Friday, May 31, 2024

April Fun and Missionary Time

Wednesday April 3, 2024

The last time I bought a summertime white skirt was in 2011, but it is in storage in the USA. When I found this cute new one for $10.00 I couldn't resist. I love shopping here in Colombia, but I actually bought this skirt at Ross when I was in Idaho! What a deal!

Back in Cartagena the weather is still hot and sunny everyday, but occasionally we have a few clouds, a portent of the rainy season that will soon be upon us. 


Cali sent this to me and I think it is pretty funny and mostly accurate. 

I bought this light cotton dress for around $12.00. The length came down well below my knees, so I hemmed it and now it's a great casual dress for running errands on hot afternoons. The best thing is it has pockets!! Yes!

Friday April 5th. Darryl gets a rare weekday off work and we make the most of it! I love having the pool all to ourselves.

Saturday April 6, 2024
General Conference
Darryl and I had the privilege to be of service and make new friends this day. We received a phone call from missionaries here asking if we could go to the hospital and help out a couple of Americans who were at the Serena Mar hospital. This is Sister Leanne from Salt Lake City who had a medical Emergency onboard a cruise ship. She spent two days in the ship infirmary and when they docked in Cartagena she was transferred here.

She and her husband Garth were quite lost as they didn't speak Spanish or know the customs or food of this part of Colombia. Darryl and I were able to visit and spend the day with them, get them something different to eat than hospital food and reassure them that they were not alone. 

We have made good friends in Leanne and Garth Wilson. We visited them on Sunday morning and with Darryl's ability to drive like a Colombian Taxi driver, were able to get them to the airport to catch their plane back to the USA.

On Monday I took the sister missionaries out to lunch, Sister Mantilla (L) and Sister Alvarez (R).

Oh they love Sushi!!


And when we finished lunch we went back to my apartment to paint a little. 
I unsuccessfully tried a portrait. No, I didn't mean to make a scar on her forehead. Yes, I need more practice. A lot more!

The Sisters were busy with a floral watercolor and an acrylic landscape.


Lovely work ladies!


It was quite a fun afternoon.

And finally, I want to introduce you to our maid, Maria. The owner of this apartment insists that we have a maid come in at least once a week, and this young lady does a fabulous job. 

This is her profile picture. I'm not sure if she had a makeover or if it's AI, but except for the hair it looks just like her. She is such a lovely young mother.

We have had to endure a month of street construction out in front of our apartment. It's a little inconvenient now, but it will be great when it's finished.

Mangos are starting to get ripe. When they want some they knock them out of the trees with a long pole.


In the "Cindy is a klutz" department, I had a slight accident when I walked into the sliding glass door I was sure I left open. Oh wait, I did leave it open, but Darryl closed it and I tried to step through it because it was really, really clean. Thank you Maria.

O couldn't wear my glasses for about 2 days. 
πŸ πŸ€ΏπŸ™πŸ€ΏπŸ™πŸ€ΏπŸ 
And to finish out the month of April, I took a Scuba Diving refresher course in a beautiful hotel swimming pool to prepare for my upcoming dive in Cozumel, Mexico. Darryl went with me, but the only photos taken were those of the wildlife living on the hotel property near pool.



And on Sunday, April 28th the young women at church replicated King Benjamins tower (from the book of Mosiah) with skewers and marshmallows.

April was a great month! 


Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Post Surgery Update and My Cartagena Homecoming

 Wednesday March 13, 2024

I had my surgery on the morning of March 12th and Jesse brought me home that afternoon. The next few days were spent resting and recuperating.

Aww.. and Jesse bought me flowers! 


This poem, written by Tyree, has a place of honor on their refrigerator. I love the descriptions and I think she has a talent for poetry.

☘️Sunday March 17th ☘️
Still rather chilly so I purchased something green for St. Patricks Day earlier on Friday the 15th when I was cleared to drive.

Sunday March 17, 2024
After church Tyree had a church assignment to attend a Family History program Tutorial. Jesse and Kelly had a rodeo meeting so I took her and learned a few things and had a chance to look up some family data.

This is an internet article about the train accident that killed my Great-great-grandfather, John Loughmiller. We were always told about the accident and that he was struck by a train at the Perth crossing in Clay County, and the date of his death, Sept. 20, 1909. I'm not sure why the article doesn't list his name or why I can't find any articles that list his name, only a description of the accident.

That evening Emily came over with her boyfriend Caleb Johnson and her cousin Caitlin Smith. We listened to Clancy and Tyree play the piano and Violin and then Caleb played for us.

I wish you could hear Caleb play, he is an incredible musician!




We were all pretty mesmerized by his impromptu concert.

Monday May 18, 2024
It is Rodeo season coming up and since Jesse and Kelly had one of the only dry arenas in the area, all of their Blackfoot friends would come over to ride and exercise their horses.





Tyree is quite the young cowgirl!


Friday March 22, 2024
Kelly invited their friends over to help celebrate Jesse's 41st Birthday. Tyree picked out the cake and did most of the fondant decorating with her bestie Jocelyn. It's so Jesse!

Jonas and Eve drove up that evening to be here for Jesse's Birthday too. It was so good to spend time with them.

Sunday March 24, 2024
Happy Birthday Jesse Kay!
πŸŽπŸ’πŸŽ‚
In Sacrament meeting, one of the speakers read this poem. It's so true and something we need to remember and emphasized today~
πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘

Monday Morning - yes it's Idaho, of course it still snows at the end of March.

Thursday March 28th - Flying back to Cartagena!


Flying over the port you can see Darryl's dome!

I came home to a beautiful bouquet of flowers and an absolutely scrumptious carrot cake.


Wherever Darryl is, that is my home! There's no place like home.

Friday Night Date Night
Restaurante La Olla Cartagena

Great ambiance and wait staff..

And the best restaurant steak I have had since leaving Santiago, Chile.

My little Easter diorama.

On Saturday the 30th we went to the temple in Baranquilla. On the way home we stopped to try and find an a basket to make into an Easter Basket. Instead we found these small, taxidermy disturbing animals.

And a small basket.

HAPPY EASTER 2024
🐣 πŸ§Ί πŸ£


Our sweet sister missionaries and their Easter Baskets!
Hermana Mantilla and Hermana Abish Alverez.


Happy Easter Everyone!
See you in April.