Happy New Year! And A Brief Explanation About Where We've Been

Happy New Year!

Geez, where does the time go? It feels like just yesterday I was blogging about our beach trips and our Sunday strolls to Usaquen, but three months has passed since my last post.  Three very quick, blink-and-you-miss- them, months.

And a lot has happened in those three months.

First there was this.

We are officially a family of five! Our little Lady R, arrived in early October clocking in at 7lbs 5oz and 19.5 inches long, making her my smallest baby yet.  My other two were well over 8 pounds.  She was greeted by her two very enthusiastic brothers and extremely happy parents. I was worried about how D would react since he was only 17 months old when she was born, but he took to her quite nicely, and even though there are a few jealousy issues when I am feeding her, he loves her and gives her kisses all day long.  His favorite is to bring her a blanket and say "Go night-night!" E is a pro at being a big brother, so his adjustment has been a breeze.  He is always eager to help and even though sometimes his "helping" is more of a hindrance (especially when trying to quickly clean up spit up or change a poopy diaper), I try to make him feel like he is always doing a super important job.  Now our family is complete, and we couldn't be happier. She is just the sweetest.  And since R was born here in Bogota, D was born in Adana and E was born in New York, I can officially say I have three kids born in three different countries.  Pretty cool!  

She goes back and forth between sucking her thumb and sucking her two middle fingers.

R at 7 weeks

A few weeks after R was born, we celebrated Halloween.  We are a family that truly loves Halloween. The boys each dressed as ninjas (since E is currently obsessed with Ninjago, although it's slowly being taken over by an obsession with Star Wars) and R was a little strawberry.  S and I didn't plan groovy costumes as we have in previous years because I was still living in the haze of newborn baby and didn't get my act together in time.  I ended up being a cat (super simple) and S had to dress as a scarecrow to go along with the "Pumpkin Patch" theme his team designed for the embassy Halloween party.  The party, by the way, was incredible.  I heard it wasn't nearly as elaborate as previous years, but I was still impressed.  Each section came up with a theme and then decorated their offices to match.  Everyone participated.  There was a Star Wars theme, my husband's group did Pumpkin Patch, plus Shark Attack, Wizard of Oz and Book of Life themes, to name a few.  There wasn't a single embassy employee not wearing a costume.  The kids got to trick-or-treat through each section, then we had hot dogs and quesadillas for dinner before heading home to deal with the eventual sugar crash.  It was a fun experience and we're already looking forward to next year.  Needless to say, we already have our family costumes picked out, but I'm not telling.

.

Shortly after Halloween, we headed back to the states for R&R and my cousin's wedding, in which E was the ring bearer.  R was only one month old at the time, but we got approval from two doctors saying she was okay to travel and we were assured that even though she didn't have a visa or diplomatic passport yet, we would have no issues taking her in and out of the country.  All worked out accordingly.  We spent several days in Key West where my cousin was married, then drove to Miami for a few more days while visiting with friends who lived in the area.  

Ready to fly!

R meeting her godparents, my cousin and her new hubby

R meeting my mom, Nana.

Key West!

I was so proud of this little guy.  He owned his ring bearer job!

Beautiful wedding venue

Me, E and the bride 

Strike a pose!

beach in Key West

Can you see the bags under our eyes?

Enjoying a swim in November

Add caption

Warm and cozy after their swim

Blowing bubbles at a museum in Fort Lauderdale

Checking out the baby crocodiles with our friend

He thinks he can fly this plane

And so does he

Magnets

The princess and the pea :)

Next, we made our way to Austin where we visited with S's family, then headed to Baton Rouge to see my family.  The kids were spoiled by aunts and uncles, cousins and friends, and most of all Nana.   We went to book stores, parks, indoor bouncy house play spaces, museums, planetariums, swam nature walks, and ate at every delicious restaurant we could squeeze in.  After nearly 3 weeks in the states, we made our way back home.  Bogota hadn't really felt like home since we moved here, but since coming back from R &R we have started to feel more settled.  There had always been this sense of "something else is coming" and I think now that R is here, that "something" is here, and we are finally feeling like we aren't just passing through.  This is home...for the next 1.5 years, at least.

Enjoying the park with cousins

At the book store

"camp out" with cousins

Cousins!

D enjoying the kiddie play area while his big brother and big cousins
are bouncing in bounce castles nearby

On a nature walk through the swamps of Louisiana

Trying blackened alligator :)

Enjoying the arts and science museum in BR

Riverboat on the Mississippi in BR

 

Nana, cousin AA and R

Nana, cousin BB and R

E and the twins having too much fun on the trampoline

Tia and R

We returned to celebrate Thanksgiving, then Christmas and New Year's.  Thanksgiving was very low-key.  I cooked a small meal and we just spent the day relaxing and watching football and cartoons, and playing in the park.  On Christmas Eve I cooked the traditional Louisiana meal: gumbo and potato salad.  We invited our friends over (one of whom happens to also be from Louisiana) and we ate and drank wine while the kids played around us.  The night ended early though, since we all had to get the kids to bed for Santa's visit.  Christmas morning was filled with presents and pancakes, and the day was spent cooking and building Legos. E got so many sets and of course he wanted to put them all together all by himself.  So we let him.  D spent all day playing with his new cars and Paw Patrol toys, while R, completely oblivious to what was going on around her, napped and giggled her way through the holiday.  Christmas is always fun with little kids, and this year was the best.  Our entire family is here, and we can't wait to celebrate Christmases in the future.

Our attempt at a Christmas card pic.  Can you spot the unhappy child in this photo?

A crappy photo, but E was so excited for the Little Passports gift Nana got him.
He's hoping to get something on Egypt!

New Year's Eve was uneventful.  Unlike last year when we spent the night partying with friends in Turkey, this year S and I put the kids to bed and we cracked open a bottle of champagne in an attempt to stay up until midnight.  That, of course, didn't happen.  S and I crashed by 10:30 and did not regret it for a second.  We did manage to finish off the champagne though.  And we made a resolution too.  We both vowed to read 12 books this year--one book per month.  S and I are avid readers and love reading, but since having kids, moving and traveling, we realized we don't dedicate as much time as we used to. So, 2016 is "The Year of the Book" for us.  We're already well into our first books and it feels so good to be reading more regularly again.  

So that's what we have been up to.  The boys' winter break ends soon and they will eventually go back to their routine of school and play dates.  R is a delightful little baby who rolled over for the first time the other day, and she laughs and smiles constantly.  S is back in the groove at work, but looking forward to several 3-day weekends/holidays he has coming up this month, and I am still plugging along with my work while trying to spend time with the kids.  We are looking forward to having visitors this year too!  A lot of friends and family have said they want to come visit, so we're going to hold them to it!  We didn't have many visitors in Turkey, so we're hoping the close proximity of Bogota changes that!  

Usaquén

Every Sunday here in Bogota, the city holds what is called ciclovia, the Spanish word roughly translated to "cycle-way."  Basically, the city shuts down several of the major roadways to vehicles and opens them to cyclists, runners, walkers, and any other pedestrians.  People take full advantage of ciclovia here, and we are no exception.  One of our favorite things to do is strap D in his stroller, set E up on his scooter and walk (while E scoots) the roughly three miles down to an outdoor market in the area of town known as Usaquén.  The walk is perfect for exercise when you're pregnant and have kids in tow, but bringing a bottle of water is essential.  The weather is usually really nice, but being at such a high altitude usually leads to dehydration quickly.  

D will sometimes fall asleep during our walk and E will request an occasional break to ride on daddy's shoulders, but it's a good walk none the less. 

One of the roads during ciclovia.
E is on the far right riding his scooter.

When we arrive at the market we usually stroll the crafts tables to see what's new.  During our first trip we purchased a hand-carved, wooden puzzle truck for the boys to play with and a hand-carved and hand-painted wooden jewelry box for me.  S and I were celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary at that time and apparently the gift for 5 years is wood.  S surprised me with it and I couldn't have been happier.  It's beautiful and I love it. 

One of the many beautiful buildings in this area.

E checking out the hand-carved piggy banks

Hat anyone?

These guys were awesome.  Both my boys were dancing to the music.

We've been to the market a few times now, and although we love seeing what's new, we have definitely found our favorite vendors.  The one guy who sells his homemade hot sauce is top of our list.  His hot sauce is GOOD and because Colombians generally don't do hot foods, this is a nice treat.  There is also the lovely woman who sells her own coffee and another woman who sells beautiful,  brightly colored fabrics for table cloths, place mats, etc.  We purchased a set of her place mats during our last visit and finally had the pleasure of using them the other night when guests came over for dinner.  

After strolling the market during the morning, we usually duck into one of Usaquén's many restaurants for lunch. There is a decent Indian restaurant nearby and a fabulous Peruvian place that we tried last time with our friends.  I was quite impressed and can't wait to go back again.  

Sundays are fun here in Bogota.  When we're not relaxing at home or chilling at the park with the kids (awaiting the arrival of baby #3) we are hitting the ciclovia streets and heading to Usaquén.  Family ad friends--get ready!  This is on the top of our must-do list when you come to visit!

Hammocks for sale.  Wishing we had a backyard to hang one in!

One of many street performers

A very Colombian style bag.  Love the colors.  

Beach Trip: Santa Marta

I can't believe it has taken me nearly a month to blog about our second trip to the beach in Santa Marta. Just like with our trip to Cartagena, we took advantage of a three-day Colombian holiday weekend, tacked on an extra vacation day, and hopped a 45 minute flight to the Caribbean coast. Unfortunately, we can't drive to a lot of places in Colombia due to rules and regulations, so it's a good thing flights are cheap and quick.  

We left on a Friday morning and arrived by that afternoon.  S and I had booked a bungalow on the beach at a well-known and well-reviewed resort in the area, and we were excited to have our own little bungalow for three days.  So, I was a bit disappointed when we arrived and we were informed that our reservation had been lost and they were trying to locate something else for us.  That quickly led to "Oh, sir, we have upgraded your room due to our negligence, please follow me."  I was hesitant to even believe we were upgraded--after all, they could have been feeding us any lies to get us to stay--but we were pleasantly surprised when we opened the door to a beautiful one bedroom suite complete with kitchen, living room and balcony.  It wasn't a bungalow like we had hoped (it was in the actual hotel part of the resort on a high floor) but we definitely couldn't complain.  In fact, it ended up being perfect. We realized that after the sun went down, the mosquitoes came out with a vengeance and we could only imagine the number of mosquitoes we would be dealing with in a bungalow, tucked away in the jungle near the beach.  We were grateful for the higher floor away from the hungry little monsters. 

Once we were checked in, we did our usual routine.  We spent the afternoon at the pool where we treated ourselves to some lunch and ice cream, and later ordered room service for dinner.  We have become room service junkies while on vacation, but that's just because it's sooooo easy and still affordable.  I remember growing up we wouldn't even dare look at a room service menu on family vacations because it was way too expensive.  Luckily for us, we are living in our second country where it is both affordable and delicious.  

The rest of the weekend was spent going back and forth between the beach and the pool, but mostly the pool because we have a certain 4-year old who has finally  conquered his fear of swimming and has turned into a little fish.  In fact,  E and I spent one morning collecting sea shells and jumping in the waves before he passionately requested to go back to the pool so he could practice his swimming.  He started off the weekend holding on the the edge of the pool and swimming along with his face in the water, but by the end of the weekend, he was jumping into the deep end and swimming up to 15 feet to his daddy's waiting arms.  He was so proud of himself and of course mom and dad were proud too! So, not only will the Santa Marta trip go down as a great family vacation, but I will always remember it as the vacation where E learned to swim.  

D had fun floating around in the big pool too, but he mostly preferred the kiddie pool which was all of 1 foot deep and easy for him to splash around and walk in.  That kid is fearless, so we spent a lot of time trying to ensure he didn't jump face first into the water.  He;s getting swimming lessons next just because he clearly loves the water and if we don't get him to learn soon, I'm afraid he will do something dangerous.  

By Monday morning we hopped a flight back to Bogota but vowed to return again.  It was so beautiful and we need our beach fix, especially since it's a constant 65 degrees here with rain nearly everyday. We will be back!

The day of arrival.
The ladies at the front desk gave the boys matching hats.

The gigantic and super fun pool.  There was a water slide too.  

S and his boys

Hanging out on the balcony the next morning.

E enjoying a swing in the hammock...
right before mom and D piled in and the whole thing collapsed.
Lesson learned--don't put a pregnant lady and her two kids in a rusty looking hammock!

Breakfast at the rooftop restaurant of the hotel

Beautiful birds during breakfast

View from the restaurant

We spent the morning at the beach...

Until E decided he had enough and insisted on going to the pool

Early morning view of the beach before the sun burned off the haze

Me and my sweet boys

This is by far my favorite series of photos:
D was enjoying his own private photo shoot until his brother stepped in on the action.
Can you tell he was a little annoyed, lol?

Sunset view on our last night

Saying goodbye to the resort

The view from our gate at the airport.  Gorgeous.

Botero

A few weekends ago we loaded up the kiddos and headed to the Botero Museum which is located in La Candelaria, or the historic district of Bogota.  The artist, Fernando Botero, donated over 100 pieces of his own artwork in order to create the museum back in 2000.  Other international artists' works are on display there as well, and the museum itself is housed in a beautiful old colonial mansion that is open to the public for free.  We were unaware of that fact, so we were pleasantly surprised when we were allowed to stroll right on in.  

We arrived a little after noon, so we grabbed a quick bite for lunch at the museum cafe. I do not recommend it if you are ordering something more than coffee and pastries.  The food was horrible and took more than 40 minutes to arrive, which, if you have small children you know is a nightmare. Thank goodness for the outdoor courtyard where S and I took turns taking the kids out to play.  

Bad food aside, the museum was wonderful.  I love when the architecture of the building feels like a part of the artwork on display.  I've said that about the Guggenheim, and I will say that about this place. The old colonial vibe just made it all the more enjoyable.  

S and I, and E--our little museum guru--really enjoyed walking from room to room and taking in all the paintings, sketches and sculptures.  D relaxed and observed for approximately 30 minutes before he was screaming to escape his stroller.  No bother. S and I just took turns with him outside while we each went in with E.  

In the end it was a fantastic day and E even got a little note pad as a souvenir.  He has yet to draw or write it in though because he is "saving it."  For what, I have no idea, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. 

I'm not quite sure what this building is, but it was right outside
the museum and I thought it was gorgeous.

Ditto with this building.  I will find out, I promise!

The Botero hand at the entrance to the museum.

This is the museum from inside the courtyard.  Beautiful.

E loved this

Believe it or not, he's laughing because the statue has no arms.

If you look on the top of that mountain you can see  Monserrate.
I'm sure we will be venturing up there soon enough.