Venezuela

Eli and I went to Venezuela for a week to visit the family. My aunt Betty was the only one who had already met Eli but for the rest of the family, it was the first time. She did good when I think of all the new people she met in such a short period of time. The only pattern that Eli had during the entire 5 week trip including Colombia, was that she would be very shy at first, not lasting this shyness more than five to ten minutes of meeting someone. But once she had passed that stage, nothing would stop her. Eli is such a social, easy going and friendly girl that everybody loved her.

We had a very nice family time in Caracas. I'm so glad I saw my grandma who is 99 years old! Yes, she is 99 and with a better memory than a 40 or 50 year old person. She knows where things are, she remembers family member's phone numbers and she is still pretty good at matching names with faces. I wish I had her memory and vitality. Abuelita Virginia does not cook anymore but she eats very well. Anything she wants, she eats. She loves candies and can finish a bag of them in a couple of days. No pains, no aches. She is still very strong. God bless her and keep her this way for many more years.

A few things that I want to write about Eli before I forget:

-Last weekend she picked out her first pair of shoes by herself. We went to a children's shoe store and she grabbed a pink pair of sandals from the rack. I didn't pay too much attention because I was not sure if the size would fit her next summer so I grabbed them and after looking at something else put them back in the box. But Eli found them again, brought them back to me and said: mama, para mi. Me gustan. So I decided to have her try them on, she loved them and they were not as small as I had thought. They were cute sandals for summer time so we bought them and Eli left the store wearing them.

-Yesterday Eli was with Greg in the house while I was at a doctor's appointment. I don't really know what the deal was but Greg said to her: Eli, no es no. And she said back to him: No es si! Greg said that he held his laugh but once she was gone, he could not stop laughing.

-Eli is accepting again some lactose products such as cheese and yogurt. This is so good for all of us. We still have her drinking soy milk on a daily basis which I don't mind but I really hope that she starts tolerating dairy products again.

_She has learned to pray at night. She knows the entire prayer so I just follow her and let her lead.

_Eli knows a few Spanish children's songs such as "los pollitos dicen pio, pio, pio" y "arroz con leche" and she is speaking both English and Spanish very well. She speaks Spanish at home and I brought from Colombia a few cd's and videos that will help her develop the language.

And here are some pics of the trip. Eli, this is the journal or diary I am creating for you. And I will be printing it too. Love you.

My cousin and God child Andres. He and my uncle picked us up in Cucuta, Colombia and then we drove all they way to Caracas.

With tio James on the way to Caracas


Aqui esta Eli con mi tio James almorzando en el camino y de via a Caracas

En el carro durante el viaje. Eli se porto muy bien. Ademas Andresito le compro un par de peliculas de ninos para que viera en el camino



Mi abuelita Virginia.

Eli y mi abuelita tuvieron un par de encontrones pero al final ya se abrazaban y daban besos. Lo que pasa es que la Srita Eli no es tan santica que digamos y entonces veia a mi abuelita acostada rezando y ella le halaba el pelo o le pegaba en la cabeza y mi abuelita no se dejaba y le daba un coscorron de regreso.

At my aunt and my uncle's book store

Tia Betty en la libreria

Aunt Betty found some manual arts for Eli

Con la tia Betty

Ayudando como siempre

Grandma Virginia

Andrecito y abuelita

Tres generaciones

The three generations

Viajando hacia la playa

As soon as Eli got off the car and saw the pool, she started undressing herself

En la piscina del edificio cerca a la playa

Con tio James

Here she is wearing my swimsuit! Yes it was mine when I was her age

Este vestido de bano fue mio cuando yo tenia su edad!

Con la tia Mariana

Con JuanFer, hermano de Andres

Cerca a la playa

Juan Fernando

Enjoying the beach

At Mariana and JuanFer's apartment in Caracas

With Mariana's mom

Andresito...mi ahijado

Tio James y JuanFer

Con Elbita. Gran amiga de la familia

Los futuros padres con Eli

Que carcajadas

Como si estuvieran teniendo una conversacion muy seria

Que risa tan linda de mi nina

Con la prima Claudia Marcela

De regreso a Cucuta, nos quedamos una noche en una casa de monjas, amigas de mis tios(el nino no es de ninguna de las monjas...cabe aclarar, sino de la Sra que ayuda en la cocina)

Cenando

En el aeropuero de Cucuta

La frontera con Venezuela

De regreso a Cucuta

Diciendo adios a su adorado Andres

Eli estaba triste, sabia que ya estabamos diciendo adios

Eli y fuchi, fuchi.

Mama tambien estaba triste, pero aun asi no dejaba de tomar fotos

Tio James