PSH! well..will you just look at this! just look at it!

so, here's the deal: i have GOT to get better at booking my flights so that i don't have to get up at ungodly hours to arrive! 3:45 comes early when you leave the laundry 'til last minute again! story of my life! so, i was able to have a late-night chat with brandy to get on the same page and put some plans together; i had spoken with carrie one evening while in nashville. i don't know why i am not a phone person, because i certainly enjoyed chatting with these two-perhaps i should get better at it.

so yes, dark o'clock came early as usual, and i was reminded of how fortunate i am to have some of the best parents out there! once again dad took me to the airport, and they were again looking after the boys.

as i sat in the lobby, waiting for the flight, this happened:

perhaps they were lucky socks? how much ya wanna bet this guy didn't stay up worrying about laundry the night before like i did?! obviously dark o'thirty came way too early for him too!

pre-spreading out and getting comfy, i was just ecstatic that i had it all to myself...it's the small things!

and then when i boarded the longer leg of the flight, i was grateful because i was alone in the exit row! when does that happen?!? so yes, i took advantage of it and spread out: book to read on the table tray beside me-check! phone to listen to music in the seat beside me-check! tablet to do some writing on sitting in front of me on my own tray-check! letter writing supplies in the seat next to me-check! blanket on my lap-check, check! traveling in comfort! heavenly..ok, not really because i'm pretty sure heaven isn't airline-like at all..thank you JESUS!

when i arrived, my phone battery was low, and i forgot to bring my car recharger-bad news becuase i was going to need the lady in my phone to give me magical directions! (remember when i used to use mapquest, print out a map and go? those were the days!) anyhoo, i know that there was a radio shack nearby, but i found a shop in the airport that had a multipurpose jack, and i caved-it was far too convenient, and i wasn't sure my phone would last long enough to get me to the radio shack. but this thing was like a go-go-gadget charger, i mean the swiss army knife of rechargers! like...for reals, i think it did my windows while i was out running errands...just sayin!

then i was informed that i had to take a shuttle to the rental cars, which was fine, but in fact the website i had tried to book on the night before was actually non-existent...good thing i didn't supply any information! so i took a shuttle to one of the rental car companies and they didn't have the model-size that i was looking for and i had to upgrade-sucka! i may have ended up paying a little more than i had planned, but PSH! whatevs, it was a comfortable, quiet ride and i was just excited to get to fredricksburg, va!

my nav lady was spot on-the traffic wasn't too harsh, but even if it had been, it didn't matter because i was happy. i was listening to music and in a good mood- the only thing i was worried about was that it took a bit longer than i had expected, and i was kinda' bummed because i knew that carrie had taken off work to be there. when i finally arrived, i had that split second of: did i put in the correct address? and once i  went back to my contact list in the phone to make sure it was correct and that there was no random south or north in the address, i thought, is carrie really going to be on the other side of that door?? and i am SO GLAD THAT SHE WAS!!

nothing beats being the center of attention through artwork! ;)

carrie is my cousin with whom i am the closest, in part because we keep in contact. in fact when i lived in HONDURAS growing up, she wrote faithfully and kept me up to date on everything. i actually just told her this story about her handwriting-purely a compliment...i was so fascinated by her handwriting that i would put paper over a letter that she had sent and practice trying to write like her! (i feel like this is a confessional!) and eventually with enough practice, mine became a sloppier version-she was kind enough to say artistic, but let's face it, i get in a hurry and it just gets a little cray-cray...to this day i absolutely love receiving her letters because there is something so metered and artistic (i can say that because hers truly is) about her writing! I LOVE IT! (in fact, i just had one in the mail when i got home! it's one of those writings that is so distinct that it is immediately identifiable.)

but i digress, it was indeed carrie who opened the door, and from the moment i walked in i felt like i was home-home not in the same sense that HONDURAS is home, with lifelong familiarity, as i had never been here before, but rather home in the sense of friendship and comfort-because in the grand scheme of things, isn't that really what cousins are? family that becomes friends? i got to meet erica, who had not been born last time we saw each other-i cannot believe that she is going to be a freshman this year-what happened to the time? living proof that it had been way too long-she surpasses her mother in height, and although this was our first meeting, i felt like i'd known her for years! amazing what 5 seconds of 'awesome' can do! and she truly is awesome! before we even sat to talk or do anything, i knew that we were not going to have enough time.

obviously i cannot recount every moment, but we sat at the table and talked for hours, then after dinner, we continued to sit and talk; at some point, jess had come home and i got to say hello and meet her boyfriend (neat guy). i'm pretty sure there wasn't a night we went to bed before 11-because why would we do that? (and i am usually to bed at a decent hour because i usually do early mornings). carrie took wednesday and thursday off, which in retrospect, really means a lot to me, because i know that she doesn't have the same vacation time that i have over the summer, so that was a sacrifice for her. THANK YOU, CARRIE!!

on thursday, perhaps we were a little bummed at first because we'd talked about going downtown to walk around historic fredricksburg, but it rained all morning, throwing a twist into our plans. Actually, i  was grateful because we got to sit and catch up with eric and learn about his new line of work and the things he does and is learning. we spent all morning and afternoon once again talking-there was at no time a lack of anything to talk about..but then let's be clear, i have a feeling that we could probably sit around and talk about sticks or dirt or unicorns or pretty much anything and it would be interesting, even funny, just because of who we are. i always knew that we had a lot in common, but i don't think we ever really realized to what extent! it felt almost as if we were mirrors in terms of thoughts, humor, desires and interests...everything from guns to motorcycles, politics, frustrations, heart for GOD, and finding humor in the same silly things- it really does make me wish that we lived closer because i can guarantee that we would be having some fun and entertaining adventures together!

and don't you worry (because i know you were), it cleared up that evening and we did go for our little walk! i wish i'd taken more pics of the little row-buildings downtown, because the were so stinkin' adorable! there is a certain allure and draw to quaint historic towns on the east coast!

carrie and me in the f-burg..can i say that? probably not, but i'm not changing it.

if only we'd go back to making things the good ol'fashioned way, they'd last so much longer! craftsmanship is lacking today!

just beautiful!

enchanted by the simplicity

 carrie had to work on friday, which means i had the girls all to myself! so obviously we did what had to be done-we slept in! when we finally took off and grabbed some grub, we were going to be making our way down to the trail that follows the river; on the way, erika suggested that we stop by her mom's office to say hello. so we did stop in, but we chose a slightly inopportune time, as it was directly following their lunch, and they got hit with calls and clients all at once-but i got to meet the office family that i'd heard about, including one of the doctors. and once again, seeing people in their element really adds just one more piece to the puzzle of what makes us who we are!

we then made our way down to the trail and the place we were going to park was no longer a parking place, but rather a construction area, and there was a kid there (construction kid) staring at us as i turned the car around, so of course, jess had to pull out the 'stuck face' and stare at him for a brief moment...he probably wasn't sure exactly what to do with that. spending time with the two of them was quality! i love that i got a chance to know them a bit better and that they were laughing and talking and so playful with each other-sisters having fun; isn't that the way it should be? YES! they were sharing jokes and stories and i think one of the things that was most heart-warming were their answers to the question: what is the one thing that you like most about your sister? open, honest and sincere. these girls are keepers; although carrie insists that they asked of me: where has she been all our lives? may i just say that those are my exact sentiments...i mean, i know that we cannot change the past, nor should we dwell on the past, but if i could have one "do-over" it would be to have made family a bigger priority because at this moment, i realized that i have missed out on way too much.

it was almost like i was spending time with some of my old k2 kampers! erica is a funny one!

absolutely adore them! it was truly refreshing to spend time with these gals! they make their parents proud!

 saturday we went out and took some pics at a local historical battleground/farm area-which was actually a beautiful area (we didn't make it down to the tracks and the old farmhouse below, but i'm betting it would make for some great pics as well!); we had grilled burgers and then later that evening we sat around the fire pit and talked and watched the fire. it is so soothing and calming to just sit and watch the embers of the fire. the fire itself is beautiful and entertaining to watch the flames dance, but there is something mesmerizing and enchanting about watching the dying embers glow, the eerie orange and black just flowing back and forth through what remains. aaaaaaahhh. good for the soul!

and i would most certainly be remiss if i did not mention that i was introduced to my new favorite voice. the artist: josh garrels. wow. i listened to this song on repeat on the way home, and then this one...i am so glad he came up in our conversation because i am loving his stuff!! thanks carrie and jess!!

when it came time to leave, i did NOT want to go-it left me with a particular void that i hadn't noticed before. this is what happens when family turns into friends. I LOVE IT! but let's face it, it sucks when there are so many miles that separate us.

hopefully one day we will be able to meet up for that fun road-trip-where we take a coin and flip it every half hour-hour and turn wherever the coin tells us and at the end of the day, not worry about where we are nor where we are headed, just take pics and enjoy it-no schedules, no worries. that seems like an easy BUCKET LIST item, and i cannot think of anyone i would rather have that adventure with!

this may or may not be my new screen saver because every time i look at it it kinda' makes me laugh!

may your family become friends and my you never be at a loss for good conversation and laughter!
julie

unexpected and expected family reunions...

i know that i am running a bit behind in these posts documenting this past month, but bear with me! saying goodbye to erika (and in essence, HONDURAS), was not an easy feat. on the outside, it may have looked easy; not a crier, but inside, it was tearing me apart. i don't get nervous about flying, but i got that sick feeling in my stomach; not from something i had eaten, but i am pretty sure that it was from not knowing exactly when i would be back. (but yes, a repeat is in order!)

this gal- all heart!

so, the flights back were smooth, and when i reached new orleans, the game was on, so i caught pieces of it, but i was more interested in charging my phone. and while it was charging, there were some ladies there who were talking a little louder than they needed about  conference they had just been to for some gluten free wares that they sell. well, i think it was a ploy, and business trick they learned because one of them came over after a few minutes and said, "well, you've probably heard everything we were talking about, here's a catalog and my information is on the back if you want to look at it and order anything." i think she may have been trying to show off her new tactic she'd just learned at their sales conference. i just smiled and said thank you and gave the catalog to mom when i got to SGF.

. when i got into dfw, i REALLY wanted to go to my apt really quickly to take a nap on my own bed, gather the mail, etc. but that was out of the scope of possibility. my dad was waiting for me out front of the springfield airport when i arrived, and he brought the boys-i was so excited to see them!! and their little tails were wagging, so i knew they felt the same way!

something i omitted earlier is that while i was at the hotel in san pedro sula one evening, i got a fb message from my cousin carrie, asking if i'd heard about grandpa. well, i hadn't, so she gave me the news that he had passed away. i was grateful that she let me know because i have no idea when my parents were planning to inform me. so i called my dad for the details, and that gave me a couple of days to prepare before getting back to the u.s.

once we got to mom and dad's, it was a little late, and i still had lots of laundry to do before taking off early the next morning with a revised itinerary. we were up with the sun and off for michigan for grandpa's funeral. it was pretty late when we arrived, but thanks to google maps, we made all of the correct turns until things became familiar. we stayed at my aunt's house, which holds so many happy memories from my childhood!! my cousins-diane and dana are my age and we spent a lot of time pretending, playing, laughing and exploring there!

when we arrived at the church the next morning for the funeral, my parents were right behind me, so when i looked over, i did a double-take because i saw my dad across the foyer...only it wasn't my dad, it was my uncle rick. (whenever i say that in my head, i cannot help but say it in amy poehler's voice as kaitlin...don't ask why, b/c he is nothing like that, but i love the video!) it was nice talking with him and catching up! the service was nice, and afterward, the church provided a nice little refreshment before we left for the interment. it was at this time that i got to sit with my cousin dana and catch up. time was so limited-i wish that our get togethers were for family reunions, rather than funerals (even if it was a celebration of a wonderful life!)  we needed more time together than that. i love dana for so many reasons; she is one of the most servant-hearted people that i know! she is so easy going and a natural care-giver. she was always great about getting over the grandma and grandpa's to help out with whatever they needed-it's just her nature!

my easy-gooing, nurturing cousin, dana

sadly, my brother and three of my cousins were unable to make it (because of the timing and distance). fortunately i was going to be seeing my brother and carrie, so the only two i didn't get to see were diane and dinnie. i would have enjoyed seeing both of them because it has been so long, yet i completely understand, as i was unable to make it to the funerals of my grandma and my aunt a few years back. i really do love my family and enjoy every opportunity to catch up-we probably need to have a family reunion with dad's side of the family sometime soon.

uncle rick, aunt dale marie, dad (they bear such resemblance!)

bruno and chaco had no idea what we were doing there, they were just excited about being out in the country and enjoying the yard! they were loving the running around and bouncing and rolling everywhere! the world was theirs and they were the happiest dogs ever! i thoroughly enjoyed every moment!

then i played a board game and a card game with my aunt, mom and dad. i really enjoyed the board game because it was tetris-like, but the card game? it's funny because we had just been talking about how competitive my grandma was, and as we played, i realized that my aunt must carry the same gene as grandma! well, i just hung in there and i think i was pretty much a warm body filling in to make it an even number. i wasn't much help to my partner-mom, but she's a good sport and if she's competitive at cards, i didn't notice. (we lost).

the next morning we took off again for the scheduled portion of the vacation-next stop: NASHVILLE! i was hoping to see a couple of friends there, but since we lost 3 days and had a rental, i thought it would be best to spend time with the fam since we really don't get much time with my brother and his family...when we arrived, my fears were confirmed: chaco was in rare form with andrew. he wasn't very nice; he growled and barked and he was pretty much a jerk, but andrew kept trying the entire trip to win chaco over. eventually, i think chaco warmed up to him a bit. i mean, he was still growling and barking, but to a lesser extent! if you're familiar with the boys, you know that chaco just doesn't like/trust younger kids. i don't know if it is the voice, the attitude, the size, or what, but it was somewhat amusing watching andrew try so hard.

we got to go uot with the kids- abbie and andrew- to go carts and mini golf (because 18 holes of miniature golf is not a self inflicted sacrificial torture...wait a minute..) but as long as they were happy and enjoying themselves, i could plaster a smile on my face and do my best to enjoy the moment of just hanging out with family!

need for speed!

it was at about this point that i looked down and realized that this was going to be a long game.

the big reason for this trip was, yes to see them, but especially to meet the new addition to the family! hollie gave birth do their 3rd child, and he's a cutie! he was already sitting up and talking with me about what he plans to do with his life- so advanced for a 2 week old... and when i say sitting up, it was more like laying sideways in a sitting position...and as for the talking about plans, it was more of an unintelligible garble, but what he meant was obvious, of course his thinking was purely short-term goals...cry wail, sleep, eat...repeat. a little short sighted, but you know how it is with youngsters...

we had a good visit and i got to see their house that david has been working on remodeling. it's a pretty intense endeavor. he is very detail oriented and they have lots of plans, but he is doing all of the work on his own. i don't know how in the world they are ever going to get it done-don't hear me wrong on that, i am so proud of him and the workmanship that he has done, it is so detailed and he is really good at what he does- very meticulous!

so much done, so much to do to get it the way they want it!

adding the wains-coating, built-ins, etc...his finished product is pretty impressive!

and his plans are many! and so detailed!

so the visit was short, but it was great to see them, as we don't get together very often. the kids are growing up so fast! spending time with mom and dad on this trip was priceless-the older we get the less time we seem to have, but the more precious it is!

upon arriving back at mom and dad's we had a couple of  days to kill before i would take off again, so i put my time to good use, and got in a little shooting out back- my dad is great about always preparing a new target for me! i need to look for a closer range when i get back to dallas! (oh how i wish i lived out in the country!)

perhaps the setting is the best part!

 next post FF to wednesday's early flight! the last days of vacation!

julie

HONDURAS part 3-a little of this and a lot of that

i certainly meant to get to this sooner, but alas, i have been a little busy-did i say alas? what i should have said was a blast-i am having a blast, which has slowed down my ability to sit down and write. i am in VA, visiting my cousin carrie, who i haven't seen in about... um.. we figure about 17 years (which, by the way is way too long- especially when it's someone you appreciate!) but that's a part of the trip i haven't gotten to yet-be patient, i promise that i will get there!

so, we left la ceiba on sunday morning, and stopped at tio dolmo's for a quick little rest stop. it was the perfect place to stop, and we were able to get some typical candies and corn tamale-type things. YUM!

we missed out on the movie that we were thinking about going to for our sunday evening in sps, so we did a little tour of the mall iinstead(remember, this was my first mall i'd been in since we got to sps, and i was impressed!) then we went on a longer tour around town to see some of the new neighborhoods that were not in existence when i left. because it felt like just yesterday that i was home, it was very strange to see all of the changes, even though i knew there would be changes, i didn't realize how much!

from many of the restaurants that we have here to malls in almost every sector, you can get pretty much anything we can get in the U.S...

monday morning I pulled out some tie-dye kits that i had taken down
 with the specific intention of making t-shirts with steph and elias; let's not be modest, we made some of the coolest shirts! of course it took a few hours...ok we had to let them marinate overnight until we were able to pull them out and reveal their awesoawesomeness! that is the nature of the tie dye! Fortunately that worked out really well and allowed Sheryl to get some things done that really needed doing! i knew that she was going to have to run a lot of errands and get a ton done because she was leaving for the U.S., so i loved that we got to do the everyday routine errands together (that she was willing to drag this gringa along)  maybe for some people that would not be their cup o tea, but for me, spending time with people doing ANYTHING is quality time! i know, weird, but i loved it!

Part of our errand-running including getting to meet up with this handsome guy-Sheryl's dad never a dull moment!

i wasn't expecting to, but it worked out that i was able to get together with my old volleyball co captain (mind you, i am NOT calling her old-that would get me into a bit of trouble!!) actually hanging out with yanira was a highlight because when you hang out with someone after so long, it really does change things! It's one thing to catch up on facebook, it's a bit better to catch up in letter-form (actually it's great because it is something that you can physically hold on to and read over and over again!), even better to talk on phone and Skype, but nothing beats face to face physically being together!! So when yani got in touch and we went for coffee, i loved hearing all about the growing and learning, family, fun. i am SUPER IMPRESSED by her commitment and dedication to running and prep for the upcoming ironman! i have such a high regard and admiration for the lady she has become!

My co-captain, my friend!

i also got to see my old classmate juan pablo for coffee the next day, and catching up with him was enlightening. although our time was short, it was good to hear what was going on in his life and the way everything cycles around. i am so proud of him and the way that things are going for him and his family! one of the greatest things about jp is that he is a life-long learner and he really takes knowledge seriously! that was refreshing!

never stop dreaming and believing, jp!

there were a couple of friends i was hoping to connect with, that just didn't work out-for work or vacation reasons, which was sad-not like i cried sad, more like-bummer, perhaps can plan better next time-sad. such is life, and as tom hanks says, there's no crying in baseball, well, i submit that there is not enough time to cry while vacationing either! so, moving right along, i was beside myself (like...dancing beside myself!) when i finally got to see erika and her husband for dinner! this was the first time that i got to meet jose enrique, and i knew he was the right match for erika because i could see the adoration and pure joy between the two of them!

i had one day to swing down to the Mercado guamilito, where I was looking for some small-ish things. i had one thing in mind for sure- i knew i wanted to find some stationery that was handmade in HONDURAS (which you may recall i saw for  the first time when I received one from brandy)so i scoured the place until I found it; i actually had to describe what i was looking for to a man and he pointed me to a lady down at the end of the aisle, and when i got to her, i re-explained what i was looking for and she thought for a minute, then opened up one of her glass cabinets and these beautiful cards were kind of hidden in the midst of all of the other knick knacks, so i bought all of them.

This was the view from my room-great inspiration for letter-writing!

then i decided to run over to the shop of one of my friends to drop off a simple note and something that i had thought to bring her. so i dropped that off, and decided to go in to look around so that i would be able to imagine it better when i see posts on fb; i'm so glad that did because it really was an elegant store and the girls that were working there were very attentive- great customer service! i found some merchandise that i really kinda fell in love with and may have spent more money than i should have!!

Adorable shop! I love the feel-very quaint.



this is the dress I fell in love with, now i just need to find an occasion!

then friday came, and i went with erika and jose enrique to copan! oh wow! the trip was a long one, but the views were to die for! there is just something about the untouched mountainside of this area of HONDURAS that is simply breathtaking. i wish that i could post a picture along with the way that the scenery makes me feel in every fiber of my being-admiration, love of country, peaceful, relaxed--if you could look at a picture and feel the way i felt as i absorbed the surroundings.. more than happy; i'm not sure if it's pride or peace or perhaps exhilaration would best describe the feeling.

 as I said, it is somewhat difficult to explain, but these hills, this terrain, it is a part of my identity. it brought back so many memories of travels with my parents in the truck to different churches in small villages and outlying neighborhoods! the closer we were getting to copan,the worse the road got, and of course, as it goes in driving, it seems that when the roads get bad, you are almost certain to get stuck behind the slowest bus or truck for several miles because passing on crazy mountain roads is ill-advised unless you are 125% certain of your odds! but, even at that, it felt so normal and routine.

we arrived at a little tucked away area called hacienda el jaral, and checked into a cute little cabaña. what impressed me the most was all of the vegetation and greenery. had we more time, i would've really taken an afternoon to thoroughly put the hammocks to use! yes, yet another tidbit to add to you julie file, i am an avid hammock napper/sleeper- i'm pretty sure i would have NO problem doing one of those canopy adventures in which you sleep above the rainforest in the hammock-no problem!

oh to have just a few more days!!

birds of paradise!

these two are such a cute couple! the epitome of fun!

i would have loved to attend church in his little chapel!

anyhoo, once we got settled in and looked around for a minute, we went into the little village of copan, which is a nestled in mountains; there was a little bridge that was a sort of guardian to the city, and as soon as we entered, we were greeted by the cobblestone hills of the village. i was immediately enamored. i'd been to the ruins, but never to the village. we went to this great little restaurant which they were familiar with and our server carried the anafre-beans and cheese-if i remember correctly-on her head (an impressive feat when climbing the stairs!). what a meal!

my world would be better if i had one of these around every day...and the food would be great addition as well!

 the next morning we had grand plans, but because we were thorough, we made it through two parts of the ruins, and the museum; which is fine, one more reason i'm going to have to return. i am fascinated by history and this has always been right up my alley. so, although i took a gazillion pictures, i don't want to bore you, so i will only pose a few, suffice it to say, there is much more to see, and i hope that if you ever get the opportunity, you will venture down to check it out!! It will be well worth it!

I was  loving the macaws! they were so beautiful and i especially like the way they were being reintroduced into the wild! there is no reason these majestic birds should be in captivity!

The view of the plaza from the top of the ruins



hieroglyphic stairway was finally 75% accurately completed

the tunnels were finally complete-very cool!

and this guy? well everyone needs a good 'stone face'

Hug/resting station... it's all the same, right??

Life- sized replica in the museum-pretty amazing

one of the better macaws so great with the beak, tongue, garras...



I loved the colored stones-symbolizing the elite.

copan the village vendors

 i did nothing to deserve it, but erika and her husband spoiled me. their generosity was over the top- i had an incredible time and i loved every minute of hanging out with them! as i said before, being with friends that you have shared so many experiences with in the past is invigorating because it allows for comfortable conversation. it was certainly refreshing, and it made me really appreciate our friendship so much more! the saying is that distance makes the heart grow fonder, but truthfully, it only makes the heart grow fonder when there is the acute wake up call reminding me of what life was like when proximity was involved! i in fact felt a little like robin williams in hook when he realized he was pan and started to remember things he'd forgotten...

 so, lesson learned-don't put those memories away for safe-keeping, they must be revisited and stoked often! i am going to work on being keenly aware of my priorities and being intentional! i will probably be sucking it up and using the phone more as well... pick your jaw up off the floor, ya heard me right.

i'm falling behind-but no worries, i'll have a spell here soon in which things will calm down and i'll be back to writing about silly things again!

good day! julie