So, I grounded myself from blogging until I got my Christmas Card done. Now I am done.
And here it is...
Family Christmas Letter 2008
We are pleased to send holiday greetings to all of our friends and family during this summer season. In Brazil (remember, southern hemisphere) we are just entering summer, the beaches are getting crowded, the mosquitoes are multiplying rapidly, and we are wrapping up our 18th month in country. During this year we have become much more aware of Brazilian customs, culture and people through friends at school, work and church. Our Portuguese has improved dramatically (the girl even speaks accent free!) and we have had the chance to visit more of the country than we had during our hectic relocation last year.
We have now visited but 4 of the 26 states in Brazil and during those trips we were able to visit the state of Rio de Janeiro to see the Pao de Açucar, Corcovado (the Christ statue), Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in addition to the beautiful green hills that divide Rio. I even found a suitable hill to jump off of and try paragliding. We then were visited by my youngest brother and visited the state of Mato Grosso do Sul where we went on wildlife safaris in the Brazilian wetlands of the Pantanal. In addition, we went rappelling into a water filled cave, snorkeling in a warm water natural spring and rafting down a nearby river. Next the family took a trip to the state of Paraná to attend the open house for the Curitiba LDS Temple and then take a train ride through the mountains to the coastal town of Morretes. The deep forest was beautiful with the unique trees and giant ferns.
The winter (July) saw a visit from my parents. Grandma helped the girl and I celebrate our birthdays like princesses. We showed them the local sights, spent a day at the beach, played in the park with kites, explored the downtown market, and took a quick trip to Rio. In October we went to the Argentine border with my sweetie's parents to visit Foz do Iguaçu and tour inside the Itaipu dam. At the national park we were greeted with spectacular views of the waterfalls, a breathtaking view from above in a helicopter, a boat trip on the river which took us into the waterfalls, a cacophony of bird voices at the aviary, and a climbing/zip line adventure through the trees. With the kids we have had frequent trips to beaches in the state of Sao Paulo and recreational spots in and around the city of Sao Paulo. Finally we wrapped up 2008 visiting the US for the first time since we left in July of 2007. It has been nice being home for a bit after being gone for 18 months.
The baby celebrated her second birthday this year. She had a special birthday cake topped with her favorite brigadeiro sauce (thick, chocolate and fudgy) with colorful flower sprinkles. She has enjoyed her fairy wings, magic wand, ballerina tutu and high heel “lady shoes.” She moved from her crib to a big girl bed and has been handling that freedom quite responsibly. Her favorite way to postpone bedtime is to ask the question: “Mommy, mommy, mommy. Remember, remember we went to the beach?” or another recent activity. The baby has the distinction of being the only of our children to be potty trained before 3-years-old. She decided she was done with diapers and trained herself. Her favorite activities are play dough, going to the park and dancing and singing along with her various Barbie princess movies. To top off her year, the baby went to Disneyland, dressed as Snow White and danced with the real Snow White.
The girl had a Cinderella birthday party for her fourth birthday this year. She enjoyed her princess castle birthday sticker countdown calendar. Grandma (my mom) made her a princess cake, complete with sparkles and earrings. In February, the girl began attending a local Brazilian pre-school, complete with dinner and ballet class. When she returns from school it is always fun to hear what she ate at school. Occasionally she says that she ate “beans and rice and green chicken.” She has learned how to spell her name, spell pretend names and has many new friends. Her toys quite often are heard speaking Portuguese while she is playing. The girl made a trip to the ER after falling out of her bed and slicing open her chin, again. She frequently requests that we do projects, build couch forts and dance like princesses. Her new favorite activity is playing golf with her dad every Saturday morning.
The boy turned 6 in style with an R2D2 cake to share with his friends at school and a glowing light saber cake at home following his birthday countdown calendar and treasure hunt. He was a convincing clone trooper for Halloween, complete with a dart gun. He attended many fun birthday parties of school friends, class parties and played with friends at the playground after school. Currently in first grade, the boy has become an excellent reader and recently started writing and illustrating his own books. He is growing up fast, loosing teeth, being brave at the dentist and practicing to ride his bicycle. Recently, the boy asked "Mom, when are we going to move again?" We were concerned about what was wrong, hoping we could help him through what must be a difficult transition, but he elaborated: "I want to meet some new friends because whenever we move we meet new friends."
I am enjoying using my free time to scrapbook, explore Sao Paulo and have fun with friends. I enjoyed hang-gliding in Rio, rappelling and snorkeling in Bonito, watching the forest from the train in Curitiba and climbing through the trees in Iguasu. I watched snakes being fed, stood inches from a tarantula, caught a piranha and was snacked on by mosquitoes. I have improved my tennis skills through my weekly lessons on local clay courts. I even broke the strings on my racket for the first time. At church I have taught weekly English classes, served as chorister for the children and filled in as organist. Between speaking with Brazilian friends and taking private lessons, I have become quite proficient speaking Portuguese.
My sweetie has become a master travel planner and tour guide as we have gone on our many adventures. He investigated the eco-tourism in the west and we enjoyed a week of exciting, and unique experiences. He arranged for the family to ride on a historic train route and tour a new temple. He found tour packages for us to explore the waterfalls on the southern border of the country. My sweetie even put together a week of happiness, magic and wonder in southern California just before celebrating Christmas in Arizona. He has been teaching the finer points of the game of golf to the whole family on his Saturday morning outings to the driving range. He even got me to play a quick round with him. Work kept him at home this year, with only one trip to Puerto Rico. The family has really enjoyed having daddy at home.
We wish you all the best in the new year.
Me, my sweetie, the boy, the girl and the baby.
If you would like any of our specific contact information, leave a comment and I can send it to you.
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