Christmas 2009

I've talked alot about how this Christmas will be different, and it was. It was strange to be away from our families and it was very strange to be HOT! It was strange to hear fireworks going off until 3:00 am, and it was very strange to be awakened at 7:00 am by more fireworks!

However, we have so much to be thankful for, and as I was feeling sorry for myself, the Lord reminded me that there are many others having a "different" Christmas this year, too. I have friends who lost a parent this year, and they had a very different Christmas, too. I know of a family who recently lost a child. Their Christmas was very different, too. Many people are struggling financially, and I'm sure their Christmas was different this year, too. We are very blessed, and I have nothing to complain about!

So we started our own family traditions this year. Growing up, the presents were never under the tree until Christmas morning. That added some excitement, so we decided to do the same this year (and not just because we didn't wrap them until Christmas Eve!). The looks on the boys faces when they ran downstairs and saw the presents under the tree was priceless!

They were so excited they could hardly stand it!

Following tradition, we had a nice breakfast together, then read the Christmas story from the Bible and prayed together.

Then it was time to tear into the gifts!

We took our time and opened them one by one

 

 

And sometimes we had to stop and try them out!

 

Especially the stocking stuffers

 

 

We had a very Merry Christmas, and I hope you did, too!

Santa Claus Theories

I have been noticing the Santa Claus decorations around our house, and I have come up with some theories.

Since there is no snow in Brazil, logically Santa Claus cannot arrive by sleigh. Therefore, he has to resort to other means of transportation.

Santa parachuting in...

And evidently, since there are no reindeer to land on the roof of the house, and no chimneys, he has to climb up a ladder into the window

At times, a ladder is inconvenient, so a rope will suffice.

I think that the Santa must be in good shape!

An Entruder

I went into the boys' bathroom the other day, and out of the corner of my eye, something caught my attention. Something brown on a pink towel. I looked a little closer and realized that is was this creature...

I'm not really sure what it is, but I guess some sort of moth. Jonathan was in the bathroom, and hadn't noticed it, so I tried to nonchalantly get him out of the bathroom quickly and close the door.  I know it was probably harmless, but its large beady eyes were too much for me, so I went and got Jeremy to get it out of the house for me. He, of course, found it interesting and took some pictures. This is probably just the first of many strange bugs that I will find in my house...but I'm trying not to think about it too much!

The Lord's Protection

Jeremy is going to be preaching for about two months for a missionary who went on furlough. Tonight was the first service, and things went well. The church is in the city of Osasco, just outside of São Paulo. The commute can take us anywhere from 45 minutes to 2  1/2 hours, depending on traffic. As we traveled back home tonight traffic was very slow in many places. Finally everything stopped for a few minutes, and we began noticing people getting out of their cars and looking at something ahead of us. We couldn't see anything because of a semi-truck in front of us. Then we began to smell smoke. Jeremy looked out his door and saw that about 10 cars in front of us was another semi completely engulfed in flames. Here we were sitting on a four lane highway with cars as far as you could see in every direction. I thought it would take us forever to get off the road. But, amazing enough, in a matter of just a couple of minutes, traffic in the other direction had stopped and the cars from behind us all managed to back up and cross the median to turn around and find an alternate route. It was a little scary to be so close to a huge blaze like that, but the Lord was watching out for us, and we arrived home safely. Praise the Lord for His protection!

The Tree is Up!

Following our family's tradition, the Christmas tree went up the day after Thanksgiving. The boys were very excited. Jonathan helped to "scrooce" (aka spruce) up the branches before putting them on the tree.

It was a little strange to be decorating the tree in hot weather. I'm not sure I will ever get used to that. Josiah asked if we would have snow on Christmas. I told him no because it is summer here in Brazil. So he replied, "Then why are we putting up the tree already?" It's confusing, even for me.

The finished product

Brotherly Love

Last week was my week off of school, but turned out to be a crazy, busy week. However, we were able to get away for an afternoon and take the kids to a mall to go bowling. We had a good time together as a family. Jeremy was preaching at a church that night, so it was a long day, and a very hot day. So by the time we got home, this was the scene in the back seat of the van....

Hot, tired, and worn out

Puzzles

It looks like we have another puzzle lover







Notice the furrowed brows of concentration...

Half-Way Done!

Today marked the half-way point of my language school. I guess that means that I can half-way speak Portuguese! I am definitely learning alot. My biggest challenge now is mustering up the courage to speak to people! I hate when I don't understand what people say, and I hate making mistakes when I am speaking, but that is the only way to get better...so I've been told...and I know it's true. There is still much to learn!

When I got home from school today, the boys (and Daddy) had made this banner for me.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Often when I am in the kitchen preparing meals I have one or two, or sometimes three little boys under foot wanting to help and see what's going on. Such was the case yesterday as I prepared supper. I was scurrying around the kitchen trying to get supper on the table and Judson was in the kitchen wanting to get in on the action. I grabbed the ice bucket out of the freezer, and a piece of ice fell on the floor. Judson immediately noticed the ice, but I continued doing whatever I was doing, and asked him to please get the ice and put in in the sink. As I went to set the table, I noticed him playing with the ice and rubbing it around until there was nothing left but a puddle on the kitchen floor. Judson came into the dining room and proudly stated, "I killed it!" It took me a minute to figure it out. "You killed what?", I asked. He answered, "I killed the ice."

"I'm so stuffy. I think I must have the swine flu." - Josiah

Mommy - "I think you just need to go blow your nose."

Josiah - "No, it won't help. I did that yesterday. I'm sure it's the swine flu."

I think maybe he's a little paranoid....I wonder if he got that from me?

Spring Forward!

Yesterday was that dreaded day when we lost an hour of sleep. Don't panic...you didn't miss it! Those of us in the Southern Hemisphere (or at least in this part of Brazil) turned our clocks forward one hour last night. So, if you are interested, we are now two hours ahead of Eastern Time, three hours ahead of Central Time.

However, in a few weeks when you turn your clocks back one hour (and get that hour of sleep that I lost) we will then be three hours ahead of Eastern Time, and four hours ahead of Central Time.

Confused yet? I am!

City Life

It seems as though our children are getting used to life here in the big city. I realized this recently when Jonathan was building subway trains with his legos.

Judson has heard me talk about being on the subway, and sometimes there are no seats so I stand. Other times it is so crowded that we are packed in and I can't even move. Everyday when I get home from school he asks, "Did you get on the train?" When I answer yes he says, "Did you sit down? Could you move?"

The other day, the boys were riding their bikes outside and Josiah was following very closely behind Jonathan. It was annoying to Jonathan (as all you younger siblings can understand). But Josiah simply told him, "You have to get used to it Jonathan. Traffic is bumper to bumper."

Children's Day

I remember having a thought as a kid, that if we have Mother's Day and Father's Day, why not Children's Day? Well, that must have been my earliest calling to Brazil, because today is Children's Day in Brazil! Too bad I'm not a kid anymore.

We had family Sunday yesterday at church and took photos of all the families that were present. We had a great services with lots of visitors. Today everyone is out of school, so there will be a special activity this afternoon at the church for the kids with games, fun, and food. Our kids are very excited about it.

Josiah played a special in church on his trumpet. He did a great job!

Here is Josiah's class

Jonathan and Judson in the nursery

Our family on Family Day!

Honey I Shrunk my Family!

Can you see the boys in this picture?

Evidently there was a man from the town of Itu who was a comedian who liked to tell stories about his town and he always exaggerated about the size of things. So, they started making some things in the town really big. We decided to take a little day trip and check it out. Now, to be honest, it really wasn't worth the trip...but we did have a fun time and took some fun pictures. There are a few souvenir shops where you can buy a huge pencil, comb, or whistle, or even a huge roll of toilet paper! If you are ever passing close by, you should stop and check it out!

This stoplight doesn't look so strange in this picture, but even though it is at normal height, it is quite large!

Hello...Hello...Anyone there?

And they all had to try out the big chair!

Cheesecake

About a month ago, we had a lunch at the church after the morning service. I signed up to bring a dessert, so I made two simple cheesecakes with strawberry glaze on top. Cheesecake is not a food that the Brazilians are familiar with, so I wasn't sure they would like it. Well, it was a huge success. Some said it looked like it came from the bakery. Everyone just loved it, and it was gone in a matter of minutes. They liked it so much, that they asked me to bring it again to the dinner we had at church today.

Yesterday I spent the day working on preparing the cheesecakes. I made three this time since it was so well received last time. I took special care putting them in the van where they would make it to the church safely. I didn't want them on the van seat, because I was afraid if Jeremy had to slam on the brakes they would fall in the floor, so I carefully placed them on the floor in the front where they would be safe.

We arrived at church, and before I could even realize it, the boys were all out of their seats and rushing to get out of the van and go play with their friends. I turned around to open the door and let them out. To my dismay, I saw Judson SITTING in my cheesecake! Evidently he had fallen or something, and he managed to put his foot in one, and sit in another! As you can imagine, they definitely did not look they they came from the bakery today!

Luckily they were well covered, and so they were not a complete loss, although I was very disappointed. I guess the Lord is just keeping me humble. But you know what...they still got eaten up in no time!

Judson Singing

Judson loves to sing! Here he is singing a song with Daddy in Portuguese.

The Dining Room

The last time I posted pictures of our house, the dining room was still in an upheaval. We finally got a table, and then it all started coming together. So for those of you who are interested, here is our dining room!

It's nearly impossible to get a picture of the whole room, so here is a corner that shows most of everything. I am still looking for a centerpiece for the table.

I made these curtains, and I was really pleased with them. I absolutely love the material, but you can't really see the pattern here, so keep scrolling down for a close up!

I knew I wanted brown for the dining room, but we had this yellow wall, so I decided to look for brown material with just a touch of yellow in it, and found this! It was perfect! It's a little hard to see in the picture, but it is brown material with embroidery of yellow, green and red. I love it!


Just recently we went into a "dollar store" type store to look around, and I found this painting. It was perfect for the big blank wall in the dining room, and I was amazed at how nice it was....and the best part was that it only cost about $30!


Of course, it all looks better in person, so if you are ever in our neighborhood, be sure to let us know and you can come over for dinner!!

Verses in Portuguese

The boys have been memorizing some Bible verses in Portuguese, and they do really well! Here they are saying one. Judson can say a little, too, but I didn't get him on video yet. We'll have to wait until he is "in the mood."

Jonathan saying John 14:6

Josiah saying Psalm 119:11
I cut off his last word :-(

An Afternoon in the Park

It's been cold and wet for a while here, but Friday was a beautiful day, so we decided to take advantage of it and have some family time. The guys picked me up at the subway station after school, and we headed to the park. It was nice to take a walk and let the boys play for a while. We are blessed to have a nice park not too far away.

Washing the Yard

Since our "yard" is tile, we have to clean it every so often because it gets so dirty. The boys love to help with this job.

Josiah takes his job very seriously

Judson...not so much! Enjoy watching him "help"

Back to School

During my absence from blogging, we have been busily working to establish a new routine. It's back to school time for the boys...and for me too! Josiah and Jonathan started school two weeks ago. We wanted to try to get a schedule worked out before I had to go back to school. On Monday of this week, classes at language started again for me. Our days are certainly much more busy now! I have to leave around 10:00 am to make it to school at 11:00 am. So I try to get the boys started about 8:00 am, and then we can get at least most of it finished before I leave.

Josiah is now in the 1st grade, and he is doing well. I think he is a little bored, because we are still just reviewing what he learned last year. He really enjoys it though and I can already see big improvements in his handwriting.

Jonathan is doing some K4 work. He is loving it, and is always anxious to learn more! Both he and Josiah are learning John 3:14-19. Their memory amazes me at times!

My classes are going well, and I feel like I am moving at a faster pace now. Maybe my mind has just slowed down! I enjoy learning, but I do miss being at home very much. However, my desire to be able to have a conversation spurs me on!

The first day of school!

"Mommy, Look at my dinosaurs!"

"Wow" I replied. "Where are they going?"

Judson answered, "To the nursery!"

Making Adjustments

I had been to visit Brazil before we moved here. We even came and spent most of a summer here in 2004, so I knew, for the most part, what to expect. However, when our plane landed on the runway in Sao Paulo, I had a tiny moment of panic thinking that I was here to stay. We were living here! I wasn't just sight-seeing, this was home! It put a little different outlook on things.

We have now been here for three months and have settled in, and the Lord has been so good to us in allowing us to live in a place where we are secure and comfortable. But we have had to make some adjustments in how we do some things, and we are learning how life works here in Brazil.

One of the major things that I had to get used to was cooking here. There are some products that we can't get here that I was used to using, so I have to learn to make substitutions, or learn how to make things from scratch. For instance, we can't get a can of condensed soup here. Sometime look through your cook book and see how many recipes call for condensed soup! It was quite frustrating for me in the beginning, but I feel now like I have fallen into a new pattern of cooking. I still don't cook Brazilian all the time, but I am learning to make some Brazilian dishes, and learning how to make the American things we like here, also.

On top of learning all this new food, I had to learn to cook on a gas stove, which I have never had before. Every time I tried to make rice I would burn it...badly. Even now when I make rice (without burning it) Josiah checks his over to see if it is brown, and asks if I burned it!

Another big difference is that most everything has to start from scratch. I didn't use fresh vegetables alot before. I was more of a frozen or canned kind of vegetable cook. I should have paid more attention to my mom when I was growing up and we had a big garden!

I was making tacos the other evening, and thinking about how this meal used to be a quick and easy thing for me to throw together, but has evolved into quite a task. Here it goes: First I have to make the taco seasoning, because we don't get that here. After I mix that up, I cook the meat and add the seasoning. Then for the toppings. Lettuce and tomatoes must be soaked in vinegar to clean them, then rinsed, dried and chopped up. Then I have to shred the cheese. If we want salsa, we have to make it (which Jeremy has become very good at). We also don't have sour cream here, so I make that also. I am very happy to report that we CAN get flour tortillas here now! That is something that I'm glad we don't have to make. I have done it, but I much prefer to buy them! We're not really big fans of refried beans, but that would be something else that you would have to make from scratch. I actually did see a can of refried beans at the store recently, and if I remember right, it was about $7.00 for the can!

I hope this doesn't come across as complaining. I'm not. We are grateful for the Lord's provisions, and actually we really like the fresh food here. I just thought you might find it interesting. I have gotten used to it, for the most part. Some days we eat much later than I had planned, because I forget to account for the extra time taken for preparation! We are also learning to love some foods here that you can't get in the US. Come visit us sometime, and you can try all the delicious food Brazil has to offer!

Lessons

Josiah has started taking trumpet lessons from Daddy! He is very excited about it. The first day Jeremy set a time to give him a lesson at 11:30. Josiah sat and watched the clock from about 10:00 on! He is doing really well, and I enjoy watching him learn.


When we talked about doing the lessons, we decided that we should set a particular day and time each week, so we would do better at sticking with it and remembering it. Josiah knew he would have a lesson once a week. Later, Jonathan was talking to Josiah about wanting to learn to tie his shoes, so they decided that Josiah would give Jonathan shoe-tying lessons once a week, and Jonathan was very proud to have a shoe-tying lesson each week!

Independence Day

We are settling in to life here in Brazil, and I am enjoying learning about the culture of this country, but one thing that I really miss, is that patriotic feeling during a holiday such as the 4th of July. I really enjoy all things patriotic, and I miss that swelling of pride and the lump in your throat when you hear the Star Spangled Banner played, or when you see soldiers bravely serving our country. I miss seeing the flag waving on flagpoles.

Yesterday we gathered with a group of American missionaries, and celebrated Independence Day. We all donned our red, white, and blue apparel and had a good old American cookout with hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans and all the fixings. We spent the day eating, playing games and having a great time of fellowship. We ended it all with a small fireworks display. I am thankful for the fellow Americans and friends that the Lord has allowed us to get to know here in Brazil.

Curtains!

I finally got my curtains made! I was really getting tired at looking at the sheets hanging over the window, but I had to cover it with something so that everyone out on the street wasn't looking in the house! I am hoping to used the leftover "block" material and make some pillows for the couch. For now I'm just glad to have the window covered.


Because the window is so wide (about 9 feet) I decided to made four panels so I could put them in different ways.

I can open them like this...

...or like this.

Still deciding which I like better. What do you think??

Our Weekend Adventure

This past weekend we took a little trip to visit some friends. Jeremy wanted to go see some people in Limeira, the city he grew up in, which is about two and a half hours from Sao Paulo. We left on Friday afternoon and got about half way there when the van just died. It wouldn't crank at all. The battery was dead, but since it happened while driving down the road, we figured it must be the alternator.

The Lord was definitely watching out for us. We stalled about 15 minutes out of the city of Jundai, where we have some missionary friends. They were able to get us the number for free roadside service since we were on a toll road. The truck came and jumped our battery to get us about a kilometer down the road to a gas station. Our missionary friends came and met us there, and they got us in contact with a mechanic who was willing to come out right then (about 8:00 in the evening) and take a look at the van. He came and found that it was just a regulator on the alternator, and he fixed it right then. We are thankful for the Lord's protection!

We had a nice weekend visiting some of Jeremy's old friends. We stayed with some missionaries nearby, and also had a great time with them. The weather was great, and they have a beautiful backyard with some birds and a fishpond. The boys just loved it!

Josiah could only handle this for the three seconds it took to take the picture!

Relaxing in the hammock!

The boys loved to feed the fish

You'll notice Judson hanging over the edge of the fish pond in this last picture. He wanted so badly to put his hands in the water. We kept following him closely and holding on to him to keep him from toppling in. Well, sure enough, we were all outside talking and he slipped over to the pond without us noticing, and soon we heard a splash! We all rushed over and grabbed him out. He gave me quite a scare! Thankfully we were right there! He seems to have no fear of anything!

Even with all the mishaps, we had a good weekend and it was nice to get out of Sao Paulo for a few days and enjoy the slower pace and the peace and quiet!