Halloween with Cousins

Melissa brought Justin and Max up to our house to celebrate Halloween this year.  I am so happy that they live close enough now that we can get together on the weekends occasionally.  Here the four boys before trunk or treat at the Papillion Ward.

Nate didn't want to wear his Ghostbuster costume to the ward party but here he is with his cousins and his friend Garrett on Halloween night.

Decorating Early

Since we leave for Florida in a month, we decided to decorate our tree a little early. 

Erin Lynn Perez 1999-2015

As I type those dates in the title, I fight back tears.  I know she still lives, she is just out of my sight for awhile.  She has a new mission and for that knowledge and understanding, I am most grateful.  I look forward to that day when we are reunited and hope she will be the one there to greet me when it is my time to enter the Spirit World.  It has taken me almost two months to update my blog.  But it is time.  My sister, Melissa, asked me to include on my blog Erin's Life Story that I wrote and read at her funeral.  There are so many things that I forgot to include, but this is exactly what I wrote at the time:

Erin’s Life Story

August 5, 2015

When we sat down with my brother to discuss who would speak at Erin’s funeral, I said I wanted to do the eulogy.  Mario quickly vetoed that idea thinking it would be too difficult for me.  But I felt strongly that I wanted to be the one to do it.  So I will do my best to not cry.  Erin hated when I cried, so for her, I will do my best to hold it together.

Erin is our second child, first and only daughter. Our insurance wouldn’t pay for an ultrasound to determine if she was a boy or girl so we had to wait and be surprised.  That was difficult for me because I don’t like surprises.  While pregnant with her, I have a very vivid memory of the first time I bonded with her.  I was making curtains for her baby room.  That was the first of many times I felt such love for her as I tried to serve her.

Erin was born on August 9, 1999 in Melbourne, Florida.  Mario had joined the Air Force the year before and we were stationed in Cocoa Beach, Florida.   Eric had just turned 2 the day before she was born and he was so excited to have a little sister.

I loved watching Eric shower his newborn sister with kisses.  He adored her.  As she grew and was able to play, I remember crying happy tears at how wonderful it was to have two children and see them play together.  Eric didn’t always enjoy his new baby sister.  When Erin became mobile, she would crawl and sit in the middle of his train track that he had just built.  

We lived across the street from the beach in Cocoa Beach.  Eric couldn’t get enough of the beach and Erin was the opposite.  She would scream if we set her down in sand and it was even worse if she touched the water.

But overall Erin, was such a good baby.  When she was 9 months old, the military transferred us to Guam.  She developed a love for the beach and swimming in Guam thank goodness because the was the main entertainment there.

While in Guam, Erin would put herself to bed when she was tired.  She was such a perfect toddler that Mario said we could have a dozen children if they were all like her.

But Erin would frustrate Eric as she would grab his toys and run to throw them behind his bed.  One day Eric got so frustrated with Erin, he tied her up to the bedpost.  It is really funny looking back but I wasn’t happy about it at the time. 

We spent our time in Guam doing playgroups almost daily.  We had

so much fun.  Our family took a vacation to Australia where we visited a zoo with kangaroos and koala bears.  The zoo let Eric take a picture holding a koala bear but Erin was too young, so we asked her to just touch the bear.  She just put her thumb in her mouth and refused.  So we have the cutest picture of her being stubborn.

When Erin was 3, our family moved to Hawaii.  We had a pool across the street from our townhome and Erin swam like a fish.  No one could believe that she was only 3.  While in Hawaii, I taught Erin to read and then had a little tea party for her and her friends when she finished all her reading lessons.

Her twin brothers, Nathan and Zachary were born while we were in Hawaii.  She was a second mother to them.  She adored them and took such great care of them. 

Erin learned to surf and went to preschool and kindergarten while in Hawaii.  She also would watch Eric jump ramps with his bike and she insisted on doing whatever he did.  She was the toughest little girl. Not even Eric’s friends would try the bike tricks. But there was Erin doing everything her big brother did.

She started piano lessons on her 5^th birthday after Mario convinced the teacher to start her early since she was already reading.  She continued those piano lessons for the next 10 years.

After Hawaii, our family moved to Illinois, just outside of St. Louis.  Erin was six years old.  She attended 1^st and 2^nd grade there.  Erin’s first grade teacher told me that Erin was top of her class but that she needed to clean out her desk more often because she would find missing assignments shoved way in the back. 

While in 2^nd grade, I made a bet with Erin.  All her friends had American Girl Dolls.  At $100 each, I wasn’t thrilled with the cost but Erin begged for one.  I told Erin that if she could get more AR points than her brother, I would buy her one.  At the time, Eric was 100 points ahead of her which made sense because he was older and his books were worth a lot more points.  Erin worked hard and she passed her brother very quickly and I had to buy her a new doll.  I learned to never bet her again.  When she put her mind to something, she was very determined.

Erin was baptized in Illinois just days before we moved to Monterey, California for Mario to complete a Master’s Degree for the Air Force.  Erin attended 3^rd grade and most of 4^th grade in California.  Erin played basketball.  So she had to play against boys. I remember how aggressive she was with those boys. They were scared of her.

While living in California, we took a family cruise to San Diego and Mexico with the entire family including Grandma and Papa.  I also took a Mom/Daughter trip to LA with her to go to Six Flags and the American Girl Doll store.  She saved her money from collecting cans and doing little odd jobs and bought a few more dolls while we lived in California and I supplied her with lots of outfits and accessories.  I had always enjoyed playing with dolls when I was little, so I enjoyed playing with her.

After living in California for 18 months, our family transferred to Tucson, Arizona where she finished 4^th grade and went through 5, 6, and 7^th grade.  Erin would write us the cutest little notes and cards expressing her love for us.  Occasionally she would write us notes complaining about all our rules.  For instance, she thought we should let her have pet birds or a rabbit.  She wanted to quit piano lessons and be allowed to walk thru the desert to school by herself.  We finally gave in and allowed her to get two birds which she named Mikki and Mouse. 

The summer before 7^th grade, I told Erin that there was an advanced math class at the Junior High and maybe if she studied math over the summer, she would be allowed to skip 7^th grade math and go on to Algebra.  She studied all summer and when it came time for her to start 7^th grade, the school wouldn’t allow her to try the advanced class.  They told me they didn’t have a test for her to take that would allow her to skip forward.  I called them back and told them how hard she had studied and they needed to give her a chance.  They finally agreed to let her take the 8^th grade math class but for no credit.  She would have to take it during a study hall period and still complete 7^th grade math.  I asked her if she wanted to do that and she agreed.  I was so surprised.  But after about a month, her school contacted me and told me that she was excelling at Algebra, and that they were going to allow her to drop her 7^th grade math class and get credit for her Algebra class.  Her hard work had paid off.  Erin was the kind of student that if she got a 99% on a test, she was disappointed.  She would do any extra credit offered even if she already had close to a 100% in a class.

Erin loved to help me cook, bake, and really anything else I needed.  She often asked me how she could help. 

In 7^th grade she ran cross country and also sang in the school choir.  When her choir teacher learned that she played the piano really well, she asked Erin to accompany the choir at their concert.  Erin was very nervous but she played flawlessly even with an auditorium full of people watching.

In 8^th grade our family moved to Omaha, Nebraska.  Erin continued to excel in school and learned to really love the piano.  There were no more notes from her asking if she could quit piano lessons.  In fact, she was disappointed that her teacher didn’t teach lessons over the summer.  For her 13^th birthday, Mario surprised her with a baby grand piano which she loved and took great care of it. 

She also loved her pottery class and teacher.  She made us some beautiful pottery that we will always treasure.

She started high school and played basketball for her school her freshman year.  She also played church basketball.  She loved church ball  and scored most of the points for her team.

Sophomore year, Erin ran cross country and really enjoyed it but she injured her leg early in the season.  She ran through the pain the entire season without telling her coach. As soon as the season was over, she went to the doctor and then spent the next few months in physical therapy.

While living in the Omaha area, Erin earned her YW medallion, honor bee, and other YW recognition awards.  She faithfully served in her YW callings and was often asked to play the piano for special musical numbers in Sacrament meeting.

Erin was never one to seek attention.  She accomplished so much in her short life.  She did it for herself and for Heavenly Father.

Erin did some quirky things that we just loved and found amusing.  She never went anywhere without 3 things-chapstick, lotion, and gum.  She would carry a purse for a 3 mile walk around the lake because she couldn’t be without those essentials.

At 15, our family moved to Spain for a military assignment.  Erin would never tell us she was excited about it, but she would tell her friends and church leaders that she was excited.

We were in Spain for less than 2 months when she passed away, but she seemed to really enjoy her time there.  She told me she loved Spanish and would often conjugate verbs in her head when she was bored. 

She enjoyed the food and especially the beaches that were only a few hours away.  She loved exploring the castles and the wonderful parks there.  We spent an entire week just exploring a couple parks in Madrid.

The last week of her life was spent at the beach where she was able to try surfing again.  It had been 10 years since the last time she surfed.  She rented a wetsuit and a surfboard three days in a row and surfed for hours.  She told me it was her favorite thing she had ever done.

We are happy to know that she spent the last few days of her life doing something that brought her much happiness.  Erin passed away Friday, July 17 in Madrid, Spain. 

Erin’s former YW president went from house to house to sit with her friends and talk with them.  She said she found that many of them considered Erin to be a best friend.  Erin loved her friends and was always trying to help them.  That was the Erin we remember.

She will be missed by her family and friends and all those that knew her.  She is an amazing girl that is good at whatever she puts her mind to.  So I am confident that she will do great work for her Heavenly Father on the other side of the veil.  I know that this is but a short time that we will be separated from her.  God be with you until we meet again.

We love you Erin!

Alicante

Back at the end of June, when we were so tired of hotel living, I found a beach house and a bus to take us there.  Everyone thought I was brave (or nuts) for taking off across a foreign country with not knowing the language.  But we did it and I feel stronger and braver for it. 

We had a lot of fun hanging out at the beach and pool.  We had a view of the Mediterranean from our living room and bedrooms.  It was beautiful.  It didn't occur to me that Spain might have Palm trees.  So that was so exciting to walk the palm tree-lined streets of Alicante.  It reminds me of Florida.

Off to the Beach in my Big American Van

I can't even put into words how happy I am to have my van here in Spain.  I know it will cost be a bundle in gas and I can't take it easily into the city, but all the other benefits make up for those things.

We are off to the beach today for a week.  Not only do we stand out as Americans because of our van, but check out the license plate.  We are still waiting or our diplomatic tags.  Definitely couldn't fit all this stuff in a Prius (especially Nathan's nine stuffed animals).

New Piano Teacher

With piano lessons at about $60 an hour, we have decided to hire a much cheaper teacher-Erin.  This is her first lesson and it's taking place at 10 pm.  It's amazing how quickly we adjust to the Spanish time and do everything so late.

I pay her $20 an hour for the boys lessons and will increase that to $30 if she does a good job and the boys cooperate for her.  It's a really good deal for both of us especially since Erin won't be able to work until next summer and it will have to be at the U.S. Embassy just for the summer.  Americans aren't able to take jobs away from the locals.  With high unemployment rates here, that is completely understandable.

Thank goodness the piano arrived with not even a scratch!  It did have some goo which at first we thought was a scratch, but with some heavy scrubbing, it came off.

Finally in Spain

We made it to Spain, FINALLY!  The wait felt like forever.  Usually the military only gives us about 3 months notice for our next assignment.  I mean, we know we are moving but have no idea where.  This time we knew almost a year in advance.  I am not sure what I like better.  The anticipation was sometimes too much.  But Mario and I say everyday how grateful we are that we were able to visit Spain last September.  That has made the move so much easier.  We found a ward, a house, a school, and learned the metro all in advance.  What a blessing because moving overseas to a foreign land is stressful enough.  Not to mention I don't speak the language!

The flight over went well other than being stuck in Atlanta airport for about 7 hours while they fixed our plane.  Mario flew over a about 10 days before us.  Eric flew in a couple weeks after us.  

The kids and I spent a couple weeks exploring Madrid and the castle in Segovia. First thing we did was buy metro passes so we couple take public transportation all over the city because buying individual tickets gets very expensive.  We took a bus to Segovia.  The kids and I loved it.  We went while Mario was at work since we saw it in September.  

Madrid has the most amazing parks.  The kids line them and choose to visit them over all other activities.  One called the Rio is a brand new park along the river. Until recently, it was a highway that they moved underground and put a 7 KM park running alongside the river. There a great parks and paths for biking, rollerblading, and running.  It is fantastic.  Then they have the Retiro park that people compare to Central Park in NYC.  It is an oasis inside a big city.  

We went to visit our new house.  It is amazing.  More on that in a different post.  It's a small miracle we get to move into that house.  We move in July 3.

Since we can't move in until July 3, the kids and I were going crazy in a small hotel (we have two rooms but still too small for a family of 6).  I told Mario that I was taking them to the beach for a few days.  Unfortunately he couldn't join us because of a big work party that is mandatory this Saturday.  

I found a bus to take us to Alicante (someone mentioned that beach at church and said it was nice).  So that's how I chose it.  Then I looked on HomeAway and found a great beach house just 50 meters from the beach.  It has great views.  I was a little nervous because we'd have to get a tram from bus station to our house, but after navigating Madrid public transportation, I knew I could do a smaller city.  I actually almost missed the bus from Madrid because I mistakenly went to the wrong metro stop and couldn't find it.  I asked several people for help and they all tried to tell me I was at the wrong place but I didn't understand them.  Finally we jumped the light rail and found the right stop with about 8 min to spare.  

Anyway, we took the 5 hour bus to Alicante with no problems then took the tram about 45 minutes the the house.  We excitedly got on swimsuits and walked down to the beach.  As I rounded the corner, I noticed that there were several topless women.  I didn't know what to do.  My kids has obviously already noticed.  Eric said welcome to Spain, Mom.  I didn't know if I should turn around or continue down.  This is the only beach at our tram stop.  I told the kids to walk right away from most of the people.  But the women were leisurely walking the beach and getting in and out of the water.  I told the kids not to look.  It was so odd for me, but obviously very much their culture.  I texted a friend who told me it is all over Europe.  So I guess if we plan to go to the beach, it's something I'm going to have to live with.  This morning we came down early and found a few families.  Fortunately no topless women here yet.  We may have to play at the beach in the mornings and swim at the pool the rest of the day.

I bought Mario an underwater camera for his birthday and Father's Day.  He was too scared to try it underwater but the kids and I brought it and it works great.  Hopefully he won't mind.

Anyway, I think I will love it here.  It definitely doesn't come without challenges. But in time, we will get accustomed to the way things work here.  I'm so excited to travel and see Europe.  But many tell me Spain is their favorite so  I guess we are lucky to live here.