The start of school and fall

Dearest Reader,

                I like how life is marked by defining moments, which serve as a catalyst to shifts in my mind and understanding. Speaking, walking, running, EATING, conversation, love, sharing, giving, receiving, responsibilities, commitments, covenants, service, death, new birth, siblings who marry and relationship alterations and changes. I remember several times thinking “now I got it, I understand myself and where I want my life to go and I know exactly how to do that”. Talk about naïve!
                I’ve been thinking a lot lately about all the female loved ones in my life who felt extremely conflicted about the man that wanted to date them and whom they eventually married. I asked Elizabeth about this once, she said that it may help to solidify complete devotion and loyalty “It gets all the bad stuff out of the way before the wedding even happens”. I also watched the Lizzie Bennet diaries recently and realised that I got what I have always wanted! A relationship where I misjudged the man, he was the kindest most genuine fellow, and of course we all know the ending… or the beginning (dang Hollywood movies! Always ending the romance at the best part.)
                As you all know, Brad and I recently went to Peru and experienced those amazing people and culture. The picture of simplicity, and not in the Asian interior design way. While we learnt a great deal it was so fantastic to get back to the US. We travelled to San Francisco, rode an elephant, enjoyed crazy slides, fisherman’s Warf, Boudines (why do I enjoy that sour dough goodness so much?), and the lovely beach of Carmel By The Sea. We visited the Collett homestead for a few days en route to Provo. Does anyone else crave routine? Then when you have all the routine you can possibly fit into a day, do you crave a little more of nothing or chaos? That is just sooo me!! Once home we work hard (I get to work on the road, Thank you Damon and Beth!), try to save money and plan.
                Some of that planning includes the next 8 or so years of our life. The pursuit of a medical career for my honey. Did I mention how great he is?! And then part of that planning means I start to get very dizzy, very tired, have a sudden need for brussel sprouts and kind of start feeling quite sick! Isn’t it funny how women put so much work into getting fit and healthy, and what better way to disrupt that than to become pregnant? I realised this might be my situation after I ran a 5k in 30mins and had to lay down for two days straight because I was so dizzy whenever I stood! By Jove!! It sounds even more ridiculous when I read it. Lay down for two days after a run, funny hey. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153171516985597&set=t.787090596&type=3&theater
                Needless to say, we are more than ecstatic. A little munchkin is just what the doctor ordered (permission to roll eyes here). Brad and I have been preparing and hoping for this for some time. Eternities if you want to get philosophical. Prayers and discussion have surrounded the choice of our baby, and welcoming him/her will certainly be one of those major defining moments. We are looking forward to the shifts. And yes, names have already been picked out! (like 6 months ago) I don’t mind admitting just how corny I can be. As for baby clothes….. we’re students guys! If we had the abundance then yes, I would have bought something neutral by now. Did you know you get loads of freebees when you’re pregnant?! We got free prenatal pills (I can’t keep them down, but we have them!) and a free baby bottle by Phillips (It helps that I am an aunty and know what products I like, kind of. I won’t ever admit to taking off with nephews and nieces bottles to try and hold on to my childhood!! So don’t ask, but that may have something to do with liking Phillips bottles).
                So there you go, we are going to be adding to the population of Provo. We may not be unusual to the general public around here, but we feel pretty darn special and blessed.
I hope each of you are doing very well and enjoying the only things in life that are always there.

                Love Joanna Joy Collett
               

Viva Peru!

Dearest Reader,

While it has been an exasperatingly long time since I have updated the Cute Collett Couple blog, I am not going to endeavour to recount the events of the past 6 or so months. Suffice it to say that Christmas was like a fairy tale and wonderful, school was full of ups and downs where both Brad and I ended up well.

Brad and I have recently entered in to the Peruvian culture with all of its finery. We were so excited to explore a country together that neither of us really knew about, and the prospect of helping those in need at the same time was just the cherry on top!

Peru does hold much of which to be fascinated by. Inca ruins, jam packed cities and suburbs, Llamas. We have enjoyed watching another culture at play. With this month being Cuzco month, and us being in Cuzco and all, we have witnessed the festival of the saints, and many other festivals of which I didn’t quite catch the title. But the music with it’s high notes that float through the air through their pipes, and the bright and many colours that are part of their traditional dress all blur together as the people spin and dance. It is simply beautiful!
I particularly love seeing the older women. They might reach just below my shoulder at full height, but they lean forward with their bundles tied to their back across their shoulders. Their skirts flare out giving them even more shape than they have, and they part their hair in the middle plaiting it until it reaches their lower back and then plait the both sides together so it makes a loop. Always their clothes are faded and their faces worn and wrinkled more than I’ve seen a face wrinkled before. These women still work.

The other day Brad and I were sitting in a taxi and watched as a little boy, no older than 6, was running from car to car trying to sell chocolate. At San Pedro markets we watched as another little boy, this time younger, was trying to sell us some of the wares at his stall. The children are as much a part of the house income as the parents it seems.

The suburbs hold homes which are unfinished and dirty. We often will see buildings that are three stories high that have re bar jutting out of the tops and sides as if someone just couldn’t bother to finish it off. The top floor often is just unfinished or partially covered and this seems to be where the families will hang out their washing.

The children here don’t have much at all. I have seen young boys and girls kicking around empty coke bottles as if it were a prized football! There isn’t TV, no movie theatres, they have each other  to play with.

Brad and I have been volunteering at the Mother Teresa Centre for disabled orphans. It is heart wrenching to say the very least. I thought I was strong until I went there.

We have learnt so much in this trip. I knew it was a third world country but I didn’t anticipate the smells and scenes. The pollution is out of this world! A walk down the street has fumes blowing directly into my face, the taste and smell is migrainable! (I know it’s not a word but it’ll do).
But when you get to the country sides! They have the jutting mountains of Utah with all of the green and rainforest of Australia, a little bit of two homes in one. The little towns have buildings made of mud and cobble stone streets with people of all ages working in the fields. Oh! And they don’t only farm on the flat. If you look through the mountains you see a patchwork all over them! They farm on the mountainside! I don’t know how they do it, but it is delightful.

Like I said, Brad and I have learnt much. I think being sick is one of my hardest lessons. I have been sick for about half of this trip, and Brad almost just as much. Between us we have had so much of the bad and ugly that illness can bring. I am not good at being sick generally, but the pain of flu and the dehydration that brings on shakes is almost unbearable! I cried most of the time I was in pain and simply didn't want to move when I was stripped of electrolytes and dehydrated. Brad bore up with much more charm! Caring for me and being strong. Much of this was happening over our weekend to Machu Picchu (travelling in our condition may not be advisable, but it would have been expensive to cancel). But our Machu Picchu day was our best on this trip!! We were truly blessed! We both felt mostly healthy and enjoyed the incredible sights and day.

I told Brad this morning that I think I have a worm in my tummy. He asked me why and I said it’s because I keep on having a nightmare that there is a big worm in my tummy that’s black and I’ll have to sit over a bath with sugar in it in order to have the worm come out! And also because my tummy still hurts a lot of the time and I don’t know why. Brad just smiled and told me I don’t have a black worm and that it wouldn't be in my tummy anyways but in my intestines and that we haven’t been eating the sorts of food that would give me a big worm and my tummy is still hurting from being so sick. I think he’s probably right. (The phantoms of my mind)

Anyway, I believe this is where I leave you. Please know we are safe, Brad is still amazing (probably a lot more amazing than when I last wrote), and I am still in love.

As a closing thought, our first world problems are nothing in comparison to what we have seen here... but I still crave a hot shower, comfortable beds and toilets we can flush paper down ;) Ciao!