Birthday sunglasses. . .
Since we moved here a year ago, the rules for sending packages (to us) have changed. It's really quite a bummer because we absolutely LOVE to receive packages. . . especially ones that include Starbuck's coffee beans and other edible items (like M&Ms, Kashi granola bars, etc.). Although we've become very accustomed to what's available here and have learned that we will survive without some of those previous items, we are sooooo very grateful for the goodies brought by our runners. (That's just a name I created 7 seconds ago for the John Deere employees who live and work in the States but need to travel to Brazil for their jobs). We're not so shy anymore and are very willing to let a new and unsuspecting runner know exactly what would make us happy. So last week, Jen P., who used to live in Ottumwa but is now in the Q.C., came for a week. We fed her dinner and she brought us Starbuck's coffee beans. Whoohoo. She'll be back in the country next week, so she's bringing me a new set of contacts that I ordered last month. Being able to see is pretty important and I'm on my last pair of contacts! I also told her coffee beans are always welcome. I wanted to hug her and pay her tons of money for the space we took up in her bag, but she was so awesome and happy to do it for us! This week was even better! Kevin's been working with a gal in Cedar Falls (by phone). She told him she was coming and offered to bring some things for us, so we sent a list to Kevin's mom and one of my sisters and both of them sent goodies to Jahn. That was probably three weeks ago. Well, Jahn didn't come to our town. She went to Catalao, which is way north of here. But Kevin knew someone who was traveling from there to here, so Jahn transferred our goodies to a new runner, an unsuspecting Brazilian. That runner left our goodies at the hotel reception in Horizontina (the hotel where we lived for 3 months) and Emma and I went there to pick up our package after lunch.
Goodies galore!!! VeggieTales DVDs (thanks Lori!), vitamins, Kashi granola bars (holy toledo, Marcy, that was awesome!!), birthday gifts for Emma's birthday (which is May 17th!!), cards, a new ironing board cover (which I can't find here because the boards are different sizes) and a pair of sunglasses for Emma (because we lost the only other pair we had!). It's like Christmas around here! I know the wrapped gifts are for Emma, but I'm struggling with the temptation to open them. I need to go hide them now so I don't ruin her birthday!!
So, we're pretty happy here in the Schrag home! Thank you, thank you, thank you so very much to all who were involved, family and runners!!
Oh, in case you're wondering, the mail rules only allow first-class mail now, flat, lightweight envelopes. Before this rule, I received a pound cake mix, M&Ms, candy bars, granola bars, etc. Maybe it's a good thing they made the rule;)
