Our Family (is growing)

I am way behind...

2012-01-07T10:48:00.002-05:00

Christmas is long gone. I put all the decor in boxes over a week ago, but the blog (once again) has been neglected. First pic- Outside a hotel they have a singing Christmas tree and afterwards fireworks. K did not like the loud banging of the fireworks.

A reindeer came to visit.

One of the two cutest I have never seen.

Playing with her new cars and dressed for Christmas eve celebration with our friends.

Christmas day was the hottest we've had. Praise the Lord it rained around 7pm and cooled things off. Also thankful that I had finished all the food the day before.
Karis from last year.

Time to Celebrate!

2011-12-21T05:57:00.003-05:00

Christmas is reason enough to celebrate! Amen! However, I also turned in my last paper of the semester. Amen! We went out and had acai to celebrate.
Summer is in full swing and supposedly today is the longest day of the year. I really like having the sun around until 8:30 each night.
Here are some pics from out yearly photo shoot on Thanksgiving. I would like to title it "Personality".

Who's Who?

2011-12-04T12:51:00.001-05:00

Both of these pictures were taken when the girls were exactly the age. Can you guess who's who?

Lydia is Here!

2011-10-27T16:24:00.001-04:00

Lydia Kyrie Gillum is in our arms. Yay! She was born at 5:30 a.m. on October 26, 2011 weighing in at 7 lbs. 8 oz. and with 19 inches long. This makes her exactly 2 years and 12 hours and 29 minutes younger than Karis her sister. She is already nursing and sleeping great. We pray this continues. She has a head full of jet-black hair and looks a lot like Karis, but unique in her own way. We are leaving the hospital tomorrow morning. Right now we are enjoying the peace and quiet because Grandmommy is at home with Karis.

Waiting is a Lesson in Patience

2011-10-22T09:37:00.002-04:00

Here it is today, Oct. 22, technically my due date was yesterday. This little girl does not want to come out to our crazy world. She wants to stay in the warmth and cozy belly of mine. I am keeping busy with baking. However, I should be using this time to write papers and read. I can't sit that still. Praise the Lord for Karis, again, because she is the best at keeping me occupied. Our little (big) family has been spending a lot of time together since we'd already cleared the calendar for 24hour newborn care. So that's been fun. Yesterday I made K's birthday cake and put it in the freezer for whenever we actually get to celebrate. I really don't want them to have the same birthday, but I don't really have a say.

Please pray for a healthy delivery and a healthy baby girl! You'll know when she arrives...

The picture- K helped herself to the frig and tried to pour herself a cup of milk.

Swim Class

2011-10-17T20:45:00.002-04:00

This was taken after only a few classes. Now she is much more brave. She looks forward to swim class and gets so excited when it's finally time to go.

Photo Session

2011-09-26T14:30:00.001-04:00

Last week we had a Karis, Emily and belly Photo Session. It was easy (cheap) and simple (cheap) thanks to our pretty nice camera and husband/dad/photographer. We are getting some good natural light through our windows so we even took all the pics in the apt. Here are some of my favs.

Also some folks have been asking about what we (the baby and Karis) need/want. I figured I could make a list for anyone (grandparents, aunts, etc.) interested.

Karis- Any learning/school games/activities/toys: coloring books, stamps/ink pads, play dough/moon dough
Dress up clothes: police officer, doctor, fire (wo)man, postman, pilot, etc.
Play kitchen items: tea set, fake food, etc.
Books! The kids loves books just like her daddy does.
Movies: She loves musicals and Pixar. She already has Marry Poppins, Up, Cars, Madagascar, Milo and Otis.
Clothes sizes: At the doctor the other day she weighed in at 11kg or 24.3 lbs and is 86cm or 2ft 8inches tall- making her right above the 50% for her age. So mostly she's moving out of 18 months and into 2T or 24 months. She is tall and skinny.

Baby- She will have all of big sister's clothes, but most of them are summer. So she's going to need some sweaters, pants, shoes, etc. to stay warm. She'll be around 4 months old before it gets really cold. So warm clothes starting around 3-6 months sizes. Shoes I think are the most needed b/c I don't remember Karis even wearing shoes and I certainly don't remember any when I was organizing the baby's room. So shoes for sure.

Pictures to Share

2011-09-19T20:39:00.001-04:00

2011-09-16T15:38:00.000-04:00

35 weeks done or 35 days to go. I am almost ready. If that's even possible. The time is going faster each day. Perhaps I have taken on a little more than I'm comfortable with. I started back to school this semester. I'm only taking one class and it's online. Supposedly I'm still a language student that spends 50% of my time learning. Also we're working closely with two church plants and trying to start a church in a neighborhood that has no church. Karis is potty training, learning colors and letters in "school" and soon is starting swimming classes.I am trying to cook a ton of food to store up in the freezer for when the baby comes. It's a fun adventure daily. Good news is that her room is ready except for a mattress. We have narrowed the name list down to 3 names. I got my toe nails done. My friends are throwing me a baby shower.

Tia Bekah and Tio Kevin

2011-08-20T11:37:00.002-04:00

Thank you FBC for sending encouragement in the form of friends! For a whole week Kevin and Bekah loved on Karis (even changing diapers) and served us so well. I didn't have to put K in or out of the car the whole time they were here. This, my friends, is a big deal when I have the baby belly going on.
Here are some pics of their time here.

Could it be?

2011-08-17T15:31:00.003-04:00

Could it be? I haven't blogged in a month.
Could it be? 80 degrees outside.
Could it be? Only 2 months of pregnancy left.
Could it be? Yep.

500 days

2011-07-20T20:25:00.003-04:00

We've lived in this country for over 500 days now.
I guess it's safe to say we have a "new normal". What I mean is daily things that used to be strange are completely normal now.
Like wearing sweaters and jackets in the "summer". It's normal to freeze in July and the cherry blossoms blooming.

Apartment life in the middle of the city with construction and loud traffic. This is our door. I like it.

Some things are similar... but I always drink peach juice with my quarter pounder meal (not so normal).

The pizza... it's good. I used to hate it. Yes, I even like the eggs on top.

No English translation needed for most things. Life happens in Portuguese.

Park Picnic

2011-07-08T21:51:00.001-04:00

Pigtails

2011-06-18T15:27:00.001-04:00

This is Levi. Isn't he cute!

Photo Update

2011-06-13T16:19:00.002-04:00

Learning to smile for the camera.

2011-06-02T09:40:00.004-04:00

Finally, we found the playground at the park closest to our house. (It is a huge park.) The sun shines right on it so even on cold days we can play.

Karis is going to have a little...

2011-05-26T16:03:00.000-04:00

Sister! Baby is a girl!

19 months and 19 weeks

2011-05-25T14:17:00.003-04:00

My kiddos are 19 months old today and 19 weeks old (pre-birth). Something about this fact makes me incredibly tired.
No time for a nap today. First, I must clean the dirt from the balcony, living room, clothes and shoes. It wasn't funny at the time, and won't be until I'm done cleaning it up. Joey came over this morning to play with K and I left the door to the balcony open. Within a minute there was dirt (that used to be in the plant) everywhere! I sure do like the farming skills the kids have picked up from Uncle Mark, but from now on we will only practice farming at his house.

In other news: we're finding out if baby number 2 is a boy or girl tonight. I am such a great wife that I have not looked at the results of my ultrasound on Monday morning because Steven's been out of town. So finally the wait will be over in a few hours!

Smart girl

2011-05-18T10:47:00.005-04:00

The sound is really behind the video. Anyone know how to fix it?

Friends

2011-05-10T16:06:00.003-04:00

Karis has always considered Joey a friend, but it took Joey a little while to think the same of K. Now they are starting to play together better. K is always happy to see him. Especially in the nursery at church. I think it's b/c he's the only kid that speaks English. These were taken over the last couple months.

There's something I've been meaning to tell you...

2011-04-30T15:24:00.003-04:00

Thanks for checking in on the blog! I think you'll be glad you did.
Way back on Feb. 21 we discovered a new family member was alive and well. A baby! I'm pregnant! The due date is Oct. 21. We've had one ultrasound and everything is good. We hope to find out soon if K will have a little brother or sister. We both are thinking the baby will be a girl. That would make birthday parties a lot simpler for the future since K's b-day is Oct. 25. Ha!

Family Pic

2011-04-29T09:03:00.001-04:00

Half Birthday

2011-04-25T14:38:00.002-04:00

Karis is 1.5 years old today. She is full of energy and becoming a little more trying of our discipline. Just recently she started "throwing fits". I believe she is cutting her 2 year molars because of the drool and crying at bed time. She still likes her tricycle and our weekly afternoon at the park. Cheerios are still her fav snack... that is b/c we only give her cookies every now and then. She has a sweet tooth just like me. Also she can sleep for hours and hours. She likes to try and put on her clothes and shoes or our clothes and shoes.

First Guest

2011-04-18T21:11:00.003-04:00

Tia Sara came to visit and we had a lot of fun! We went shopping for curtains and learned a whole new set of vocabulary words. Sara is very patient for my very specific decorating desires. We walked downtown for 3 hours trying to get a document authenticated only to spend 2.5 hours the next day at the Federal Police to finally get our address changed. Then, we had some fun time at the Polish park. We also rode the tourist bus which was great because it was free. We ended the weekend with the street market.
So who wants to come visit next?

Fun around town.

2011-04-05T14:17:00.001-04:00

Climbing

2011-03-31T16:15:00.001-04:00

picture update

2011-03-29T10:11:00.000-04:00

Can you see any similarities?

2011-03-29T10:10:00.001-04:00

Oops.

2011-03-25T21:46:00.003-04:00

I totally forgot that today K is 17 months old. Oops. Am I a bad mom? I think I forgot b/c I spent a large portion of the day making curtains for her room. So perhaps that makes up for forgetting.

Woke up in my own bed.

2011-03-19T08:44:00.003-04:00

Today is the second morning that I woke up in my very own bed. This strange phenomenon hasn't happened since June 24, 2009. Just to keep me humble the Lord thought it good for the only thing missing from our crate to be the slats that go under the bed and make it stable. So needless to say the last two nights have been a little shaky.

K has had a great week with all the boxes and new things. Actually, she wasn't even born when we packed up. Crazy. I can't wait to finish the final touches on her room. I think it's going to be so pretty and purple!

Steven has worked countless hours to get everything ready. The only problem is the oven- still waiting on a part to come in. We even have curtains up and washer and dryer functioning.

We are enjoying our new city. The limited time we've spent enjoying it has been great. The pictures are from places we've been when I remembered the camera. I hope to make more in the coming weeks before winter arrives.

Celebrate!

2011-02-27T19:30:00.003-05:00

We made it! One year in Brazil!
It has not been easy. It has not been without struggle.
This past year so much has changed. We are not the same family that left the USA 366 days ago.
Most important God has made us a little more like Him.
Hard to sum the past year up b/c we have experienced so many different events and emotions.
We have met so many wonderful people. So much of our time was spent frustrated b/c we couldn't say exactly what we wanted. Days went by when I thought, how will I ever be able to not be stressed out when someone asks me a question. I want to understand people and I want them to understand me. But still people were our friends! Amazing! They had so much patience with us.
I still get angry when I find a new recipe that sounds so yummy and when I read the ingredients I realize we don't have about 5 of them. (Side note: There is campbell's soup here for only $5 for one can, ha.)
Anyways, I have to end with this... Most days I love Brazil! But there are days that I wonder what my life would be like in the US.
I look forward to this next year! Making our home here finally, sharing the Gospel, and having friends and family visit are just a few goals.

Life at the Mansion

2011-02-21T18:40:00.004-05:00

Technically it's not a mansion, but it feels like one to us. Especially since K can play outside while I'm cleaning the kitchen. Our friends are kindly letting us live in their home while they're visiting family. We are up to our eyeballs in apartment hunting. Finally, today we have a hopeful prospect.
We also purchased K a crib today! I can't wait to put her in it. Her very own bed. Perhaps soon she'll also have a room. The same room at least for a couple years.

Diggin for Gold

2011-02-06T21:28:00.003-05:00

Only b/c it's cute right now am I posting these. One day soon it will not be cute.

Fun with the camera.

2011-02-04T08:51:00.000-05:00

Enjoy.

Seems as if the rain is slowing.

2011-01-20T16:24:00.003-05:00

The weather is a great superficial subject to talk about. It's comfortable and easy. When I sat down to write this blog and the whole week since I wrote last, many subjects have run through my head. Most of which I will never blog about. Moving on...

So it's official we know where we're moving next. Huge praise because we are certain this is where the Lord is leading us for the next 2 years. If you want to know the city and more specifics just ask. Our goal is to leave here within the next 3 weeks. We're excited about working with a couple whom we admire and have a lot of wisdom. Also we're super excited to be working with some wonderful national brothers and sisters.
Currently we are learning about the specific neighborhoods that we have been advised to live in or around.

Two more things:
One, I've been looking back at 2010 and ahead at 2011 these past few weeks. The hardships of 2010 are behind me and concurred. The biggest one being the fear of learning a language. After the first 6 months of struggling each day and being extremely tired I actually enjoyed learning. To top it off I actually achieved the language level to "graduate" language school in 9 1/2 months. Only by the grace of God, because I wanted to quit so many times.

2011- I am trying a new Bible reading plan for this year. The one I tried to do last year did not work. Obviously I know I was the problem. However, I am much more excited about this layout and think I can actually complete this one. Lord give me daily desire!

Crib Advice Needed

2011-01-11T19:55:00.003-05:00

First, I failed at my attempt to stay awake last night... I made it until 2am- a little into the 3rd quarter. It was exciting this morning to watch the highlights.
War Eagle!

We are finally needing to purchase a crib for our "baby" aka toddler. Our lives are so crazy... Karis is almost 15 months old and we've never owned a crib.
All the stores here carry the models that the side drops down, but it makes me nervous to purchase one of those. Is this a valid concern? I think companies in the USA can't even produce these?

Also what about the convertible style? Is this a good idea? What if God gives us another baby and Karis is already sleeping in the crib that's been converted into a bed? Is it cost effective? Or could we purchase a crib and little girl bed for the same or cheaper than a convertible?

Thanks in advance for advice!

An Attempt to stay up WAY past my bedtime.

2011-01-10T19:24:00.004-05:00

ponytail
molar
box of goodies
ready for the game
War Eagle!
Auburn University's (American) football team is playing the Oregon Ducks. The game is being played in Arizona and starts at 11:30pm my time.
Since I'm an alumni I really want to watch the game! Oh man, it's so late though... I drank some coffee earlier, but I think I'm going to need more to make it through the whole game.

Christmas and New Years

2011-01-04T13:37:00.004-05:00

Since we are so far away from our family in the southeast we knew we wanted to celebrate with our family here. Christmas eve we drove to the big city to spend 8 nights with our dear friends. The big city life is fun and exciting especially when most people who normally live there are gone to the beach. So we kinda had the city to ourselves. Except for New Years Eve when 2 million people came out to ring in the new year on Avenida Paulista. Thankfully we were not there, but with some fellow brothers and sisters. We were having so much fun we didn't even know it was midnight until we heard the sound of millions of fireworks. So cool to see the vastness of skyscrapers being lit up by beautiful flashes of colors.

Don't judge yet... my new hobby

2010-12-23T19:40:00.002-05:00

I know like I have time for a new hobby... I don't even have time to blog. So don't judge yet because I am starting from scratch. Drum roll... my new hobby... iiiissss... taking pictures of Karis. Oh, but I've been doing that for over a year now. Right, but now I have a sweet camera to make better pics with. Really I need to work on editing. So there you have it. A blog nothing about Christmas. Except for now I would like to say that I am happy it's Christmas!

Advent: Remembering the Past-Looking forward to the Future

2010-12-22T10:19:00.001-05:00

Gordon-Conwell Theology Seminary Advent Devotional

JOURNEY to the MANGER: Advent 2010

PSALM 61
Karen Mason

The Holy City

I grew up in a community of Christians who eagerly anticipated the return of Jesus Christ. So when Advent season arrives, my attention is drawn not only toward the past but toward the future. John sees a new Jerusalem where God will dwell with his people, where every tear will be wiped away and where death will be no more. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, will make all things new.

Following Christ daily is a challenge. As Christians, we are not immune from sickness, personal and financial setbacks and the effects of living in a world infected by human depravity. In the midst of those challenges, we can live with hope because we know that Jesus Christ will return and we will live with him in a new heaven and a new earth. The risen Christ has conquered death and there will come a time when Jesus Christ will appear. In that instant, sin and death will be completely destroyed, and his followers will enter into the new Jerusalem of his eternal kingdom.

We do not know when that will be, but we still live with confident hope because the sovereign God of the universe is Lord over time and eternity.

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Christmas Time?

2010-12-16T20:19:00.003-05:00

So much emotion is expected and hoped for during the "holidays". Listen to the music, listen to how people talk, watch the parking lots at the malls... strange, but glad to be experiencing things a little different this year. In fact, I've had to find Christmas music online because I never hear it otherwise. No 24/7 Christmas radio channel or even one song is to be found. We also don't have any of our decorations... which leads me to the next issue.

I started a wreath making project a month ago and it's still not done. I keep making it and taking it apart because it's just not right. So any help or advice is welcome. In the meanwhile I'm sticking to baking and going back to my strict policy of only crafting when absolutely necessary.

PS- I will be starting a new hobby Saturday. Stay tuned... I think you're going to like it.

Merry Christmas!

Photo Update

2010-12-11T09:12:00.003-05:00

reoccuring themes - a list

2010-12-04T14:53:00.004-05:00

Rainbows
Here in the Southern Hemisphere we are quickly approaching Summer. For us it is rainy season. I am especially thankful for the rain because it cools off the already 100 degree days. Not sure if the quick to come and quick to go rain is the cause of all the rainbows, but lately I see them almost every day. Thank you Lord for your promise.

Sore throat
I have been sick so much lately. Finally, this week on my 4th visit to the doctor, the second doctor that is, I have an answer to the 20-something year long question. Why do I have sore throats? And why do they seem to be worse here? After a couple of tests I was diagnosed with a 75% allergy to dust and mold and a 90% blockage of one of my nasal cavities. Although this diagnosis is chronic, medicine can help and so far it is.

baba
Portuguese for babysitter this word seems to cause much celebration/headache for our family. The first baba Karis had was to good to be true. We loved her. She got pregnant and then almost lost the baby so she had to quit. Our second baba we grew to love also became pregnant. She had some bad morning sickness and felt it was better for her not to keep Karis. Now we will start with our 3rd baba on Monday.

Pregnancy/births/adoptions
So many of my friends are pregnant or just had their baby. I'm talking number in the double digits. Yes, I think around 20.

I think I had another item to add to the list, but me forgetting something is also a reoccurring theme.

3 Years

2010-12-02T18:16:00.003-05:00

In case you are new to our blog or have been out of touch for the last 3 years please check out our day from December 1, 2007.

Brain, Mind, Train of thought

2010-11-22T20:31:00.002-05:00

Does your mind wonder? Mine does...
What was I talking about? Oh, right my wondering mind.
Ha!
Check out this article.

Friends

2010-11-19T11:18:00.005-05:00

My friends are pretty awesome. They have many gifts and talents they use to the glory of God. I have been greatly encouraged throughout my life by these women. Today is blog share day. So I'll share a blog with you.
Prayer of Hannah

Monday we had a holiday once again. We did a little trip to check out the Christmas decor at the local mall. We had heard from several folks that it was a little unusual in a good way. We arrived at 11:30 to a mostly empty mall... strange. Then, we saw the much talked about decor. A nativity scene, like with a baby Jesus and everything. There were big life size animals, Mary, Joseph, wise men, and even an angel.
On the other side of the nativity scene was Santa. Can't forget him...
Karis had no desire to come close to him. It was kinda funny.

This Week In Pictures

2010-11-12T19:14:00.005-05:00

First pancake (no syrup)
Trying to reach the ball behind the couch.

Giving hugs.
Trying on her new swimsuit.Not pictured: pooping on the floor after escaping the bath tub. That night I was really thankful for tile floors.

16 Weeks

2010-11-07T19:04:00.002-05:00

Time to count down to our one year anniversary and graduation of language school.
112 days. 16 weeks. 2688 hours.

Lately, I have been so confused with the fact that it is spring in November. Winter in July didn't really seem that strange b/c the temperature was never cold. Strange.

Also I would like to say that my days of nursing K have come to an end. The end of an era. Do any other mom's feel happy and sad at the same time? I set a goal when I was pregnant to nurse for one year and we did it. It wasn't always easy, no, it was horrible at the beginning. But it was so convenient! Never had to wash bottles or prepare them as I was running out the door. Not to mention the health benefits for both mom and baby! I think if I had to have another job besides the one I have now and I couldn't bake all day I would be a lactation consultant.

I would also like to ask for some help. Help! I am really struggling in the meal preparation part of my life. How do you plan? A month in advance? Week to week? Do you have a filling system for recipes? How often do you repeat a recipe? I'm talking basics here people.
Since Karis is now eating everything we eat I've become a lot more aware of how slack I was in this department. I need healthy stuff that doesn't take a long time to prepare. I'm a huge fan of making a lot of food and using in different ways throughout the week.
I found a website to plan meals. Is this a good idea?

Last but not least, Karis is almost walking. She will take a step or maybe two then sit down. Stay tuned b/c I think it will be soon.

First time...

2010-11-06T09:21:00.004-04:00

Karis has experienced many "first" times these last few weeks.

Subway sandwich, ice cream cone, spaghetti, pancake, refusing a nap all day and falling asleep at 6pm sleeping until 8:30am only waking once for some milk.

Also she got to go to the zoo! Mostly she was tired and glazed over b/c she hadn't taken a nap (same day she fell asleep at 6pm). She did like the toucans, monkeys, and ducks.

Long Weekend

2010-10-31T19:32:00.002-04:00

Normally when I hear long weekend I think, "great! more time to do fun stuff". So we planned a trip to visit friends in a nearby city. However, my immune system decided, once again, to let me down. So instead of a fun trip I'm sitting on the couch blowing my nose. I have only left the house once since Thursday.

On to more encouraging words... We received not one, not two, but THREE packages in the mail last week. Wow! Feel the love! Yes, they were all for Karis. She really has enjoyed all of her new toys over the past 3 days (since we haven't left the house). Thank you for showing your love in a very tangible way! It really is wonderful to know you haven't forgot us here.

Here today was the presidential election and Brazil elected the first woman president. Who just happens to have never held an elected office. Many of the educated people are astonished because of her lack of experience and "unpatriotic" history. The fact that her opponent was the "obviously" better choice since he has served in multiple federal positions and as the governor of Sao Paulo. Well, I've said too much. Read more for yourself here.

Happy Birthday Karis

2010-10-26T12:04:00.003-04:00

The big event was the party on Saturday. So yesterday we enjoyed just being together. Karis slept in and I (emily) skipped the first two classes of school. For breakfast we had cheerios together. We then walked (well, I walked and push Karis in the stroller) to school and Karis swung in the hammock while I learned.

After lunch she was so tired so she took a 3 hour nap! Then, we continued our day with a trip to the best ice cream shop in town. Karis indulged in her first ice cream cone. Too bad it was melting faster than she could eat it. Thankfully there was a sink nearby. Then, it was off to the park to visit the ducks.
After sweating so much we needed a bath and then we headed to get Karis' present from Grandpa and Grandma Clayon.

It was a fun filled day. We love her so much!

Birthday Party Video

2010-10-24T14:13:00.000-04:00

Check out the party video here

Made by Tia Rebecca.
Thank you!

Happy Birthday Week

2010-10-19T23:00:00.003-04:00

The preparations have begun! I have a whole new respect for moms now. We planned a simple party with a few friends that is now grown into a huge event. Guess that's what happens when your daughter is the most friendly, loving, beautiful, curious, and wonderful little girl in the world.
Yes, I am up late... waiting for the cake in a bowl to cool. It only took 2 hours to bake! After a small slip up in my awesome attention to detail, I gave a quick cake emergency call to Molly (who, I'll have you know, did not know the answer). Leave it to me to stump the expert.
I have plenty of things to do, but I need to have a break from studying verbs and doing crafty things.
On a frustrating note: Our external hard drive is still not working. We have the click of death apparently. Thankfully we made a cd of pictures for my mom before we left the states. Too bad the only way for us to get them asap was through the internet. Shout out to my mom and all the PC users! You all have a lot of patience. Not me! Mac has changed my whole understanding of pictures and videos. Soooo easy and fast. Thank you Mac Book Pro.
Now time to research the best way to freeze a cake.

How do you like the pictures?? I'm trying to see all the similarities. Do you see any?

Thanks for the help!

2010-10-14T20:05:00.003-04:00

Google reader here I come!
Thanks for all the responses!

Blog Reading

2010-10-13T20:35:00.002-04:00

Bloglines, the tool I use to keep up with all the blogs I read, is closing down Nov. 1. I really need a way to know when someone updates their blog. Do you know of any? Please let me know!

Receiving Handwritten Letters

2010-10-09T13:00:00.002-04:00

I can tell you exactly how many handwritten letters I have mailed since I moved to Brazil... two. My goal is to write more because until yesterday I had forgotten how wonderful it is to receive a note that someone wrote.

Yesterday we received a total of 14 personal letters! Yes, all at one time! It was so encouraging! Along with the notes we also received lots of gifts. Steven got books (his fav. thing), I got a book, ranch, and a magnetic picture frame (with a great pic inside), and K got a great new sippy cup and snack holders! We seriously needed these things and were looking to get some for her b'day. They are so expensive here!

We went out for pizza last night at our fav. place. The place just happens to be owned by the family that we lived with. We read all the letters together and just when we finished our Brazilian family arrived and the kids sat down and ate with us! So it was a really fun night!

Thank you beloved friends at FBC!

Julie- tell Lara that Karis thought of her this morning while we were at the park b/c we saw two mommy ducks. one mommy had 11 babies and the other had 8 or 9 (hard to count).

34 months, 11 months and 7 months= reason to celebrate

2010-10-03T18:33:00.003-04:00

Steven and I have been married for 34 months.
Karis was born 11 months ago.
We have lived in Brazil 7 months.

So we took a family pic.
The other day Karis wore her overalls that her cousin gave her. Still holding on to the couch... walking is coming soon.

11 Months!

2010-09-25T18:08:00.004-04:00

Karis is 11 months old today! Her first birthday is only a month away!
You are invited to her first birthday party: Saturday October 23rd.

Another story...
We got another care package!!! This time from our faithful package mailer... My mom. Yummy Cheerios and cute Brazil t-shirt for Karis were only a couple of the goodies.

Back to Our Apt

2010-09-17T17:44:00.003-04:00

Floors and painting are done. Glad to be home, but missing our house in the country. We really enjoyed our time with the Brazilian family. I never had to worry about getting my language practice. I have many stories to tell about the last few weeks. Lets start with this one:
Last Sunday Steven went to eat lunch with some friends and I took Karis back to the country house because she needed a nap. When I arrived I noticed something black on the garage door. As I drove in I realized it was bees. Hundreds of bees, maybe thousands... they looked more like a piece of fabric or a towel thrown over the gate. More of them arrived and so did the family we were living with. They called the firemen and 3 hours later they arrived to take care of the growing problem. The firemen burned the bees to kill them. All the bees were put into a garbage bag. It was quiet interesting. I have a video to prove it. So I learned a lot of new vocabulary.

More stories to come...

Today reached 100 degrees. Thankfully the late afternoon sun was behind a lot of clouds so it cooled off a little. Karis and I went to the park to take some pics. Here are a few of the pics.

Random Thoughts

2010-09-06T12:03:00.008-04:00

Today is a "bridge holiday" so we are enjoying a day of rest. Tomorrow is Independence Day for Brasil so we will enjoy another day of rest before we move again. Sundays are never restful so Mondays are always tough. Praise the Lord for days of rest. It was a beautiful morning with a refreshing breeze here in the countryside. Karis and I danced, took pictures of the animals (it's almost like with live in a zoo), and ate breakfast while Steven slept in. This time in the country has been awesome. Perfectly timed with the holidays so that we can enjoy it to the full.

If I could remember all the details of the last couple weeks I would tell you about them, but it's probably better that I don't. Many details that made me want to throw my arms up and call it quits. As in "are you serious" "is this really happening"... looking back I see my anger and frustration as pride and selfishness. Daniel has helped me a lot this week. Daniel as in the book of the Bible- the one about the refusal to worship other Gods, interpreting dreams, and the writing on the wall. Good stuff.

Yesterday we spent the day with a lovely family in a town about an hour from here. Joel is one of our professors at school. He has been with us since the beginning and we really consider him a dear friend. For a while we have been wanting to meet his family and spend more time with him and his fiance. Our plan was to stay over for a couple days during the holiday, but with our situation of illness and moving around we thought it best to only go for the day. Last night at Joel's church Steven was able to share his testimony and preach.

A storm is a brewing! It hasn't rained here in so long! I pray it rains for a long time.

Does life have a Fast Forward button?

2010-09-01T20:50:00.004-04:00

Hello day 4 of sickness. Whew. I have so much to write about... not sure I'm liking it. A lot of writing material equals really good OR really bad. There has been good! Praise the Lord! However, the bad is bad because I feel it from head to toe.
Tonight a neighbor of the family we are living with (living- because 2 weeks ago our apt. tile floor busted like we had experienced an earthquake so we had to completely move out for 2-3 weeks), their neighbor is a Dr. and she came over tonight. She took one look and me and ran home to fetch some meds. I pray the meds kick in really soon because I want sleep for the next 24 hours (until I can take the next dose).
Our dear friends have been so kind and helpful! Love that they are so laid back. We are a good ways outside the city. The breeze here is wonderful. And they have a yard.

If anyone knows about tonsil removal please let me know if you recommend.
Please pray for healing!

10 months

2010-08-26T16:46:00.003-04:00

The 9th month of life for Karis has come and gone. Now we are into the double digits. Our day yesterday was completely taken over with our serious tile floor problem. Thankfully we are only renting and the mission takes care of most things. But we still ended up busy all day.
The day for Karis was not good either. She woke up with a temp of 102. So I nursed her with a damp washcloth on her head and took off her pjs. After arriving at school I took her temp again and it was 98. Hopefully it was only due to her new teeth. Speaking of... I found another tooth coming in. I thought she was cutting the 2nd top tooth, but I also can see 3rd bottom one.
She took two long naps and when she woke up at 6:15 we skyped with family. Then, instead of cooking we decided it was the perfect night to try out the newest restaurant in town. A place where you get free refills! Burger King. Karis got a crown and we got all the soda we could drink (in 30 minutes that is).
Enjoy the photos!

Only a box...

2010-08-23T22:02:00.003-04:00

But so much more!
Thank you Molly! We were happy to receive little tokens of joy from the USA. This is indeed a time to rejoice. After living in Brazil for 5 months and 3 weeks some times it's nice to have a little taste of "home". Especially for me cheerios and jif.
Molly~ We appreciate your time and effort! It really does mean a lot to us!
(My arms aren't nearly as flabby now that I eat rice and beans every day.)
PS. Happy Birthday a few days early! Wish I could be there to hug you.

Week 23

2010-08-22T18:35:00.003-04:00

All is quiet. Too quiet. I don't like it this quiet.
Karis is sleeping. Steven is at church. The neighbors are quiet for the first time today.
Once again there is something I should be doing, but instead I will share my thoughts.
Sometimes the way you think is correct sometimes turns out to be completely wrong. Thus, are the one way streets in Brazil. The streets are mostly one ways and often confusing especially when looking for a particular store that you have never been to.

Apparently our box has arrived from Molly, but of course it was delivered on Friday afternoon as everyone has already left the school. We have all of our mail from the US delivered to our school. Our boss says it is better this way. However, our apartment rent will now be in our name so perhaps we can have things shipped here? Sooo, we will pick up the box tomorrow when we go to school. I'm excited!

My friend started keeping Karis at our home while we are in school 3 days a week. I'm so thankful for her! I am missing her right now. I wish I was at church. But, she is doing a great job. Karis took a nap for her all three days last week. Impressive. She even took a little bit of a bottle (formula). I think she is okay with the formula although she still prefers "all natural". She will continue to help us out with Karis until we don't have classes or she is exhausted from all of the energy Karis requires. Because she is about 2 months pregnant. I am so excited for her! I can't believe she told me first. Not even her own mom. (Her husband knew.) Yes! A new little one is on the way. I am so sad that we probably won't still be here when he/she arrives. Our lives are so in motion. We never stay in one place very long! It is awesome.

This morning at church was good. We studied James 3: the tongue. Karis really loves the nursery and all the sweet ladies there. I would really like to have a "mom" friend. You know, to have play dates with/for Karis to play and me to chat. Strange that the only baby close to her age in both of our churches is 3 months younger than her. And really that is the only baby at all. I wonder if families with babies don't make it a priority to go to church? I always see a ton of babies out at the malls and parks. I don't get it. I guess I should hang out at the mall or park more often.

So the washing machine is done and I need jeans that are in there to wear to school in the morning. Still a little cold here in the mornings. Oh, that reminds me... our tile floor cracked! The area is the size of a double bed. Friday our house helper was here cleaning when she heard really loud scary noise. She called us at school and told us our floor busted up. We look forward to having it fixed, but not until next week. Long story, but things here just take longer. Especially when you are renting and it happens on Friday.

Long week ahead. Ready to speak Portuguese so I don't have to go to school everyday... oh, and so that I can say what I want.

Week 22

2010-08-16T15:49:00.003-04:00

Karis is on her 3rd hour of her nap, Steven is working out with a personal trainer, I finished all the necessary homework for class tomorrow sooo I probably should start dinner. But no. I will blog.
The thing about language learning is that you always have something to study or work on. It's never ending. I'm okay with that, but I do enjoy seeing a beginning and an ending. I would do some crafts, but I hate crafts. Mostly I hate glitter and things you can't get to be perfect (like who can cut a straight line?). So therefore, I love to bake. This past week I made a new Betty recipe. It's similar to an apple pie, but since I don't have a pie pan (well, I do have one, but it's in our crate and I refuse to buy one b/c I have one) I made the crust a pastry and folded it on top of its self. Anyways, it was really good. The pancakes I made Sunday were not great b/c here is Brazil corn syrup tastes a lot like honey. Or maybe it's because I bought honey thinking it was syrup. I also noticed that the store that I usually buy peanut butter from does not have one single jar. I know this because I check each time I walk into the store. Thankfully I have 3 open jars right now. Mostly they are more on the empty side, sad. One is extra crunchy which I never thought I would eat, but when it's all you got... it was a gift from a church that came here from FL. I got another jar from my friend Sara b/c she has a lot (she is a M here in Brazil too). The 3rd is the peter pan I bought here. It's horrible. So I put it aside for when I get desperate. Which I shouldn't be b/c my friend Molly sent me some, but it's been a month and I still don't have it... meaning that it's probably stuck in customs! Frustrating! Along with the cheerios! Urgh!

On to more important things:
Karis had her first swim lesson. Not really a big fan of the lessons. So we are looking into a pool for us all to go to when we want to. We hope to find one soon because we are going to the beach in November for Thanksgiving and we want Karis to be able to enjoy the water. So we would like her to get used to it. We are all looking forward to this trip! 10 M families will gather in one huge house on the beach to eat turkey and dressing. Seriously it's going to be awesome! We are flying down b/c the drive is over 15 hours. Since K is still little we don't have to buy her a ticket. I can't wait to swim in the ocean in November. I really want to have a swim birthday party. I always wanted one growing up... do dreams really come true? Ha.

Steven and I have our "big" evaluation (aka test) coming up the end of the month. This is a 30 minute only oral test to see what level of language we have reached. Not really a way to study for this so we'll pray I don't clam up. Thankfully the company doesn't fire us if we aren't at a certain level. At least not until we have been here for 3 years.

I think this is the most I have blogged in ages. Probably bored you. Sorry. Thus this is my brain- thinking out loud. Scary.

The pic of Karis in her Auburn outfit with the cool shades was to celebrate her uncle Scott getting his first golf pro job in Auburn! War Eagle!

Week 21 I think

2010-08-07T11:15:00.003-04:00

I have lost count. One hour seems more like one minute lately. Espically this week because we started school again. We are preparing for our 6 month celebration of Language School. And by celebration I mean evaluation. We'll have an oral exam to check our progress and see where we need to focus the next 6 months to improve.

In other news... Karis is getting her first tooth on the top. We can finally see it under the gum now. She has been so fussy this week. At least now we know why. This Friday will be Karis' first swimming lesson. We are only going once to see if she likes it and then we'll decide if we want to sign up for weekly classes.
We were able to purchase a new toy for our "big" girl. After our meeting with other missionaries around the country we noticed that Karis enjoyed playing with big toys. So we have been looking around town to find something she would enjoy. She liked the bag more than the toy... of course.

Sorry to all 3 of my faithful readers... I intend to do a better job of writing now that we are back to our regular schedule. Check FB for more photos of our vacations and outings during our break.

Karis is 9 months old!

2010-07-26T13:32:00.007-04:00

Karis is now 9 months old! I can't even believe it. She is the life of the party and curious about everything. She has recently began to point. Her high pitched screams are getting louder. One of her favorite things is pulling all of her books off the shelf. I believe she is cutting more teeth b/c she is drooling everywhere.
She can pull up on furniture and walks when we hold her hands. She did enjoy her second go at the swimming pool. Probably b/c it was heated.
One night she slept for 12 hours straight. This is a new record.

Week 16-18 (I think)

2010-07-11T21:44:00.004-04:00

I can't remember what all has happened since I blogged last. But here are some highlights. We went on vacation! Sao Paulo and Curitiba. We drove and were able to see some beautiful mountains, lots of banana trees, a couple of tractor-trailers turned over because they were going too fast on every winding road around the mountains, and we had one flat tire we fixed in very little time. We spent time with some amazing people serving the Lord in various ways. They also served us a lot!
We have the whole month of July out of school, but we are both seeking ways to continue our learning. I am meeting with a girl from church and Steven is always finding someone to talk with him.
Karis is pulling up on things- everything now. She did great on our trip and loved meeting new people. She is the most charming little girl in the world. She loves to wave and smile all the time.
Sadly Brazil didn't win the world cup, but I have to admit that I did enjoy watching them play. I understand a lot more about soccer than I did a month ago.
Oh, I finally saw the monkeys that live in the park close to where we lived when we first moved here. They are so tiny and make a lout high-pitched noise. We always heard that noise, but now we know where it comes from.
We are glad to have a new family here (they aren't new to us), but it had been so long since we had seen them! They had never even met Karis yet.

Steven put all our pictures from our trip on FB. So check them out there for more.

Week 16

2010-06-23T13:11:00.005-04:00

World Cup craziness is in full-effect here in Brazil. We have enjoyed watching all of the US games with Americans and every Brazil game with Brazilians. We like eating the popcorn as well. It tastes so much better here. Probably, because the microwave is not used in making it.
A friend from church gave Karis this baby doll (see pic above) that is as big as her. Karis is getting faster at crawling and is starting to pull up on me and the couch. She is sleeping so well lately! 12-13 hours and waking up only once. I pray our vacation coming up doesn't throw her off. We have 4 weeks off of school and I am really ready to check out some other cities!

Week 15

2010-06-17T10:53:00.003-04:00

Book Fair downtown.
Karis ate a lime.
Watched USA play England.
Laurie and David babysat.
Baptism in really cold water.

Week 14

2010-06-06T22:35:00.004-04:00

Karis at her Dr. appointment.
The men cooking dinner.

Long weekend with friends! Wonderful blessing.
Happy 1st Birthday to Lara! Karis wanted to be there to celebrate, but she was happy to see the pictures.

Proud to be a part of SEBTS and IMB.

2010-06-04T21:14:00.000-04:00

$148.9 million Lottie Moon offering shows missions commitment
6/4/2010

By Don Graham

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Southern Baptists stayed true to their passion for telling the world about Jesus in spite of a weakened economy and sluggish recovery, giving $148.9 million to support international missionaries through the 2009 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. It is the third-largest Lottie Moon offering in history.

“We are not disappointed as God proves His faithfulness through Southern Baptists, and giving through Lottie Moon reflects the heart of our churches and their Great Commission commitment,” said Jerry Rankin, International Mission Board (IMB) president. “Constituting more than half of the IMB’s annual budget, the Lottie Moon offering dramatically impacts our ability to take the Gospel to the lost world.

“I am deeply grateful for the increase in giving, some $7.6 million above the 2008 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, and for the sacrifice made by Southern Baptists during these difficult economic times.”

More than $4 million of the $7.6 million increase came from a special “over and above” offering challenge issued last summer by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary President Daniel Akin and others. The extra funds allowed the IMB to send missionaries placed on hold by financial shortfalls earlier than planned and prevented even deeper reductions in the IMB’s global missionary force.

Because of Southern Baptist support, missionaries and their national partners were responsible for baptizing more than 506,000 believers and starting 24,650 new churches across the globe in 2008.

“For this year’s total to be the third highest in the history of the offering is remarkable given the economic challenges that continue to impact many across the U.S.,” said Wanda Lee, Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) executive director/treasurer. “It is truly a testimony to the faithfulness of God and the deep-rooted commitment among Southern Baptists to share Jesus with those around the world who have yet to hear of His love. We are grateful for WMU leaders and members who champion the missions cause in their churches through personal involvement and by urging Southern Baptists to give sacrificially and pray fervently for missions.”

While the $148.9 million offering meets the requirements for the IMB’s 2010 operating budget, it doesn’t allow room for growth or reversal of budget cuts.

“This generous offering will allow us to meet our operational needs but most of our capital needs will be postponed for another year,” said IMB financial chief David Steverson. “With our other major sources of income holding steady or only slightly declining, we are grateful that, for now, we don’t anticipate further reductions in our missionary force below 5,000.”

Last year IMB trustees were forced to curb appointments of new missionaries and suspend two short-term missionary programs entirely, initiating a gradual reduction in the IMB’s global missionary force. The reduction will lower missionary numbers from approximately 5,600, reached in 2009, to 5,000 but will not involve recalling any personnel because it will be accomplished through natural attrition — completions of service, retirements and resignations.

“We are grieved that budget limitations will force us to continue to restrict new missionaries being appointed,” Rankin said. “This is not just a disappointment to individuals and families called of God to serve overseas, but it means many unreached people groups will be deprived of hearing the Gospel yet another year. We are rethinking our strategy and adjusting our organizational structure for greater efficiency in order to stretch our budget as far as possible.”

Seventy-one percent of the IMB’s budget is spent on missionary support, including housing, salaries, medical care and children’s education. It averages $43,800 annually per missionary.

Though the $148.9 million offering is $7.6 million above 2008 giving, it is $1.4 million below the 2007 record offering of $150.4 million. It is also $26 million short of the 2009 goal of $175 million.

Every penny given to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is used to send and support missionaries — nothing is taken out for administrative, promotional or other costs.

Don Graham is a writer for the International Mission Board.

To learn more about the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, go to imb.org/offering.

Week 13

2010-05-30T14:44:00.006-04:00

I like reading the news online each day because I feel so out of the loop on worldly happenings if I don't. But in my search for more time I found the BBC has a special news update each day called Day in Pictures. I can get a broad glimpse of the news and admire some great photography without reading pages of articles.

Thus I was inspired for this week's blog...

20+ church family at our home

We loved having them over

Karis eats everything even the kitchen drawer

She tried to eat her new play mat, but it ended up around her neck

Stress relief playing DDR

Language practice at the lamp store

Huge avocados here

Grocery store

Tired after a long day of Portuguese

7 Months Old!

2010-05-26T21:38:00.003-04:00

Probably should write stuff in the baby book, but I'll say a few things here too.
Karis is eating many fruits and veggies. Her favs are carrots, sweet potatoes, apples and bananas. She doesn't care for squash and hates broccoli. She is a not stop mover and shaker. The only time she slows down is to sleep. Which she is doing more of at night... naps- not so much. A 30 min.- hour nap around 10 and another around 4. She loves being around people and l-o-v-e-s attention. Since she is the only baby at school and church she gets a lot of it. Her hair is filling back in and her dad is the one that makes sure it looks good each day. This doesn't surprise me (ask me later about Steven's hair if you don't already know). I have to wear my hair in a ponytail everyday because she pulls on it, but if you know me, you know I don't mind this. She enjoys bath time and reading the Bible. Mostly she likes to eat the pages (we don't let her though, but she still tries). She is still able to fit into most of her 3 month clothes and the doctor is a little concerned, but according to the "growth chart" she is on the bottom "normal" line. She enjoys time spent in her andador (walker) and is liking the johnny jump up more and more. She can crawl, but she prefers the army version. She can sit up, but why sit still? She can shake her head up and down (as if nodding yes). She has said mama, but hasn't said it in a while. She likes to sing along with music. She had her first little cold, but it didn't slow her down one bit. She really likes the computer and phone or really anything she isn't supposed to play with. I can't imagine all she will get into when she can walk! Whew.
I love her! She is wonderful!

Week 12

2010-05-23T22:03:00.006-04:00

This is a huge smile/laugh! She was loving the park.

Where do I start? Lots of meals were shared with friends this week. I went to Bible study with some wonderful ladies. One that recently became a believer. My head was pounding when I left, but I understood more than I ever have before. I found some more affordable stores to shop at. We finally met the fiance of one of our good friends. Got really frustrated because I can't say what I would like to say (this is an everyday occurrence). I missed a day of class because I was sick. Karis helped me cook her baby food by playing in her high chair in the kitchen. And today she enjoyed her first time in her walker in the park. She had so much space to run free... I think she didn't know what to do. But it only took her about 5 minutes to figure out the one place where she wasn't supposed to go (the road).

Week 11

2010-05-16T21:33:00.003-04:00

Week 10

2010-05-09T13:30:00.003-04:00

A quiet Mother's Day afternoon... much rejoicing!
We have many blessings once again this week!

The pastor that is filling in for our church here invited us to his home on Friday. First, let me say that this wife is a great cook! Probably the best food I have had thus far. Also they are both really kind and patient with our broken language. We were able to hear lots of jokes (most of them we didn't get), many facts about accents and state rivalry, and a glimpse of the wealth of ministry experience this family has. Sadly we had to leave early (10pm) because Karis spit up everywhere (She has never done that before). How embarrassing. Thankfully they have kids and grand kids so they weren't bothered by it.

We watched a Brazilian movie in Portuguese. Not what I imagined a Brazilian audience would enjoy, but interesting for me.

We took a family walk at the 2nd park with waterfalls (it even has wifi). I wanted to get some pics of Karis, but she did not like the waterfall. It was loud and misty... perhaps we'll try again another day. She is sitting up now and saying mama! Seems like she does something new every week! I really like this stage. She also enjoyed zucchini, butternut squash, and banana for the first time. Next on the list of food: plums and broccoli (not together).

Week 9

2010-05-02T12:26:00.002-04:00

Welcome to May. The month we celebrate families here in Brazil. We kicked off the month with an all day cook-out/picnic with our church on Saturday. A wonderful day of fellowship and a lot of Portuguese.

Also this week we acquired our cpf number, similar to the social security number in the US. We got our first bill... the electricity bill. It was extremely extremely high! We figured something had to be wrong. It just so happens that our frig has been going out sometimes and the repairman came and fixed it. Our AC has yet to work so the renaissance man that works for our language school came out to convert two 110 outlets to make a 220 outlet so that our AC would finally work. So two months after getting used to the weather we really don't need an AC, but we have one. I know we'll use it one day.

Thursday was a night out for me (Emily). I had planned to attend a seminary class, but plans changed and I ended up at the best pizza place in town. One of our professors owns the place. It really was good pizza! Friday night Sara babysat for us while we went to a friend's home for dinner. We are thankful for their patience in our language and culture. They helped us understand a little more about the church here.

Karis continues to enjoy new foods. We are so grateful that she is a good eater because she didn't start out that way. We tried to take her swimming, but she wasn't having it. The pool was a little cold so I don't blame her. She is almost crawling. She will get up on all fours and rock back and forth. She continues to attract people with her smile every where we go.

Pray for the Gospel to Spread!

2010-04-29T21:10:00.003-04:00

These were lives given and not taken in Orissa, India. Pray that the Gospel will spread as a result of them giving their lives even unto death for the Gospel. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you courage in your faith so that when you are called even unto death to give your life; you will be ready.

Interesting reading...

2010-04-28T13:59:00.002-04:00

Brazilian Baptist churches open doors to flood survivors in Rio de Janeiro

Alternative Futures
What will the imb look like in the future? With only around 25 new workers being sent out this year and money still lacking what is going to happen? A lot depends upon the GCR document that will be explained and voted on this summer at the SBC national meeting.

Karis is 6 months old!

2010-04-25T22:35:00.004-04:00

Karis had her first "real" food today! Carrots- I want to see if she will turn orange. She loved them! Well, the second time. After gagging on them on the 4th bite we took a break. A few hours later she went for seconds. For dessert we had cake. 1/2 a cake for 1/2 a year old. Don't worry- I didn't let her eat any.

Some days I'm ready to be done nursing and then the next I want to rewind and do it all again. (Okay, honestly I never want to relive the first couple weeks.) AND also she set a new sleeping record of 9 hours straight! Yes, I am loving sleep!

Week 8

2010-04-24T10:24:00.004-04:00

This week went by very fast because we had a holiday on Wednesday. We were able to celebrate Anna's birthday with a cook out. Sara was able to use her ability to lie in order for us to surprise Anna. I was able to make a cake thanks to the supplies I borrowed from Michelle. The only disappointment with the cake was that the powered sugar wasn't sifted b/c I don't have a sifter.

Steven shared a verse and the meaning in Portuguese at church on Wednesday night. I wasn't able to be there, but according to my friend Luciana he did very well. Luciana and I spent the afternoon together on Thursday. She works full-time and her husband works and goes to school full-time. So it was a special occasion for us to spend a lot of time together. She took me around town and graciously listened to me stubble over many words. I am thankful for our new friendship!

Friday was our second test. I stayed up way to late studying, but all these irregular verbs are killing me. I passed and then came home and took a nap. The evening concluded with my first trip to the movie theater. Good way to get in some language in a relaxed environment. Not to mention way cheaper than the US.

Week 7

2010-04-19T15:49:00.005-04:00

Two teeth. Duas dentes.
I found it incredibly difficult to take a picture of the teeth in the mouth of a 5 month old.
I also discovered how to make rice cereal and it was very fun to feed it to her.
We got 2 packages! Cheerios! Sun glasses for K!
Our church held a couples dinner and our friend Michelle generously kept K for us! For dinner we had pizza with peas, cream cheese, and collard greens as the toppings.
We visited the "hippie fair" downtown and met a guy with a Hebrew tattoo whose family is Jehovah Witness.

New Toy and the Park

2010-04-11T09:34:00.005-04:00

From the look on her face I think she likes it.

Week 6

2010-04-10T11:12:00.004-04:00

Another full week with a lot of interesting happenings. Last Saturday we got a knock on the door around noon from our neighbors. We knew they were grilling b/c we could smell it. So we were happy to except the invitation to come down for some food and Portuguese. We ended up spending over 5 hours with them and their many guests. That night was the 10th anniversary of the church that we attend so we gathered to have a celebration.

Sunday was filled with futebol, studying, and church.

Our first language test was on Wednesday so the beginning of the week was filled with studying. Except for a break on Tuesday for Emily to get a massage (1 hour for $15!). We both passed with no problem (a true testimony of God's grace).
Oh, and Karis was right in the middle of cutting her first tooth : )

After our test we wanted to eat good food so we went on a search for something besides rice and beef. Thanks to the elaborate decor we easily found an Italian restaurant. Little did we know it would be the most famous Italian place in Brazil and cost $40 a plate. So we opted to share and eat ice cream afterward. It was delicious!

Thursday Karis enjoyed a nap at the park while I caught up on some reading for fun! I also did some baking- banana bread. Friday was the day we were determined to find a new toy for K. We were successful and she loves it (pictures to come).

This time last year...

2010-04-06T11:47:00.004-04:00

When I think about the past I enjoy remembering how God has been faithful. As I studied Portuguese and watched the NCAA championship my mind kept returning to "this time last year". Last year about this time I had not been feeling 100% and thought I had picked up some bug in the Amazon. However, I was pregnant and that "bug" is now 5 1/2 months old. Yes, UNC did win the national championship last year so it was only fitting that Duke would win this year.
Back to the point- God has taught me much patience and given me a tiny understanding of how much he loves me through Karis. I am thankful!

It was a joy to celebrate Christ with our new fellowship here over the weekend. Even though I struggled to understand the language I was able to praise God. It was a small victory. I am thankful!

I am also thankful for family and friends! Really thankful to receive packages from them in the mail. Shout out today to Stan and Melanie! We love the sweet basket (that you made) and cute outfits.

Week 5

2010-04-02T12:45:00.003-04:00

We hosted our first dinner at our home for our brasileiro neighbors. They love ranch dressing (not found here in Brazil). So if anyone wants to mail us some packets, we have lots of friends to share it with. With "Good Friday" and "Easter" coming up we had an opportunity to ask them about their beliefs. After they explained a interesting mix of religiosity I(Emily) was able to share the Gospel with them, emphasizing a lot about the death and resurrection of Christ. They listened and seemed to want to continue the conversation at another time. Please pray for more opportunities to share.

Wilma (Vilma in Portuguese) came on Thursday to clean our home and teach us how to make rice the Brazilian way.

Karis is still into everything and now loves sleeping on her belly. She even tucks her legs up under her with her butt up in the air. Sooo cute!

Today is "Good Friday" so we didn't have class and are planning a drive out to the countryside.

Week 4

2010-03-28T08:19:00.003-04:00

Time goes by so fast here in Brazil! I can't even believe it.
Our week started with Steven's first game of futebol here in Ribeirao. He was a little intimidated, but ended up scoring a goal. Our friends Jonathan & Luciana have been so kind to invite us along many places. We went to a city-wide event with them last night and when Jonathan got out of the car we noticed a huge cast on his right hand and arm. He had fallen during the futebol game and caught himself with his hand, but got right back up and continued to play. I was sitting beside Luciana (his wife) when it happened and she didn't seem concerned. He told us last night that it is fractured.

Karis turned 5 months old on Thursday. We put on her happy birthday onesie for the last time (I could hardly button it). She got to spend the evening with Sara and Anna Caye while mom and dad went out. She still loves her bouncy seat and grabbing anything she can get her hands on. Yesterday it was foil that she insisted on holding.

Week 3

2010-03-21T09:35:00.003-04:00

We settled into our new home. I successfully made salsa and a cake. We hosted Brazilians in our home for the first time. I drove. We got bit by a lot of misquotes. Our house was cleaned and rice/beans made by our house helper. I got my toe nails done for 5 bucks. We ate at a pizza buffet with our new friends who leave for the jungle this week. Karis went swimming for the first time.

Pragmatism

2010-03-19T14:28:00.001-04:00

Whatever will work in getting Karis to sleep!

Life in Brazil

2010-03-13T16:46:00.003-05:00

We got moved into our new apartment! During the middle of a crazy storm Steven and I were carrying all of our stuff in and out of elevators and up and down stairs. Thankfully we had the help of our great friend Anderson. Our friends the Powell's were keeping Karis for us and she freaked out because of the storm. For the whole story click here.

My computer is at the shop being fixed so hopefully I'll have it back by the end of the week??

Karis can now roll over. Back to belly and belly to back.

We met one of our neighbors and we are going over for dinner tonight.

Week 2 in Brazil- whew.

One week in Brazil

2010-03-08T17:47:00.003-05:00

Karis is changing a lot each day! She is grabbing her toes now after she discovered them in the tub last night. The rings on her bouncy seat are no longer just to look at. She pulls the rings to hear the lion roar. Thankfully she is now letting Brasilians hold her and talk in Portuguese... she is even smiling and laughing. She does a lot of scooting and turning back and forth on her sides, but still not rolling over. I think she'll walk before she crawls because she loves to stand up. We hope to take her swimming this week before we move to our new apartment without a pool.

We have met many new friends and were excited to talk with them in Portuguese. Mostly the conversation is limited to name, where they are from (they don't have to ask where we are from), why we are here, where something is, etc.

Sunday night was our first church service. We really love the fellowship and look forward to spending more time with them. PTL a couple of them speak a little English. They also agreed to help us with language and the move! We were greatly encouraged to be with brothers and sisters.

Our favorite place is the sorveteria (ice cream shop). We go there each day to hear and speak. Oh, and eat ice cream. Brasilians love ice cream and I need to embrace the culture so I will love it too. Ha!

School is going good. We have class 3 hours a day. Steven and I are in a class of our own with a professor. Each hour is a different professor and subject. Brasilians love vowels.

Our car made crazy noises yesterday on the way to the doctor (we were meeting a potential doctor for Karis). So our boss brought us a new one while we were there. The gas was almost gone so we stopped to get just enough to get us to dinner and back. We parked at the Churrascaria, ate and loaded Karis up to leave... but the car would not start. After 10 missionaries tried to start the car we ended up pushing it backwards off the hill, putting it in first and finally it started. Steven's first time popping a clutch even though he's drove one for his whole life.

We move to our new apartment this weekend. I'm looking forward to making it our HOME! We haven't lived in one place in so long! Also we found out anything we purchase here can be shipped to our final destination.

Brazil

2010-03-03T08:00:00.003-05:00

We made it! Our home for the next year isn't ready yet so we are living in another missionary's (who are coming soon) home. We really like it here. K is adjusting well and taking much better naps. This week is full of orientation and meetings with leadership. Today we will conquer the supermarket! Steven has already conquered driving!
Steven and I even went on a date last night while our dear friend Sara babysat! We went running and then ate ice cream (I know counter productive, but what if we had only ate ice cream and not ran?).

Brazil Tomorrow

2010-02-25T12:39:00.002-05:00

Friday February 26, 2010

The day we move to Brazil! We fly out of B'ham at 2:30 on Friday and arrive in Sao Paulo at 7am Saturday (they are 3 hours ahead of CST). Then, we have a 4 hour drive to our new home. Please pray for us as we experience the craziness of traveling with a 4 month old (as of today) and lots of luggage, a car seat, and stroller.

Next post will be from Brazil!

Website

2010-02-17T12:57:00.002-05:00

Did you know we have a website? Steven created a great site for you to know what's going on in our ministry. Please check it out and let us know what you think. He writes a lot more in his blog than I do. So for pics come to my (emily) blog and to read go to Steven's blog. Check it out here: Brazilian Urban Church Movements

Photos

2010-02-09T19:00:00.003-05:00

My cousin Gerri enjoys taking pics. So when she came over with her family on Saturday I asked her to bring along her camera. Thanks Gerri for the pics!

Time to Go

2010-02-06T23:12:00.002-05:00

Our Visas have been granted and our plane tickets have been purchased! We are set to fly out on Friday February 26th at 2:30pm from Birmingham and arrive in Sao Paulo at 7am on the 27th. From there we take a 4 hour drive to language school (where we will be the next year).
So glad to be going, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. Not scared like freaking out just silly fears. God is reminding me of his promises and showing me in his Word how faithful He is. I am thankful to be reading through the OT currently because I get to read about God's grace and faithfulness. I am confident God will give much grace to me as I take the next step in following him.

Photo Shoot

2010-02-06T22:46:00.003-05:00

12/14/09
2/6/10

A Day in the Life of Karis

2010-02-01T20:14:00.003-05:00

4am- wake up, eat, and quickly back to sleep
9- Wake up and play in the bassinet
9:15- diaper change and eat
10- play: playground, swing, bouncy seat, read a book
11- fuss, try to sleep (only in our arms or sling)
12- eat
12:45- diaper change
1pm- stroll, take pictures, show her new things, practice sitting up and standing up
3- eat, diaper change
3:45- play more, bath, read a book
4:30- try to sleep again (mostly cat naps)
6- eat, diaper change
6:45- prepare for bed, diaper change and sleeper
7- snuggle, get really sleepy, sleep
9- diaper change, eat and bed time for the night

Karis is 3 Months Old

2010-01-26T11:38:00.005-05:00