Stalked in Spanish--This Close to Navidad too!

Saturday I answered the phone even though the caller ID said "unknown name."  I was greeted with "Buenas Tardes" and a fast-talking hispanic trying to get me to accept a phone card that would allow me to call free in the United States.  I already can call free in the United States with our phone plan.  I made sure we couldn't use the card to call to Mexico and told the nice fellow that we didn't need his card.  I also told him I didn't know Spanish too well.  He didn't give up, but he did start saying "free" instead of "gratis."  Isn't it funny how the words someone will change to English for you are the most basic ones that you already knew in the other language? "Puede usted llamar en los estados unidos FREE."  Oh, now I understand.  I admired his perserverance and I eventually thought that maybe we could use the card from another phone sometime in a pinch.  So I gave him my address.  Then he wanted to transfer me to his supervisor to "confirm."  

I started to be nervous that I had agreed to buy something because I didn't understand everything the guy said.  I knew something was free, but . . . I told the supervisor that I didn't feel comfortable enough with my Spanish to confirm and asked them to call later when they could to my Spanish-speaking esposo.  The supervisor and the original guy both panicked that they were losing me and started saying, "Senorita Olivia ..."  I thought I was a senora, being married and all, but they were calling out desperately for Senorita Olivia.  I gave a brusque adios and hung up.  

Right away, they tried to call back (thanks goodness for that caller ID).  They called back six times and I didn't answer.  After Edgar got up to go to work (he's working nights) they called again.  I made him answer.  They explained it all to him, he thanked them for their attention and said, "No gracias."  They called right back and told Edgar that his wife had really wanted the phone card.  Sure.  Blame it on the wife.  Edgar knew that wasn't true and he did something completely out of character.  He got sassy.  I didn't know he could do that (fortunately for me, I don't think he can in English).  He said, "Mira, Senor . . ." and went off and then he hung up.

They didn't call back until just a few minutes ago.  I didn't answer the phone.  You've got to admire their perserverance.

May your days be merry and bright

And may no one phone-stalk you tonight.

Wesolych Swiat!

Grudzień 2008

Drodzy przyjaciele!

Szczęśliwego Bożego Narodzenia! Pozdrawiam was wszystkich. Mam nadzieję, że ten list znajdzie was w dobrym zdrowiu oraz szczęśliwych. Jeszcze raz, będę prosić o pomoc Renatę, moją przyjaciółkę z Warszawy.  Naprawdę, jest błogosławieństwem mieć Polkę tutaj w pobliżu.  Ona mówi bardzo dobrze po angielsku, więc, nigdy nie rozmawiamy po polsku. 

My mieliśmy dobry i zajęty rok.  Najwaƶniejszym wydarzemniem tego roku byly narodziny naszego drugiego syna.  Nasz synek urodził się we wrześniu.  Jest zdrowy i bardzo ładny.  Tym razem nie miałam trudności jak byłam w ciąży i nasz syn urodził się bez problemów.

Styczeń zaczął się pracowicie dlatego, ƶe brałam udział w przygotowaniach do przedstawienia w teatrze muzycznym. Premiera sztuki odbyla się w marcu.  Moja siostra takƶe brała udział w tym samym przedstawieniu.  Było to dla nas bardzo fajne doświadczenie.

Ruben ma juƶ cztery latka a Liliana skończyła pięć.  W tym roku, w marcu, mieliśmy możliwość przejechać do Disneyland.  Odwiedzieliśmy takƶe naszych przyjaciół oraz rodzinę mojego męƶa.  Było wspaniale poznać jego rodzinę. W Kalifornii dobrze się  bawiliśmy i podobało nam się  bo było ciepło. 

Takƶe w tym roku, zaczęłam uczyć Lilianę w domu.  Ona juƶ moƶe czytać oraz pisać troszeczk ę po angielsku i po hiszpańsku.  Ruben chodzi do preschool (cos w rodzaju przedszkola) jeden raz w tygodniu. Kilka mam ze  Starr Valley zorganizowalo takie domowe przedszkole dla dzieci.    

Chcialabym życzyć wam zdrowych, spokojnych świąt Bożego Narodzenia oraz szcześliwego i pomyślnego Nowego 2009 Roku.

Boże Narodzenie jest ważnym dla nas świętem. Są to urodziny naszego Zabwiciela. Bez Niego nie możemy wrócić do Naszego Ojca w Niebie. Wiem, że Bóg żyje i że On nas zna, i bardzo nas kocha. Czasami mam doświadczenie, którego nie rozumiem, ale wierzę, że On wie wszystko i On chce to, co jest najlepsze dla nas, Jego dzieci. Jestem bardzo wdzięczna za Syna Bożego. Wiem, że Jezus Chrystus jest moim zbawicielem. Czuję się, że On mnie rozumie i pomaga mi w trudnych chwilach.

Niech Nasz Ojciec w Niebie ma was w swojej opiece.  Pozdrawiam was serdecznie.

 

Merry Christmas!

Since I know I missed people on my Christmas card list, I am posting our Christmas letter here, for your reading pleasure.  Thanks to my Polish friend Renata, it is also available po polsku (see next post).

Our year in review:

On my birthday (January 15), we found out I was pregnant (Hooray!) and I also started practice for a musical production, Quilters, that I was in with my sister Marianne and five other women.  It was a big commitment, but a lot of fun.  We didn’t finish until mid-March. 

At the end of March we went on vacation to Southern California.  We spent 2 days meeting/catching up with Edgar’s friends & family there. Edgar and his childhood best friend, Luis, hadn’t seen each other for 14 years.  We also went to Disneyland for 3 days.  We decided not to return to Disneyland until our youngest child is 5.  Ruben loved the rides, but was very unhappy when they ended and he hated waiting in line.  Getting to know Edgar’s family and friends made the long trip worth it.  They were wonderful.

 In the summer we went to Twin Falls, Idaho to attend the Twin Falls LDS Temple Open House.  It was a lovely experience to have as a family.  It was great to see our children’s attitude change to reverence and awe as they felt the spirit of the temple.  They felt the difference of being there.  Also this summer, I started teaching Liliana kindergarten in June (she will be 6 in March).  With our baby coming, I felt like I needed to get a head start. Other than school, I did nothing in the summer.  I was hot and pregnant and the cilantro and sunflowers took over our garden.  Lili is doing well with school.  She is starting to read and write in English and Spanish.  The poor child is our little guinea pig and we have yet to see how well our little bilingual experiment will turn out.

Ruben started going to our Starr Valley cooperative preschool this fall (he turned 4 in November).  He loves it. Lili is part of our local Sunshine Generation performing group (her cousins next door teach it).  Also this fall, Edgar’s friend Luis and 5 of his relatives came from California to help Edgar shoot his deer.  When I met Edgar I never would have dreamed he would want to hunt—you never really know what you’re getting into. The silver lining is that Luis and his family were able to take the meat home and enjoy venison birria.  Though Edgar is bloodthirsty, he doesn’t like venison.  Edgar has continued with his woodworking hobby, which I much prefer to hunting.  This year he made a beautiful bookshelf and a dresser.

Our biggest miracle and best news of the year came in the form of little Marcos Edgar.  I had a much better pregnancy than anyone expected and went 37½ weeks!  Marcos was born on September 9.  He weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and came home with us!  He has been completely healthy.  It is a delight to see the little fat rolls on his legs when we change his diaper. Our greatest misery of the year was that I had a tonsillectomy in November.  It seemed like a good thing to do because it was free.  We had met our out-of-pocket limit with our insurance because of my pregnancy.  The recovery was rather painful.  I learned the hard way that there’s no such thing as a free surgery.

 As Christmas approaches, we are grateful to remember the miracle of our Savior’s birth and life.  We rejoice this Christmas season in Him and pray that you will feel the peace and joy that He brings.

With Love,

Olivia, Edgar, Liliana, Ruben, and Marcos

 

Marcos, My Good Little Monkey

The most amazing thing happened at La Casa Cobian last night!  Marcos celebrated his 3 month birthday (and his Uncle Enoch's 31st birthday) by sleeping for 8 hours.  What an amazing child!  Liliana came home from the NICU the week she turned 3 months and she was not even close to sleeping through the night.  I know Ruben didn't sleep for eight hours at a time until he was at least one.  Needless to say, Marcos is my favorite.  I, of course, did not sleep that long (I haven't since I was pregnant with Lili).  I woke up and worried about the little guy and checked him several times.  He's a cute little monkey, isn't he?

Monkey pajamas courtesy of Uncle Enoch and Aunt Jennifer & Family.