He’s Here
Current mood: bouncy

So, in my last note I wrote about Lafi having his visa interview in New Zealand and about him preparing to come to the U.S. Well, he is finally here!!! He arrived in chicago on sunday at 4:00 am. I'm so happy to have him here. I know its going to be an adjustment for hime, but I feel really good now that he is here. It was funny because we have two chihuahuas and in my family we love to kiss them and let them lick our faces and Lafi was not ok with that. All day yesterday he kept asking me not to kiss the dog. Dogs in samoa are different though, they are dirty and usually mostly for protection for the family. People don't really spoil their dogs like we do here. I think that he is going to have to get used to the kising the dog thing though, because I'm not sure I can stop.

10:40 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Lafi’s Visa

Lafi finally has his VISA interview this Thurday June 5th. He is in New Zealand now, staying with his sister that lives near Auckland where he will have his interview. I'm not too worried about him not getting approved, because he has nothing bad in background check and because i have been in communication with the Embasy since we got engaged a year ago, so they know this is a serious claim, but their is always that little thought of doubt in the back of my mind. I just keep praying that everything will go ok. I don't want to be away from him any longer, i need him to be here to help me prepare for our baby and I know he really wants to experence my pregnancy with me. Right after we found out i was pregnant he started talking to my stomach and I think its hard for him to be away from me this long. But, if all goes well, i won't have to wait for him much longer, because he should be flying here with in a week or two!!!

11:02 AM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

As one advnture ends another one begins
Current mood: blessed

My Peace Corps service in Samoa has quickly come to an end. I can't believe that almost two years have passed. So much has happened. I have made new friends from all over the world and some of them I consider to be more like family. I met my amazing husband Lafi and we got married in Samoa in March. I was suppose to leave Samoa in June, but I actually returned this week because I am pregnant. It was a big surprise when I found out, but God has a plan for me I never really imagined. My dad is super excited because he loves babies and figures since I married a Samoan I should have 8 to 10 children. Uh, I think not. I actually didn't really want to have children for a long time and used to like to make that clear to my parents, but at some time in college I started changing my mind about it. I think it was not so much that I didn't ever want children, I just didn't want to be responsible for one at that time in my life. I feel ready now and I'm really happy about it, LafI is going crazy, he always really wanted children and is always kissing and rubbing my stomach. He is so cute about it. He will make an amazing father and has already told me he will take the night shift when ever I want him to, he actually wants to. That is a trait that American men don't usually have. Unfortunately, as soon as I told Peace Corps I was pregnant I had to leave Samoa. LafI is still waiting for his Visa interview in New Zealand. We are told he should be able to get one in about three weeks and so he is going to stay with his sister for that time and should be coming to the U.S. sometime in June. So at least we only have to be apart for about a month and a half. It's really weird for me to think that I am not going back to live in Samoa, just when I started to really get used to it , it was time to leave. There are so many people I'm going to miss, I'm happy though because some of my Peace Corps friends will be living pretty close to I should be able to meet up with them pretty regularly. I start work on Monday, 9 to 5 is going to take some adjustment, but I like my job so it shouldn't be so bad. I don't have a cell phone yet, but if you want to call my home number is 630- 584-8838.

1:39 PM - 5 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

My Samoan Wedding

Well it’s official, I’m a married women, weird!!! My parents arrived in Samoa a couple weeks ago and met Lafi in person for the first time although they had talked on the phone before. We went around Samoa to different beaches and waterfalls the week before the wedding so my family would have some time to get to know Lafi. The wedding was this last Saturday in Lafi’s village. His family pretty much did everything for the wedding and it turned out really beautiful. We have lots of pictures which I will try to load in the next couple weeks, my camera broke so I have to get them off other peoples cameras. We handed in Laf’s VISA application yesterday, which was not as hard as I thought it would be and we are now waiting to hear from the Embassy in New Zealand about what we need to do next. I was so happy to have my parents here for the wedding and I know they really like Lafi, too bad they had to go back so soon.

12:46 PM - 4 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Back to Samoa
Current mood: chill

Well it's back to Samoa for me. I have mixed feelings about going back. I have really enjoyed this last month home with my family and friends. A lot of people went out of their way to make time to see me or talk to me on the phone and it just made me feel so loved. It's hard to leave behind so many people that care about me. I got to meet my niece ,Hailie for the first time and she is a doll. You can't but help fall in love with her, she is so sweet. I was happy to be able to make time to go see my grandpa who has lung cancer and thank God he is doing really well, but if I didn't see him and something happen it would have haunted me for a long time. I also went wedding dress shopping and I'm very happy with the dress I found. At the same time I'm happy to be going back to Samoa, because right now that is where Lafi is. I can't wait until he is able to come back to the U.S. with me. Living in Samoa I have met all of Lafi's friends and family and have been able to see what makes Lafi, Lafi, but the only people in my life that know LafI are Peace Corps friends and my friend Beth that came to see me in July. I know he will love my parents, but I'm just ready for us to all be together. Thank God my parents are coming to Samoa in 8 weeks for our wedding. Don't worry we will be having a wedding in the U.S. too, probably in May or June 2009. I know the next time I come back to the U.S. things are going to be much different, I will be married and starting a whole new chapter of my life. I am excited for this new chapter, it's bound to be full of lots of new and exciting things, especially considering my Dad wants me to have 8 kids, yeah right Dad!! Lafi and I want to start a family, but it may be a year or two until we get settled, although God may have a different plan. I think these last 6 months in Samoa will probably go by pretty fast.

8:00 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

I’m Home

After a very long trip all the way from Samoa to Chicago I am finally Home. Lafi was really sad for me to leave him and I really wished he could have come with, but it's only for a month and then I'm back to Samoa. It's weird to be back in the U.S. My life in Samoa is so different then here in Chicago and I feel a bit like I'm dreaming. I cried when I saw my parents at the airport. My flight was delayed and I didn't land in Chicago until around midnight. When I got home we opened Christmas presents and it just felt so good to be with my family. At first my puppy didn't remember me, but after about an hour she suddenly realized who I was and went crazy. If anyone wants to call me why I'm home my cell phone here is 630-205-5924. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years!!!

12:21 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Nothing like waking up to a earthquake

So this morning around 5:00 a.m. I was a awaken by a rather strong earthquake for Samoa standards. Luckly I was staying at a fellow Peace Corps house in town who happens to live very far from the water or I would have been stressing over running up into the plantation behind my house in the village. No tsunami ever came, but you never know when you live oon a island. It turns out the earthquake was a 6.2 and a little over 100 miles south of Samoa. See I'm a midwest girl and we just don't have to deal with these type of things.

Other news, I am counting down the days until I go home, I will be spending Christmas on the airplane, but will get home before the day is over so, I will be home for Christmas. I am so ready too!!! I really miss my family and friends, but I have to admit that I'm ratehr used to the way I live now and I"m a little scared of how I"m going to feel back in the U.S. I have been away for over a year and a half so I'm thinking I'm going to have some major culture shock going back to my own culture. I am not however going to have any issues with eating all the good food waiting for me, especially a really good salad. Salads are hard to find here, McDonalds doesn't even have salads.

I miss you all so much and can't wait to try to see as many as you as possible while I"m home. Merry Christmas!!!

12:32 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Nothing like waking up to a earthquake

So this morning around 5:00 a.m. I was a awaken by a rather strong earthquake for Samoa standards. Luckly I was staying at a fellow Peace Corps house in town who happens to live very far from the water or I would have been stressing over running up into the plantation behind my house in the village. No tsunami ever came, but you never know when you live oon a island. It turns out the earthquake was a 6.2 and a little over 100 miles south of Samoa. See I'm a midwest girl and we just don't have to deal with these type of things.

Other news, I am counting down the days until I go home, I will be spending Christmas on the airplane, but will get home before the day is over so, I will be home for Christmas. I am so ready too!!! I really miss my family and friends, but I have to admit that I'm ratehr used to the way I live now and I"m a little scared of how I"m going to feel back in the U.S. I have been away for over a year and a half so I'm thinking I'm going to have some major culture shock going back to my own culture. I am not however going to have any issues with eating all the good food waiting for me, especially a really good salad. Salads are hard to find here, McDonalds doesn't even have salads.

I miss you all so much and can't wait to try to see as many as you as possible while I"m home. Merry Christmas!!!

12:32 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

10 Reasons to be Happy You Live in the U.S.
Current mood: chipper

For all of you that think it's ok to complain and say how bad the U.S. is, I want you know how lucky you are and the things you have that you don't even realize are blessing. We are all very lucky in the U.S. and even if you think your poor, you are rich compared to a lot of people around the world.

These are not in any special order:

1) Having a washing machine and drying either in your house or a laundry mat you can go to and pay a pretty cheap price to us. I have to do my laundry in a bucket (which is actually pretty relaxing sometimes, but time consuming) and let it line dry. If it rains alot my clothing starts to smell bad and get mold spots. If I choose to try to take some laundry to Apia I have to take it on the bus which is not always easy and it cost $16 to get it done.

2) Most of you have cars and can drive were ever you want. I am not allowed to drive because of Peace Corps, but even if I was I couldn't afford a car or the gas, it cost almost $200 Samoan Tala to fill the tank one time.

3) Walmart. People complain sometimes about Walmart being too big, but there is something to be said about being able to get almost everything you want in one store. I have to go to 10 here and sometimes I still can't find what I need.

4) A standered American Kitchen is 10 times better then any most kitchens here. You have a freezer/refrigerator, an oven, microwave and a handfull of other appliances to make your life easy. Here many family's still cook over fire because it's cheaper and his they have a stove top it is usually run by kerosene, no oven, and most of the time no microwave and sometimes freezers.

5) Hot water and bathtubs. There is not hot water in the rural village and not even always in Apia, not to mention hardly any bathtubs anywhere even in some hotels.

6) No Mexican food, this one makes me sad because I am a Mexican food addict.

7) Seasons. There are two seasons here, the dry season and the wet season and both are very hot. Hot is nice when you have it for a short time, but when you are sweating after you have just taken a shower, it gets a little old. Plus I miss the changing of the leaves in Fall and snow.

8) Airconditioning. Although I get car sick now when the air is on, so I don't always miss it.

9) Many tv and radio stations to choose from. There are only 3 stations in the country and my village only gets one, not that I have a tv, but it is nice to have chooses.

10) Cheap phone service so you can stay in touch with people, although the costs starting to come down now that there are two phone companies, it's still expensive to talk in country and overseas. There is no such thing as free nights and weekends.

I am not sending this to complain, because I enjoy my life here, I just want to keep people from complaining about there lives, cause in a lot of ways we have it easy. These are just a small example.

12:13 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

I hate Bees

I know I shouldn't hate anything, but I do have a strong dislike for bees. I have an allergy to them and I managed not to be stung for over ten years until this last month when I have been stung twice in three weeks. Other then that I am doing fine. I actually have really good news. First my friend Angie and Sam decided to get married early at the court house, but will still be having their official cerimony in January so I can still be a part of it. I am way happy for them!!! They are a great couple. I too have wedding plans. Lafi and I are planning on trying to get married here at the end of March 2008. Don't worry we will still do a cerimony in the U.S. at some point. I wasn't sure if my parents were going to be able to come until this last Sunday my parents called me and said my old boss from TCP said as a wedding gift to me he wanted to pay for my parents and my brother to come to my wedding here. He is such an amazing guy and I thank God for his kindness and love. I am so happy my parents can come here because I think it is important that they understand were Lafi comes from. God is so good!!!! I have less then 3 months till I get to come home and visit everyone and I can tell you am ready. Living on an island for a long time can make you feel a bit traped and limited. Plus I just really miss everyone. Take care for now!!!

7:16 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment