Santiago, Chile

Cory got invited to a conference in Santiago, Chile for the first week of November - we thought it might be fun if I went along. I guess he gets a lot of these offers, but rarely accepts (???!). Since Cam is old enough now, we can leave without worrying too much. We flew down on Delta from Atlanta - I will honestly say it was the worst long flight I have ever been on. The kid right behind me kicked my seat for about 3 hours - until my dirty looks caused his mom to change seats with him before he fell asleep AND there was a baby on board who bawled the entire, and I mean the entire flight! (I don't blame that on the baby of course - but the mother!) Anyway, when we arrived I was a mess! When we got to the hotel we didn't have a reservation! All I wanted to do was sleep (and when I need sleep - I can be kind of moody). Anyway, after sitting in the very posh reception area for a couple of hours everything was sorted out and we made our way to our very posh room! The company that invited us put us up in the Ritz Carlton - which was sublime! Here is a shot of our "melt your cares away" bed.

We took a nap and then Cory had to attend some meetings. When he left I started getting myself together for a dinner with the partner who had invited us. Funny thing happened in my bathroom routine. I brought along my adapter and had my curling iron plugged in just right (the blow dryer was the hotels and worked without incident). Well, my very first curl - which is center, top, mid head - the iron wasn't engaged for 3 seconds but it started to smoke and smell. I pulled it out as fast as I could with a bunch of my hair attached to the curling iron!! I burned a big clump of my hair off! This stunk up the entire room and my head stunk too. I had to re-wash. Luckily it wasn't my bangs or one side of my head. Maybe I only felt okay about it because it was in a spot that I can't see. It was shocking and I screamed when it happened. After that - I not only put my curling iron on the lowest setting but I watched it like a hawk! You might say our trip had a rocky start.

A shot of Cory in our room at the computer, probably trying to contact Cam - who we later learned was having computer problems at home which made it hard for him to contact us. We were starting to get worried when we didn't hear from him for a couple of days - but he managed to text to our email which eased our minds. We were about to call a neighbor!

Cory had meetings to attend the 2nd day there too. And on the 3rd day he just had a morning meeting. The good news was that we were finally free to see the sights together. The bad news was that we had to move to a more affordable hotel. We stayed at the Best Western Hotel Majestic - which was no Ritz that's for sure!

The first stop on our agenda was the Santiago Temple - which was kind of smallish but beautiful. They have an MTC, a hostel and rooms for the temple workers behind the temple. We went in and ended up getting a tour of the MTC by the Mission President and his wife - which was very nice and informative about the different missions, the church in Chile and the immediate area.

This is the Mapocho River that runs down the middle of Santiago - our taxi driver told us in his broken English "it isn't dirty - it is just dirt." We laughed about that statement the rest of the trip.

Walter, our tour guide - he was fantastic. I fell in love with him - he had a wonderful laugh that made us giggle to each other in the back of the bus. We decided that we would take a bus tour out to Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso because we needed to go there and we didn't have much time. It is good to take the bus tours because you don't have to worry about driving - or be stressed about how much a taxi will end up costing AND you get to hear all about the things you are seeing. I love bus tours!

This is some sort of ampi-theater - you can just barely see Cory standing there - in the blue shirt. It is huge!

One of our stops in Vina Del Mar had this Easter Island fertility statue. There was a Lapis Lazuli shop around the corner and we bought my first pair of earrings and Cory bought a small statue of this.

The city of Vina Del Mar. We came at it from the back - so this photo seems out of place but it isn't.

Some shots of the coastline from Vina Del Mar on your way into Valparaiso.

A tour mate from Brazil took our picture for us.

I think this may be some kind of municipal building (thanks Liz) in Valparaiso. This is the square where we parked our bus for lunch. The restaurant sits right on the water and there was an outside market set up for touristy stuff (which I love!).

A shot looking the opposite direction from the municipal building.

Cory had to take a picture of our lunch in Valparaiso - it was the best meal we had the whole trip - salmon! The restaurant was fabulous, not only the food but the view.

These are some shots we took from our table at the restaurant! This was one of those perfect days in life where you just sit there thinking how amazing life is and how happy you are to be where you are and with the person you're with.

Blue, blue water!

From the restaurant we got back on the bus and continued through Valparaiso. They were having a garbage strike - so it was a little littered and dirty but you could see the beauty through the refuse. I still loved it. We climbed up these steep hills, pretty much one lane in a huge bus. Kudos to that bus driver. This is where I got a couple more Lapis Lazuli items.

One of the many funiculars in Valparaiso - you just can't imagine how these houses are stacked up on these hills and this is how they get to them. They are old and rickety - it seriously makes you think about your safety.

On our last day there - we decided to make our way to San Cerra Cristobal or San Cristobal Hill. Sorry about not being able to see Cory's face. I did happen to purchase more Lapis Lazuli items on this day - hey what can I say - my favorite color is blue!

The statue of the Virgin Mary that is at the very top of the hill.

Looking out over the hugeness that is Santiago - you can just barely see the Andes Mountain range in the distance.

This is a view (heading back down) from the funicular that takes you to the top of the hill.

You can kind of see how steep of a climb that is.

This is one of the many "street dogs". They have an over population of dogs in Chile. They don't belong to anyone and no one takes care of them. They are everywhere! It was really upsetting to me. Although. . .I have to admit that out of all the dogs we saw, there was only one with an obvious health issue. Cory and I had an ongoing debate about what should be done. I guess their government doesn't fund anything similar to our SPCA. Our taxi driver told us that the veterinary students there are spaying them and this problem should be resolved in a few years. I don't know though?

Cory wanted to take this shot in tribute to his mother. Whenever we go to a mexican restaurant she orders her meal according to what entree is served with guacamole. We always tell her to order what she wants and to get the guacamole on the side. In Santiago she could order just about anything and it would have guacamole on it -they love it as much as she does. The other thing they eat with everything in Papas Fritas (french fries). I have had my fill for awhile.

This was some kind of performing arts building downtown.

We had a wonderful trip - even though the start was rocky. It was lovely to spend time alone with my husband. It was beautiful in Chile and I was amazed at the way EVERYTHING grows there. We decided that almost every export out of Chile is a natural resource - nothing man made.

Halloween Traditions

Cam and I carve pumpkins every year - pretty much like everyone else I guess. Around the time we moved to Texas (1999) we got these patterns and special saws and stuff that make pumpkin carving a lot easier with WAY better results! Neither Cam nor I are particularly artistically inclined - so we kind of get into how these can turn out. Of course I have to do all of the cleaning out of the pumpkin because Cam doesn't like that part.


After the carving is done - I clean all the seeds and salt them and bake them - but really I am the only one who likes them at all. I still do it because it is tradition. We put our plastic pumpkins outside for the world to see but we don't put our carved pumpkins out till Halloween. We keep them inside to enjoy ourselves (often times it is too warm outside and they go bad more quickly).

Cam did the skull and I did the cat. I took these in the dark with the candles lit - but my flash made them a little too bright. I will miss doing this with him next year when he is away at college.

Klein Homecoming '09

I am so behind on blogging! This is the Homecoming blog that I have been trying to put together for a while. I had to beg Cam to ask for pictures from either Rory's camera or from his date Lauren - but obviously that is a lot to ask! Finally I had to have Cam help me get them off of FB. I may have mentioned to some of you my feelings about the unfairness of being the mother of the boy! The boy picks up the girl and they (the girl's parents) get all the pictures! The poor boy's parents get crap! I gave my camera to Cam for the evening in hopes of getting some pictures (Actually, I threatened to call Lauren's mom and ask for copies to be emailed to me if Cam didn't take my camera and get me some shots.) Apparently my camera wasn't really a priority for anyone else though - so I didn't even get one of Cam alone with his date!!!! Luckily they were posted to FB and therefore available to all. What else can a mother of a boy do?

Cam and Rory were asked to Homecoming by two girls on the cross-country team. There was a lot of drama the week before while Rory went back and forth trying to decide if he wanted to go with that particular girl. At one point Cameron was going to go with Jana and his other friend Brandon (also on the CC team) was going to go with Lauren. Rory, after much wavering, annoying everyone involved decided he did want to go. By the time that decision was made Cam was so irritated that they didn't speak for a day or two!

In Texas there are some unusual customs about Homecoming. First and foremost "the Mum". Mums are these huge fake flowers (mums) that you get from Michael's or a hobby shop of some kind and add streamers, ribbons, bells and trinkets to customize the arrangement for your particular date. They are a HUGE deal! If you order one from the many mum makers in the area - it can cost up to $200!!! Being the frugal mom that I am - I just couldn't justify that expense. I decided to do a little research and make Cam's mum for his date. Cam and I have made fun of this custom in the past - saying that the mums are ridiculous, gaudy and too noisy! But when Rory and Cam asked their dates what they wanted to do - of course the girls wanted to go all out and do everything!


This is the mum that I thought was complete - but Cam called me at work at 3:30 and told me he wanted to add a bear (and it had to be done because they were meeting at Lauren's house at 6:00 to exchange the mums). I stopped at Hobby Lobby on my way home from work and got a bear and hurried home to hot glue it on!


This is the finished product. Cam wanted a bigger bear but I told him this was more tasteful and cuter. (I feel kinda bad because apparently the bigger the bear the better. Also, I thought a brown bear would be cuter - but white is the norm even if white is the mum color too!) I should have researched more because I was wrong!


This is the mum that Lauren gave to Cam. Apparently senior mums are distinguished by being made white and either gold or silver. The underclassmen mums are regular school colors.


There is a mum "exchange" the night before, so that the couple can wear their mums at school the day of the game. All day long those kids wear those monstrosities (boys on their arm and girls around their necks and they go down to their feet!).


Do you see how I shortchanged Cam - or perhaps made him look chincy to his date? Rory's mom had his made. This embarrassment is what I get for being frugal!


Some shots of the guys at Rory's house prior to picking up the girls. This is the thoughtful pose, I guess. I didn't even get shots of the boys because Cam drove!


Two hunks of burning love!


Lauren and Jana - the dates, very cute girls!


Cameron and Jana - this picture confused me at first. I thought they must have switched dates (there was talk of that at one point - long story).


This is one of the shots that I had to swipe off of FB - they look good together don't they. I thought she was pretty!


Again, looking like a cute couple. I don't think it was a match made in heaven - since he hasn't really said a word about her since the dance. Although I saw some pictures of the CC Banquet (which we missed because we were out of town!) that they were both in.


The four of them all looking in different directions.


This is much better. I wish there was a shot of Lauren's beautiful corsage with the keepsake bracelet! But it is on her other wrist. They took these shots at a pretty waterfall by our house and then to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.


All in all a good night. I didn't get all that much information from Cam - but I think he was glad he went. All he actually said was that it was very hot and crowded in there - and that he didn't see the place where they take the official dance pictures till they were about to leave, so they didn't take any! He sounds like a smooth operator doesn't he?

Picture the Past - Halloween

I thought in the spirit of Halloween - I would post some pictures from the past. Neither Cam nor I have great imaginations about what we should be for Halloween. He used to enjoy dressing up - but didn't really care if it was a repeat costume - as you will undoubtedly notice.
Cam and I on our way out the door to go trick-or-treating. This was when we were in Provo. That coat had a liner - so it really worked out well in the cold. He actually was a fireman for 2 years after this as well, in California - where the coat was a little warm. I always dressed up in my fatigues - see, no imagination!

This is Cam in 1st grade in LA - he was the hit of his class - you can see the other kids looking at him. I am sure it was the fabulous make up job his mom did on him! He got a little annoyed with that cape and those teeth - way too high maintenance for Cam. There was no repeat performance for this costume - even though it was probably his best.

This is Dr. Scary Birt - as he was known for 3 consecutive years.

Dr. Scary Birt returns. (You may have noticed that I enjoy putting on a good mustache and embellishing the eyebrows a bit.)

Dr. Scary Birt - part III. He got too big for his own scrubs and started wearing Cory's set. This was actually his last year to go trick-or-treating (12 yrs) he said he felt embarrassed being so big.

Happy Halloween Everyone - stay safe!

Beautiful Fall

I'm not sure who took this picture of Cam. It was many years ago - obviously, in Nolan and Diane's backyard. I have always loved it. I love it because I love ALL pictures of Cam but also because it captures a little bit of fall. The fall leaves bring to mind crispness, color and the beauty of Autumn.

Thoughts on Halloween

Did you all know that Halloween scares me? I wake up every November 1st relieved and happy that it is over and that I have survived the evil night once again. This is not to say that I don't love the innocent Halloween - the decorations, most trick-or-treaters, the colors and of course the CANDY! But it truly scares me. You know on the news when they always advise to keep pets inside on Halloween night (because crazy people like to do bad things to them!). Or when lunatic perverts do bad things to kids' candy or use costumes and candy to lure kids in so they can do bad things to them? It is just a holiday that is taken advantage of by devilish people! People who are into the Dark Arts are all over Halloween - they think it is their one night of the year.

We used to wear costumes like vampires, gypsies, princesses, werewolves or superman - but now the costumes are some dude with his arm hanging off with excessive blood and guts pouring out of the shoulder socket! Or an eyeball hanging out of a face! Those aren't costumes - they are just a guy with an eyeball hanging out of his face. You are supposed to BE something - dress up as someone recognizable to the people giving you free candy!

Then there is that element of the population that enjoys being scared so they pour money into the movie industry to perpetuate those evil scary movies (that give crazy people ideas about how to murder, torture and do all manner of glamorized evil to others!). Why can't we just enjoy carving our pumpkins, wearing our costumes (minus the gore and blood) and sorting and eating our candy without the sadistic, gory, sensationalized FEAR involved?

I am not kidding, I can feel the evil leave the air as November 1st dawns.

Zion National Park

The day after the marathon we decided to go to Zion National Park. So, we took the hour or so drive a little north of St. George to find another Utah treasure. There are so many places in Utah that we have yet to experience. Sometimes we take the places we are familiar with for granted - neither of us have ever been to Zion or some of the other national parks that Utah has to offer.


These three are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Moroni is behind them and didn't make the photo.)

There is a visitor's center where you catch a shuttle to go up into the canyon. When you get on the shuttle the driver narrates what you are seeing and stops at certain points of interest along the way. Each stop offers at least one hike. The hikes vary in difficulty and length. There are great photo opportunities and views. Of course Cory ran a marathon the day prior so he was gimping along the best he could. My only complaint was it was terribly windy - which made it cold.

This is the Alter of Sacrifice (don't quote me on these names - I have slept since this visit. It was so impressive I was sure I would remember each - but I seem to be somewhat unsure now).

This is Weeping Rock - I distinctly remember this because the hike takes you right to it and it was my favorite. Water (that is hundreds of years old) comes out of the porous rock and showers you as you stand under a kind of rock canopy. Moss and stuff grows all over the rocks too. It is beautiful!

This is the Temple of Sinawava, the last of the stops before the shuttle turns around.

The Great White Throne.

This might be The Watchman.

You could spend a week there hiking and touring and still not see everything! It was amazing and awe inspiring - and it makes me want to visit every other national park in Utah and everywhere!