Christmas in April?

Remember how last week we were wishing and hoping for cooler weather? Seems like we aren't the only ones. During this weekend it seemed every movie or show we watched was a Christmas episode or had a Christmas song in it. Then while Scott was getting groceries Saturday evening he heard a rendition of "Baby, it's cold outside" at Casa Rica! Sadly the weather hasn't changed from the hot, humid grossness of last week. The mornings are slightly cool but it heats up pretty quickly.

Sigh... three more weeks until we're in London enjoying crisp, cool air.

Not much to report from this week. Since it has been so hot, K&M tried out the pool a little bit. The days are getting shorter which means our pool no longer gets a lot of direct sunlight so the water is pretty chilly. Mackenzie doesn't care at all! One day we just put our legs in and she decided to just lie down on the top step in the water. Then on Saturday morning we stripped her down to her diaper and dipped her in over and over again upon request. She was shivering within 10 minutes and we had to force her to get out. Many tears were shed.

Notice the giant, bulging diaper.

Later on Saturday morning we attended an Earth Day Potluck at the Embassy. There was a DJ, bouncy house, magician and chili cook off. It was a tad too warm for chili but all the proceeds went to a good cause and it was a ton of fun! Mackenzie ran herself ragged and when we got home and cleaned her up, she slept for 3 hours! 

Playing in the bounce house.

Being a good helper for the littler kids.

Enjoying the golf cart with a friend.

Super curly humidity hair!

That night Scott attended a leadership meeting for our Stake Conference and Kiersten stayed home with the wee one.

Watching The Princess and the Frog.

Sunday morning we had Stake Conference and participated in the choir. Finally the big moment we've been working towards for months. And the choir sounded wonderful! Music always adds to the spirit of the meetings and we are happy to contribute our talents. And best of all, no choir rehearsal that day! When we got home, we stayed home the rest of the day and were able to connect with more family members since Scott's parents are in Utah for his brother's graduation. Sorry we'll miss it.

She kept that bow in her hair all day! First time!

Kiersten has talked to a few interested persons about personal training and has already begun with one client. She isn't charging much but hoping interest stays high and that can help generate a little extra revenue. Fun fun.

Misadventures in Baking:

• While we did not participate in the chili cook off we did bring a side dish; mac and cheese. It "won" the clean dish award for sure. It's always a crowd favorite which is why we always bring it.

Quirks of Paraguay:

• Autumn weather, part 2. Apparently this has been an unusually hot autumn for them. Of course it has!
• Election Day! Elections are held on Sundays in Paraguay and yesterday was a major election. The polls seemed busy as we went to and from Stake Conference. Since practically no one works on Sundays this ensures more people are available to vote. Seems like a fantastic idea.

The Mackenzie Update:

• Words:
• nariz - nose
• "Dirty hands". She is very aware of when her hands get dirty and makes a point of telling us they need to be cleaned. Better than having us find out with dirty hand prints on the walls!
• My! which means "mine". She's becoming very possessive of items.

  

  Scott captured her like this one morning when she woke up. How did she do it?!

• New songs including Baby Shark and Popcorn Popping. She is getting really good at the hand motions.
• She's always been interested in the bidets in the bathrooms but hasn't been strong enough to turn the knobs... until this weekend. She turned on the bidet in the guest bathroom and it doesn't take much for that thing to turn into a fountain. It shot straight up to the ceiling raining down on the curtains, shower door, floor and her face. It was actually really hilarious. Maybe she learned something from this little mishap. Only time will tell.

  

  She put this on herself... and then gave us "hats" to wear too.

• She took a tumble this morning while Kiersten was out. When K returned, M had a fat lip and bruised cheek. Apparently she fell. She seems fine but looks worse for wear.

  

  Bottom lip, right side. Chin and cheek are a little bruised too.

• She really likes hamburgers. One afternoon the girls went to McDonalds for lunch and M ate 3/4 of her cheeseburger which was a happy surprise for her mother.
  

Short report this week but short and sweet is sometimes best. Not like we're counting down or anything but THREE MORE WEEKS UNTIL WE'RE BACK IN AMERICA! We're pretty excited. See you all next week.