The Washing Machine

Let me you all in on a little "tidbit" of information here in Mexico. Self-serve laundromats are few far and between to find. Since my journey began here in PV, I was lugging my laundry to the local Lavanderia (sometimes weighing up to 12 kilos) and paying for someone else to do my laundry. After returning home from Christmas Vacation I decided it was time to purchase a washing machine.

It took some breaking into the walls and re-construction to get the machine hooked up. My landlord had to get a plumber here to place the discharge tube in order for me to do my first load of laundry.

A little rest was needed.

There was a lot of chatting about how to make the tube work and fit. Warming the PVC to make it more pliable to move around the water and gas lines already in the wall. Construction is definitely a bit different down here!! The tube was completed. I was so excited to get the machine hooked up, leveled out and my first load completed. Then a frantic call to Dad at home, the "u-form" to place the discharge hose in was not working exactly as it was supposed to. The new tube they had just spent what seemed like 6 hours to install was not high enough to complete the "u-shape" in the discharge hose. "Dad, does it really need to do that? Yes, sweetie it does." So I had to patiently await another day in order to use the new washing machine. Toro to the rescue!! After a few more hours of chipping away the cement and brick, leveling and water hook up it was completed and SUCCESS! I was able to do 3 loads of laundry and WOW so awesome!! And what a HUGE time saver!!!!

Here's the machine!!!
The wall still has to be patched with cement, but I LOVE my washing machine!

Home Sweet Home

Christmas was so fun and enjoyable this year!! Spending time with family, baking cookies with Dad and making all those YUMMY appetizers with Mom!! (AND NOTE....NO broken bones this year..i kept my distance away from the snowmobile :))

I finally took some pictures of all the fun stuff I got for Christmas and put pictures into my picture frames.

I got a really cool piece of art and dishes from Kristin, Pablo & Sophia.

I received some really nice pillows and decor stuff from the family! Here's how it all came together when I got it across the border.


I also just recently purchased some really cool placemats at Liverpool that were on sale and LOVE THEM!!

And some awesome family shots before heading home!


Could not FORGET to get Holly in one of the photos!!


While Mom, Dad & I celebrated the new year in the hotel room we tried our expertise at "selfie" photography. Here are our attempts...

And our final attempt, turned out pretty good!!

TDD Christmas Excursion

Kristin & Pablo surprised all of us to a really FUN Christmas excursion prior to our Christmas vacation. We all went Bowling and then headed to Chili's for some YUMMY food!! Here are just a few pictures of all of us having fun and enjoying each others company. Although we didn't hit any HUGE scores to help out our handicaps (oh well maybe Kristin and Pablo showed us all how to bowl). We all enjoyed the afternoon anyways despite our low scores!




The Sponsors of the FUN-FILLED day!! (Thank you isn't enough!! It was fun hanging out with everyone!)

Toro relaxed and enjoyed the 1st time bowling!


And if you all know me and bowling...I've nicknamed myself the "Gutter Queen" and I continue to live up to that name even in Mexico!! Even with all of the gutters and ZEROS across the score board I still had a GREAT TIME!!!

Look at that PERFECT FORM!!