Rico in the slammer

So if you don't have a dog probably not worth your time to read the following post. In fact it annoys me that I am even writing it but here goes:
Never a good thing when a policeman shows up at your door. But I knew immediately why he was there. Alot of you know that we have a little white poodle named Rico. He is a great little dog and we all love him. I was never a dog person before but 5 years ago my husband begged and begged me to get him. Just like a little boy he promised, "I will do all the work and walk him and feed him and clean up after him" etc etc. Well just like any little boy in this situation, he indeed did not like all the work involved and since day #2 I have been the one to take care of him. Rico is very loving but true to all Smith males, has a true independent streak. He thinks he can come and go as he pleases and roam the neighborhood. We had a huge problem with it in Vegas, with him always getting out. Then in Puerto Rico he kinda had free reign and went wherever he wanted. But here in Fruita where we live there is a really strict leash law. Rico gets out every time the door is opened. He always comes back but I guess some neighbors are complaining and a policeman showed up at my door today, letting me know I had been warned and next time it is a huge fine.
Here is my dilemna. Rico has never been trained as far as not leaving the house or coming back when we call him. He has been a free spirit too long. I could probably just get really strict and train us all to put him in the laundry room when we are going to open the door. But then what about using the bathroom? Our backyard has a little white picket fence that he can fit right through and he will not go to the bathroom when he is on the leash. And I CANNOT have accidents in the house. UGH! My boys will be devastated if we get rid of him. What should I do? I admit that this is a lame post so anyone who has a dog and has an idea let me know.

Ahhh. Together again.

After 6 long lonely weeks, we are reunited and it feels so nice! I thought I was never going to make it through this separation but I survived! I finally have my computer back!!!!!
Shamelessly I admit that I have felt quite lost without my computer. I really felt so out of the loop. Seriously I think that I check my email, blogs, facebook and bank account atleast twice a day. You would think that with all of the time I saved being away from the computer I would have learned how to bake bread or something useful or constructive. Nope just transferred that time to more tv and reading cheesy little 18th century romance novels (although my husband approves of the latter!)
Anyways I am connected again and it is wonderful.
We are adjusting to our new life in Fruita (right outside of Grand Junction). We are all happy but really miss Puerto Rico, especially Jake. Jake is trying to get used to all of the lame white people. I am trying to get used to putting lotion in new places that I had never even knew I could get dry skin! Jett is getting used to speaking English again in school and not being the gringo superstar of the school (although he already has made a ton of friends). Luke is getting used to being home with me again after having been in all day kindergarden and Tommy is just getting used to wearing clothes again. Seriously it is so wierd to see the boys all bundled up, wearing shirts and shoes etc.
Now that I have the computer back I have to back track on tons of pictures to blog etc so more Puerto Rico adventure posts on the way!

Smith Family- Colorado Style?!?

No. I dont think it works. I think I will stick with the Smith family- Puerto Rican style although we have indeed moved to Colorado. It happened incredibly fast and since moving we are still waiting for our computer so I have not had internet access at home for almost a month and it is killing me! So I do apologize for going a month without updating my blog. I hope to be up and ready blogging our new Colorado adventures soon.
Around Nov 15th my husbands business partner called and offered him a nice piece of pie at his Colorado office, running the internet business. Although it was the last thing Jake wanted to do to leave Puerto Rico, we both felt like it was the best thing for our family to do. The only thing is that Jake had to be there right away so we had 2 weeks from the time we found out until the day we caught the plane back to the states. I think I cried everyday during that 2 weeks. Although it was one of the hardest times of my life it was also one of the best times of my life. (Don't the two go hand and hand?) Puerto Rico was a wonderful adventure for our family, and a time that we were richly blessed. We learned so much and loved so many wonderful people that it will change who we are for the rest of our lives. I know that I am a better person for my time that I spent there both as a missionary and then 12 years later as a wife and mother. I FREAKING LOVE PUERTO RICO and it will always be a magical special place for me. Thus I chose to keep Puerto Rican style blogging because it is who I am forever now! And PS all you suckers who never came to visit missed out but I love you anyways!!! And for those of you who did come... thanks for coming and sharing such a wonderful place with me!

Elcetion day in Puerto Rico

Election days in Puerto Rico are the best! It is a giant party and the entire island shuts down. No school, all offices are closed, in fact illegal to make anyone work this day. Even the day before people start celebrating. Politics are huge here, 3 different political parties. One party is for Puerto Rico becoming a state (PNP),one party is for staying how it currently is as a US territory(PPD), and the other is a independent group that wants to be separated from the United States. Anyways Puerto Ricans are very passionate about politics. Since we could not vote we headed to the beach and had a wonderful time. All up and down the roads people were having ralleys and lined up and down the streets like a parade. Everyone hangs out their car windows and waves flags with their political parties colors and signs and honks their horns and makes lots of noise. It is a big festive day. We of course love that Puerto Ricans will celebrate anything. I think that when it comes to celebrations the United States could learn a few lessons from Puerto Ricans!

Tailgate trick or treating

We have been here for 2 halloweens now. It is funny because the stores are stocked with costumes and decorations but not many places actually do trick or treating. Our neighborhood does however and it is a big party. Our gated subdivision is divided into 2 sections, one "richy" section as I like to say and the other part (where we live). Every year it seems like the whole town heads over to the richy section of our neighborhood. Those houses who want to give out candy sit out on their lawn chairs on their driveways. The trick or treaters then just go out to the people sitting in their chairs and get their candy. Here the children have to sing a little song to request the candy. It goes like this:

"Trick or treat, Trick or treat
Da me dulce and no mani"

Trick or treat, trick or treat
Give me candy and not peanuts!

Anyways the whole thing is like a giant parade going through the neighborhoods. Those who are handing out candy turn on their music and set up tables with beers, sodas, chips and snacks for whoever is hanging out with them. I even saw a few people with grills set up! Droves of people just move up and down the streets. I would say atleast 50% of the adults are dressed up to. There was one house who had set up a haunted house and were letting kids go through. One house had even hired a dj. It was all very fun to watch and be a part of. I bet that there were way over 500 people going through the streets! Easy costumes this year. Jett was a lifeguard (very smart since last year he got so hot going outside trick or treating the boys had to take off their costumes!)Then Luke was a sheriff and Tommy was "Woody" from Toy Story. Fun night. I would pretty much say it was a Halloween tailgating party!

"Los Americanos"

Another funny thing about living in Puerto Rico. Wherever we go I am used to hearing people saying something about "Americanos" as we walk by. I don't know if I have mentioned this before but on the whole Puerto Ricans love Americans and are quite fascinated by them. We are used to grown men reaching out and tousling our boys blonde hair in the grocery store. We are used to people excitingly pointing at our boys shouting "mira que tienen los ojos azules" (look they have blue eyes!) as if it was as exciting as someone having purple eyes and green hair or something. Like Jake says, taking our blonde- haired, blue- eyed little boys anywhere is liking walking around with minor celebrities. We are used to the attention and to be quite honest, we really get a kick out of it. In the states no one think twice about my kids unless Tommy was throwing one of his famous Wal-mart- floor, fist-pounding- fits.
Especially here in Ponce, where we live, they just are not used to seeing many Americans. Last christmas I took our neighbors some cookies. A week later she brought over a package of cookies with a card labled "los ninos Americanos" (to the American kids). Once Jake had his car at the mechanic, and he got the keys back to the car, the name tag on the keys said "Gringo". Well last Saturday we went to a birthday party for a little girl we did not know but the grandparents to the girl and the grandpa being the stake patriarch, was very insistent that we come. The boys had fun at the party and at the end they were handing out the party bags to all of the party guests. When Tommy brought us his little bag the tag on it said "Americano Pequeno." (Little American boy) Lukes said "Americano Mediano" (Medium American Boy) and Jetts said "Americano Grande" (Big American Boy).
I thought this was hilarious! I mean in the states you would never make a gift tag to "the little chinese boy" or the "big Mexican kid." Oh well- you gotta love it!

Jugo de Pais

This morning I had dropped the boys off at school and was heading to the the Holsum bread store. I was talking to Jake on the phone and this noxtious smell enters and stings my nostrils. I slam on my brakes to backed up traffic in both directions. There was a terrible smell, worse than any sulfur drive by you have ever smelled. I started gagging and throwing up in my mouth and all. I am not sure if Puerto Rico was being attacked and gassed or what the freak was happening. As I inch along in bumper to bumper traffic I see that the road is flooded up ahead. As I get closer I see that it was a broken sewer access hole in the middle of the road. Now we here in Puerto Rico are used to a little bubbling sewer in the middle of the road now and then. As missionaries we lovingly referred to it as "jugo de pais" or the " our land's native juice".
But this was above and beyond! This was brown freaking water gushing across the road and flooding it. I just held my breath as long as I could and drove through it all. I was never so happier than at that time to be sitting up way high in our Explorer as I watched the brown sewer "jugo" slosh up on the windows of the lower riding cars. From now on I think I will stick to milk...