probably done and would be ok on underware. We got to the security check point with both kids on the stroller and ready to take off shoes, etc.. well, Samuel says. "Mami, my tummy hurts" and as I looked, he is with a sad face sitting on a little paddle of very runny diarrhea again.. yes, very stressfull stinky situation. I tried changing him over plastic bags on the side but people started complaining.. so Jay took him (lifting him the whole way) to the bathroom, while I move all our stuff to the side and kept trying to keep Benjamin's hands from touching it.. They got back (Samuel on a diaper) and I cleaned the mess the best I could. Then, went throught the security check point and Jay's shorts decided to ring the security alarm. So they had to pull him aside check his carry on etc.. while we waited on the stinky stroller.. Then, our flight was delayed again.. just half hour though. Finally, we made it to the plane and off we go to Antigua. On this flight we all slept, since on the one before only Samuel did and Benjamin was as wild as I have never seen him.eWe made it to Dominica!!! but with two delays we got there 1 hr and a half later than planned so by the time we did immigration and got our bugs and stinky stroller on a van it was getting close to dark. Samuel was excited to look out the window, since he remembered last time seeing all the palm trees, coconuts, cows.. The poor thingdidnt make it 10 minutes into the 45 minute drive and just fell asleep. So did Benjamin. Finally, we made and a couple of hours later, our Church friends brought all our stuff that we had left and nicely they kept for us (THANK YOU SINDY AND MIKE) including the little high chair and pack and play. Next day, was unpacking and organizing day.. well couple of days anyways. But is was worth it to pack all the stuff I did on our suitcases. This upper right picture shoes all of the kids and I stuff that came out of them. Of course, Jay's closet looks so empty compared to ours. The funny part is that he the one staying here the whole time... Everybody asks me about our apartment. We love it! If there was one thing to change would be the stairs.. but everything else is great. Here is a little tour-video of our place.

Last adventures in Omaha

Well, we spent the last 5 months in Omaha, NE living with my in-laws or the Jevne bed and breakfast-lunch-dinner.. So it comes to a short good bye for a new adventure in a small land in the middle of the Caribbean ocean.

These were our last adventures before we departed:

Last Sunday at Church, I couldn't resist and had to take a picture of Benjamin so sharp looking getting into somebodies crayon box. Earlier that week we went to the Omaha Zoo, which is one of the largest in the US. Samuel's favorite exhibition is the monkey one.. although I caught some others monkeying around..

The kids really got interested on the big ones.. maybe because the were for the most part still, and next to the window and so you could really get up close and look at them in the eyes..
Samuel even put his hand on the glass in front of the Gorilla's to compare size..

Near there, was a pretty water fall where we tried to take a family picture. The kids seemed to really not want to look at the camera.. Petting zoo.. I loved this part. Especially, knowing how much Benjamin likes to touch animals I was wondering how he would react.. it was hilarious! Once he chose a goat to follow wouldn't leave it alone.. unless there was a chicken walking by.

This video is so funny, shows Benjamin following the goat and then petting it as she is laying on the ground.

Samuel fed some of the goats but didn't touch them as much.

However, he was being silly on the Rhino statue and unsuccessfully trying to climb the kids web.

Statue time.. they have some animals statues throughout the zoo for pictures.. and some of their flowers where blooming too.. pretty sites.

The aquarium was the funniest by far. The kids enjoyed looking at fish, penguins, turtles, sharks, etc.. The funniest part was when Benjamin decided to run towards the glass in the tropical exhibition where it had half water with piranhas and other big fish, and the rest on surface where small monkeys. I was soo sad I wasn't filming because he almost got knocked out hitting his head against the glass.. so much he bounced back to the floor and just looked clueless for an instant.
Then, the bears.. The polar bear seemed intrigued by the water fall because he kept going to it and then backing up several times.. Benjamin noticed and maybe saw the same thing the bear did?
Near, there is a bridge with monkeys in smalls islands across the water (but weren't there because is wasn't warm enough for them yet) and the rest of the water was shared between Japanese fish and swams.. which you can feed them from the bridge and watch them got crazy.

Funny part, Benjamin was thinking those little balls to feed the fish needed a taste..

Most of the giraffes were indoor since it was still early morning and the penguins were having bath time in the small running water they had.. Benjamin loving water wanted to jump the fence and splash with them.. At the entrance of the zoo and throughout it there are some peacocks running around. It seemed to be maiding season because all the males in different locations where doing their feather dance and purring sound.. The females however were not very impressed..

Later in the week we went to the park where slides and swings and the favorites. This time, Benjamin went by himself for the first time on the slide.. he did very good but then he got too confident and poor thing, got a sore bottom on the next try..

Later Jay showed Samuel how to fly a kite.. Although he is made on of paper before, this was his real first time, and he did awesome.. Judge for yourselves..

The last weekend there we went to the Air Force and Airspace Museum.. We have gone there before (the kids and I) when my brother came to visit us a year ago. So, they really didn't care to see all the huge airplanes.. However, there was an exhibition, which they change every few months. This time, was about Leonardo DaVinci and his designs... fascinating.

By the entrance of the place, they had a little plane for the kids to ride.. at first Benjamin really liked it (that is why the smile). Once it started shaking and moving side to side he changed his mind about riding it.

Here are some of his designs, early canyons and pole systems..And of course, his flying man designs as well..

Right after these, they had a corner with giant blocks of all colors, shapes and sizes for kids to play.. And that is where we spent the rest of the time if not most of it.

Finally, Samuel asked me to help him build a tower, so here is the process.And the helpers, with loads bigger than themselves..

And the result. Then daddy told them to knock it down.. but it was too heavy for them to do it. So, he came to the rescue..

Once down Benjamin loved jumping on top of them.. in one of these I thought it was too high and not enough support to land on. As I pursued to get him.. he just jumped as fast as he could to not let me get him...

Finally, they got hungry so we took advantage to leave, but first they had to pretend flying in this little plane..

Thank you grandma and granpa for all the help and support this last 5 months and letting us "visit" for the longest time ever.. But haven't gotten ride of us yet, since the kids and I are coming back on August 25 for another while plus the addition of a grandchild and Tyler coming back from his mission, and my mom coming to help for almost 3 months.. What a full house is gonna be!

Children's Museum Visit!

Two weeks ago we took the kids to the Children's Museum of Omaha, which besides its fun all-year-round-sections, it also has the temporary one on the second floor. Here goes the first floor..
It had a little water area with duckies, boats and little shooting "fire fighting hoses".. Benjamin is all about playing with water.. he really enjoyed it so much he wouldn't want to go any other section for a while. Across from it was a little "Grocery Store" with carts, all kinds of boxed products as well as produce area. When Benjamin saw the fruits he thought they were real.. haha. Once Samuel had his cart full, he brought it to the best cashier.. daddy. And then a walk through a little house with rooms and beds and tables and a farm..
After that there was a little gym area with pretend feeding area.. what is the first thing Benjamin grabs? Yes, the vacuum. He has a fascination for machines, especially the noise ones. He gets sooo excited every time we vacuum, it's hilarious!
He also saw the balls but overwhelmed with all the stuff decided to go get the bubbles and then wandered off..

Then he saw this "tractor" although it looked more like a truck and with his serious face and focused kept driving it and pushing buttons.

So we went to the second floor exhibition. Last year was Elmo with Sesame Street friends and the human body. This year, is Construction Zone. Got to say Benjamin wasn't as impressed because didn't understand what most of the stuff was for. But Samuel sure had a blast.
First a ramp with a little crane and lots of blocks to push around.. both enjoyed that.

After a while Benjamin enjoyed walking up and down the ramp..

Then building the wood house and pipe line. Don't forget to use a hard hat...

Who said pink houses are only for girls? Then the bathrooms and electric wiring (dad's favorite, Benjamin's least favorite because of a buzzing sound), as well as working with screws and hammers.. Benjamin loved the hammer.

Here is the reaction of Benjamin and the buzzing sound..

Samuel was so proud he was wearing a hard hat and was carrying a "sharp tool". They had a little house with all kinds of tools, hats, belts and aprons but he only chose these. Light tool worker..

Then the sand area. They had two one with little toy dump trucks and the other with a shovel and.. that big... whatever is called. And of course big boys go with big toys..

They also had the designing area. I remembered my dad on this one. Being an architect, he would have enjoyed this part. Even Benjamin tried too..

And last the favorite of Benjamin.. the parachutes.. they had a magnet to attached to a rope which was connected to a pulley, and manually you had to get it to the top where once reached the magnet got moved and the parachute would come down. I lost count how many times Jay did it for Benjamin to watch and catch. It was fun.

I got a little video but was in the wrong spot since couldn't get the kids reaction because I was behind Jay..

Before leaving, I took a picture of some true exhibitions (don't touch type) made of little wood blocks.. amazing.

Finally, we went back downstairs and enjoyed the light piano, balls, boat and more..

Although I hardly took any pictures of the ball are, just because last time I took sooo many.. but it is a very fun-mechanical-ingenious area. To prove it there few little videos..

The lower right picture is Jay trying to be HandSolo when it gets frozen or as a rock..

The boat was great, because it had two steering wheels..
As we were leaving, they had a Star Wars character.. Samuel just enjoyed looking at it.. May the force be with you son.

Easter.. Birthday

As Easter was approaching few family birthdays came up in March.. First a cousin on the 16th, my aunt Marina and grandma Margarita on the 22nd, my mom on the 23rd and me on the 27th.
First pictures was when I went to Colombia in December 2007, little Samuel was verily a year old. The one on the left is my mom holding Benjamin as a one-month-old.







Feliz Cumpleanos for all..
Italian still my favorite.. so we all went to a delicious Italian restaurant and is the kids favorite too, at least I know they will always eat pasta.. we got few balloons.. a monkey, a dog, and a flower crown.. for the birthday girl I guess so I wore it! When we went home, grandma surprised me with a birthday cookie/cake.. my favorite too, chocolate chip and coconut.

Got few cute cards... and awesome presents like professional knifes.. a gift card, and great electric tooth bush.. thank you.. thank you..

Funny though when signing happy birthday I started by myself and everybody kind of forgot..

That same day Hyvee grocery store had a Easter egg hunt.. so we took the little ones..

it was raining and happened so fast that got just a picture..

After that we had our ward Easter breakfast and egg hunt.. after a delicious meal.. the hunt begun.Grandma went with Benjamin to the nursery age one, and I went with Samuel to the young primary one.. They also had Easter coloring bags for the kids to color while waiting for the food.. Samuel really took it to heart.The following week grandma, I mean the Easter bunny brought some baskets full of surprises.. books, candy, coins, puzzles, games..

Samuel was just fascinated with the books.. BYU cosmo book, R2D2 with buttons book, coloring ones.. and Benjamin just had one thing in mind.. get open one of the suckers...

Later we got around to color some eggs.. however, Samuel was more excited about mixing the colors than really decorating the eggs.. Although we tried the stickers, and other "sports" things the box came with, the eggs ended up too big and the stickers didn't stick.. but he had fun.. He didn't realized that I had boiled the eggs previously so he was being sooo careful not to break them because of the mess they could make.. until one cracked and said.. "is not messy, is it a little chick?" haha, so I had to peel one and prove it... although Benjamin tried to help.. he didn't really understand what was going on.. and then thought the colored eggs were candy so he got upset because wasn't getting one.. love the face.