True Life: I live in Honduras

While my family dressed up to join a big group of friends, to admire the cheer on the horses racing at Churchill Downs today..... I am here. As seen in my roommates tear filled eyes, this afternoon often the emotions overcome us of this place and we are all getting about ready to go home.

Today my kids, as hilarious as they often are, lived up to their usual expectations.... some of the highlights included: Gangnam style dancing (sexy lady), They asked about the horses (I reminded them yet again the race is not until Saturday) and Watching the magic school bus (episode when they travel through Ralfies mouth to explore the immune system....Human body science lesson people).
As well I am not sure which parent thought it was a good idea but out of the buses came two puppies and a chicken. Thinking surely the parent must be bringing them in and then taking them back home???? Nope. They stayed all day in the classroom. (My roommate was having show and tell, so the kids thought of course I know just what to bring! My animal!)

Oh Honduras.... thanks for keeping me on my toes..... I am grateful for the countless memories I have of this place.... even in your ridiculousness....you have taught me that in life some of the greatest joy comes from the very simplest of things.

"Sometimes you will never know the value of moment until it becomes a memory"

In honor of the memories I decided a true life dedication to things was appropriate. Enjoy :)

True life my bed is held up from the floor by hand weights and.....

A cinder block.

True life this is the second time we have set this big trap to catch the mouse/rat thing that lives in our house. True life these are our forks. True life our ceiling is falling down (oh and its not painted). True life our extension cord stretches across the door frame to plug in our supposedly hot and cold water temperature device (recently it only makes the water incredibly hot).

True life.... electrical water heating device for our shower..... Yep this is real. I don't make this up.

True life our refrigerator is broken so it is more like a chilled cabinet.... and constantly leaks water... Notice the floor.

True life my kids know joy better than anyone else. So grateful...

Happy Thursday to you wherever you are... Hope you too experience joy in the most ridiculous of things.... Love Kristina

"They Won Miss Kristina!" They most certainly did.....

This morning Genessis came running into the teacher room to tell me that my team won. "They won Miss Kristina!". Yes sweet girl they did. Yes they did.

For some of you, you may very well think that I am a bit crazy.... a bit over the top at times about the cardinals..... but I think on any day, sports does that to people, makes you obnoxiously proud, makes you talk about players like you know them personally. Brings goosebumps to your skin, tears to your eyes and makes you feel apart of something more. Sports has that ability. Makes the insignificant guy on the team become a hero and even those most proud humble.

There are sports moments that I will never forget, moments that climb to the list of top 10 quickly.......... the Louisville Florida state game in 2002 when it poured down rain and we upset the at the time #11 powerhouse, flying home to watch the West Virginia black out football game on Thursday night one cold November day in 2005 (my dad booking the flight on Monday), heading up to Lafayette for Purdue's homecoming games,  the Colorado Rockies run to the world series, never missing a playoff game hanging a broom outside of our apartment in honor of the sweep and being there on Monday Night for the 13 inning NLDS tiebreak game that sent Matt Holliday into one of the most gut wrenching final sprints to home plate (we wont mention that they later got swept by the Red Sox in the world series), The Alabama Auburn game in Tuscaloosa the very same year that Alabama went on to win the national championship,  watching Rajon Rondo when I was in high school when we lost due to end of the game technicals, The college world series in Omaha the Schemer's and The Dennison's together cheering on the Cards, there is of course the NFL game at Wembley, cheering with people I had just met for San Diego (Saints vs. Chargers) in London, a Monday night football bengals/colts game, and most recently the Louisville Kentucky game this year at Yum Center ...... All of these I will cherish.....but none of these games, none of these events come even close to how I felt last night watching this team win the National Championship.

With my roommates surrounding me and Spanish commentating......I sat in near shock watching the clock wind down.....only a few minutes left and it began to sink in....they really did it. Louisville was going to win.  My beloved hometown, the Louisville cardinals just won the NCAA National Championship.

Congratulations boys from my temporary home in Honduras to a place that will always be home Louisville. I am proud to say I was born there, raised there and proud to be a Cardinal Fan. Now lady cards, show those huskies how we play basketball in Kentucky........

Joy.

learning to find joy in little things. celebrate what happens in real time without trying to wish too much time away, is a real challenge. but it is simply the best.....

When I describe to others what living here is like, one of the only ways i can attempt to explain is by saying i experience real joy. real joy that comes from the faces of children. real joy that is found in tasting the really sweet watermelon that you just paid one dollar just up the road. real joy in a hot cup of coffee that you know was carefully tended too by people that live in our village.

joy from watching our house cleaner put on my jeans because she just ripped her own cleaning our house. she smiles and says "thank you prof"....

smiling because I am eating smartees in my bed while watching college gameday live from butler on my computer at ten o'clock in the morning all the while painting my nails.

complaining because of the chilly air that is finding its way through our house....

enjoying the overcast day, that makes staying in bed, watching tv, reading my new book, and drinking coffee all day long not only fantastic but totally excusable.

facetiming my sister just moments after she wrote on facebook that she wished we could drink coffee together. thanks to the Internet we can.

trip planning for spring and this summer. incredible backdrops for kayaking. volcano's. drinking champs. starry nights. scuba diving. beach drinks. hiking..... its is enough to get anyone excited.

listening to ed sheeran.... just bought this cd. obsessed.

looking back at pictures from the week would make you smile too........

Henry.... Notice that he skipped over problem 2 and 3 because he could not reach so he opted to answer number 4.

Cockroach next to Kylies coffee. We left him to lie there for a day or so.  

Louisville Fan officially created. 

Freezing day at school. Ignore how I look but notice how Nahomy and I had matching black jackets.

South Africa themed dinner night... 

Watermelon.. so sweet.

Making signs for my class..... and watching college gameday. 

And here it is..... The Louisville Cheer......

from one full heart to hopefully yours as well. kristina