New Chapter in Our Lives

Well, as most of you know, we came back to this area because it was "home" as we knew it and Paul needed to finish school.  A strange thing happened after arriving "home".....it never felt like home.  A year and a half later and it still doesn't feel like home.  We feel that this is just God's provision in keeping us ready to GO wherever He wants us to go.  And now Paul is at the end of his school days (for now), he has 5 weeks left and could not possibly be more excited.  So, we are preparing to end this chapter in our lives and move on to wherever the Lord wants us.  We all know that we are moving, sometime soon, but have no idea where.  This seems to be a recurring theme for about the past 4 years.  But we are just going to keep trusting in the ONE that is trustworthy and go where He leads.

With that said, Paul has had contact with a company in North Carolina and has completed 3 parts to a 4 part interview process.  Things look promising and we are getting excited, not about North Carolina, but just excited that the Lord is revealing little by little.  If we move to North Carolina, we will love it and we can give you so many positives that you will want to move with us!  He also has an interview with the same company but different area this Wednesday and this position would put us in East Texas.  Again, we are excited and will be ecstatic with either, we just want to know without a shadow of a doubt that we are doing the Lord's will for our lives.  We are desperate to do His will and NOT ours!

Please pray for the Lord to open doors that He wants opened and to close doors that need to be closed and don't allow us to try and pry them back open.  We are hungry for the Lord and desire above all else to serve and glorify Him in ALL that we do!  Lord, let it be so!

Peyton & Pierce turn 3

That's right....Peyton and Pierce turned 3 today!  It just doesn't seem possible that it has been 3 years already.  Time flies whether you are having fun or not, so you might as well enjoy the ride and that is what we are trying to do.

This was their first birthday in the United States and we tried to make it a special birthday with just family and one other couple and their two children that are like our family.  It was going to be small but we wanted it that way for this first one anyway.  So we were only having Nana and Pawpaw, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Curtis, and Dustin, Tia (my sister), Uncle Scott, Ethan, and Chloe, and Kevin, Krissy, Kody, and Kaleb.  We wanted to spend this time with our family that didn't get to share those birthdays with the boys while we were in Brazil.  We wanted it to be a time of celebrating and building memories, we were not worried about the presents.  The gift was their presence!

Well, we had a great time and even though everyone didn't show up, it was definitely their lose and not ours.  We had great bar-b-q, slaw, and beans courtesy of Nana and cake by Mom and Mrs. Stephanie.  Had lots of fun in the middle of a deadly line of storms that produced tornadoes through Mississippi.  But absolutely we made some memories!

Happy Birthday Peyton & Pierce!  We love you big as a pickle!

Proof of Kingdom Life

Today I wanted to talk a little about our salvation in Jesus Christ. The other day I was talking to my 15 year old daughter, Kati.  We were discussing salvation and what it means.  The reason we were talking about this subject is because she was just wanting some confirmation about her salvation.  Kati was saved at a young age and really doesn't remember a lot about it.  I say that to also say this, we have taught our children about God and Jesus since they were born, not to make a decision for them but to teach them just as God said in Dueteronomy 6.  We talked about a few things but one thing really stood out and we went to Matthew 7:13-23.  In this chapter Jesus is talking about entering through the narrow gate to life because the wide gate leads to destruction. That means the majority of the world is going through the wide gate.

When we skipped down to verse 22, Kati and I talked about how Jesus said "not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of Heaven but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven will enter."  He went on to tell what these people were doing, they were prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles in His name.  But yet they still did not get into Heaven.  Why? Jesus said "I never knew you."  Because they didn't have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ. It wasn't because they didn't say a prayer at one time or another or someone lead them in the "sinner's prayer" and it certainly wasn't because they weren't doing for the Lord or the church.   It was because they didn't spend time with the Lord, they didn't get to know Him.  I know you have heard this a million times, but you can't have a best friend unless you get to know that person.  You can't have a good marriage until you spend time with your spouse.

I said all of that to say.  It's all about the relationship.  I told Kati that I saw fruit in her life.  It's not all about remembering when she said a prayer of forgiveness.  I see in her a follower of Christ.  When she puts down the computer, cell phone and TV for 40 days to spend time in the word, I see fruit and Proof of Kingdom Life.

I challenge you to show fruit in your life.  Remember its not about what you do at church, work, what T-shirt you where, or whats on your license plate.  DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS?

Clothing Ourselves

Today I want to shift gears a little and not talk about me or my family. I want to talk to you about what God's Word says to you and to me. Recently I was reading in the book of Colossians and a couple of verses really stood out to me.

Colossians 3:12 & 13 says, Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

First off, we must realize that we are a chosen people, we are to be holy and we are dearly loved by the Creator of the universe. Next, we are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. It says to clothe ourselves, not put on your socks of compassion, or your lapel pin of humility, but clothe ourselves. Cover up with all of these things.  I used the NIV here because I like the way it reads.  Just a few short weeks ago we were in the dead of winter.  When my children would go outside I would tell them you can go but you must put on a bunch of clothes to stay warm.  Put on long pants, thermal shirts, thick socks, and a heavy coat.  Wrap up!  They needed to wrap up to face the cold.  That's what the apostle Paul is saying here.  Put on these clothes that Jesus has given you.  Wrap yourself in these attributes so that people will know that you belong to Jesus. When we clothe ourselves in these attributes we will see people just as Jesus saw them and we will have compassion for them just as Jesus did for the multitudes.

Also, we are to bear with each other and forgive whatever we may have against another person. That is a hard one because we are in a sinful human body, but when you read the last sentence of verse 13, it should make it easier. Read it and think about what that means to you.....Forgive as the Lord forgave you. How much have you been forgiven? And in this sense of the word forgiven means removed as far as the east is from the west, never to be brought up again! Wow, never to be brought up again.  (now that's complete forgiveness)

Hope this gives you something to think about and ponder. Hope you remember to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience....and don't forget to forgive as the Lord has forgiven you!

Paul

Challenging Times with Two Two-Year Olds!!!

We have always heard that the Lord will not give you more than you can handle; we claimed that as a promise when we found out that we were going to have twins. I can say that right now as we approach Peyton and Pierce's third birthday, we are begging God not to trust us so much because we think we are at the limit.

Keri and I both hate to label things, so we really don't like the term "terrible twos", but we are really wondering if that is what we are in the midst of. These two boys are testing every bit of patience that either of us have ever had and every bit that we have prayed for. We are at our wits end and feel that with two of them we are getting a double whammy. Every time we turn around, we are having to correct one and sometimes both. It just doesn't seem that we went through this with the other two, but maybe it is because we had one at a time. Either way, we would covet your prayers to help us make it through this season of life with these two little guys. Don't forget to pray for Kati and Preston also, they have to live within our organized chaos. Everyday is a new challenge with these 2.

Preston and Kati can bring in their share of frustrations also but at least it's not a daily battle. They are really good kids and we are very proud of them and their accomplishments and adjustments over the past 3 years.

In all things remember that children are a blessing from God.
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3

Paul

Finally Finishing

Along with a new business, I decided to finish my bachelor's degree. I started right out of high school at Mississippi State, but didn't finish and now the time seems right to finally finish. I started back in October at Union University in Germantown and will finish up in March 2011. Wow just 11 months away! Sounds like a long time but it is really not long at all.

This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time but I just didn't know how I would do it. When we returned from Brazil, Keri and I talked about it and felt like this was as good a time as any to finish and get my college diploma which is needed in today' economy. It has really been a blessing to go to Union. The classes have been relevant with a constant emphasis on the work place.

After Union I really don't know what God has in store next. We are open to what God has for
us. We are praying about several things and one of them is possibly getting my masters from Mid America. A lot will have to happen in order for that to take place but we are open and praying for God's guidance in our life.

Here are some things you can pray for:

• Our finances
• Our new business (Honey-Dew Lawn Care) We need yards to cut!!!
• Our children

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 & 7

Paul

Work is Picking Up

When we returned to the US after our time in Brazil, we had no job, no home, nothing to come back to. We weren't sure what we would do or where we would end up. In looking for a job, we wanted to keep ourselves "liquid" in an effort to be ready to go wherever God wants us to go. So, as of October 1st, we bought a lawn care company. As you know the end of the year isn't the best time to think that you will have work to do when lawn care is your job, but springtime is and it is definitely picking up!

Right now my crew is mainly myself, and occasionally Keri, Kati, or Preston. I have a few others that I can call on, but haven't really had the freedom to hire anyone since we haven't had enough work, but things are looking up. My hope is that I can get busy enough to pick up a young college student or even high school student for the summer but I am not there yet.

This has so far been a real learning experience just as any new business venture. God is teaching me many things through all of this and the biggest thing is that He is in control of my life and this business. I have to tell myself this every night before I go to bed!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Paul

Memories with Preston

This is my favorite time of year.....SPRING! Life is all around us! God's creation is in full bloom! I love the colors, smells, and temperatures of spring. We have taken full advantage of being outdoors and enjoying this time of year. We have been on a small hike in the woods, we have been walking everyday it isn't raining, and as for me (Keri) I have starting running 3 days a week and am up to 3 miles. It has been a great time for all of us to be able to get outside and run and play, but for me, my time alone running or walking has been a time of quiet reflection. Some days, it is the only time that I have complete quiet and it has been nice. I have tried to fall in love with running before and it just never worked, but right now I need quiet more than ever and I think it is helping me really like running. I can't say love it because I don't love it...yet. Last night was a waking night and my sweet little Preston decided to join me. I didn't think he would make it very far before he was saying he was ready to go back, but surprisingly he made it a mile and a half. I was pleasantly surprised and did enjoy some one on one time with him. He didn't understand why I wouldn't put my arm around him though. He is so skinny that he just doesn't understand the concept of exercise or the need for it! Wish I had his problem! He pretended the entire time that we were cars in a race. I was a Corvette and he was a Lamborghini. He was also the commentator, so he kept me laughing with his constant reporting on how well the old Corvette was keeping up. He even mentioned that she might be able to pick up some speed if her trunk wasn't so weighted down! In the end though, the old Corvette won maybe she was allowed to win, but either way, she won!

Fun memories with one of my sweethearts!

Snow Day

Monday morning we woke up with about 4 or so inches covering everything. It was the most beautiful surprise that God could have given us that morning. It was beautiful. We had a great time playing in the snow and building my biggest snowman ever and the kids first real one. It was wonderful to see everyone out and playing in the snow: sledding, building snowmen, building igloos, and competing to make the largest snowball. It was just a great day that brought out the joy in people. Preston and Kati even got a snow day with the schools and Preston said he was glad he saved his snow day for the "good" snow!

New family picture

I added our latest family picture just so you could see how the kids are growing. I would like to say just Peyton and Pierce are growing, but it is all of them! Kati is now two inches taller than me and Preston is fast approaching my height. If you notice the blue cast on the arm of one of the little guys, that is Peyton. The Saturday before Christmas we were in Aberdeen at Paul's parent's house and Peyton fell off of a bar stool. When he started to fall he reached up to try and catch himself and grabbed a casserole dish that came down with him and broke. It cut his pinky finger severely and severed the two tendons on the back of the hand that work that finger. That night they just sewed him up but we had an appointment at Campbell Clinic on Monday morning. Tuesday morning we had outpatient surgery to reattach at least one of the two tendons. Everything went off without a hitch, but mom was a little nervous about her little guy being put to sleep. Lots of prayer got me through that two hours! He had to wear the cast for three weeks and it never seemed to bother him. We never even had to give him any pain medication. He was a real trooper. The doctor says that he will do his own physical therapy so for us not to worry. He is using it some, but not as much as he should. I guess time will tell. We go back to the doctor on February 10 so hopefully by then, he will have fully recovered and nothing else will need to be done. We thought it was going to leave a nasty scar, but even that is not too bad. We now have a fail proof way to tell them apart!

Settling in nicely

Well, we have been "home" for 7 months now and FINALLY it is feeling "normal". We have all felt like fish out of water for so long now, that to finally be into somewhat of a normal routing we are starting to settle into life here. It has been the strangest feeling to not be able to do the simplest tasks when I had no problems doing them in my pre-Brazil days. Even ordering pizza on the phone, I just don't want to do and that has only been since we have gotten back. I don't know what the problem is but I do remember having to speak in Portuguese over the phone and it was hard not being able to read the body language and motions that go along with speaking it. So, I guess that was so traumatic for me that it has carried over.

We are all different since our time in Brazil that is for sure. We view the world differently. We view people differently. We view ourselves differently. We miss it! I wish I could have a do over and go back now with two almost three year olds instead of two almost one year olds. Having two babies held me back, well held all of us back, from doing things that we would normally just do. Anyway, my prayer is that the Lord will use the change in my family for His Kingdom and that we will not waste the opportunity that was given to us.

Tenho saudades para Brasil!

Being "home"

We have been "home" or at least this side of the equator for the past few months and things are finally starting to feel ok. I can only say ok, not normal, but one of our prayers is that we will not go back to normal. It has taken time to get used to life here, and that seems very weird to say since this is basically where we grew up. We were not completely prepared for the readjustment that would be required to fit in. We were completely prepared for the fact that people can't always relate to us. For most people, there is no real point of reference for them to be able to understand where we are coming from when we say that we aren't sure that we are glad to be back. Also, most people don't won't to hear all the stories that we have to tell. So, these things were no surprise to us. The things that did surprise us was the simple things being so overwhelming. What I mean by this is having so many choices when going to the grocery store for example. We got used to the fact that we only had about 5 different choices of potato chips and certainly didn't have two flavors in one bag. Seems like a not big deal, just pick one, but it wasn't. It was overwhelming! There are too many choices in almost every category in the grocery store from diapers and wipes to lunch meat and everything in between. It was 9 weeks before I was able to go to the grocery store without crying! Sounds ridiculous to even admit that.

Last week, we had the opportunity to go to Virginia for a debriefing conference and it really helped us understand the readjustment issues that we are going through. Also, we had the chance to talk to many others going through the same exact thing. We came home yesterday with refreshed spirits and a more clear understanding of what to expect. We still don't know exactly what our future holds, but for now....Paul is finishing his degree and has recently bought a lawn care company. We are praying that the Lord will open doors and once he has finished his schooling that the Lord will show where we are to go. We do not feel that we will be staying in the Memphis area, but don't know where we will be going either. Paul purchased the lawn care business in hopes that wherever we go, that can go with us and he will have the ability to earn some quick money even if he doesn't have a traditional job.

The Lord has been gracious to us and more merciful than we will ever deserve. He has proven himself trustworthy over and over again in our lives, so moving forward we have decided that we are going to begin this journey and new chapter of life just trusting Him. We may not know much else, but we know that our God is a good God and all things work together for good for those who love Him. So, we are going to keep on loving and trusting the One who is worthy. Please be in prayer for us as we continue to seek His direction and guidance for our lives. We are asking for wisdom and need as much as we can get.

New Food Finds

Ok, so it isn't really NEW food, but we continue to amaze ourselves at the things that we have been able to make ourselves. By make, I mean, from scratch, no boxed meals or mixes that you just add soup to. This is no big deal to a lot of people, but it has taken some getting use to for us. We didn't think that we used as much Campbell's soup and Hamburger Helper as we did, but we quickly found out that we not only used it, but we didn't know how to cook without it. So, I just want to share some of our recent successes that have been like a little slice of home. We made our very own flour tortillas and when tortillas actually became available in the grocery store here, the kids didn't like the store bought ones....they wanted moms! It did my heart good. Of course it is more trouble, but not that much more and it was fun making them. I think I have mentioned it before, but we have been making our own barbecue sauce and maple syrup. These have been favorites too. I made some drop biscuits that I added a type of cheese to (since we don't have cheddar in Brazil) and garlic. They tasted just like the garlic cheese biscuits from Red Lobster, which Paul and I have always loved. But the latest creation was Rotel chicken spaghetti without the Rotel. I got a taste for it and wanted it, but there is no Rotel or Velveeta in Brazil. I found a processed cheese spread that I thought I could make work and boy did it work. As far as Rotel, well, I got tomatoes and jalapenos and made my own. We haven't had chicken spaghetti in probably a year and a half and this was mouth-watering good. We are not only getting used to cooking in Brazil, we are actually liking cooking in Brazil.

Botanical Gardens

We had a wonderful day at the botanical gardens here in PoA. We took a picnic lunch, spread out our blanket under the trees, and had a great day. This was the first picnic for the little boys and they did great. They sat on the blanket and ate their lunch and once they were done, they did get up, but they stayed right with us and came back when we called. It was a nice change being in the open spaces. There are days when the bars on the windows and the gate around the property seem to close in on us, so to be able to roam free and have plenty of space to walk was just a nice change. We even walked through their natural science museum and all the kids enjoyed that. We ended the day with some ice cream to cool off with. This is the day that the Lord has made! And we rejoiced and were glad in it!

Coming to an end!

We are wrapping up our two month long family visit from Pawpaw and Nana. I can honestly say that it has been a great time just having family close again. It has been a lot of fun showing them the town, taking them to some of our favorite restaurants and my personal favorite...showing them the mountains and the beautiful city of Gramado. It was neat for us to see them experience all the firsts of a new culture. There have been many things that we have gotten used to in our year in Brazil, and they have reminded us that they are not what we experience from where we are from. I think one of the biggest things has been the overwhelming size of the city we live in. Coming from Olive Branch, Mississippi, which is growing by leaps and bounds but only has a population of about 35,000 to PoA with its surrounding area it is somewhere around 3 to 4 million. So this has been overwhelming for them to say the least. They never got used to the driving or just riding in their case. Nana was constantly gasping for breath as another motorist cut us off in traffic or a motorcyclist buzzed in between cars with barely enough room to fit. We have gotten used to, but they never did.

The babies have especially gotten used to them being here. They wake up in the mornings or from their naps and at least one of them starts looking for Pawpaw. Every night before they go to bed, they have to give Pawpaw and Nana kisses. I'm sure that the babies will notice their absence, and I am even more sure that the grandparents will feel some separation anxiety.

So, as our time comes to an end with them here with us, I would like to ask for you all to pray for us, we will miss them terribly, but also pray for traveling mercies for them. It is a long trip traveling from here to there. They will leave PoA at 7:30 Monday evening and not arrive in Memphis until 12:40 Tuesday afternoon. Please keep them in your prayers!

Thank you for your partnership in prayer with us. We cherish you all!

Updates coming soon!

Well, I am floored! I truly had no idea that so many of you actually followed our blog. I have heard from countless people asking me when are we going to update. So, I promise updates will be coming soon! We have spent the last month with Paul's parents and it has been wonderful. They will be here until March 16th, and we will be so sad to see them go. It has been wonderful just having them here to share meals with, to show them around town, and just to visit. We have always enjoyed their wise Godly counsel and now is no exception. This has been a great time to just unwind and enjoy them since it has been so long since we have seen them face to face. I will work to get some updates on what we have been doing along with some pictures soon, I promise!

Thanks for your interest in us and the work that is going on down here in Southern Brazil! By the way, it is HOT down here!

Spring Cleaning

Spring is almost over so we have to rush and get all that spring cleaning finished. Kati and I scrubbed the backyard today. Does that sound strange? Well, a year ago it would have sounded strange to me too, but not today. Our backyard, which we prefer to call a "courtyard", sounds more formal, is all tile. We do have grass, but it is in our front and side yard. The tile has not been scrubbed and really cleaned since we have lived here this 3 months and before that the house was empty for over a year, so I am sure it has been awhile since the tile was scrubbed. Well, it was scrubbed today and Kati and I took turns making it happen. We washed it all off with the water hose and a broom and then we literally scrubbed on our hands and knees. See the picture below....I'm not kidding. It was hard work, but we did it and were able to sit back, relax and enjoy our pretty, clean tile. I do think the caption on this pictures needs to be something like Cinder-relly, or something like that.

From Christmas Cookies to Emergency Rooms

Preston and I decided today was the day for Christmas cookies. I had Grandmother's recipe for sugar cookies, but was a little nervous that I just wasn't going to be able to make it work. So, it was just our practice batch, but it turned out great. We will be making more to give to our neighbors this weekend. So, let the baking begin! One funny note about the cookies was that we don't have cookie cutters, which is fine so don't send us any. What we did was cut out shapes out of paper like a snowman, candy cane and gingerbread man just to start with. We laid the paper shapes on the dough and used a knife to cut around it. (see picture of Preston in action below) It worked rather nicely. Once we figured out that it would work, we then did a cross, a manger, smiley faces and bells. We had a lot of fun. In addition to the cookies, we made a Brazilian sweet treat, brigadeiros, and a new found recipe from Susan Clements, cake balls. All of these turned out great and Preston was so excited that he was the only one that helped me. He is always excited about Mama/Preston time. Kati wants me to explain however that she had a friend from Campinas here spending the night and that is why she wasn't helping us......The flour all over everything and us was Preston's doing. He thought we needed it for the pictures.

We barely got the sweets finished when Kati came in the kitchen and said she was starting to itch all over her body. I gave her a benadryl and told her to go take a shower. Well, nothing seemed to help and it was getting worse. It started out as just red places but they were everywhere on her body. Then those red places began to swell and developed welts. She said her clothes touching her skin only made everything sting and it was obvious that she was very uncomfortable. She then thought she was having trouble breathing and that is when I got nervous. I went ahead and called for a taxi to take us to the ER. Paul and I didn't want to take a chance on her throat swelling shut. So, Kati and I were off to the ER with my Portuguese dictionary in hand. And just for the record that dictionary was never needed!!! Woo-Hoo!!! I was nervous though being by ourselves and having to rely on our language skills, but we did it. I got the paperwork filled out and she was checked in. That was task number 1. It may not be a big deal, but we are counting it as a major accomplishment. Then we were called back and the doctor spoke no English whatsoever. She had to examine Kati and explain to us what she was going to do; she did, and we understood! Accomplishment #2! So, she told us that they were going to give her medication to stop the itching and hopefully it would in turn stop the swelling. By this time, Kati's eyes, lips and ears were all swollen, but her breathing was okay. After they gave her the medication, they just wanted us to sit and wait to make sure that it was doing what they hoped it would do. It worked and Kati was feeling much better within 15 minutes. The swelling went down and the redness was gone, so Kati and I had a little time just to sit and talk. Once we knew she was going to be alright, it was a nice time together. So, it may have come about in a strange way, but I was able to spend some good one on one time with both Kati and Preston today. And on top of all that really felt like we had a major victory in the language being able to manage the ER with no help. I have already said many little prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord for seeing us through this and giving us this victory.

Brazilian 1st Birthday Party

I told you it would be nothing exciting, but here goes with my first "journal entry". In Brazil, the 1st birthday is a big one, along with the 15th birthday for girls. Well, we got to go to our first Brazilian 1 aninho aniversario festa and it didn't disappoint. We knew when we received all 6 invitations that it would be something spectacular. The picture below shows the invitation. It was adorable! It was just this cute little box and we all six got one.
When we took the top off of the box, it popped open with this cute green with white polka dot inside with little ladybugs all over it. The center ladybug is even a 3D type bug. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was so cute.The inside of course just gave the details of when and where the party was. Fofinho, neh? We waited after getting these cute little invitations for 3 weeks for party time. So, we were ready and excited to practice some Portuguese. Let me tell you a little about the party and then I will add some pictures. When we arrived they had red and white balloons everywhere and ladybugs on the sidewalk all the way up to the door, through the house and to the backyard where the festivities would actually take place. Everything was red, white and black with the ladybug theme - the cake, the treats, the sweets, the napkins, the tables, everything fit the theme of the party. Too cute! We first got there and sat down to be greeted by the waiters wanting our drink order. Remember I said that this was a 1 YEAR OLD birthday party! Waiters! Ok, then they brought around a little tray for every table with all kinds of little salty snacks. And when we ran out, they brought more. Then they brought around these cute little hot dogs, and even the wrapper for the hot dog had a ladybug on it. See below:Preston ate about 5 hot dogs and this was after all the little salty snacks which he ate way too many of. Not to mention all the guarana that he had already drank. Then there was lots of talking and mingling and chasing babies. We were there for almost 4 hours and no English was spoken. I felt that from a language point of view, it was good. We talked plenty, we didn't just sit there. We found a great couple that was so kind and so patient with us, Luciano and Marlise. We are supposed to have dinner with them after the holidays are over. We are looking forward to this! Ok, in this backyard the family has a pool and a beautifully shaded area that was just decorated to the tee. As I was enjoying the tropical trees in the yard, I noticed one of them was a pomegranate tree. They told me to come back and get as many as I want when they are ripe.
I was fascinated by the pomegranate. You know there are just some things that this Mississippi girl is not used to seeing and this was my thing for the day! The babies loved the pool and this dolphin that spit water. I was afraid that one of them was going to fall in, but Preston was the only one that got wet that day and I was the one that pushed him in. He liked it so don't feel sorry for him!Then we sang to the birthday girl, ate cake, ate chocolate covered strawberries, ate more treats and talked a lot more. It was fun and a great experience. We had heard that the first birthday was sometimes as big as a wedding reception and this one could have been a wedding reception. A neat little side note to this party was that there were 3 sets of twins there. Ok enough already, I know, I will quit boring you now, but here is a picture of the birthday girl, Bruna, and her cake.Isn't she precious? Her family speaks no English whatsoever and they are so sweet to us and are so very patient with us as we struggle to make our Portuguese words make sense. We are thankful for our new Brazilian friends and ask that you pray with us that the Lord will nurture these friendships and show us how to be a light to them even if we can't speak as fluently as we would like.

New Way of Posting

Ok, my kids have informed me that I keep forgetting details of things that we have done or things that have happened since arriving in Brazil 10 months ago. And I can't seem to be consistent enough to actually put pen to paper and write it down, but I am on this computer enough that I think I can type it out. So, with that in mind, I am going to start blogging as if this were my journal in a kind of sort of way. If it gets to a point that it is just not your kind of blog, then feel free to stop reading, but I have to do something to help my memory. Hopefully this will be just what my mind needs to help jog my memory. And if not, that's ok at least I will have a written record. I will start this new blog style tomorrow, so I will see you then.