boicefamily

And without further ado...my trip to Peru. 

I arrived in Lima at 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.   It was great to see my parents. 

The next morning we woke up nice and early.  My dad was scheduled to have his rotator cuff fixed that afternoon and was supposed to check into the hospital at 9:00.  Before we left my dad told me that he needed to make a private phone call and since it was just there small apartment that meant I needed to put on my headphones and listen to some music.  This freaked me out a little because we are a VERY open family and anything that was private HAD to be something serious.  

After their phone call they called me into the front room and told me that they had been called on another MISSION and that they had accepted the call.  YES...my parents have been called to be the MTC presidents in Madrid Spain, leaving January 11th 2010.  It was crazy being there as they received the call.  It was very emotionally draining.  I am not ready for them to go again but I know...that we have to do what we are asked to do.  I am grateful for their example to my children.  

So after they told me the news we headed down to the hospital.  It was a pretty grim place.  I wasn't too keen on my dad getting surgery in Peru. However, I was so glad to be there.  Glad to be there to keep my mom company and to see my dad.  

Here they are in the hospital.  Pretty grim, if you ask me.  They were taking his temperature with a glass thermometer. We were at the hospital the whole day...more then 12 hours.  It surprisingly went by super fast.  I loved just sitting around with my parents talking.  There were two beds in the room so I laid in the other one and lounged the day away.   Mom and I walked down the street to the market and got some snacks to get us through the day.    I can't believe how much better the stores in Peru have gotten over the last 20 years.  I got all my favorites (which happened to be all candy)...every taste took me back. 

Dad's surgery was around 3:30.  We went and sat in a tinsy waiting room for a couple of hours.  There was a shrine in there to Mother Mary.  I never forgot where I was the whole time.  My mom looked pretty worried the whole surgery.  After it was over the doctor came and got her and she was able to see my dad for a couple of minutes.  You should have seen the look of relief on her face.  Dad looked great, and recovered great.  She was able to see him once an hour for like the next 3 hours until he was sent back to the room.  She and I went and ate Chifa while we waited.  Yummy Chinese food and man it was so cheap. 

Here is the view out of my dad's window.  Peru is having winter right now so it was pretty cold and grey. 

Mom and I got home around 11:30 or so.  Before we left my dad was joking around and looked awesome.  It was amazing how good he looked.  My mom fed him his hospital food (even worse looking then American hospital food) before we left.

The next morning Mom woke up early to go get dad.  I slept in and then made myself my favorite breakfast.  I love being able to get such good bread in peru.  You can get 5 of these babies for 30 cents.  To go with the bread fresh squeezed orange juice. 

YUM.

Over the course of the next 4 days I pretty much went along with Mom and Dad wherever they went.  

Here we are at the temple.  We went to two weddings while I was there.

Then we went downtown for some shopping and some Anticuchos (cow heart on a stick) they were really good.  And then some sweet potato donuts dipped in a molasses sauce.  Ohhh they were so yummy.  Yes....I love food.  I know. 

visiting the school where I went to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades.  It looked so the same...and brought back a million old memories.

Out to lunch for a birthday with everyone from the office.

I spoke Spanish the whole time.  It just flowed out of me.  Better then it ever has.  I was proud of myself.  PLUS...I love Peruvian Spanish...I can understand it so well.  We did a lot of dinner's with people.  5 times we ate with Peruvian families and I just rattled on and on in Spanish.  They really are such great people. 

me at the park by our house we used to live in.  Sam and I would play there and come home so dirty.  It is a lot nicer now.

Mom and me at the house.  Man...it was a lot the same too.  Good times. 

Me and dad at the office.  Look at how skinny he is. 

Anyways.  It was a great trip.  I really love Peruvians.  I felt overwhelmed to back after so many years.  

I got to hear my dad give a couple of REALLY REALLY great speeches.  It was awesome.  The Peruvian people bring out the best in both my parents.

I also got to watch my mom answer a man's questions (in SPANISH) about the church.  She spoke to him about our church for the whole bus ride.  Her spanish has gotten so good, and it is amazing how brave she is.  

Now...I am on the count down until my parents get back from peru.  We have something like 5 weeks.  YESSS....I can't wait to see them for a while before they head out to Madrid (but seriously how fun will Madrid be to visit?? I can't wait)