Bunk Bed by Myles

Last year after we adopted the kids, I asked Myles if he would weld me a small custom sized bunk bed for David and Adriana. At that point they were sharing a room and Peter was still in a crib. The home we were renting in Cochabamba came with a small welder. Myles was wanting to get better at welding, so I thought a small bunk bed would be just the thing! It was almost completely done when we left for the States in January. Since we have gotten back Myles has been able to finish it. It is now being used by David and Peter, as Peter is a big boy now and needs a big boy bed, and Adriana is in with the girls. I think you will agree that it turned out fantastic~! The full story is as follows: 

Clancy helping to cut the bars to size in our backyard in Cochabamba.
October 2015

Getting the bed frame welded. (Back porch Cochabamba, October 2015)

Myles had real trouble joining the round tubes together. As he talked with other welders he found out that he had picked something quite difficult for his first welding project! He overcame and got it done, but he was ready to quit at times!

Clara lending a hand...

When we arrived in Camiri, all the bed lacked was to be painted and put together and a ladder to be welded. Thankfully, Mark Mattix had a welder Myles could borrow, as well as misc. tools! In the picture below on the right hand side you can see the bunk bed parts before being sanded and then put together. Myles spent hours with a wire brush on a drill thingy "sanding" the rust off of the bars, getting it ready to paint.

Our back porch in Camiri... Bunk bed parts pictured on right hand side!

Myles with his almost finished project. 

I thought that I had taken a picture of Myles and then Clancy painting the bunk bed, but I haven't been able to find it. They chose red for the bed and blue for the guard rail and ladder.

Rudi getting in on the action screwing on the guard rail and ladder. It was a
noisy project. Notice David plugging his ears.

Since the size was irregular I had an upholstery shop make me custom sized bed pads, covered with fake leather for easy cleaning. However, there was a miscommunication on the size and they ended up being a bit short. Eventually, I will use these pads for exercise mats and get some the proper size. David and Peter LOVE their new bed and look so cute using it. It is the perfect size for them! Thank you, Myles for all your hard work!

Thank you, Myles. We love our new bed!!!:)

Settling Into Camiri

We are really enjoying living in Camiri. It is a small town in comparison to Cochabamba, but we like that a lot! The people are more laid back and friendly, the drivers are less rude, but still Bolivian!, and the overall pace of life is just slower. The only thing I miss about Coch is our friends, of course, and the ease of shopping. Rudi and I are getting the hang of shopping here, but all of the markets are "open air" and much more "native" style! We are making a list of things to stock up on when we go to the big city of Santa Cruz... 

This blog is a peek into a typical day for us here! 

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, if he doesn't forget, we get fresh cows milk delivered to our front door. We hear the loud "moo" that Domingo, our milk man's horn puts out, long before he gets to our door! The kids all run out to meet him and let him know how much milk we would like for that day. He also sells yogurt that his wife makes. It is really tasty, our favorite flavor is peach. By special order his wife will make it plain, which is my personal favorite. All of the yogurt here is very runny and is meant to be drunk more than eaten. 

Rudi with David and Peter getting milk from
our milk man, Domingo.

 You can see in the picture below that Domingo has two tanks of milk on either side of his motorcycle. In the middle in a box on the back he has his yogurts for sale and sometimes an extra milk jug. We usually order four liters at a time. He gives us two from one side and two from the other so his load doesn't get off balance!!!

Emily carrying in our 4 liters of milk!

And just to let you guys know that the orange gloved diaper bandit is still up to his diaper changing tricks, I took the picture below!

Clancy doing the dirty deed!!

Most afternoons, when we are not too busy,  Emily teaches a P.E. class and then a music class for our kids. I love watching them from the kitchen window. If you are wondering about the little house behind, that is also on our property. One of the rooms is Emily's and one is extra storage for us. The third on the right is storage for our landlord. To the far right is a covered area with a barbecue and outside sink area. The boys are using it as a workshop and the younger children use it as a shady place to play. It is also nice when it rains, because they can still be outside and work.

P.E. Time

Pushups Anyone?

And now for the music lesson!

Peter playing happily all by himself!

Clara and Adriana playing a game together

Paula and David making cookies!

Everyone playing with play dough that Clara made!

Clara with her play dough snail!

 We are thriving here in Camiri. Our children are so creative here and are loving the fresh air and sunshine. They are also loving having a big yard and a dog to play with. We are so blessed to be living in a new spot in Bolivia. It just feels right to be here and we are thankful!

Playing "Bus" with the wagon!

"Boys at Work"

It's A... Dog!!

   We promised our kids a dog when we returned to Bolivia this time. Although, our children have always wanted one we have never gotten one, because our time spent in Bolivia has always been "temporary"! Well, our time in Bolivia keeps extending, so we decided to seize the day and get the kids a dog to love and play with. We are so glad we did! 

 Our family has only ever owned Golden Retrievers in the past. I voted for a German Shepherd this time to have a guard dog, but was outvoted by the majority, so we bought "Cherry" our new Golden Retriever puppy in Santa Cruz about four weeks ago. She is now four months old and has been so much fun. She keeps our shoes going in for repairs and has uprooted my newly planted plants, but other than that she has been a great addition to the family. All of the children are enjoying having this lovable dog around!! 

David and Adriana with their new love, Cherry!

Introducing "Cherry" our beautiful Golden Retriever.