VIDA EN EL SUR: Keitt Update

Did you think we gave up blogging?

Nope! Just had a newborn and started grad school, but we're back! Here are some things that have been going on in the Keitt household this fall (or Spring for you Northern-hemispherers)

Makai is already 3 months old! We can't believe how fast it has gone already. It did NOT go this fast with Coen (no offense, bud) so it took us a bit by surprise. He is still such a happy boy, and is pretty chill about everything, except for the cold we are beginning to find out. Takes after his momma in that area for sure :)

It's cold again. It has actually been a pretty mild autumn this year. Last year by the middle of April we were donning tights and winter hats, but this year it waited until this past weekend to get real here. If you want to know what I mean, just set your indoor thermostat to 55 and pretend like it's 65 outside.

Oranges from our front yard - Ready to pick in August

Can you tell who's who?

We got to mini-vacation to the south! Southern Chile is breathtakingly beautiful - lakes, volcanoes, forests, mountains. We haven't been since I was pregnant with Coen, so we have really been missing it (and thankful we were able to squeeze in so much traveling that first year here before we had kids! No offense, bud.) We were able to take in some of that beauty and fresh air while we visited two good friends who are serving at one of our churches in Lautaro. It was refreshing in every way imaginable! And it gave us a lot of peace for our travels this summer as it was our first road trip with Makai and a very active Coen.

We are going to the States! We will get to visit our families this summer in July and could not be more excited. Coen has changed so much since we last saw them, and Makai will get to be held and loved on by his extended family for the first time. I will get to be a part of two dear friends' weddings. We are so grateful!

Coen is changing and growing visibly every day. We are getting to know more of his personality by watching him express himself with new vocabulary, imitated mannerisms, and various new interests. He loves trucks/camiones, riding his bici, singing, dancing, and anything related to cooking or using appliances that have lights and buttons. He is speaking mostly Spanish but understands both. Some things come out perfectly, like "caballo" and "auto"... and then others contain the basic idea, like "ca-moi-ye" for camión or "mo-ca-na" for música.

Favorite room of the house

Favorite activity

Birthday fun at the water park

Tracey has almost completed his first of four semesters in the Applied Linguistics Masters Program at la Universidad de Católica here in Santiago. This degree can be used for many things, but he will use it for teaching foreign languages. It has already been incredibly useful and practical for teaching English here, and even though the schedule and workload is a bit rough, he really loves it so far.

goEnglish is running more smoothly than ever! Tracey and Claudia are both teaching full time and I have two classes a week on Skype with the same girl I have taught for almost 3 years now. We are working as a team to improve both our teaching strategies and administrative procedures. Claudia has been teaching with us for over a year now and has been a really wonderful addition, both professionally and personally.

As far as our other ministries, Tracey has officially stepped down from leading Sunday School at church, although he wants to continue teaching periodically if that's possible to do without everyone still thinking he's the leader. I have been to House of Hope with the boys twice now, but mostly just to visit with the Tias. Even though I can't go there to do classes like I did before, I am still trying to find ways to help out from a distance.

We celebrated 5 years of marriage! It has been an adventure we could have never imagined or come up with on our own that April day. And it's been a good one :)

Overall, we are just really grateful. Grateful for our family, the season we find ourselves in, and the work we have been given. Parenting has given us more joy and more reasons to be humble and thankful for God's grace than ever before, and it just leaves me speechlessly grateful.