Fake Christmas Morning

Here are the girls with their loot on our fake Christmas morning (which was really Christmas Eve). Ava & Jinnie received a dress that Great Grandma White had made for them. She was about half way done with Hailey's when she died, and asked my mom to find somebody to complete it, so once it's done Hailey will have her dress as well.

Fake Christmas Eve

The girls posing in their matching night gowns a day early... we had Christmas Eve & Christmas early for the convenience of our vacation to Argentina.
Hailey was so excited to have a nightgown again... Grandma White made her one a few years back, and although it's Ava's now, Hailey tries to wear it every chance she gets. If you look to the left of Hailey you can see our favorite Christmas tree ornament... a purple colored sea urchin. Whenever we find these on the beach we bring them home for the tree... we love the color and the star shape.
Lately the girls punishment has been putting their nose on the wall. Jinnie loves it. I honestly think that she is naughty just so that she can have her turn. One day Ava was in time out and crying. Jinnie went and joined her and laughed (she thought that Ava was laughing). Here is Jinnie sneaking her nose off the wall.

Christmas Dresses (& Purses)

These are the best shots we had... I'm thinking we should have tried to take the pictures inside or when it wasn't so sunny outside. Not only were everyone's eyes closed in most of the pictures, but Jinnie kept running away as well. You can't really see the bottom of the dresses very well, but there is green & cranberry stitching, so they really do like like Christmas;)

Are We There Yet????

We will be hearing this a lot during the next week. Tomorrow (Christmas Eve) we will leave for San Pedro de Atacama for the day and then on to Salta, Argentina. We'll post pictures and stories when we return! Merry Christmas to all of you!

Christmas Letter

Dear friends and family-

We hope that you are having an enjoyable Christmas season. We failed to send out Christmas letters last year... the most important thing you missed was the birth of our third daughter, Jinnie Antofagasta, on 10/30/2006. 2007 has been a year of growing girls and family fun for us.

Dave no longer works for Meridian Gold...they were bought out by Yamana Gold, a Canadian gold company, a few months ago. So far the change has not affected us much. This year he has been in charge of employee negotiations at the mine, and after much preparation & negotiating a strike was avoided and both parties are happy. Dave is happy serving in church and tries to squeeze in a golf game every now and then.

Kim’s time is filled with being a wife & mom. This year she has started teaching two different group piano lessons; one to Hailey & two of her friends and the other is for adults from church. Hopefully when we leave Antofagasta there will be others to take her place at the piano. Recently Kim has started working towards her Bachelors Degree again. BYU-Idaho is starting an online degree program and she is a pilot student. Kim also keeps busy in church with her callings as ward (& basically Stake) pianist and 1st counselor in the Stake Primary Presidency.

Hailey started Pre-Kinder in March of this year. Much to the delight of her teachers (and parents) she decided her Spanish was good enough to speak with her teachers (last year she was embarrassed because her Spanish wasn’t as good as her English)! In fact, they say she talks a lot and is very inquisitive. Besides loving school, she also enjoys her ballet and gymnastics classes. She is a very literal thinker and loves to learn.

Ava has grown up so much during 2007... especially the last 1/2 of the year. She is starting to speak less Spanglish as her understanding of the difference between English and Spanish improves. Ava is our little helper. She is a hands-on learner and loves to help out in the kitchen. For her birthday we gave her a children’s cookbook and her interpretation of the gift was that her new responsibility was to help with everything in the kitchen. She is constantly moving her stepstool around the kitchen to wherever the action is. Ava can hardly wait to start Mini-Kinder when summer is over. Stitches in her tongue and a doggy biting her bum are the parts of the year that Ava remembers most... she is our family clown.

In January we traveled with Jinnie to the US Embassy in Santiago where she became an American citizen. She has dual nationalities, and the Chileans just love the fact that she is one of them. It has been a year full of ear infections for Jinnie. In August she had tubes put in her ears, but has still had several ear infections since then (just not quite as many). Hopefully she will grow out of it soon. Despite her pain, Jinnie is a very happy little girl and started walking soon after her 1st Birthday. Her favorite words are ‘mama’, ‘dada’, ‘this’ and ‘hola’.

Some things we did as a family this year: Most recently we survived a 7.7 earthquake with 30 aftershocks larger than a 4.0 in one week, and continue to feel the occasional aftershock. In February we moved from our house to an apartment with amazing views of the ocean. We truly enjoyed our time in the US. The Ponczoch & Wilkey Family Reunions were great fun, as well as our couple of weeks with the White’s. Kelsi (Kim’s sister) joined us on the return flight to Chile and the rest of her family came a couple of weeks later. We had such a great time... we would love to have any of you as visitors this coming year;). Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad to all!

Love, Dave, Kim, Hailey, Ava & Jinnie Ponczoch

Home for Christmas

Grandma White passed away early this morning. She had really wanted to hold off until after Christmas, but what better way for her to spend the holy day? She will have no pain and will be able to celebrate with loved ones who passed before her... her husband, her parents, her sisters who died young.

All 4 of her children were able to spend time with her in the days and weeks preceding her death. Many prayers were offered in her behalf. Her last week was spent in the hospital, but fortunately she had very little pain (which is truly a miracle, as she has suffered from pain for many, many years). She is loved by many.

I won't be able to attend her funeral next Saturday, but I know that Grandma understands. She knows that my family and I love her and look forward to seeing her again in the next life. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation because I know this is not the end, and this understanding gives me such peace and happiness. In fact, I am excited for Grandma... she has finished her mission on this earth... what a great accomplishment! And just in time to celebrate Christmas.

Notice a Theme?

It seems that the only time I post anymore is after earthquakes or when I'm tagged... so I'm going to try something that I saw on Kim's photography blog, (not me... the Kim who takes amazing pictures). Ask me anything you want & I'll answer you. I know that Jamey & others have asked about Chile & such and I never responded, sorry! Anything you want to know about Chile, my family, earthquakes, etc. ask me now & I'll tell you!

6 Things about Dave

I've been tagged again... this time by Christine. I'm tagging Brooke, Beth, Kim, Lynette, Heidi & Sara. Here are 6 things about Dave:

1. Very Optimistic- we always talk about how my dad is the most optimistic person ever, but in reality Dave comes in a close 2nd. It's rare to see him without a smile or to hear anything negative come out of his mouth.
2. Health Nut- pretty sure this stems from his high school wrestling days... he tries to eat very healthy, although I purposely tempt him w/yummy, bad-for-you foods.
3. Chilean Sense of Humor- one of Dave's co-workers, who has worked with a lot of gringo's, insists that he is the only gringo he has ever met that has a Chilean sense of humor... apparently others can tell jokes, but they just aren't that funny to the people here, but that's not the case with Dave. He really understands the people here and has a great love for them.
4. Level Headed- guess one of us has to be;)
5. On Time or Early- he absolutely hates being late. He's living in the wrong country & married the wrong woman.
6. Pretends He's Me- if you are ever on Instant Messenger with me, and the conversation doesn't seem quite right, there is a good chance I didn't log off & Dave is pretending to be me. It can be quite comical.

I Won!

I'm not exactly sure what I won... we forgot to figure that out before the power came back on, so I'll think of a good prize for myself;). We bet on how big the earthquake was that rudely awoke us just after 5 this morning. Dave bet 6.4, I bet 6.8, Hailey bet 9.0 & Ava bet a watch. It came in at a whopping 6.7, so I am the champion (I'm starting to develop quite the gift for judging the size of earthquakes). The epicenter was 80 miles north of Antofagasta. It certainly wasn't as strong as the 1st earthquake, but I'm pretty sure it lasted longer than any I have ever felt... it just kept going & going. All 5 of us woke up... Hailey was crying, Dave says I was screaming (that's a 1st for me... I have stayed quite composed during the others). Nothing broke in our house this time around, although the upstairs bathroom now has quite a few hairline cracks. There is also some damage around the swimming pool (it had some cracks & a hole since the 1st earthquake, now part of the cement near the hole is collapsing). One funny thing is that there had been a crack in the ceiling in the TV room since we have lived here just large enough that you could see sunlight through it. Well, after last night that is no longer a problem... it has closed back up. Dave thinks we need more earthquakes to fix all of the imperfections of the house;)

Because Dave is Not Here

Dave is in Iquique for the week attending a management retreat (although it sounds like they're not doing much playing, just work... boring). Well everything happens when he is not here. I'm serious. Last night we had 4... yes, you heard me, FOUR earthquakes larger than 4.0. And they were all 30-40 miles away. After the first 3 I just slept in the girls room because I was so tired of running down the hall to their room (Ava was the only one who woke up to it... Hailey & Jinnie were sound asleep all night). We had a 4.4, a 5.3, a 6.0 & a 6.2, all between 2:20 am & 6:00 am. A few weeks ago Dave was actually able to experience a 6.0 in the middle of the night and was able to feel the adrenaline rush of not knowing if it would get bigger or not, and experience running down the hall to the girls room, just in case. I told him I was glad he was finally able to experience a little of what we have been through. I hope we don't have a repeat of last night when Dave is in town just so that he can experience it.

All Over the World

Once a month I attend an expat tea. This is where all of the expatriates (people who come from countries other than Chile) have the chance to get together over some yummy food & talk (in English). We talk about the different countries we are from, where we have visited, where we want to visit, the things we love and hate about Chile, etc. We take turns hosting at our homes (at my homes it's not so much of a 'tea'... it's more a 'hot chocolate & apple cider'). Today the host was Sabrina from Italy. I really like Sabrina. I don't know that I could ever get sick of her accent. There used to be quite a few ladies from Holland and Canada in the city, but they have returned home. Here are the stats by country from today (we were missing some as they have returned to their homelands for Christmas):

• USA- 2
• Mexico- 1
• Australia- 2
• Italy- 1
• South Africa- 1
• Romania- 1

I Feel Like Singing!

It has been 2 years and 3 1/2 months since we arrived in Chile. It has been 2 years and 3 1/2 months since I have sung in church (except while on vacation in the USA). By singing in church I don't mean solo's because I don't have a solo voice. I have a choir voice. I mean that I haven't sung in choirs or congregations for a long time. Guess what... there are missionaries in our stake and ward right now that play the piano. What does that mean for me? I get to sing! In two different Christmas choirs! On the same day! One for our ward, one for the stake... they needed voices. They haven't heard my voice so they may regret asking me to sing instead of having me sit behind the piano, but too late... I'm singing!

Part of Life

Aftershocks just seem normal these days. We went a whole week without any larger than 4.0 until last night, and even then Dave didn't even notice it. It was a 5.1 30 miles north. We were playing Settlers when it started and I ran for the stairs (the girls were upstairs sleeping & you never know if the shaking is going to get stronger or not), and Dave pretty much just thought I was crazy.

About 1 1/2 weeks ago I was in the shower during a 6.1 earthquake and when I was done I found Ava watching TV. She casually mentioned that a bit ago the couch was shaking. I asked her if she was scared and she said no. We are very used to them at this point. I wonder how long it will be until we return to our pre-earthquake routines.

Something I found quite amusing... Susan and some people from her church had a meeting where they were discussing how the earthquake was really a 9.0, but the Chilean government was calling it a 7.7 because then they wouldn't have to replace all of the homes (I guess if it's 9.0 or higher they replace the homes). Not really sure where they got their information, but the USGS has it at a 7.7 also and I don't see why they would feel the need to downplay the intensity.

One Year Older & Wiser, Too!

Today is Dave's 32nd birthday. He has had 9 birthdays since we've known each other... 8 since we've been married. It is his 5th birthday as a father. It is also his 5th birthday in Chile (the first 2 are from his mission). It is his 8th birthday since graduating from Ricks, 6th since BYU & 3rd since Michigan State. It is his 1st birthday when I have loved him as much as I do now. I have loved Dave for the other 7 birthdays that we have been married. But it's different now. The love I have for him is stronger and deeper now than it ever has been. Dave is my best friend, and I can think of no one that I'd rather pass through life's journey with. Happy Birthday!

Difficult Day

This morning I played the piano for the funeral of my dear friend's baby. Yamin was 26 weeks pregnant and delivered her 2 lb baby on Thursday night (breach, husband & dr. not there, just nurses & midwife). Saturday night little Sofia Victoria returned to her Heavenly Father.

I am not sad because of the death of Sofia because I know she has finished her mission here on earth and is in a better place. I am sad for my friend. She had a miscarriage earlier in the year and was so excited that everything had been going well with this pregnancy. Yamin has a 4 year old daughter who desperately wants to be a big sister. This is twice now in one year that I was going to throw her a baby shower and it didn't work out. Yesterday I gave her the gift that was meant for the shower. I am nervous for my girls to wear their matching Christmas dresses in a few weeks because Yamin was so excited that she was going to be able to have her girls wear matching clothes... she had already bought them matching dresses. I worry that I will say something that will make the pain worse. I just hope that I can be the friend she needs me to be.
Typing this I have tears running down my face and it's difficult to read the words on the computer. Imagine my worry when Yamin asked me to play the piano for the funeral. I had secretly been hoping that they would ask a missionary who is serving in our ward & plays the piano really well. But they didn't. And I couldn't say no. Let's just say that I practiced hard and prayed even harder that I would be able to keep my emotions in check while playing so that I could see the notes. Heavenly Father heard my prayer and I was able to focus on the music and played really well.

Soon after we found out that Sofia had died I was asked if they could use one of my preemie outfits for the burial. I told them I would figure something out, but after looking through my baby clothes realized that nothing was nearly small enough. I found a pretty doll dress that would work with a little altering and took it to Ruth's (who can cook/sew/fix/etc anything). She looked at the dress and decided it would be best to make a special dress just for Sofia. It was late at night and she had no pattern, but between her supplies and parts of the doll dress, Ruth made the smallest, most beautiful little white dress. It seriously looked like it was made for a little angel. I'm so glad that Sofia was able to be buried in something so appropriate.

If You Had to Choose

between water & electricity, which would you choose? I think I would choose water (and this is coming from somebody who has had a lot of power outages in the past month). A week ago a water main broke. It flooded both streets and houses and left half of the city without water for over 24 hours. It was a day of no showers (except lucky Dave who was able to shower at the mine), no washing dishes, etc. We did have drinking water, but it's too expensive to use as cleaning water. School ended up being canceled because there was no way to flush the toilets or wash hands.

Jinnie had an ear appointment and I left Hailey & Ava at home with Susan. I told the girls not to poop while I was gone (no water= toilets don't flush). I told Susan that if they did she could walk the 7 flights of stairs down to the pool to get water to flush. She had to make 2 trips to the pool while I was gone.

I'm an Aunt (again & again!)

Beth & Joel had their 1st baby the same day as our 1st earthquake. Her name is Kaylee Jane & is absolutely beautiful (Hailey thinks it's pretty funny that she now has a cousin named Kaylee, especially since she already has second cousins with the names Bailey & Sailey... and sometime this month another second cousin named Bailey).

Katrina & Jaim had their 3rd child on Friday... a little boy at a whopping 10 lbs 11 oz! We're looking forward to pictures & a name (will it rhyme with Hailey?).

Can't wait to meet these two next time we're in Utah!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We celebrated the Saturday after Thanksgiving because for some reason Dave doesn't get the day off in Chile;) Last year my mom was here (wahoo!) and we invited all of our gringo friends. This year we invited some of our closest Chilean friends so that they could experience a Thanksgiving. They were excited because they had all seen the event on tv & movies. The girls & I talked about how it was kind of like we were the pilgrims... in a new land, inviting those who have helped us adjust to a large meal to celebrate.

I was quite nervous because this year it was all us (ok, it was all me... Dave did make the Stove Top Stuffing & carve the turkey, so I guess I did have some help). The menu was very traditional & turned out really well (almost no leftovers...sad). We had turkey, orange-cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes & gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potato souffle, pretzel jello salad, rolls (orange & regular) and pumpkin, banana cream, strawberry, and cran-apple pies. Chileans don't eat salts & sweets together, so I had a really hard time convincing everybody that the pretzel jello salad and sweet potatoes were part of the meal and not dessert.

Long Time, No Post

The last two weeks have been eventful so I have a ton to catch up on. Thanks Brooke & Christine for motivating me to get posting again;) We haven't had any large aftershocks for about a week, so that has been really nice. I am starting to notice little cracks all over the city that I had never noticed before... don't know if they are new or if I just wasn't paying attention before.

Jinnie once again has an ear infection. One of her tubes has fallen out (of course it's in the ear that gets the most infections). Good news is that this time the bacteria is one that doesn't require oral antibiotics, just ear drops. We will visit her dr. later this week to discuss future options for her (like tubes again, possible removal of the adenoids, etc.).

Ava has decided she loves doing the dishes... only problem is that she doesn't use the dishwasher or soap. She rinses them and then puts them in the drying rack. They seriously are soooo dirty! But they remain there until she is out of the room because she is so proud of herself. She is my biggest helper.

Hailey had a ballet gala last week & was by far the cutest little ballerina there! She was the 'leader' for her age group... I need to work on a video of it;)