I've got mounds of pictures and videos and stories to share from our Amazon trip

but that means I've got mounds of pictures and videos to sort through

I'll get to that

in the meantime I came across this gem from the week before we left

I "made" some of my girls come to the new neighborhood park

It's about a 5 minute drive from our house and brand new

There aren't many new things in Brasil so this was a treat

The sidewalks are all newly laid so we had a great time scootering,  running and playing here

We'll be back again, Jo wants to take her kite next time and buy a remote control boat!

Suco e comida

My favorite burger shop, it's a joke because I don't even order the burger.  I'm always on the lookout for the best veggie burger and this little storage container turned restaurant is high on the list

One of my favorite parts of living in a new place is exploring food places

Rob and I have become "foodies"

I would define that as someone that enjoys eating, eating good food!

Friday nights we tend to save as date nights and it usually involved finding a new restaurant to try

Usually we try something new but there are a few places that have become our favorites

We now have a running list

Next time you visit we'll take you to some

Trying out a suco (juice) bar with the girls

Nothing beats fresh squeezed juice for a few bucks

Clothing Drive & Visit

Aubrey was able to organize a clothing drive and we loaded up the van with all the collections

I talked about out School Visit last month on the blog

Our family was able to return this month and visits the friends that we are making

It's always a treat to visit with the kids that live under such humble circumstances

Madison writing out simple English conversation skills

The group of kids that we taught for the morning

We then headed over to the PK class

These kids were so cute and just as eager to learn English

The little kid standing up on the left loved showing off the English words that he knew

He did a great job with his numbers and letters and then was asking how to say so many things in English

It's good practice for our Portuguese vocabulary and translating things for them

After our 1st school visit we took a lunch break

The teachers we are working with look us to a lovely lunch spot that is run by a couple in the area

Delicious homegrown food, succulent gardens and wonderful hospitality made the lunch a treat

Gwen learning how to eat sugarcane as an after lunch treat

An afternoon photo with our adopted class

These kids are such great kids, working the best they can in their current circumstances

Puzzles

We've got a puzzle queen on our hands

Like, everyday pulling out the same 2 puzzles

I pared down so many toys when we moved

I'm now thinking I should have kept a few more puzzles :)

Point-Set-Match

Jo received a tennis racket for Christmas

Along with the racket I wanted to have her take a few lessons

I know NOTHING about tennis

She wanted to learn how to hit the ball across the net

Finally we had some extra time to enroll her in some classes

She's doing an awesome job and has now decided to have this be her school sport for this year

I should probably learn a bit more about the game now!

Glimpse

Let me love you a little more before you're not little anymore

Sometimes I forget that I have three teens

Then I see the walking somewhere

and I'm reminded they won't be little much longer

July the 4th

This past week our Embassy offered a festive patriotic July 4th party

It was complete with bounce houses, popcorn, cotton candy and bike parades

The evening was topped of with a firework show

The family decked out in our patriotic colors

Uniforms

My little is starting pre-school next month!!!

how time is a flying

She was thrilled when she got to go uniform shopping this past week just like her big sisters

She will be enrolled in a Portuguese speaking school

When we leave this post we are already prepared for her to be the best Portuguese speaker in the house

It will be quiet in the mornings come August!

Shoe shiner

This has been a difficult school break to figure out

For the past 8 years my family has been heavily involved in summer swim team

Each morning I would drive me kids to the pool, they would swim laps, work out on the grass, shower, head for home and then be back at the pool for afternoon activities

This summer has taken on a different pace, slower, quiet, less stuff

It's been different, hard at times, more noise around the house and just has taken some adjusting

I've had to come up with projects to keep the kids active, motivation to get things done, more intentional with our life

This project was a great afternoon project for Jo, she played car wash will all her sandals

Here in Brasil the dirt is red, red as can be

After time all of her shoes were coated with a red/orange dust

She got to take out the scrub brush and make those shoes shine again

Summertime!

"Summertime" is in full swing at our house

We are gearing up for our first visitors to Brasil

Prepping for a 2 week trip to the Amazon

and wearing jackets and pants because we are soooo cold

We've already turned into Brasil blood Americans

Here's a little glimpse into the past couple of weeks

The littles riding their bikes up and down our street

Enjoying delicious oranges!

"Playing" with playmobile

My teen so bored one afternoon she resorted to coloring

The older three ran a babysitting camp one week

It was great for them to earn some extra money and get out of the house for a few hours each day

Aubrey helping sister with her math homework

Just hanging around for the summer

Park Friends

One of the very best parts of being an Embassy family is having Embassy friends

I can count on my kids having instant playdates when we walk onto the grounds

There are swings to play on, fields to run in and games to be played with the best of friends

Trashy

Sometimes I like to walk around the neighborhood and take pictures of peoples trash bins...

Usually they match the style of the home and it's cool

other times they are just a random bin

They forgot to include one with our house so we use the neighbors :)

These are Brasilians form of trash cans

You can count on the trashmen/truck running up and down the street at about 9pm nightly to empty these bins

Celebrate America

Our family enjoyed attending the Embassy 4th of July party this past week

I'm thankful for America

I'm thankful for the freedoms we enjoy

I'm thankful to live in a country that provides opportunities for all

God Bless America!

ABC countdown

We are in full swing summer time mode now...

these pictures are from a few weeks back and I'm trying to play catchup

We are survivors! 

I'm so proud of my girls for surviving a move mid-school year

Starting over

New friends, language, country, school

Much prayer, fasting and courage went into accepting this position in Brasil

Our family knew this was the change that we needed

There are still hard moments but

watching my girls come out of the school on the last day of school with smiles makes me think we will make it and grow like we never thought we could

We celebrated with Gelato at our favorite spot in town