We did it!
The last 6 weeks may have been the most challenging of our lives, but we have moved to San Feilpe del Agua, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico and couldn't have done it without the help our astoundingly good friends.
Don and Patty Junk housed us and introduced us to the ins and outs of Oaxaca on our recon trip at the end of June into July. Janet Weber took on the challenge of power of attorney for us for the year. Wes Weber came and spent hours helping finish remodel chores. Dayna Weber helped me pack my kitchen items. Hayden Weber chatted with Deron while he recaulked his shower. Marcy Hoefner took on the daunting task of checking our P.O Box for the year or until she can't take it anymore, and cleaned the empty kitchen cupboards and drawers. Ture Hoefner helped move dirt from the patio project and some furniture. Karen Mantovani took and stored all my veterinary equipment and supplies. Lynette Gilbert came and fed us when we hadn't eaten in days and then came back the next day and helped Deron pack his office and run a load to Rocilla's (and we were especially cranky that day as we were already a day late in getting out of the house for our tenants). Don Gilbert stored some of Deron's precious tools and agreed to do maintenance on our home in Golden while we are gone. Rocilla Dilger cleaned my bathroom and refridgerator and stored all our recreation equipment and our resort suitcase for our Mexico vacation in April, as well as some clothes that needed to hang up! John Hettich came and spent an entire day helping run junk to Goodwill and pack the garage. He has also agreed to store and ocassionally turn on our truck this year. Christina Merrill helped us run errands after I had no vehicle to drive, adopted my beloved "Chianti" and has given her the best care she has ever received, took us to the Mexican Consulate at the last second Monday night to get our visas reissued (for some still unknown reason) on our way to the airport hotel!!, AND braved Clear Creek on an inner tube to give Braeden some fun and excitement during our last few days. Jolie Davis helped me pack our pictures and artwork. Tyson Davis was there for all and everything until the wee hours of the night, many nights, moving furnture etc. Even our wonderful School of Mines soccer team tenants helped us move items and store things.
So, even though the truck died at the bank on the Sat. before our departure and needed a new battery and alternator so we could move the camper to storage on Monday. And, that the van's hood release all of a sudden wouldn't open so we could jump the truck or sell the van, we still managed to get the vehicles sold, moved and stored on Monday, so we could fly out Tuesday morning. Oh yeah, we also had concrete work in our basement, walls to put up, drywall,mud and paint, a shower to tile and a concrete patio poured in the last 10 days. The severed sprinkler lines during that project didn't help anyone's mood either.
Feeling fat? Deron lost 10 kgs in the last 3 weeks in Colorado! Come and try my weight loss program!!
Believe it or not, the travel day from Denver to Oaxaca, through Houston was quite smooth. All our luggage weighed the same amount at the airport as it did in our hotel room. 49 lbs. each! The pets all made it through security without freaking out. Even Chandon, when he had to repeat the procedure because Deron forgot to take off his shoes! I was afraid Deron's pants would drop to the floor when he took off his belt. At least he wouldn't need the whole body scan then, everyone would have already seen his whole body! After security, the pets got to ride the airport transfer train out to the terminal and ride another elevator. Moet was a bit verbal, but not yowling. The planes were all on time that day. We easily found the pet relief station outside the airport in Houston for Merlin to pee. We had lunch at Chili's with all our pets in tow. All arrived safely and on time in Oaxaca!
One little hiccup at immigration, though. It couldn't all go off without any issues, now could it? We were allowed 2 pets per person without any additional permits. Three people in our family and three pets. No problema, right. But,..... I wrote all the required health certificates and other documents with my name as the owner, consignor, consignee and veterinarian. Oops! Even though we are a family of three with 3 pets, I couldn't have my name as owner on all three. We were told that we could pay a permit fee and then all three animals could proceed with us to customs. Great!, where do we pay? You pay in town tomorrow and then come back to the airport to retrieve the pet you left behind. WHAT!! No way. I felt like the mom in Sophie's Choice. None of our pets was going to stay behind. After some tense negotiations with my wonderful, but exhausted and somewhat frightened 8 year old translator, we managed to get the immigration official to let me go to our luggage, open a box, find my extra, blank health certificates, that I brought to travel back and forth with Merlin over the next year, and rewite one with Deron's name as the owner! All other info was the same, copied from one to the next! I then went back to my waiting family and presented the "new" document and freed my entire family to proceed to customs! It could have been ugly! At customs we got a green light, no inspections! I got all my vet supplies in. Even conrolled drugs like euthanasia solution and surgical equipment. Go figure! Our house maintenance man was waiting for us with 2 vehicles to transport us and all our baggage to our new home. Our housekeeper had left us homemade vegetable soup and flowers in a vase. After a tremendously challenging 6 weeks we were here!
The last 6 weeks may have been the most challenging of our lives, but we have moved to San Feilpe del Agua, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico and couldn't have done it without the help our astoundingly good friends.
Don and Patty Junk housed us and introduced us to the ins and outs of Oaxaca on our recon trip at the end of June into July. Janet Weber took on the challenge of power of attorney for us for the year. Wes Weber came and spent hours helping finish remodel chores. Dayna Weber helped me pack my kitchen items. Hayden Weber chatted with Deron while he recaulked his shower. Marcy Hoefner took on the daunting task of checking our P.O Box for the year or until she can't take it anymore, and cleaned the empty kitchen cupboards and drawers. Ture Hoefner helped move dirt from the patio project and some furniture. Karen Mantovani took and stored all my veterinary equipment and supplies. Lynette Gilbert came and fed us when we hadn't eaten in days and then came back the next day and helped Deron pack his office and run a load to Rocilla's (and we were especially cranky that day as we were already a day late in getting out of the house for our tenants). Don Gilbert stored some of Deron's precious tools and agreed to do maintenance on our home in Golden while we are gone. Rocilla Dilger cleaned my bathroom and refridgerator and stored all our recreation equipment and our resort suitcase for our Mexico vacation in April, as well as some clothes that needed to hang up! John Hettich came and spent an entire day helping run junk to Goodwill and pack the garage. He has also agreed to store and ocassionally turn on our truck this year. Christina Merrill helped us run errands after I had no vehicle to drive, adopted my beloved "Chianti" and has given her the best care she has ever received, took us to the Mexican Consulate at the last second Monday night to get our visas reissued (for some still unknown reason) on our way to the airport hotel!!, AND braved Clear Creek on an inner tube to give Braeden some fun and excitement during our last few days. Jolie Davis helped me pack our pictures and artwork. Tyson Davis was there for all and everything until the wee hours of the night, many nights, moving furnture etc. Even our wonderful School of Mines soccer team tenants helped us move items and store things.
So, even though the truck died at the bank on the Sat. before our departure and needed a new battery and alternator so we could move the camper to storage on Monday. And, that the van's hood release all of a sudden wouldn't open so we could jump the truck or sell the van, we still managed to get the vehicles sold, moved and stored on Monday, so we could fly out Tuesday morning. Oh yeah, we also had concrete work in our basement, walls to put up, drywall,mud and paint, a shower to tile and a concrete patio poured in the last 10 days. The severed sprinkler lines during that project didn't help anyone's mood either.
Feeling fat? Deron lost 10 kgs in the last 3 weeks in Colorado! Come and try my weight loss program!!
Believe it or not, the travel day from Denver to Oaxaca, through Houston was quite smooth. All our luggage weighed the same amount at the airport as it did in our hotel room. 49 lbs. each! The pets all made it through security without freaking out. Even Chandon, when he had to repeat the procedure because Deron forgot to take off his shoes! I was afraid Deron's pants would drop to the floor when he took off his belt. At least he wouldn't need the whole body scan then, everyone would have already seen his whole body! After security, the pets got to ride the airport transfer train out to the terminal and ride another elevator. Moet was a bit verbal, but not yowling. The planes were all on time that day. We easily found the pet relief station outside the airport in Houston for Merlin to pee. We had lunch at Chili's with all our pets in tow. All arrived safely and on time in Oaxaca!
One little hiccup at immigration, though. It couldn't all go off without any issues, now could it? We were allowed 2 pets per person without any additional permits. Three people in our family and three pets. No problema, right. But,..... I wrote all the required health certificates and other documents with my name as the owner, consignor, consignee and veterinarian. Oops! Even though we are a family of three with 3 pets, I couldn't have my name as owner on all three. We were told that we could pay a permit fee and then all three animals could proceed with us to customs. Great!, where do we pay? You pay in town tomorrow and then come back to the airport to retrieve the pet you left behind. WHAT!! No way. I felt like the mom in Sophie's Choice. None of our pets was going to stay behind. After some tense negotiations with my wonderful, but exhausted and somewhat frightened 8 year old translator, we managed to get the immigration official to let me go to our luggage, open a box, find my extra, blank health certificates, that I brought to travel back and forth with Merlin over the next year, and rewite one with Deron's name as the owner! All other info was the same, copied from one to the next! I then went back to my waiting family and presented the "new" document and freed my entire family to proceed to customs! It could have been ugly! At customs we got a green light, no inspections! I got all my vet supplies in. Even conrolled drugs like euthanasia solution and surgical equipment. Go figure! Our house maintenance man was waiting for us with 2 vehicles to transport us and all our baggage to our new home. Our housekeeper had left us homemade vegetable soup and flowers in a vase. After a tremendously challenging 6 weeks we were here!
We are here!
Meredita
P.S. Photos and more to follow!!
