I know we said we were going to take turns blogging, but Nate’s priority this week is to work on the upstairs apartment. (Yes, we have apartments–more on that some other time.) So, to take some of the pressure off him, I (Rachael) am going to be blogging again this week.

Our trip two weeks ago caused me to think about perspective. After making two back-to-back trips to Guatemala, my view (or perspective) of the U.S. changed. I love to travel and would like to live abroad, but, as it turns out, I kind of like the U.S., too! Of all things, guess what I realized I like? The roads. They’re straight. And not bumpy. And we can cover long distances quickly. And I don’t feel like puking every time we turn a corner. (I also like the fact that we can drive with our windows down and not choke on pollution, and we can walk on the sidewalks without worrying about land mines, but that’s another story…) Anyway, of all things I could come to appreciate, I’m surprised it’s something as mundane as our highways.

Also, I find it interesting that Jody and I were together 24-7, but we saw things entirely differently. While she was having her special moments with Mili, I was thinking about Alejandra. While she was cuddling with Cristal, Nate and I were getting clobbered by Danny. Besides the basic who, what, when, where details, our blogs tell completely different stories.

Last, but not least, as I was looking through our pictures, I got a glimpse of the kids’ perspective. As we were hanging out with the babies, some of the older kids (Danny, Jose, Alejandra, and Estuardo) hijacked our camera. At the time, I was too busy worrying about how to make sure we brought the gadget home in one piece to think about what they were seeing through the lens. Now, back in the U.S., it’s fun to click through the pictures and pick out the ones that the kids took. It’s not hard, because the way they see the world is so different from the way we mature, well-trained, and well-educated adults do. They don’t do it “right.” They zoom in too much. They cut off people’s heads. They’re out of focus. They take pictures of the sky. Funny how things that are so “wrong” end up being “all right.”

I get the feeling there’s probably some great truth hidden in that last line, but instead of trying to go there on this chilly Monday morning, I’ll just leave you with the pictures.

(BTW-This first one is my personal favorite, but Nate is partial to the last one.)