Yesterday Jackson and I hosted our baby groups Halloween/Fall party. Adding costumes to the mix of that many kids made for a not so chill get together, but everyone had fun! Here are a few pictures to share!! More Halloween pics to come from the official day!

Mono

Jackson wanted to be with baby Ben, none of this sit with all of the kids stuff!

The littlest punkins!

yummy food for the moms

Seth even helped make the icing when I was in a rush the night before!

The very littlest punkin…less than 3 weeks! So cute!

We all had fun! Jackson is still finding cheerios here, there and everywhere! He is gearing up for being a monkey again at the Embassy tomorrow! He gets to walk around and Trick or Treat at all of the offices!

Last night Seth and I went to the American Society Gala at the Ambassador’s residence. It was black tie and quite fancy! We were so tired as dinner didn’t start until after 9:30. They had raffles at the end of the night. We waited despite my increasingly fussy contacts from being up so late. I told Seth I knew we would win. They had emeralds and plane tickets and goodie baskets and hotel stays, etc. We waited and after the first couple of prizes my name was called. As Seth ran up to recieve my prize I leaned and asked the lady next to me what we had one. I had difficulty hearing the guy at the microphone. She leaned over and said “you won a basket of dairy products!!!” She was so excited! I was kind of confused. Seth came back with a massive basket of cheese, yogurt drinks,  etc. So weird. As we waited hoping that Seth would win 2 plane tickets, she leaned over and said “do you like your prize???” Well of course, we have always dreamed of winning a basket full of dairy products! So it was quite funny. We will have to give some away as there is no way we will comsume enough before it all expires!  I actually really like the basket that all of the cheese came in so that is a bonus!!!

And then on to even more interesting things, Jackson asked us to post some pictures of him up on the couch to prove his climbing ability! …

Just chillin in my “life is good” shirt that has a sippy cup and says “half full”

much more comfy with my shirt pulled up, belly out and pants hiked up

“I wonder if she can tell I am about to stand on the couch…..worth the risk!”

“AAAHHHH, my mommy doesn’t let me stand on the couch!!!!!!!!! Definitely feeling like life isn’t good and it is more of a half empty kind of day”

So our security situation in Bogota seems to be quite bleak. In the past few months I haven’t even been able to go to our big grocery store (among other places) because any crowded place it at high risk for being targeted. I did a major stock up trip when I returned from the states and haven’t returned since. Throughout the city there have been numerous bus bombs and bombs at big shopping areas. We have had to send our maid in a taxi a few times as bombs were going off in buses during rush hour. I asked a security friend how things were going security wise and he said I should be fine heading back to the big store. Things had apparently simmered down.

This morning Jackson and I headed to Carrefour. I knew I wanted to get in and out but also wanted about 3 months worth of cleaning supplies and dry goods like pasta, crackers, etc. So, we buzzed around and skipped having lunch in the mall like we normally would have. We got home exhausted but we had a successful trip! In addition to our necessities we got a pack of their chocolate croissants! Every time I do a “third world country” grocery shopping trip I allow myself a chocolate croissant on the way home as my prize for surviving the chaos!! Carrefour makes the best buttery, yummy, chocolate-filled croissants! A million calories a bite but I burned it off fighting my was through the store, right?

This afternoon once we were settled at home I started getting notice phone calls. 5 explosions had gone off around the city, many close to where we live! I had plans to go for a big walk in a nice park this afternoon but will be housebound!

This is one of the very challenging things about being in Bogota! People look at our Embassy life as being so exciting but there truely are risks for us each day. Kidnappings, bombings, unsettling protests! Pray for our safety. Seth and I have tickets to Aruba in 2 weeks and we have to know that it is okay to leave Jackson and Seth’s mom! Mia is going to get a security briefing from Seth before we leave. This won’t be an exploring Bogota visit! Good thing Joe/Grandan isn’t coming for the adventure!

The biggest threat to me at the moment is a 15 month-old that desperately needs a snack!! That’s all for now!

Yesterday morning we got up and decided it would be fun to pack a picnic and go to the park. We have a few park pictures but no picnic pictures. The picnic didn’t last long because a big dog came and ate Seth’s sandwich 3 mins into our picnic! He was focused on protecting Jackson and it was snatched out of his hand. The owner said “que pena” which means basically “my bad”, not “sorry”!

Our friends Nicholas and Kima had a baby boy last week! We have had so much fun cuddling him and getting to know him. He is such a cute boy with lots of dark hair like his mommy! Welcome, Ben!!