We finally got our van! We were super excited to pick it up and Gwen was happy to help Dad wash and clean it out.

 Waiting for the gate to open at our church building on Sunday

On January 23, our little Jo turned 8! She had a fun-filled birthday consisting of a birthday party at school, lunch with Mom and Gwen, and a night full of presents and cake.

 

 This year Jo wanted a neapolitan cake for her birthday. I added some nutella cream cheese frosting and we were set! 

Another one of Brazil's many beauty's. We absolutely love the sunsets and they are amazing to look at over the lake.

 A little glimpse into this past week- This crazy plant we found, Aubrey setting the new middle school record, and Mom and Gwen taking some family friends to their horseback riding lessons and Gwen falling in love with the horses. 

We have officially moved into our new house! As soon as we got there Aubrey and Gwen grabbed their suits and jumped into the pool. We are loving the new house and were super excited when we got all of our stuff yesterday. 

A Surprise

Brasil,

You have surprised me
Gorgeous morning sunrises
Lovely year round weather
Birds chattering all day
People that are so lovely, kind and concerned
Change is hard but this has been a good change
We look forward to seeing more of your beautiful country

Sincerely,
Sun lover

You're not a Safeway

This week marks 10 weeks in Brasilia.  I feel like I'm finally figuring out shopping, stores and finding my way around town.  Today as I was walking through the equivalent of a Super Target or Wal-Mart I found myself scratching my head.

 Cheese comes packed in these teeny, tiny packages.  Usually just enough for a set of sandwiches for my family,  Either that or I can purchased cheese in giant blocks.  Queijo Mozzarella is one of the few cheese options we have.  Cheddar is hard to find and super, super expensive.

 Lunch meat comes that same way, gone are the days of the mega Costco packs that last in the fridge for weeks at a time

 I'm not sure what this is besides that fact that I always see it near the seafood and I always see it at every grocery store I enter.  Someone please enlighten me!

 Yogurt deserves it's own blogpost.  The Brasilian are in love with their yogurt.  So much that they dedicate two giant refrigerated isles of a grocery store to it.  Drinkable yogurt is the most popular.  All sorts of flavors, brands, bottling.  Still I have yet to find a large tub of plain, no sugar added yogurt. 

 This is how I buy my milk; shelf stable non refrigerated in a small liter box.  My kids still try and remember to put a new bottle in the fridge when the current one is almost out so they can enjoy their milk cold.

An weird and interesting snack.  Tastes like stale pao de queijo but the family still seems to love eating it

 Even with Christmas long past the Panettone still lingers in the store.  We prefer the chocolate filled versus the dried fruit.

 Another isle is dedicated to batata palha.  These are dried, crispy potato straws most commonly put on the top of chicken stroganoff. 

Ahh, beans, how we love you in our household.  Slowly I am perfecting the Brasilian beans and we can't get enough.  I'm still stumped though when I enter the bean isle at the store and can't decided between the 15 different pinto bean options

 

Juice is a constant in Brasilia.  Typically when we go to eat when can have our choice of freshly squeezed juices.  Orange, pineapple w/ mint and acerola w/ milk are the top contenders among the Holman family.  With a lime tree in our backyard lime Ricki's are now a new family favorite.

Birthday Twins

Maddy and I had an awesome birthday this year! We woke up to a pancake breakfast feast and got a lunch date with mom to the crepe shop.

(Mom speaking)  It's hard to believe that these twinks are now 15 years old.  Time truly does fly.  They are both hardworking, motivate, spunky spit fires.  I love them and am grateful for the fun they bring to our family.