The Beach with the kids

We took the kids to the beach one day. They loved it. None of them had swimming suits but they loved it clothes and all.

The one on the right is Mary's favorite, Jaritza. Morgan is on the left. She is Carlin's daughter, and has been so much fun.

We played volleyball with the kids and flew kites. They hadn't flown kites before and thought they were awesome.

Sister Paula at the beach.

These two were afraid of the water. Donia on the right, rode on my back all day. It was such a blast. I accidently tripped once and we both went under, she came up spluttering. The poor thing. I thought she would be done with me after that, but she laughed and hopped back on.

When they were on the bus ready to go, we gave them the friendship balls we had made. They loved them.

Cindy on the left and one of the teacher's from the orphanage on the right.

After the kids left to go back to the orphanage we ate dinner at a restaurant on the beach. I ordered a fish fillet and this is what I got. Yep, head, tail fins and all.

The Orphanage

The orphanage we are working with, is about an hour and a half outside of Leon in Nicaragua. It was built on the family property of Sister Paula.

After a devastating hurricane, Sister Paula was in the capital city of Managua helping out and was moved by the suffering of the orphan children on the street. She decided to take some back to her family home outside of Leon. She returned to her 100 year old mother with 7 extra children. Her mother told her it was no problem. Sister Paula attributes this to the fact that her mother had raised 17 children of her own.

The orphanage that started with 7 children grew. Sister Paula has built it into a haven and shelter for children in need.

We are staying in Leon and travel to the orphanage each day to work and play with the kids.

The outhouse

Cindy, Mary Jacqualine

Cindy and Jaqualine have both been in the orphanage about 6 years.

Angie talking to Sister Paula and one of the teachers.

The kitchen and cooking area

Erika and Dania- Two sisters in the orphanage. They are cuties and so much fun.

Church by Mary

The first day here we went to church we were a big spectacle! 9 Americans walking into a congregation with all native Nicaraugans:) (not to add that we were late)! Amy made friends with Julio who was sitting behind us by having me translate notes and passing them back and forth. That kept her entertained since she couldn't understand what the speakers were saying. We handed out candy to the primary kids and gave bags of clothes to the Relief Society President so that she could pass them out according to those in need. She has been RS president for 9 years! We asked her if she wanted to be released. She said yes, she was starting to have health problems. She told the bishop this, but he said it wasn't his decision it was the Lord's!

Sara is 12

This is the cake Lena made for Sara's birthday. I left to run errands and asked Lena to bake a cake for Sara. I told her I would help her decorate it when I got home. Imagine my surprise when I came home to this. Those are roses on top with little leaves. I asked her how she made the leaves. She said she found some outside and dipped them in chocolate.


When I asked Sara what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted cake in her face. I asked her why and she said she wanted to be like Eli in her birthday picture.



So I complied with her wishes and smashed cake in her face. She loved it!






She wanted her favorite, Chinese food for lunch.


And to go skating with our friends and family.




Sara is such a sweetie and all the little kids adore her. They are constantly crawling all over her and begging for "Sara." She loves it!


At the end of the day she gave me a big hug and kiss and told me thanks for being the nicest mom in the world. She said this was the best birthday of her life.

I feel blessed beyond words to have found this little sweetheart and can't imagine my life without her.

Rast Family Criminals

Ok I have been a terrible blogger for the last few months, but I had to record something that happened this week which was so funny.

When the girls first got here, they were fascinated with getting gas, so I taught them how to put gas in the car. Since then they have taken turns getting gas and get such a kick out of it. Good for me right? Especially in the freezing weather.

Well, last week we went to Roosevelt to visit my family and we stopped in Heber for gas. I gave Lena the debit card and went to use the bathroom. When I got back she was done getting gas so we drove away.

About an hour and a half later we were still en-route to Roosevelt when I noticed a car was tailing me. I sped up. They sped up. I wondered why they wouldn't pass me so I went faster and faster. Finally, I was going 80 miles an hour and very annoyed that the car was still tailing me. Suddenly red and blue lights were flashing. It was an undercover cop car and he was pulling me over.

He came to the window and I apologized for speeding. He said, "It's ok that is not why I pulled you over, I pulled you over for something that happened in Heber, do you know what I am talking about? "

I immediately thought, "oh no what did the girls do now." I told him unfortunately I didn't know what I had done.

He told me that we had not paid for our gas and wondered why. I started laughing and told him I let my kids do it and that I was very sorry. Thankfully, he was a cop with a merciful and kind nature and also got a kick out of my predicament.

So after talking to the Sheriff's Dept. I was able to pay over the phone and got away with speeding and stealing gas without even a ticket. A Christmas miracle.

Now the Oven

Yesterday, seconds after turning on the oven, smoke came pouring out, filling the kitchen. I opened the oven door and something was seriously on fire. I pulled it out with a wooden spoon and threw it in the sink. As I was running cold water over it, I recognized Sara's shirt.

Of course, Sara had no idea how her shirt got in the oven. The kid!!! I can't even imagine what would possess her to put her shirt in the oven. Any ideas? She wasn't upset in the least that her shirt was burned to ashes. Now I have to check behind the fridge and the oven!!

Behind the Fridge and the Garden Hose

Let me start this post by saying that in the six years I lived in my house without the girls, nothing has ever fallen behind the fridge.

The other day I heard something fall and turned around. Sara was standing by the fridge looking suspicious. I asked her, "What just fell?"

She said, "Nothing." I looked everywhere on the floor and truly there was nothing. I was confused, it had been a big noise.

"Sara, what was that?"

She looked at the counter and back at me, guilty, but still not confessing.

"Sara!" in my newly acquired stern mom voice.

"Something behind the fridge."

"What?" I leaned over the counter and looked behind the fridge in the small space I have between the fridge and the wall."

There was my plastic pitcher. I didn't think anything would fit behind the fridge and I guarantee it didn't just fall there. Sara was supposed to be putting it away, but it goes in a high cupboard, (not by the fridge.) Instead of putting it away she had put it there. I told her she would have to get it, so I pulled out the fridge and she climbed behind it and began to pull things out.

The Pitcher

A water bottle

The measuring cup for our air popper

A bag of very hard marshmallows

One solid hot dog bun

A hard- black banana

A green-moldy cinnamon roll

A bag of stiff hoagie buns

A squash

The tray to our toaster oven

A spoon

All of which I am 100% positive did not "fall" behind the fridge. The question Jeff and I have is why did they put them behind the fridge? We decided it is where they put things when they don't know where they go, or are too lazy to move them off the counter when they are doing dishes. Even if by some miracle they accidentally pushed them there, they couldn't have done it without knowing.

Judging by Sara's face as she pulled each item out, she is probably responsible for most of it.

A few of those of things I had been looking for, for months. I had searched everywhere for the thing to our toaster oven and our popcorn popper. Of course, the girls had never seen them. The hard-brown banana explains the unidentifiable stench in our kitchen, the source of which, we never discovered. Kids!

The Garden Hose

The other day as I was walking out to the garden, I noticed this hose going into the bathroom window.

Knowing Lena was supposed to be cleaning the bathroom, I hollered up into the window, "What are you doing?"

She poked her head out. "When I clean the shower I get wet, so I use the hose and don't get wet."

I laughed and told her, "I enjoy your creative thinking but don't do that again."

"Why?"

Honestly, how do you even answer that? Because???