Welcome Home

To start, saying this past week was an adventure would be but a bit of an understatement. We had people sing about us; while asking for money, watched a group of women dance and play percussion instruments, had some misunderstandings (on my behalf) in which we encountered costs more than we had planned, enjoyed haggling with the locals on our purchases, saw an area of our missionary, and enjoyed one of his favorite treats. Rode the Metro, and the bus system (I must say it was quite bumpy, oh the memories that returned...*sigh*)

I had someone ask if I was a Brazilian, so I still have the language a little at least.

Some of the funnies were when one of us walked into a mirror, another just about had an elevator door close on them. We had a problem with wet pj's one night, and some other chuckles.

The food was great! we had churrascaria, pizza, strognauf, beans and rice, salad, tons of breads, corn pudim, and their fruit...M-M-M! They have a new fruit I liked, Luxia. It looked like a soft walnut maybe, but the center was a milky white sweet delight! I was reminded of how great their fruit juices are. We have great food here in the states, however I must say there are great things out there in other countries! (Things we can't even begin to compete with in some instances.)

The rain was warm and fun to walk in, we experienced quite a lot of it! I had forgotten that the weather could change so quickly! We actually own several umbrellas due to the weather change in inconvenient timing...lol!

I had a great time. However, the greatest part was returning to our children. Our three year old had given her sister a run for her money, and the one year old was an angel. I missed out on some great adventures here as well. Our ten year old had brought home a lot of his art work, he is quite the artist in deed! Our seventeen year old has been a great assistant in helping his sister with the kids. Have I told you, these kids give great hugs! Oh, how good it is to be cack.

Travel

I am here in my old stomping grounds in Sao Paulo Brasil. The food is as good as I remember it and the people haven't changed. They are just as helpful and kind as I remember them.

My little ones are with their big sister, and I am wishing my 3 yr old would show some mercy to her sister. My children are taking steps with out me right now. I am looking forward to seeing them again.

From the Mouths of 3 year olds

My three year old asked " Mom, can I do craps in your crap room?"

My first thought: What is done in the crap room should stay in the crap room. However, what she really wants is to do crafts in my craft room.

Just thought that might put a smile on your face. It did mine.

Random Thoughts, Here They Come!

Here are a few of my thoughts these days. Here goes! I am excited to be having our missionary returning to us here for the holidays. At the same time I am nervous. I know, it will be an adventure, we will have to get a new schedule for laundry, marinating in the tub, and our food bill will probably go up a bit. Its all good, I just have a hard time with change, good or bad sometimes. I am comfortable having a rhythm is all, it'll be back and then something else will come along. That is what keeps the world a turning. Right? of course. I am looking forward to having everyone home even if it is for just a couple of days, I want the little ones to be close to the bigger ones, because when things boil down, family is all we really have. I have been looking over the year and feel like I have accomplished a lot this year, even if it is not over. I have started several scrapbooks for the children, made two quilts, I am finishing an afghan I started while pregnant with my first. (That'll be one less unfinished project haunting me.) My kitchen is finished (though most of the credit there goes to my Lovey. Mainly I just pulled down wall paper, and helped a little with the back splash.) I have 2/3 of the wall paper tore out of the master bath (that project was started early spring, maybe I will finish by early spring this next year?) Hmm...My craft room looks organized, at least the boxes have been removed. The guest room is ready for when the kids come home, beds have been made and there is very little navigation around boxes, seeing as the craft room and the guest room are one and the same. Potty training check will probably be next year however, but then maybe there will be two at the same time...we can always hope. This year I was a bit better on being physically active though, there is plenty of room for improvement. So, there you go, some of my thoughts these days. Pretty darn exciting eh? Well, maybe more exciting next time. Any way, I hope life is treating you as well.

Parenting isn't Always Easy

Last Saturday I was listening to a talk in Stake Conference. The whole meeting was centered around the importance of family. The roles of parents, children and husbands and wives. All of the talks were really good, but one stood out more than the others. Maybe because it is close to my heart.

Here is the quote I want to share. I am going to share some feelings afterwords. They aren't doctrine, but I believe them strongly.

"Our responsibility is to love and care for each other"

As Husband and wife we need to love and care for each other, we need to be a strength to one another. We need to support one anothers' growth in the gospel. For each other and our children.

As Parents we need to love and care for our children. No one else can the way we can.

It seems like there has been a lot of awareness on abuse. Both towards children and spouses. This saddens me. People are becoming so selfish and insensitive to the lives of others. It is nothing to torment and kill a child or spouse. I find it hard.

Children are entrusted, by a Heavenly Father who loves them, to us. Now I know He is aware of each of his children, we have been told by a modern day prophet.

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008): “Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. … Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried” (“Words of the Living Prophet,” Liahona, May 1998, 26–27; “Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, July 1997, 73).

I guess, my thoughts are that as parents, we may be the only ones who are going to stick up for our children. If we don't, no one else will. Sometimes we have to put aside our own fears to help these little ones feel safe and secure, in other words, loved, and cared for. That is our responsibility. If we don't we are letting them down, we are failing them.

How much are you Loved?

Our three year old is beginning her own little tradition of expressing her love towards family members. She begins by saying "I love you." It can be quite traumatic at times, especially when it is her father leaving.

It goes something like this: "I love you forever!" then she will say "I still do!" and then she turns on the water works and will say " I really, really do!" and then it will repeat its self a time or two with some sobbing waves out the window as the family member pulls away or walks away to school.

This morning there was a twist to this tradition that I thought might be fun to share.

As our 11 year old was heading out the door, he went along with the whole tradition and decided to add at the end his response: "I love you gargantuously!" I think he was hoping it would be a mutual sentiment.

Instead our three year old responds "I don't, not that much." guess he will just have to settle and be happy with "forever".

I hope you all had a great Halloween, I know we did. We took the munchkins and their 11 year old big brother out trick or treating and had fun. Our 11 year old was dressed like an old man and quite proud of his costume, it consisted of pants not quite long enough, a white button-up shirt and suspenders, baby-powder in the hair and an old cane. He was very good to act more like a nerd when we came to older persons homes as to not offend them...LOL!

My 3 year was a fairy princess, I made her a tutu, she wore a leotard, and some wings we got on clearance last year for less than a dollar. At each house she politely told each candy giver she "would like to pick out her own candy, thank you."(we were rather embarrassed, I still shake my head at the thought.

Our 1 year old was dressed as a cow. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the whole idea, but was very keen on getting candy given to him. (His sister always takes things from him, this was all his own! Yes!)

The two little ones pooped out way sooner than the 11 year old. When we returned home we had a pinata so he could enjoy a little more candy... for the sacrifice of coming home early. Everyone seemed to have a great time over all.