365 Days of Pictures!!

I have always wanted to do one full year of a picture per day.

I used to think it sounded impossible but now that I always take pics with my phone and ipod, it's so easy. So this is my mission this year and I'm already loving it. You just forget how much happens in just one day and it's reminding me how precious the events of each day are.

This family blog won't be posted on much this year but if you want to pop over and see what we've been up to...

wwwbarbosa365daysofpics.blogspot.com 

Fully Entertained!!

I am just looooving The Bachelor! Yes, I am fully aware that it is so dumb and pointless, but I always give myself one reality tv show to fulfill my guilty pleasure crave. And I don't know why everyone hates Ben so much, I actually think he has one of the best personalities that I've seen in any of the Bachelors they have had. I can't believe Courtney week after week and the way they show every little facial expression and show every mean comment she makes. It makes me wonder if she really is like that and kind of confirms my idea that all those girls living together makes people literally go a little crazy and act psycho! :) Anyways, all I know is that every time the episode ends I have to let out a little giggle of how much I love all the drama! :) ha ha! Pleeeeease tell me he doesn't end up with Courtney!

Holidays 2011-2012. What a trip!

We left my parent's house (always so sad!) at 6am in the morning on Thursday and got to our house in Campina Grande at 6pm on Friday. sigh. Lots of tiring travel but I'm always so grateful to get from point A to point B safe and sound. And I decided our kids travel so well. Yes, I give them benadryll to sleep on the long flights- but still they are not crazy out of control like some of the ones I've seen. The trip back we sat by a whole colony of what looked like or a polygamist family or Amish people and the lady acted like she didn't understand me. I was so fascinated by them I wanted to know more about what they were all going to do in Sao Paulo, Brazil! :) kkk. Anyways, other than the fat man reclined seriously all the way into my lap and snoring loudly, that was the most entertaining part. uh. Sooo glad to be home in the sun with all our wonderful family and friends on this half of the world! 

We had an awesome time and my parents were such good sports about the kids being all over the house and into everything. Even the dryer! Oh man- it was crazy to be so off schedule for so long and as hard as I tried to enforce bedtime to Maile she wasn't about to miss out on any action! Our little night owl. She was so cute with the cousins, "Come on Gracie..." teaching them and loving the leader role. 

 My Dad is definitely a very fun and silly Grandpa! As you can see- just one of the kids! It was funny- Lukey would follow him around giving him a signal pointing his finger to his other hand asking for chocolate! 

We went over to Melanie and Jim's a few times and the kids had a blast together. We made ovalmaltine shakes and ate calzones. Not a calorie free night....but fun no doubt! :)

I got such a kick out of the kids 'talking on their phones". Maile talking to "Marissa, we have to have the sleepover tonight!" and Gracie repeating behind her, "Marissa, tonight." Then comes Lucas following behind in a little boy voice, "Mamae....Papai.....Ball." Too funny! 

This is the only picture that I took of it snowing because....it didn't snow! Just once while we were there. It was such a crazy winter. I was still freezing the whole time and always wore my jacket inside. 

We hung out with Marcia a few times and had a blast. 

The kids looove playing over at her house with her room full of fun things.  

Grandma is doing such a great job learning Portugues. Nao e facil and I know that! It was so great to spend so much time with my mamae!! You're the best!

We went to a Fat Cat's bowling party for Anne and had a blast! And I took a chance and brought some royal blue pants. I'm loving them. I think everyone here loves them too cause they represent the Brazilian blue so well! ha ha. 

Yes, we did get a bit bored at times just chillin' at Grandma and Grandpa's house for 5 weeks straight but we found ways to keep entertained! 

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We had such an amazing Christmas. Everyone together and definitely bitter-sweet as this will be the last Christmas we'll spend together because of my parent's upcoming mission. I am so excited for them and they will be so awesome but it will be hard to see them move from our childhood home where so many amazing memories have been created. I felt myself just soaking up every little thing in that house. But the best part of course are the people and it's so great to see us all married and on our own and our little family growing. I am so grateful for each one of my family members and love them to pieces!!

 Gracie is the cutest thing ever! She's repeating so many words and has the cutest little voice. 

And she even skis! :)

 The kids looooved holding baby June. Lucas would pat his lap insisting that he hold her. :) She was not so sure on the other hand as you can see. 

She is so cute- "a little peanut" or "little bumpkin" as Mimi would say.

 Maile and Gracie got make overs from Tia Danni.

 It was so fun to have everyone in town for the holidays! We had a fun dinner and speed scrabble night at the condo, some were brave enough to go skiing in the cold icy weather, we had a movie night and watched "The Family Stone" and enjoyed each others company!! 

My handsome boys!  

Lukey's 1st haircut (the little snips that I took don't count!)  He is such a sweet little boy full of energy and laughs. He learned new words on this trip- his vocab went from "Mamae, Papai and Ball" to "mine, no!, more, nenem (baby), hi, bye, coco, and a good effort to say "gampa" for Grandpa." hmmm, all these words sound like...yep...going into the 2's!! Everything is "no!" and mine!" :) But he is still so sweet giving lots of kisses and such a good snuggler.

Merry Christmas Morning!

Maile was so excited about all of her little princess things that Santa brought!

Christmas Eve 2011

 After the "Sail On" poem, everyone here gave a favorite memory of Papa. The spirit was so strong in the room full of love and saudades for Papa. 

 Christmas Eve Party. My little Mary and shepherd. 

Other fun Activities:   our holiday dinner with high school friends, getting together with Heidi a few times, Jazz game with Marcia and Jeff, Park City Outlets of course, lots of great movies, "New Year's Eve, We Bought a Zoo, Sherlock Holmes 2, Beauty and the Beast 3D", making ovalmaltine shakes every sunday, sunday dinners, visiting Hyland Lake Ward a few times, Maile's new bicycle, cleaning out all the closets with mom, Portuguese lessons, Bachelor season started, Lee interviewing for jobs, Salt Lake temple session, having Gracie sleepover, RPE dinner at 5 Alls, and much more! 2011 was such a great year- I am excited for 2012 and all the surprises (no doubt!) and happiness it will bring. My goal is to take this "season" of my life and enjoy it, accept the set backs and challenges, and be a little better. I am so lucky I have such amazing kids and a wonderful husband. (I mean, come on, who packs six 70 pound suitcases all by themselves?!) He is wonderful e eu amo voces muuuuito. 

Coralistas no Templo!

I love the Coral here in Brazil. For you to get an idea, our Christmas program starts out going "Blim blom blim blom blim blom " Yes, that is "ding dong" in English for all the bells. I get the giggles every time we sing it! :) ha ha. But that just tells you how fun it is to sing in the choir here. Marcio the director has one of the prettiest voices I've ever heard and I have just grown to love all these Irmas and Irmaos. It was so fun to sing at the Recife Temple on Saturday and it definitely brought in the spirit of Natal.

 Little "baby Jesus" started hysterically crying with Maria so I eventually had to go down and get him. Poor little guy- didn't know what the heck was going on when the angel started to bring him in! Sorry Lucas, but we had to use you- you were the cutest little baby Jesus. Tao branquinho! :)

 We had so much fun with Cida and Hercules, and Vania and Edvaldo. We did sealings together and then spent some time in the sala celestial. Foi lindo demais. 

And these little ones just keep getting cuter and cuter! Whenever we ask Lucas something these days he throws his little arm up in the air with his finger pointing up- it is so cute. "Who is a stinky little boy?"  arm goes shooting up. "Quem e o menino mais lindo?" arm up. It is so funny. 

We are getting so excited to go to Grandma and Grandpa's for Christmas time! We have finally been feeling like it's Christmas time even though it's so tropical and warm here! They even have a huge plastic Santa in shorts laying in the middle of the lake here shooting out a big stream of water. :) ha ha.

 Feliz Natal!

Primary Program 2012

The Primary Program in Campina Grande was a total success! :) We worked so hard all year to learn the songs and bless their hearts these kids don't have a ton of exposure to music, so for them to learn to sing on tune and get the timing right was a real accomplishment! :) It was so sweet to see them sing all the words memorized, sing "I Am a Child of God" in perfect English!, see them do sign language to "Love One Another", hear Mormon quote the first vision memorized while the piano lightly played "O How Lovely was the Morning", see the little boys all lined up singing "Called to Serve" and then the whole congregation join in- the spirit just filled the capela! I sang "Child's Prayer" with Marcio and when we got up to sing it was amazing to see how many people were so teary! Truly these little ones have a spirit that is sweeter and more touching than anything else! :) It was such a special day and I am so grateful for this calling that has made my little brazilian life full of purpose and joy! 

Parabens minhas pequenininhos! 

Maile and Lucas were so excited! Maile sang so beautifully! :) 

Primaria Ala Campina Grande

Our Presidency: Elizete, Cida, Me and Vania

Our handout "lembrancinha" was so cute. 

Little Hershey's nuggets put together to make a little biblia! 

"Sei que as Escrituras Sao Verdadeiras"