Sunday 1/8/2017 - A Quiet Sunday with the Family When we got up this morning, we could see all of the changes that have taken place since we were last here in July. The family fixed the kitchen roof, which had been leaking. While they were at it, they replaced a kitchen wall which had been damaged in a previous earthquake. They actually bumped out the kitchen wall by a few feet to make the kitchen much more spacious. It makes a big difference! Above the kitchen, there is now a nice roof deck, and a set of stairs with which to access it. Our little piglet friend is now much bigger. I notice the growth most in his head and in particular his snout. He is still a sweetie and lays down for me to pet his tummy. But he is now a father! Two months ago, he and Juanita the female pig had 7 piglets! They are adorable, running all around the property and getting into plenty of trouble. When Rosa feeds them, they all come running, and all 7 of them congregate around a small bowl. We also met Cachupin, the new puppy. He had greeted us last night when we arrived. We had noticed the absence of Max, the senior dog, but had hoped that he was just sleeping somewhere. But this morning we learned the sad news that several months ago, Max left, presumably to die, and has not returned. He has been a part of the family since before we first met them in 2010. His loss is tangible, but he lived a good, long life and never suffered. Sisa was at catechism this morning, and returned soon after breakfast. It seemed strange not to have Aida, the kids' mother, around. She is currently in Chile with her boyfriend Rolando, selling Ecuadorian crafts at the beach. For breakfast we had scrambled eggs with tomatoes and onions, bread, coffee, and juice. Antonio is guiding at Lake Cuicocha today, and was gone when we woke up. After breakfast this morning, we gave the kids a new set of 200 wooden building blocks. They were so excited and immediately dug right in. We went for a walk up to the community center. There we ran into Rosa's niece Delia and her husband. We recognized their 4-year-old daughter Ashley, and also met their 6 month old daughter Kelly. We played with them for a while, and when we walked home, Ashley accompanied us. She played with blocks with the kids and really warmed up to Craig quickly, seeking his approval for everything she built. It was so cute! We ate lunch (chicken soup featuring a rooster that we purchased as a chick on our last visit), llapingachos, rice, beet salad, and beans, and then got settled into our casita. It is so nice to leave things here so that they are all ready for us, and just need to be unpacked when we get here! Sisa wasn't feeling well and had a fever, so she rested during the afternoon. Shina Tayanta is growing into a big girl, and is growing out of the nickname coined by Yupanqui when she was born (Mi nina or my baby). She seems to prefer being called Shina these days, though in the past she also went by her middle name, Tayanta. Names are very changeable here. So we went with the flow and started to call her Shina. We walked up to the community store with Shina and Yupanqui to buy LavaTodos laudry soap and salt for Rosa. We bought them each 2 sour gummies (5 cents each), and brought some home for Sisa as well. By the time Sisa got to them, one of them had already been consumed. I suspect Yupanqui, but I don't know for sure. We played with blocks in the kitchen with the kids. For dinner, we had habas soup, hamburger mixed with onion, rice, peas, and fresh blueberry juice. It usually takes us a couple of days to regain our appetites at this altitude, so we weren't able to finish all of our food. Shina gave running commentary: "Achi Mama no comio, Achi Taita no comio" (Godmother and Godfather didn't eat). We went back to our room after dinner so the kids could get to bed. They had school tomorrow, and I had to work. Craig logged in to Facebook. We chatted online with Aida, and told her that we missed her being here.

Craig and the piglets Shina Tayanta Rosa and niece Kelly Steph with Cachupin Abuelita See all photos from this day