Springtime in Concepcion

Remember friends, November is Spring in South America!  Here is what spring looks like in Concepcion!

Hydrangeas are in full bloom almost everywhere!

I always bought hydrangeas at the store in Arizona - at a pretty hefty price!
I had no idea that this is how they begin - a little green cluster,
and then such a magnificent bloom!  They bloom until late December and then the summer heat
starts to take it's toll.

Here is another beauty - don't know what it's called - it's just gorgeous!

Close up:)

Our morning walks sometimes take us by this little playground - we can't wait to bring grandkids here to swing!

The playground (above) is by the temple lot.  One day we noticed that they were starting to demolish some of the buildings on the lot.  We were pretty excited!  The Concepcion Temple was announced in 2009, but so far there hasn't been any building going on.  Maybe now is the time?!

Home from our walk - in front of our "Edificio" (condo building).  I have a soft spot for roses!

Some of us are just a little slower than others:):)

SOME FAVORITE SHOTS

On our way home from Collipulli -

We caught two of our favorite (we have 246 favorites!) Elders on the streets of Renaico!

Our surprise visit found a neat and tidy apartment and hard-working Elders!

How about these four fantastic Elders waiting for their bus after our Stake Conference in Los Angeles??!!

You can imagine how excited I was to see this magnificent creature (the horse) next to us on the streets of Los Angeles!

COLLIPULLI - Wait, What???

This is one of the many charming little pueblitos in our mission and it is so fun to say:)
You pronounce the double l's as a y - give it a try!  (Koyipooyi)
The name means "coloured lands" in the Mapuche language.
Population:  about 22,000.

And here is your very own personal tour -

On our way -

Always one of my favorite houses to pass by -
so bright and cheery!

Notice the "dish" - not an abandoned shack after all!

The hermanas call this the "ketchup & mustard" house!

Such great girls!! (sorry about the red eyes!)

The magnificent bridge of Collipulli!

It is called the Malleco Viaduct and officially opened for railway business in 1890.  At that time it was the highest such bridge in the world!  Today it is a National Monument!
You can see the PanAmerican Highway next to it.

Beautiful oxen - still used all over Chile!

A charming street in Collipulli

Family shopping day on the streets of Collipulli

Cannons flanking statue of the founder of Collupulli in the Plaza de Armas.  Handsome bystander:):)

Such a beautiful central Plaza!!

Our Collipulli chapel

The four great Collipulli elders in November 2014!!

OUR FIRST THANKSGIVING IN CHILE!

We were missing family, many familiar & favorite ingredients were nowhere to be found, but we were surrounded by wonderful friends and missionaries and had so much to be grateful for!

We cooked one turkey on the grill outside and one in the oven inside - leftovers are so important:)

Table set - ready for guests!

Let the feasting begin!!
One of our Assistants is from Santiago.  He thoroughly enjoyed this North American tradition!
He loved the food and enjoyed how we took turns expressing the things we were most grateful for.
He decided that this would be a good tradition for his future family - even in Chile!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch - this is what was happening among many of the grandkids in Arizona the day after Thanksgiving!  Those with the Turkey Shirts on got to be the targets!!

And our twins in Hawaii celebrated their 4th birthday on the beach at Waikiki the day before Thanksgiving -
 a happy day to be sure!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY APOLLO & ADONIS!!

Entrevista Fun

NOVEMBER 2014

We love our interview time with the missionaries - every 12 weeks.  Those one on one moments are both enlightening and bonding.  Seriously - we must have the best missionaries in the world!

The days are long when you interview between 18 and 34 missionaries for 15 minutes each.  When time allows, we take a lunch break and find some local cuisine to share with the Zone Leaders and Sister Trainer Leaders.  Always an interesting adventure!!

Our Elder on the left is from Peru and was in heaven today!

Our Sister Trainer Leaders loved it too!

 Peruvian food - there is a lot of that in Chile!  The name of the restaurant was "Se Llama Peru":):).






Another day found us at "El Quincho" -
a rustic setting with some very delicious mapuche/chileno dishes!
Everyone was happy!!

Thumbs Up!!

Even the President was enjoying the cuisine!

REFLECTIONS

In November, we were asked to give a presentation on love and marriage for the young adults in this area of Chile at their institute building downtown.  It was a sweet stroll down memory lane -

43 years ago - seems like yesterday:)

We were a family of three for nearly 5 years with our little Justin - and then

Jonas joined the group!

          And not too far behind was Jordan!  (photos won't cooperate - sorry for the spaces!)

Before we knew it, four little girls had fluttered down from heaven to be ours!

And then our new "son", Ricky Lee Fisher, joined our clan!

SOME OF THE THINGS OUR BLUTH FAMILY LOVES! . . . .


                                                     BEACH TIME TOGETHER!

And beach naps!

And beach snuggles!

Reading stories together:)

We love our mom/grandma/great grandma
LaRee Lunt Bluth McRae Shaw!

We love cabin time together!

And cabin chowtime!

We love girls day pedicures

And mother/daughter trips:)




We love family fun!

Family trips to the zoo - petting the sting rays!

Family easter egg hunts - Harry Potter style!!

We love family swim time 

And celebrating birthdays together!

We love each other - through thick and thin, through good and challenging, through hard and not so hard!
We love each other regardless of the distance or time that separates us!
We love the Gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us the understanding of how families can be together - forever!
THAT is what we are striving for!
THAT would be a state of never ending happiness for us!!