Brasil vs. Mexico

Tuesday was a fun day. I have never been much of a fan of soccer, but watching the Brasil versus Mexico game with Isanon's family was so much fun. They are hilarious. They get so into it. His mom was jumping up and down, his grandma yelling at the TV...and the kids running around with their Brazilian flags - it was fun. 

We had a BBQ before the game, then the kids splashed around in the pool a bit. After the game, we lit some fireworks to celebrate that Brazil did not lose. 

Currently. {Vol. 05}

Thinking about: How great it has been to be here in Recife with Isanon's family. We have been here for 5 days now, and each day has truly been great. It is such a blessing to be able to have everyone together in the same place. I was a little nervous about feeling uncomfortable and what not - but I have felt so welcomed and so comfortable. We are truly a family, and getting to know them all better has been the best. 

Reading: I brought the book, Orphan Train with me....but, we have been doing too much for me to have any time to read - and I am perfectly okay with that! 

Listening to: I've been listening to music in the mornings while having my devotional time before coming down stairs - and this song is on the playlist twice. I love it.  

Watching: The world cup. We've gone out a lot while being here, but the outings have been scheduled around these soccer games. When we are at the house....the ONLY thing on the TV is soccer. 

Thankful for: As I said earlier, this time with family. I don't want to be repetitive, but I truly am thankful for this opportunity. Getting everyone together in one place is not easy, so having this time is truly a blessing. I am also thankful for this little break with Isanon. Things can get very routine at the Mountain - so it has been nice to have some time with him away from the Mountain.

Goals for this week:

last week

• Pack for vacation!  yep, all got packed and we did not go over the limit. 
• Give Tyson a bath before we leave.  Yes, Tyson got a bath.
• Enjoy family time!  Oh how we are enjoying it! 

This week

• I have no other goal for this week but to relax and take advantage of this time. 

Verse of the week: Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

My 26th birthday.

Happy Monday! We are in Recife, and having the best time. It is so great to have this time with family. On Saturday I celebrated my 26th birthday, and Isanon and his family made it so special. I woke up with presents at my feet and was treated so well all day. 

After lunch, Isanon, his sister and I went to a mall that is close by. It is huge and so beautiful. It has a view up on top that is beautiful. We had the greatest time walking around and looking at everything. Because of the world cup, Recife is full of tourists from everywhere. Japan was playing that day in Recife, so the mall was full of fans. We went "camping and had a picnic", found a frozen yogurt place and took a million pictures, it was so much fun. 

When we arrived back home, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law had made a cake and a bunch of treats to have a surprise party. We took a million pictures, ate, and had such a great time.

 

A big thank you to you all for making my birthday so special. I seriously had the best day, and I am very grateful for everything. It has been so great being here in Recife, spending time with family and making memories. 

Fancy, Fancy.

We are officially on our vacation time - and will be heading out to Recife later today. We are beyond excited to be able to travel and see Isanon's family. But, before we head out - I wanted to share some pictures of a special day we spent with Paul and Nancy while they were here. We goofed and forgot our camera at home, but luckily Isanon had his iphone. 

On Saturday, they took all the boys (and us) out to a really nice restaurant. We all pre-ordered our food, and were seated on the second floor. 

There was a choice between three plates; Stroganoff, Risotto, or Penne with chunks of Salmon. Most of the boys (including Isanon) went for the Stroganoff. I had the Penne with Salmon - and it was so good.

 For most of the boys, it was their first time being in a nice restaurant. It was so much fun to see how they reacted. As I'm sure you can imagine, our boys tend to be pretty rambunctious - so I was a little nervous to see how they would do in a nice setting - but they were all so well behaved.

After lunch, we all went out to a movie. We watched the movie 'Maleficent' in 3-D. A lot of our newer, younger boys had never been to a 3-D movie (one boy had never been to the movies at all) and it was the greatest to watch them experience it. I sat next to Mateus and throughout most of the movie, I would see his little arms reaching forward trying to grasp that 3-D object in front of him. It was the cutest!

Thank you Paul and Nancy for treating us all to such a special day. I know that this will be one of the days that the boys will remember their whole lives. We miss you both already, hurry back and visit us again! 

Currently. {Vol. 04}

Thinking about: How much I need to get done before we leave on Thursday. We are so excited about our vacation time and being able to see Isanon's family. It has been (exactly) a year since we have seen his parents, and even longer since seeing his brother's family. I have started a packing list and a 'to-do' list of things I need to get done before we depart - and should be checking things off now....but, blogging is way more fun. 

Reading: This past week has been a busy one and I haven't done much reading, but I am okay with that - because it has been a great week! Speaking of 'to-do' lists, picking out which book to take with me to Recife is on the top of that list! 

Listening to:  Lately, I have been listening to a lot of Jesus Culture. I wake up in the morning and put their playlist on shuffle - and let it play most of the day. Last week we had a mini-service with the boys here, and the speaker talked about music. The gist of what he was saying was how important it is to guard what we let go into our ears. It resonated and convicted me. I need to be more conscious of the music I am filling our home with. 

Watching: Once again, not much TV watching went on this week. The world cup is starting though, so that will definitely be watched this next week. I am sure Isanon will be wearing that thing on his head during every game!

Thankful for: A busy week. This past week and a half has been great. We had a couple come visit Hope with their 18 month old daughter. They are praying about making the decision to move here and become house parents. Spending time with them and their little one has been fun. Also, Paul and Nancy were here for a visit! I can not sing them praises enough for the role that have in the boys' life (and ours). They are their grandparents. And true to the grandparent role, they spoil them. I am so thankful for the two of them. 

Goals for this week:

last week

• Pack for vacation! = nope, still need to do that. 
• Take Tyson for a walk every single day. = once again, poor Ty did not get a walk every single day this week. 
• clean and organize nightstand drawers. = done! 
• Do something for Isanon for (brazilian) Valentine's day. = present is bought, just need to finish planning the day for him. 

This week

• Pack for vacation!
• Give Tyson a bath before we leave. 
• Enjoy family time! 

Verse of the week: May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14