QW #5 Grandma B.

Quote Wednesday #5

I don't have a cute little .jpeg for this quote:

"Keep your big fat mouth shut."

Because this cannot be found floating around Pinterest. 

But it can be found in my wedding sign-in book. 

I give full credit to Grandma B. for that quote. That day she was so sick, but I remember her looking at Ross and pointing her finger at him.  I remember her telling me to go ahead and write it and she signed her name by it. It was her marriage advice for me and Ross.

I love this quote because it shows grandma's stubbornness and dedication to what she knows it true and important -marriage and family

Grandma is a firecracker. As she and my mother-in-law say, "dynamite comes in small packages!" I think of what an amazing pair her and Grandpa are, what a wonderful marriage they have and will have forever. I think of how she raised 9 children as the wife of a potato farmer. You better believe she had some pizzaz! 

And I for one am willing to take any and all marriage advice she has to offer in hopes that I can be even a fraction as successful as her. 

A year ago today Ross and I attended her funeral. It was one of those days that is so sad and humbling you won't forget it. I remember snow falling at the graveside service. I remember how the direct family members alone filled up a whole chapel there were so many. I remember looking at Grandpa B that day and seeing the sadness in his eyes. I remember feeling comfort that things would be okay.

It's hard for me to begin to explain how much I love Grandma B. I first met her in 2010 when Ross, his brother Kris, and I took a trip up to Idaho Falls for Easter weekend. Reflecting on it now, I only knew her on this earth for about a year and a half. But there is something about her spirit that immediately touches you and feels like a warm accepting hug, and you feel right at home. 

I remember the look she got when she was being sneaky. I was not yet a member of the family, but early Easter morning I awoke to see the Easter Bunny had visited and left a little treat basket not only for Ross, but for me as well. I felt so loved.

I remember every time I visited the farm I never felt like a stranger. I never felt out of place, I was always welcome. 

I remember watching the Lawrence Welk show with Grandma and listening to her sing "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and every other song. But also remember watching football with Grandma and she had the same amount of enthusiasm when cheering on BYU.

I remember calling Grandma and Grandpa B with Ross to tell them we were engaged. I remember being so excited to have them as family. 

I remember how hard Grandma fought all the cancers and illness. And I remember her doing it in her leopard print fleece pjs. 

All these things and more I remember about Grandma B.

Her and Grandpa are amazing people and sometimes it is overwhelming to know we must stand on the shoulders of such legends. But they both inspire me to be better. 

To be kind, to work hard, to be smart, to be thrifty, to love the Lord, to serve others, to speak out, to be stubborn, and to love unconditionally. I miss you Grandma B. and I am so happy to be able to spend the rest of eternity with you and and all the Butikofers. 

*All pictures stolen shamelessly from Uncle Kelly's Facebook. :)

BYU Football & Autumn Things

Brigham Young University's homecoming was recently. And I mentioned to Ross how much I missed it. He gave me a kind of sideways look because I am usually the first one to step up and make fun of Provo and Zoobs. Plus I never participate much in the activities  but I guess I miss the idea of autumn and the cooler weather that comes with Homecoming.

BYU had "blackout" uniforms for the Homecoming game against Oregon State.

Ross and I are both missing fall and cool autumn weather.
I am a little weird'ed out by this, but I get homesick for those beautiful Utah mountains. I guess the past few years of crisp leaves, cutesy hats, comfy jeans, and cozy sweaters in Utah have become something to look forward to.
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/06/12/104-sweaters/
(See also:http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/04/30/97-scarves/)

Homecoming 2009

Homecoming 2010

And maybe just a little, I miss the free, mass produced food surrounding homecoming events. I don't care much for football, but if you know me and my boy Alton,

  

"I'm just here for the food." Food makes everything more enjoyable. Ross knows that if I am going to sit through more than a few minutes of football... there will be food involved. Before one of the recent BYU football games we threw together an impromptu "tailgate party." Just because you can never have enough moments in life to laugh at yourself.

We had microwave popcorn, cheese slices, stale tortilla chip crumbs and salsa, and ....

BACON

Which is kind of a big deal for us! Bacon is a rare delicacy.

But it seems that Utah has skipped fall and gone straight for the snow so for now we will enjoy our perpetual summer (and occasional bacon)!

QW #4 (Quote Friday #1)

I know I am so cutesy with my "Quote Wednesdays"

If only they had some staying power.
Today it will be "Quote Friday #1"
Haha

QW #4

"If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try." -Seth Godin

In my life observations, human beings tend to keep the status quo and live within their comfort level. We might not take chances because the consequence, good or bad, is just unknown. 

I first thought of this when I read, "We always fear the unknown," in what was to become my favorite novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. 

About a month ago I decided to do something that scared me. 

I sent an e-mail to P.A.M. (Programme for Adolescent Mothers). You can check out their website: http://programmeforadolescentmothers.webs.com/mission.htm

The mission of the organization is:

"To empower teenage mothers and pregnant adolescents by providing counseling and continuing education through an integrated programme of traditional academic subjects, skills, training, health and family life education and parenting and family planning; thus providing a bridge over which they can cross into a promising future."

Having had done some work with adolescent mothers in El Salvador, I thought maybe PAM would have an opportunity for me to volunteer with them. 

Right away I got an e-mail saying they wanted to meet with me the following business day. 

I guess I have gotten really lame over the past 3 years or so because I remember a time and a place when I was doing stuff like this -non-profit interning, lesson planning, volunteering, and new territory navigating all in a different language. But now the thought of just finding and meeting the director of PAM was scary. 

On the day of the meeting I said a little prayer and left Ross a note with contact info in case I never returned (just kidding mom... ha...ha). 

With bus change and directions I departed on what I would find to be a three-bus, hour plus affair to PAM in Mt. Parnassus.

View coming up from the driveway, the other side has the most incredible view of downtown and the ocean. 

I was horribly late, but I was able to meet with the director and one of the instructors to figure out what they could do with me.  They decided that they would like me to help with the Clothing and Textiles class for the first year girls. 

Since the initial meeting I have been back twice to get to know the girls and begin teaching the basics of embroidery. The director has a project for the girls to embroider tablecloths for the restaurant they have (the girls learn how to cook and make meals for restaurant customers).

It is a pretty daunting task. I feel like I don't know what I am doing, but mostly I just really hope that what I am doing is worthwhile to the girls and what the directors and other instructors want.

I did something scary, I did something terrifying. And so far it is a good thing.

What is one of the scariest or most uncomfortable -but good situations you have pushed yourself to do?

Concord Falls Hike

-October 8-12th-
Ross's midterm week was the absolute worst. I was on a downward slump and slipping deeper into the pit of boredom and despair (ya know, while Ross was gone having fun stressing and studying). With Ross being gone all the time with the computer (aka midterm week) rolled around, the situation was exacerbated. Amazing how no internet or computer makes you feel so cut off and medieval.

I love adventure. I am not a daredevil, but I love trying new things and going new places.
Imagine my glee when my friend Mindy called me one Wednesday morning and said her and some other girls were going to take a quick trip up to hike Concord Falls!

I was so happy to have something to do, somewhere to go, and someone to hang out with.
Before long four of us plus a baby were crammed in Mindy's car driving up north to what was for me, uncharted territory.

I got some great pictures but I wasn't fast enough to snap one of the man we saw dressed as a woman -in a pink dress with a matching hair kerchief and full on beard nonetheless. Lovely.

But up a tiny windy road...we made it!

I don't know that it is much of a "resort," but here it is....

We hired a guide to help us navigate up to the waterfall. His name is Sandy and he was great. He pointed out a mandarin tree, and cut us some guava. I guess since it is the rainy season not many people have been up this way in a while so he had his fair share of cutting almost a new path for us.

Long story short, Patty didn't have her baby carrier so Sandy just picked up the little one and hiked with her! He was legit -a machete and no shoes, definitely a tough guy.

It was a pretty easy hike, and we were kind of in a rush to get back so we made it quick.
On the hike you could see some farms along the hillside.

Mindy wanted to get some pumpkins for Halloween decorations, so she asked Sandy where she might find some. Of course Sandy's stepfather has a farm with pumpkins. This is another thing I love about Grenada -ask and ye shall receive. Chances are, some one knows someone who can help you out with what you need -for a price.

 

One of my favorite parts was just seeing all the tropical flowers. I learned about heliconia (left) and anthurium (right) in a class I took in college, and here they are just growing wild in the forest.

Our hike ended at this beautiful waterfall! I had to get in, the water was so cool and nice.
 

Here I am with Kim, braving the icy water!

It was a really fun hike and I know there are bigger and better waterfalls and hikes but I still had a fun time hiking, swimming, and laughing with friends.

At the end of our hike Sandy cut up some sugarcane for us and also gave us this cocoa pod/plant. I had no idea this is what it looks like. Along that main core are seeds and you pull them off and suck on them.

They taste gooey and actually pretty good! They use the seed/pod part to make cocoa or rather chocolate! It is weird that the outside looks like a gourd, the inside tastes fruity, and the seeds are used for chocolate.

On the way home we all snacked on sugarcane and cocoa fruit/plant thing. It was great. :)

A Package!

Already we are in the last week of October!
The month has absolutely flown by, the last time I posted was the 1st of October so I have some catching up to do! Ross required the use of our only computer for midterms and I fell behind in posts. So first things first!

-October 2nd ish-

We got a package from my brother and his wife! Thanks Ryan and Jen, you guys are awesome.

I am very impressed by their sleuthing skills. They traveled all over to different mail centers and post offices to figure out what would be the most economical way (for all parties involved) to send a package for us to receive here in Grenada.

Here is the break down!

-FedEx or DHL packages go straight to the school for pick up, but come with a hefty price tag for the sender... VERY HEFTY!
The school doesn't charge a processing fee and depending on how they feel the duties and tax they charge varies, as well as the amount of digging they do to find something worthwhile to charge you for.

Personal experience: Had a box shipped with snack foods on it and even though it had the classy "Opened by Customs" re-seal tape, we were not charged a single penny to pick it up. However, I know this is not always the case, even at the school.

So although it is the most convenient way for us to pick stuff up -by far and not in the least economical as far as cost for the sender.

Ryan and Jen found out that the most economical way to ship stuff is in tiny packages around or under 4 pounds, using USPS. They found that rates exponentially rise when shipping packages above 4 pounds.
From they time they shipped the package it took about 10 days for Ross to receive a blue slip in his P.O. Box at the school notifying him there was a package for him at the Post Office downtown.

So my wonderful friend Patty gave me a lift to the Post Office and let me hold her adorable daughter so the people would be nice to me. I have found that Grenadians LOVE babies if you have a baby in your arms they are so nice to you.

I picked up the little package and opened it up so they could asses the "goods." I paid $5 something EC which adds up to about $2 USD! Not bad at all.

It was a really fun little package! It was filled with inside jokes that I can't begin to explain, which just added to the fun. :) I really miss Ryan and Jen, especially the days of them taking me to get groceries at Smiths and just being ridiculous.

They sent chocolate milk powder! But only one glass for now because the Petersen household is doing milk rations. The refrigerated food container shipment was delayed and there won't be more milk at the local grocery store for a few more days.

A little handheld fan and toilet seat covers. I am the envy of the island! :) And don't worry- there are batteries too! Yessss.
Also, they sent us Ross an awesome BYU lapel pin which he religiously (pun intended?) wears on his backpack to represent our alma mater.

But I must say, the dino fruit snacks were the best! Obviously I scarfed them down so fast I couldn't even do so much as take a picture of the wrapper.
Thanks again so much Ryan and Jen, and thanks for your super sleuthing affordable shipping options!

Post Term 1 (mid-term) Update Continued

Saturday Ross and I went with some friends to a new beach. Well, new to us, it wasn't like it sprung up out of no where and had a grand opening. The beach is called La Sagesse and it is on the south side of the island so you get a different kind of beach!

It was so much fun. The best way I can think to describe it is if the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean had a baby -it would be La Sagesse. I know a lot of people down here don't much care for it though. The water is murkier and has more plant floaties like the Pacific Ocean. Also the waves are quite a bit rougher, but that is good news because it makes boogie boarding possible!

And all at the same time you have WARM water, beautiful palm trees and lush green surroundings. Anyone gonna come visit me yet?

As you can tell from the picture, we were pretty happy to hang out with each other and have a fun little break!

As we were headed back to our apartment we stopped along the way to check out Le Phare Bleu Marina. They have a hotel, a restaurant, and a fancy restaurant out on the Lighthouse Boat.

Boats!  In the background you can see Calivigny Island.

You can rent the island. Yes, the ENTIRE 80 ACRE ISLAND! It's crazy.Check it out at this website. And it is definitely worth 5 minutes and 44 minutes of your time to watch this video about it:

I'm 98% sure that is what most people think Ross and I enjoy on a daily basis. But don't worry, in a couple years or so when Ross graduates we are going to be so rich that we are going to just buy it. No worries!

We came home to a pretty sunset. I'm not saying this is as impressive as they get, but I had to include it because it makes me miss my desert sunsets!

That just about wraps it up for our break before the storm of med school starts again! I already can't wait for finals to be over. :)

Post Term 1 (mid-term) Update

Well, Ross is officially half way done with his first term of Medical School!
4 1/2 terms + two years of rotations is all that is left. Time flies when you are having fun.

Ross passed all his midterms and that is all that he and I care about. Looks like he right on track. Yay!

After midterms we went out with some 1st term friends. It was kind of last minute and came together great. Our friends here are so good about giving us rides and making fun plans!

On Friday night we went out to a fancy-schmancy restaurant called Victory. It is located in Port Louis where all the millionaire world-sailing yacht people dock when they visit Grenada. I guess the Port is a pretty big deal.

So you know this place was going to be nice! Ross and I shared a huge plate of red meat. It would probably cause instant death for a vegetarian because it almost gave us a heart attack just seeing that much meat in one place. We don't eat much red meat because it is so expensive down here.

That there folks is: Brisket, steak, pork ribs, and beef ribs. And in case you doubted our affinity for potatoes, we got potato wedges, a baked potato, and mashed potatoes. It was delicious, you can bet your student loans we had the meat sweats.

Photo compliments of Katie.

Some how we over calculated our bill and since we ended up with a little extra money per couple we went over to Rick's Cafe to get some ice cream. The sorbet they have is absolutely incredible! I got half strawberry half coconut & pineapple.
It was so much fun to hang out with friends and the best part was that for all that food and dessert it still rang in under $50 USD for both of us.

How to: Accidentally Shop at the "Ghetto" Supermarket

One thing I have learned in my very limited "world traveling" (haha!) is that it is all about perspective! I mean that in many different ways, but in this post I am specifically talking about the way we are raised and our expectations when going to a new place. It changes our perspective.

Let me start with an example from home:
Lots of people I know back home refused to shop at the Latin supermarket Vallarta, because it was "ghetto."
(And besides that being so totally ridiculous because they have amazing pistachio ice cream, mangoes and cream popsicles, the cheapest and freshest produce around, an amazing restaurant, and the most delicious pan dulce and best treats, and incredible refried beans and the shortest check out lines and easiest parking lot....)

But I don't really believe in the word ghetto. I believe in, "out of my comfort zone, because it is new/unknown."

So, let's try that sentence again:

Lots of people I know back home refused to shop at the Latin supermarket Vallarta, because it was "out of my comfort zone, because it is new/unknown."

Yeah. That makes more sense. Whether you shop there or not, whatever (but you are missing out).

My point is, it is kinda like that here. You have the IGA Real Value supermarket. Which is right on the school bus route and all the students shop there. You have American things and I have found that in general things are a bit pricey.

But then you have..... Food Fair. Which many students and SOs claim is in a bad area and dirty and blah blah blah. So without further ado I present my first tutorial:

A visual to aide you in your quest!

How to Accidentally Shop at the "Ghetto" Supermarket (aka Food Fair):

1.)Go to campus and wait at the bus stop
2.)Get on a bus that has a paper in the back window that says "Gand Anse/ True Blue" with the intention of going to IGA.
3.)Ride the bus and ask some people near you where exactly the bus is headed, to which they reply, "I hope Grand Anse."
4.)Watch as the bus turns up the street to Mont Toute. 
5.) Panic for a sec, then remember that you got this!
6.) Get off when the bus stops in the Food Fair parking lot.
--> Shop at Food Fair and realize they have great prices! And a clean store despite the shady storage and quality of meat/fish!

Also, you get negative points if you tell a poor girl to get on the bus because it is headed to IGA, but if you tell her sorry you were just as confused and help her shop and make sure she gets on the bus back you can have bonus points.