"...and we killed the fatted calf"

Our friends here decided that in honor of Alex's return, we should have a grand fiesta. In Costa Rica, that means having a pig roast....so....meet Wilbur. We actually didn't name him, since he was only with us for a short while before he became dinner and that would have traumatized poor Emma even more!

Since Lane is the father of the honored one...it was deemed appropriate that he should do the "deed". Here he is being shown exactly how to do it. Lane wanted to make sure it was as dignified as possible, so the last words the pig heard were "Gracias por la comida" (thank you for this food) We actually have video footage of the whole thing but thought it was a bit too graphic for the blog. You can order your own copy for $9.99 ha ha

I will spare you the details (since I couldn't watch, I don't have many to share) but needless to say, Lane hit the mark and here was our pig getting a little closer to becoming dinner. They had this thing from squealing to swinging in less than 20 minutes!

Sorry if you have a queasy stomach, but for all the aspiring surgeons in the family, thought you might like this picture

Just a few of the natives here watching over the innards making sure they don't burn since they are the favorite parts.....(can I just pause for a gag right now?)

These innards are cooked along with the skin, gotta get it nice and hot so as to burn all the hairs off

Our Portugese friend Joe was the grill man...we all had our jobs. He loved his apparantly!

Another shot of Joe cooking up all those parts and pieces

I preferred to stay in the house and take pictures...we had about 40 people in our little yellow house!

Just wanted to document that there was at least ONE Martinsen that actually ate the pig. (I guess a mission leaves you little choice but to not be picky about food as you can see that Alex and Elder Whitlock had no problem with the pork) I am not ashamed to say that the rest of us are just meat snobs ok. It is just hard to eat something that was snorting and squealing at you less than 2 hours before...especially when you might get a hair stuck in your teeth if decide to actually try it. No thanks. We were careful to be discreet in our disdain as to not offend our friends. As for the rest of the crowd, they thought it was the greatest thing ever! There wasn't much left of Wilbur by the end of the night.
The fiesta was a huge success and definitely a homecoming that Alex will NEVER forget!

Welcome "Home" Elder Martinsen!!

Emma captured how we were all feeling as we were waiting for the plane to arrive!

These 4 kids could not be more excited....searching the crowd to find him....

I held it together really well until we got our first glimpse of him in the crowd making his way towards us...

And.....here he is! He was just GLOWING!!

Of course mom gets the first hug....it was a good one too.

And his little sis Mariah was next in line....doesn't he look happy?

Love this picture! Why are dads always so composed??

Emma had to get her squeeze in too...all of them did of course, but I think dad was too teary eyed behind the camera to capture all the hugs.

Together again, all 7 of us. Pure Joy.

School Friends

On Friday, Lora and Emma both had friends over after school for the first time. It was very exciting for all of them....let me just say that! We had lunch, they were in and out of the pool, laughing like crazy and talking spanish the whole time of course. I loved listening to my girls try to keep up with them. They are doing great. I love that kids can make friends so easily. They don't even have to speak the same language to love each other.
These are Lora's 3 closest friends from school. Katya, Maria and Norma. They tower over Lora but they have been so sweet to her and just love her to death.

This is Kristen (pronounced Kreesten) and she is missing her two top teeth, Emma is missing her two bottom, so they are a cute pair.

I thought Emma had a good tan going until I saw this picture.
Such a fun day and so good to see that my girls are happy and making memories with friends here.

A week with Nana and Aunt Kristen

Having my mom and sister here with us last week was so much fun! This is us on a boat excursion for the afternoon where we fished, snorkled, ate, and relaxed in the sun. We saw Sting rays, an octopus, held a puffer fish...it was a great day!

Here we are hanging out at a favorite spot of ours...Bahia de los Pirates

Mariah and Lora

Just after sunset. Picture doesn't do it justice

Having a girls' night out with my mom and sister....it has been way too long

Of course my girls were included in this too....wouldn't be fun without them!
I loved being able to share part of our experience here in CR with my mom and sister. It was so fun just to be with them again. It wasn't a 5 star resort for them, but I think they enjoyed it!

Gratitude

My heart has been feeling a little heavy the last couple of days. Feeling some "after company blues"since my mom and sister left and now with the devastation in Japan, I am feeling very melancholy. It just didn't seem right as I was busy whipping up pancakes and eggs for dinner tonight that there is so much suffering going on simultaneously. It all of a sudden puts things quickly into perspective when something like this happens and you realize the absolute frailty of life.
As we gathered our kids around tonight for some reading and then family prayer, I was just so extremely grateful for my testimony of the meaning of life and for my knowledge of eternal families. My job as a mother suddenly became the most important thing in the world to me. Sometimes I forget that.
I am so blessed. I am so thankful for what I have and for what I know to be true. Life is too precious to waste any time feeling angry, being critical, saying unkind words, doing anything that detracts from having joy in our lives. Today I recommit myself to being better, loving more, and making the most of every minute of every day. We never know when the storms of life will hit our own family. Preparation starts within.

Service Project

Don't you just love this little guy?

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I have always had a special love in my heart for the elderly. Sometimes in high school, I would just drive to the nursing home to hang out and visit with the patients there and I would always come away feeling "full". So, when our branch here planned a service project to the local nursing home...I was anxious to go. It turned out to be just our family, the branch president, the missionaries, and part of one other family. The boys went to work in the yard and garden areas and the girls cleared out the cafeteria tables and chairs and did the floors. I volunteered to give massages...thinking that I would be giving hand or foot rubs. Oh boy.....I got myself into something I wasn't expecting. It was actually quite funny. Let's just say that I soon had a line up of people and I had to enlist my faithful partner ( Lane) to help me. We have some pretty funny stories, that you will just have to ask us about in person. I have pictures, but maybe not too blog appropriate. Ahhhh...gotta love the elderly.



Why is cleaning so fun when it is for someone else?? These girls were troopers and worked their tails off. Emma completed the whole task in her heels! She is such a girly girl.
This was a memory that we won't soon forget. The people were so happy to see us and it is just so fun to see their eyes light up when they get visitors. One woman that I was giving a massage to told me that she does have children in the area but she never gets any visitors. "Ellos son ocupados" (they are busy)....that is what she told me. It broke my heart. How can that happen? I can guarantee that will NOT happen on my watch if Lane or my parents ever end up in a nursing home!
This is such a great family home evening idea....just take your children to the nursing home...prepare a little song or two, bring some pictures the kids have drawn...if nothing else just bring your smiles and some hugs and you will leave feeling "full". I promise you that.
Some of my most treasured memories have to do with serving the elderly. I am thankful that the Lord blessed me with a special love for them. I have had so many opportunities throughout my life to serve for, with, and among them. These experiences have added so much to my life. I hope when I am one of "the elderly"...my kids will feel the same. I have a feeling they will.