Oh the weather outside is frightful... In fact, IT SUCKS! ...la la laaaaa....

I know that here in the United States, most of us are used to Christmas being paired with snow, icy roads, cold weather, and short days. But, is it so wrong to wish I could have the pretty snow up in the mountains to look at, but beaches like this to go relax on on Christmas Day? I remember our 2 Christmases in Puerto Rico and how we went to the beach and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I love Utah and don't see myself living anywhere else in the near future, but my heart longs for the sand between my toes and the smell of salt in the air. I am counting down the days when I can return to this beach in Natal that we spent a fun day with Paulo's mom and niece in June.
Wishing you all a WONDERFUL Christmas and whether you're near or far away, know that you are in my thoughts and prayers! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Happy Birthday, despite the snow

I woke up yesterday morning and almost swore. SNOW EVERYWHERE, and forecasted to be coming down all day. My birthday celebration was threatened by stupid ugly snow, the same snow that thousands of skiers and snowboarders were probably elated to see because it meant they could end their weekend off with a trip to the slopes. But this stupid snow might make the roads too dangerous for me to make the 35 mile trek down to my mom and dad's house. Well, I decided that I had driven over many snowy roads over the years of driving to and from Rexburg, Idaho and Logan, Utah so I got ready and headed down to South Jordan. I'm so glad, because I would have missed spending the afternoon with some of my favorite kids in the world. This one cooperated with me and let me try my hand at a neat shot near the door. I'm learning more about my camera and having fun doing different things with it.
Funny story about this picture: She was watching my dog outside because we had let him out to go potty. He needed to go #2. Right after this shot, he started to go. She goes "oh- he's going #2! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. " Her little brother echoed the sentiment.

Truly the most wonderful time of the year

Do you want to know what is one of my favorite Christmas Decorations that I own? I'll give you a hint: It's not the ornament I brought home from China, or the nativity scene I picked up in Costa Rica (although that one always makes me smile- it's got pigs in it!) It's not the tree that I got on clearance a few years ago (and for those of you who know me, you know what an emotional attachment I form with great deals!) Nope- it's not any of these. Of all of the beautiful things I pull out at Christmas to decorate our home and fill it with Holiday Cheer, one of my most prized possessions is an ornament made by my nephew CJ. Here's a picture of it where it is hung on our tree this year:

I love this ornament for so many reasons. I love it because it's homemade, and since one of my main love languages is quality time. When someone makes me something home made, it means they spent time on it, and I love that. I love it because it was probably a project in school, primary, or cub scouts (although I think that CJ was probably too young for cub scouts even at that point), and he decided to send that project that he had worked so hard on to ME. His aunt. Not his grandma or mom, or dad. His Aunt. I love it because it reminds me of how important it is for me to have sweet and close relationships with all of my nieces and nephews, and how I need to work harder at always making those relationships closer and stronger. I love this ornament because the picture is up-side-down. I love that no one told that little 4 1/2 year old boy that he had made a mistake. I love that there are still teachers who are loving and patient and help encourage creativity, individuality, and a spirit of giving by having activities like making a Christmas Tree ornament out of a picture of you.
I love all of the decorations I get to put up at Christmas time. I always think that I would love to keep them up all year 'round, but if I did that I would rob myself of the experience of meeting up with old friends every year. As I bring out the ornaments, the nativity scenes, the garland, the ribbons and bows, I am reminded of trips I have taken with cherished and loved friends and family. I laugh remembering when I first learned how to make a big bow, and how I still don't get it, but am grateful that somehow the bow on our wreath on the front door looks decent enough to display. I love that for 30 to 45 days of the year, everyone is focused on a spirit of giving. And (I know this is totally and completely cliche) I love how even though the weather is cold outside, inside you will find many families gathered together to express love, friendship, and gratitude for a Savior who came to give us the gift that could not be given by anyone else.
I hope you all are enjoying the Christmas season just as much as I am! We have so much to be grateful for!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

For the skeptics

I was telling some of my family about how Rex loves to watch TV, and a lot of them seemed skeptical. Here's proof of my puppy's TV addiction! He especially loves it when a dog comes onto the TV. It's so funny!

Wedding Bells were ringing

Paulo and I were in a wedding this morning. One of the girls he knew on his mission met a guy from Utah and they got married today. It was neat to see how happy they were. I always appreciate a chance to remember the fun and great feelings of my own wedding day!

A New Tradition

We started a new tradition with my family this year and donated a tree to be sold. We were excited that our creation sold for $600 tonight at auction! We're excited for next year, and already thinking up new ideas in our heads. Here's the history behind the Festival of Trees. If you live in Utah, and have never been, you should! It's such a great cause!
Here's the history from the event's website:
Almost as magical as Santa himself, a cold barren exhibit hall transforms into a warm, festive holiday haven. Each year, the magic of Festival of Trees unfolds, and with it the hope and future of children in need at Primary Children's Medical Center.
The Festival of Trees was inspired 39 years ago by a group of 15 women from along the Wasatch Front. These women were challenged by Lewis M. Jones, Chairman of the hospital's Men's Endowment Board, to identify a way to raise funds for the hospital.
Organized as the Women's Endowment Committee and led by Betty Wells, the group sold tickets to the Ice Capades and dabbled in other projects in an attempt to raise funds. They soon determined they had spent too much time and energy for too little return. They searched for one project they could devote all their efforts on.
That project was inspired when Co-chair Ruth Flint vacationed in Hawaii and attended a Christmas boutique featuring small, decorated Christmas trees, centerpieces, and Christmas decorations. The Women's Endowment Committee expanded the concept to include full-sized decorated Christmas trees, a gift boutique, and a sweet shop. Each of the 15 members of the Endowment Committee was challenged to identify those who would donate and decorate trees. At that time, Primary Children's Hospital was owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and much of the support would come from church members.
That first year, there were approximately 60 trees for display and sale in the gymnasium of the old Armory off Sunnyside Avenue. To everyone's surprise and delight, $47,000 was raised! The Festival of Trees quickly outgrew the Armory and two years later it was moved to the Salt Palace. Now, it is held at the South Towne Expo Center in Sandy, Utah.
Over the years, this beautiful event has blossomed into a forest of more than 800 trees, a gift boutique featuring handmade articles, a sweet shop filled with freshly made candies and baked goods, a display of wreaths and door decorations, centerpieces, gingerbread houses, and backyard playhouses. There is also Santa, activities for children, hot scones and sweet rolls, and continuous live entertainment. In all, the Festival spans over 220,000 square feet of display space.
Perhaps the greatest phenomenon of all is that everything is donated. The trees are decorated and purchased by individuals, families, organizations, businesses, and church groups. In addition, others generously donate items to fill the shops. Businesses provide the paper and printing of posters and tickets. Corporations offer their covered trucks and drivers to help deliver the trees, and so much more! Thousands of people join efforts by contributing countless hours and means to give “A Gift of Love" to children in need. In 2008, the Festival raised $1,495,840.74for children in need at Primary Children's Medical Center.
The name of the Women's Endowment Committee was changed to Women's Endowment Board and finally to the Festival of Trees Executive Board. Currently, 85 women serve on the Board and each of them organizes committees of 10 or more volunteers throughout the state. While the hospital no longer has a Men's Endowment Board, those men were considered “inspired” when they called women to seize the challenge.
Over the years, Festival of Trees has been copied many times throughout the United States and Canada. However, the Salt Lake City Festival of Trees remains the "granddaddy" of them all.

Organization Pays Off

I mentioned in a previous post that part of my transformation to Domestic Godess-ness included cleaning out the garage. I learned a very valuable lesson when I cleaned out the garage a couple of weeks ago that I totally forgot to blog about until today when I was talking to my older sister.
Cleaning out the garage included getting it organized. We had so much stuff in the garage that in order for our two cars to fit, a huge organization effort had to take place. I had to laugh at myself, because I remember when I moved into the house almost 6 years ago, I would see houses with the garage so crowded with stuff that the cars were parked in the driveway, and I would think "how in the world can someone have so much stuff that they can't even fit their car in the garage? GEESH!" That's what I get for thinking.
Well, Mother Nature has a great way of putting a deadline on things for you. Two weeks ago the weathermen were predicting the first winter storm, and I knew that if I didn't get things done, my poor little Honda Accord would be sleeping outside in the snow all winter. That was not going to happen. I got to work, and learned how much money organization can save you. I got all of our tools into the big toolbox that we bought last year, and organized all of the screws and picture hanging anchors. Once I got through all of them and organized them, this is what I ended up with:
It seems that every time I needed anchors or picture hanging supplies, I probably didn't know where they were, so I would just run to the store and buy some. Not a huge deal- one package probably costs like a buck or a buck-fifty. But look at this picture- there has to be at least 10 packages worth of these things! I could have saved 10-15 bucks by just having these organized where I knew they were. The same thing happened when I went through the screw drivers and hammers. I think I have 4 hammers, 3 phillips head screwdrivers, and 5 flathead screwdrivers. I won't have to go to the hardware store ever again.
The moral of the story is this: Get your stuff in order, people! It can save you money. And I'm pretty sure that you want to do that.
The good news is that I have a clean and swept out garage, and I pull my car into it every night! YAY for organization!

The results

I know you've all been waiting on pins and needles to hear the results of my coupon adventures. Well, wait no more! I went to three stores on Thursday and aside from a bag of sweet potatoes and a 99 cent bag of brown sugar (and Paulo's favorite cookies that he can't live or exist without), nothing went into the cart without a coupon. Total before without the coupons was $117.14. I scanned $35.44 worth of coupons, and ended up spending $81.70. That was a savings of 30.25%! Okay, Kate Gosselin and all of you other coupon addicts out there, I'M SOLD. $35.44 put right back in my pocket, just for taking about an hour on Sunday afternoon to cut out the coupons from the Sunday paper! That's a pretty good paying job if you ask me!

Okay- I won't go on any more for those of you who may be sick of hearing people go on and on about how great coupons are. For now I'll just say that I'm excited about cutting our grocery costs and continuing on my path towards Domestic Godess-ness!

We have had one of Paulo's good friends visiting from Denver for the past 2 weeks. she takes off today, and while we will miss her, I have to admit that it will be nice to have the house back and be able to relinquish the title of hostess. We had a fun party last night for her where all of our fun Brazilian friends came and we had a great time. I'm grateful for good friends and their never ending supply of love, support, and (since their Brazilian), RAW ENERGY. They remind me that it doesn't matter how old you are, or what is going on in your life- there should always be enough energy to laugh and love!

You didn't use the COUPONS!?!?!?!?

In the last 5 weeks since I was fired from my job at Zions, I've attacked many mini (and some not-so-mini) projects around the house. I am on my way to becoming a Domestic Goddess!!! I have organized closets, cleaned out the garage, donated bags and boxes full of clothes and other tchotchkies that were just gathering dust and spider webs in storage. I've learned more recipes and variations of recipes I already know and love. All of our laundry is clean, folded, and in its place.The house has never been cleaner, and I can really attest to the fact that keeping a clean and organized house definitely adds to the harmony and peace that can exist in a home. But up until this week, one project has continued to elude me: COUPONS.

Before I talk about my thoughts on the matter, I have another confession to make. I have, in the last 5 weeks, become a little more of a TV junkie than I was before. I am best friends with the Today Show morning crew again, Rachael Ray is my lunch buddy, and (deep breath) Kate Gosselin has become a personal confidant. Maybe I'm subconsciously watching Jon & Kate Plus 8 to feel good about my life, seeing that there are people who are WAY more screwed up than me, or maybe I love seeing those cute little kids and their GORGEOUS smiles. Maybe I feel a silent bond with Kate, a fellow short hair warrior. I'm not really sure what it is that has drawn me to their story but alas, I have fallen- HARD. I love watching the show. I love laughing at those little kids and the funny things they say. I love watching Kate and her freak out episodes. As a fellow drama queen, I guess I find it comforting to see proof that I am not alone in being a self-proclaimed DQ. (DQ sounds way cooler than Drama Queen. I wonder if Dairy Queen would sue me for copyright infringements?) Anyway, I digress.....

I was watching an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8. On this episode, Kate totally FREAKED OUT at Jon because he had bought a shower head without the coupon that she had for it. She was running around the house looking for the receipt and going on about how coupons are money, and if we don't use them we've just thrown away money.

That got me thinking. Now, more than ever, The Cox family should be conscious and careful not to throw money away. We are blessed for Paulo to have a job, and family that can help us if we get in a bind. But, when I heard Kate going on and on about not using coupons, and throwing away money, I said "That's it." I was bound and determined to start being a crazy coupon mom. Paulo brought the Sunday paper home from his work, and I set out to create a system that made sense to me so I would and could actually use it. Well, 3 days later, I'm finished creating my system, and I have 3 stores' ad for this week with the coupons I am going to use, and the items I will buy circled. I'm excited to see how this will work, and if I can cut my coupon bill in 1/2 like so many other people I know are boasting about. I will keep you posted on my success. I won't take pictures of what I buy, cause I would feel a little silly doing that, but I am going to see if I can really work this thing and save money like I've been promised I will do. Crossing my fingers...... Wish me luck!

All I Need to Know

I most DEFINITELY did NOT learn in Kindergarden! But it was a good start, I guess.

Martha Washington said "I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances."
If you were to see this quote in an encyclopedia made by me, this is the picture you would see beside it:

Aren't they just adorable? I wish I had a more recent picture of them, but honestly this has become one of my favorite pictures of my mom and dad. It was taken on my wedding day, and they look like THEY'RE the ones getting married- they're so happy! Mom and Dad have taught me, not only by their words, but also through their living example of the power of positive thinking. If your circumstances aren't what you are dreaming of, change what you can change, and if you can't change something, decide IMMEDIATELY not to let it get you down. I've tried to apply that to my life, not only in the tough times but also in the great times. Because, you see, happiness can be found during challenging times, and misery can also haunt us during seasons of plenty. If we forget where the true source of happiness is located, our minds will start to re-learn and apply a distorted and twisted measurement of happiness.

Here are some places where I have been able to find happiness and joy, regardless of the noise that would try to get me down:
1. My husband: I could not have asked for a greater companion and friend to walk with me through life's adventures and challenges.
2. My puppy just climed up on my lap to give me a few minutes of cuddling time. I'm understanding more and more why they call it 'puppy love', and why it's so wonderful!
3. My family: I am so blessed to be able to call my family (mom, dad, sisters, brothers, neices, nephews, and in-laws) FRIEND. I love talking to them, laughing with them, crying with them, and continuing to strengthen the bonds of love and friendship between us.
4. Friends: I'm going up to Park City this weekend for a Girls' Night Out with some of the best friends I could have ever asked for. We have travelled far distances, many miles in a car, and years on the road of life together. I can't wait to spend a night laughing and telling fun stories with them again.

Thanks, Mader and Pader, for your unwavering example of how to find happiness, no matter what the situation! I love you!

Better Late Than Never

This thing we call unemployment is a nasty fighter. He throws hits below the belt non-stop, making it harder and harder to see good things happening. I took this picture yesterday on our way out to go to the Airforce Museum in Roy. It reminded me of how I have let one of the most amazing Autumn Seasons I have ever witnessed in 15 years of living here in Utah almost pass me by. The weather has slowly gotten colder, allowing us to really see the change in color of the leaves, and watch them fall from the tree one-by-one. These leaves are the last that are still on a tree in our yard. I figured it was better late, than never, to capture a memory of such a beautiful season.
I know that the first sentence of my post may have come as an alarm to a lot of people reading it. One month ago, I woke up to face the first day of my own unemployment. I had been working on a team with Zions Bancorporation where many did not believe I was qualified, and surely didn't belong. Eventually, my boss jumped on that same wagon and after "trying" to get me to perform better, she fired me. It was one of the most humbling and challenging experiences of my life, but I refuse to dwell on the negative details. I have to remember the blessings and miracles that are all around me: Paulo got a job just 2 weeks before I was fired, and that made it a lot easier to deal with the loss of my employment. Within 1 month, I have been hired with another company and will start in January, and we couldn't be more excited about the job. It will allow me to work from home, and open up literally THOUSANDS of doors for us. If I wouldn't have lost my job with Zions, I would have never been able to apply and get this new job. God truly does work in mysterious ways, little ones! I'm grateful for the gentle reminders He gives me to let me know that he is 100% aware of me and my life.

I'm proud to be.....

Today, my google search took me to looking for inspirational quotes on the importance of what took me all of about 30 seconds to do on my way home today. I found some quotes that surprised me and reminded me even more of how significant the 3 "x'es" I put on a piece of paper are:

Joseph Stalin said "The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do." I'm grateful to believe and trust in the voting process.

Henry Louis Mencken said "Voting is simply a way of determining which side is stronger without putting it to the test of fighting." I'm grateful that I didn't have to watch men from my church congregation duking it out at the polls today.

Dan Quayle said "Votes are like trees, if you are trying to build a forest. If you have more trees than you have forests, then at that point the pollsters will probably say you will win." I'm grateful that I can read this statement over and over in an attempt to figure out what it means. Did anything he said EVER make sense?!?!?

Theodore Roosevelt said "A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends on the character of the user." I'm grateful to live among people that vote according to their conscience and moral compass.

As I signed my name to vote this afternoon, I was again reminded of the privilege that is mine. The lady at the polls asked me where my husband was, and I told her that he wasn't a citizen yet, but would be voting in the next election. Her eyes filled with tears and she got really quiet, and she said "that is so wonderful. Tell him congratulations!" I smiled and went and cast my votes, then took a moment to reflect on how grateful I am to live in a country where we are free to vote for what we believe. I have travelled to many countries around the world now, and always say a little prayer of gratitude and feel my heart swell with pride when I get back and hear the imigration officers say "welcome home, Amanda."

Mary Mary, Quite Contrary...

Have you ever wondered how many weeds grow in your yard over a summer's timeframe? I found the answer to this question today. WARNING: The following picture is not for young children, those who may be pregnant, or have a heart condition.



This is how many weeds I pulled out of our flower beds today:


Yeah- I broke the rake. And that is a small tree in the pile of weeds, too. It was pretty intense, but our house looks great for the first time this year! This summer was a crazy one, with going to Brazil at the beginning, getting home and taking care of Munna, Munna's passing, and then my job started sucking all of my energy out. The end result? I never planted flowers, hardly ever mowed the lawn, and NEVER pulled a single weed (Until today, since the weather man told me that if I didn't get anything done today I would have to look at my messy yard all winter long.)

It was hard work, and I'm glad I did it, but I really wish there was a way to do work like this, and not have every muscle in my body ache after.....

What's the deal with people?

So, some of you may know that I'm not really the #1 fan of my job right now. I thought I'd take a moment to vent a little on this post. I'm trying to keep my posts positive, but I figured I'll just take a couple of moments to let out some of the mean things I want to say during the day.
In order to really understand why I'm going to vent what I will, you need to know that I have a BA in English. I've always loved writing and truly believe that you can make either a great impression, or tell the world what a blundering idiot you are with poor communication and grammar. So since everyone at work is trying their best to point out what I do poorly, I thought that I would take a moment to note some of the grammatical FOE PAWS I have noticed lately:
1. "It's even worst!"
2. "Rediculous!" Can't decide which is more- the misspelling, or that he was trying to use this to make us feel incompetent by saying the situation was such....
3. "The customer was trying to make a princible only payment." Not sure what that is- what part of the loan is that?
4. "She did due this on 9/18 and can't anymore" Well no wonder- she can't DUE anything because YUE can't spell!
5. And my favorite- the dangling modifier: "looking through tealeaf Kay is seeing a binding issue" Kay must be clairvoyant or something- she can look through tealeafs!!!

These are only a few that I noted to myself in a matter of seriously a couple of hours. And I'm the one that sucks here, HOW??

Okay- maybe I shouldn't, but I'm going to push the button now... PUBLISH.

I want one of these....

Application

Position Desired: Mommie

Date of availability: Immediately!

Qualifications: Don't I look 100% natural in this picture, holding a baby that was just 8 hours old? Also, I really really like babies and kids. Have ever since I was little. (Anyone in my family remember the saga of baby Rachel Peterson and Christi holding her during sacrament meeting??)

What I will bring to this position: Lots of singing time, tickle bug attacks, bear hugs, dance lessons (that will be daddy's department though), world travel, 2 parents who love each other a LOT, and will love you more than anything. 2 parents who have a firm belief in God and a plan for us as a family, that we can be together forever. Doesn't that sound great?

References: Ask any of my nieces or nephews- they'll all tell you how great I am!

So won't you choose me, little one, and decide to come to our family? We want you here- can't wait to find out that you are coming (hope it will be soon!!!)

Up to Nothing but Trouble

For the last couple of weeks our dog has totally loved going outside, and even asks to go outside. He would whine at the door and bark at the window. I thought he was just barking at a bird or some shadow that was being cast in the back yard. Today as I was putting some dishes in the dishwasher and glanced out the window I realized the real reason he has been so crazy about going outside. Our neighbor has 4 dogs- one of them is this little Chihuahua and he has dug a hole big enough for him to wiggle under the fence and come into our yard to have a play date whenever he wants! The picture isn't super clear- I took it with my phone- but if you look you can see our dog and the dog next door coming under the fence. I laughed, but then had to get serious about the situation, and found some bricks and put them under the fence at the points of intrusion. My dog was not happy with me- he pouted all afternoon. I just don't want the neighbor's dog to get into our yard, and then slip under the fence and escape, then get run over. I wouldn't forgive myself if that happened. So I might have to take the puppy next door and schedule play dates with him and his new found friend!

My New Heritage

This weekend we went to the Brazilian Festival at the Gateway Mall. We planned ahead this year and were able to arrive right when the festival started at 1:00 pm on Saturday, and stayed until the final band packed their things up. It was a long day, and Paulo and I were exausted at the end of the day, but it was totally worth it! I posted pictures of the day on my facebook account, so if I'm not your friend on facebook you should add me now. The festival started with a parade down the street that goes through the Gateway- headed by Capoeira Martial Arts performers everyone joined the parade dawning their yellow, green and blue. Bringing up the end of the parade was a group of Carnaval type dancers. Of course there were tons of drums and lots of cheering. The street was lined with people watching, and I know this sounds cheesy, but I was so proud to be Brazilian in that moment! They had everything set up at the end of the Gateway with the fountains- food, artesan booths, music, and more dancing. We spent the day walking around, eating, and visiting with friends. We saw friends that we hadn't seen since last year's festival, and others that Paulo hadn't seen since years ago. It was like being at a high school reunion! The feature band started playing around 4:30, and they went all the way until 8:45 with NO STOPS! We danced and jumped around the whole time, and by the end of the night I seriously doubted my ability to walk back to the car! The band ended their show and we stuck around talking some more, and after the great fountain show put to the music of the 2002 Olympics we headed home. It was so nice to have a day where we didn't do anything but have fun- there was no stress, no schedule, and no other commitments other than being there and having fun. I think it was something we really needed.So at this point if this post has already run too long for you, you can stop reading, but those of you who want to keep reading, please do!The day was so fun yesterday, and it reminded me of why I have fallen so in love with not only my husband and best friend, but the culture and people that have made him who he is. I wanted to put down some of the things that I love most about my new people, the Brazilians:
One of my favorite memories of my Brazilian friends is from when Paulo and I had just been dating for a few months and we went to a birthday party that was in Salt Lake City. The birthday party was actually for a lady from Mexico that worked with a lot of our friends- they had a DJ and everything- this wasn't your normal run-of-the-mill birthday party :) So the music was going for a while- people were dancing to Salsa, Merengue and other Mariachi music. One of our friends went to the DJ and gave him a CD with Samba music and asked him to play it- we were all sitting at the table when the low sound of the Samba drum beat started. They all literally jumped out of their seats, and ran out to the dance floor to dance the dance that is quintessentially Brazilian. It was at that moment when I witnessed such passion and excitement for life through dance that I said to myself "I will be part of this one day"
The brazilian people have a passion for everything unlike any other group of people that I've seen. When they are happy, they are HAPPY! When they're not, they have no problem letting you know that, too. This honesty has helped me be more open and honest about my own feelings in life.
Those of you who came to our wedding reception were witness to how much fun it can be at a party with Brazilians there. Even a normal barbecue on the weekend eventually turns into an all-out dance party. Birthdays are charged with energy, with the "happy birthday" song being sung over and over, faster and faster, until everyone is yelling and cheering. It makes the English version of "happy birthday" seem completely boring and depressing.
Obviously my favorite thing about Brazilians is my husband! I can't say enough about him, and how happy he makes me. He is truly my best friend, and every day I am filled with gratitude for having found him and married him.
Ever since I met Paulo and started meeting his friends, I have been so impressed with how friendly and loving they have always been with me. Kisses and hugs are always shared when you see anyone, another reason why they are such an open and loving people. There really isn't much of a 'personal bubble' when you're around Brazilians!I could go on and on, but this post has gone long enough. I just wanted to say how much I love being Brazilian! Anyone who wants to is always welcome to go with us when we go to Brazil- it's an amazing country to see and I can't wait to see more and more in the years to come! I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father saved the perfect companion for me. There were times when I questioned the reasons behind all of the different dating experiences that I had before I met Paulo, but now I know that if any of the times that I was convinced I had met 'the one' would have really been the time for me, I would have missed out on an amazingly happy and full life with the person who understands me better than anyone else, and makes me happier than anyone else on this earth! Paulo, eu te quero, eu te amo, eu te adoro!

What's Important

Today Paulo and I went down to Pleasant Grove for a good friend of his from the mission to bless her 2nd baby girl in Sacrament Meeting. Her family is Polynesian, and it was great being with such a close and loving family. Sacrament meeting was Fast & Testimony Meeting today, where there are no assigned speakers, and everyone in the congregation is invited to share what they believe and feel about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. One of the friends of the family there was Vic So'oto, a senior Linebacker for the Cougars. He got up and shared his testimony. He started out saying "you probably heard about how my team did last night in their football game...." and I tought to myself "Really? REALLY?? Is this guy really gonna get up and gloat about how well the Cougars played last night in Sacrament meeting?!?!?!?" But I was pleasantly surprised when he went on to say that he believes that the headlines that should have been in the newspapers this morning were about the 2 little girls who had been baptized and confirmed this week, or the 14 year old who had finished his Duty to God responsibilities and received an award. He said he believed that we don't focus on the good enough, and talked about how different this world would be if we just focused on not only the good things in life, but the good things that are most important: Family, Faith in God, Children and their development, and general human accomplishment. I'm not sure how much of that actually made sense- as I'm writing it down I am having a really hard time articulating the whole situation, which makes me think that maybe it was just meant for me to learn today.
The other thing that really impressed me was just the fact that here he was- the morning after a huge game- he probably flew back to Utah this morning, and had every excuse in the world to play hookie from church today, but here he was in church, supporting a family member on an important day. It was just really inspiring to me. I'm grateful for little things like the expierience I had today that inspire me to be a better person.

Let them eat ice cream!

Today was Brad's birthday, and everyone came over to our house to celebrate. We had yummy fajitas for dinner, and birthday cake and ice cream for dessert. A good time was had by all- the kids had fun playing the Wii and I loved having everyone over for family dinner, since it had been a a really long time since I had everyone over. I was eating an ice cream cone later in the afternoon and Sam came running up with his binky in his mouth- he took one look at the ice cream cone, took his binky out and said "WHAT IS THAT?" I told him and asked him if he wanted one. He smiled a big cheesy grin and said "SURE!"
Who couldn't have said no to this sweet face??? I mean SERIOUSLY!!

Just when you think you're sneaky...

Paulo and I went to a concert tonight downtown at the Assembly Hall. It was supposed to be at the Brigham Young Historic Park, but there were some threatening clouds tonight. Anyway-- My Sisters, a great group made up of the sisters from the 80's group The Jets, was performing. Paulo and I started hearing a great arrangement of "Love at Home" on Soft Sunday Sounds a couple of years ago-- that beautiful hawaiian harmony that is so typical of the islands. And since it seems that Paulo thinks he was an 'islander' in a former life, he became an instant fan. It took a while, but we found who sung the song and downloaded the rest of their album. It's a great album of Sunday music and we were really excited when we heard they were doing a concert this Friday! So we went downtown for the concert...

One of the first things that they announced before the concert started was NO PHOTOGRAPHY. Well, I wasn't going to have that stop me! Paulo and I had staked out great seats right in front, so I pulled my camera out, positioned it ever so sneakily on my lap, and right as the singers came out I pushed the shutter button. And............

FLASH!!!!!!! NO!!!!!! I COULDN'T HAVE FORGOTTEN TO TAKE THE FLASH OFF!!!!

I'M A FOOL!!!!

Yeah- the flash that I thought was off was not, so the picture that was supposed to all sneaky and covert ended up being obvious enough for the ENTIRE crowd to see. I just laughed at myself- thinking I would pull a fast one, but once again I was proven wrong.

Here's the picture, just for the record and memory:

Memories of Munna

My nephew, CJ, stayed at our house for a couple of nights at the beginning of this month when he was here in Utah with his family for his oldest sister's wedding. When he was here, he kept asking me to tell him stories about Munna-specifically funny stories. I would tell him one every now and then, but didn't take a minute to sit down and tell him many stories of his great-grandmother. Today, two days after her passing, I am impressed and touched by the sensitivity of that little boy who was expressing the desire to connect with the generations before him. With that in mind, I have sat down this weekend to reflect on the last 17 months of our life, and with this post I hope to give CJ (and everyone else) the collection of Munna stories that he deserved.

Munna arrived to our home and lives here in Utah on February 20, 2008, not even one month after Paulo and I had been married. It was truly an answer to prayers because Paulo's previous patients had passed away and he was without a job. We had been praying for him to be able to find a new patient so he could continue in home care, and not have to work at a nursing home. We were excited to welcome her to our home, and did so with open arms. We got her room all gussied up and decked out- tassles on the lamps and all!

One of the first times we went out shopping with Munna was to Costco. After loading our cart with the necessary bulk items, we stopped in the food court to grab a bite to eat before heading home. I gave Munna the choice between a hot dog and a piece of pizza to eat for dinner. She chose the hot dog. Now, those of you who have seen the hot dogs at Costco know that they are not your normal size hot dogs- these franks are BIG! She looked at the hot dog, and in her best "Scarlett O'Hara" voice said "My goodness- I just don't know HOW I'll eat this whole thing!" She then proceeded to INHALE the hot dog, Homer Simpson style - right down to the last bite!! GULP, GULP, GULP, AHHHH! I half expected her to let out a huge burp at the end!

We took her to Sam's club with us to print some pictures from our honeymoon. I will never forget her sitting on the bench in Sam's Club- in her FUR COAT. She always wanted to make sure she was dressed to the 9's!

Munna loved to sit and watch TV with us, no matter how late we stayed up. She'd always get up, walk to the doorway and turn around to blow us a kiss and say "Goodnight, kids!" She did this every night! One night we watched a movie with her- I can't remember what it was, but it was a pretty scary one, and when it was over she looked at us and said "That was the strangest movie I've ever seen!" She said this about all of the movies we watched! The best was when Paulo was watching "Flavor of Love" (a reality TV show on VH1 where Flavor Flav tried to find love- Bachelor style, only MUCH MORE CLASSY!!) She didn't say anything as she watched the girls going crazy and doing all sorts of inappropriate things on TV, but her face said it all. There was no doubt about how disgusted she was about what she was watching!! She may have been a lady and knew not to say anything, but she could not keep her face from betraying her!!!

We tried to teach her how to say "Flavor Flav!" But she never quite got it: She would say "Flavor Flavor" "Flavor Fresh" and any other version of the phrase, other than FLAVOR FLAV!

She never quite got Paulo's name right, but she sure tried! At first she said it okay, but then one of our friends named Steve came over for dinner one night, and after that she started calling Paulo "Stev-O". We finally got her back to calling him by his real name- mostly. He was always "Paula" to her.

Munna was always concerned about keeping her figure! One day I came home from work and found Paulo and Munna in the den- Paulo was working out on the Wii Fit, and Munna was behind him- White Reebok tennis shoes on with her Orange Crushed Velvet excercise outfit on- touching her toes!!! Every morning she would do leg lifts, and she loved to walk the length of the sidewalk in the summer time when it was warm enough for her. She loved the sunshine, and last summer I would always come home, wonder where Munna was, and I would find her in the back yard on the swing- legs swung over the side of the seat!

She did this because she was horribly jealous of Paulo's tan- she asked him one day "where did you get such a great tan?" She didn't believe him that it was his natural color!

Munna had a great sense of humor, actually- something I never realized until she came here to Utah. One night we had a bunch of friends over for dinner. We were all eating dinner (Munna was working the croud as she always did!) -- one of the guys got up to take their plate to the sink, and on the way back to the table he passed out- HARD. Fell into the table and then crashed into the china hutch. We called 911 because he didn't come back to consciousness right away, but ended the call quickly when he woke up. After he got up and went to lay down, Munna looked at us all and said "Well that was exciting- which one of us will be next?" We all laughed- glad to relieve some of the tension in the air.

One night I was getting dinner ready and I heard Munna fighting with Paulo, yelling "NO NO NO NO NO! I won't go up!" Paulo was dying her hair for her, and he had put a plastic bag on her head to keep the color from running into her face. She walked up the stairs with the most upset look on her face- MORTIFIED that Paulo was making her come to dinner with a plastic bag on her head!!

It was a challenge at times to help Munna through the last days of her life, and I wish I could say that I was 100% patient with her 100% of the time, but I tried my best! It was an experience that I never thought I would have in life, but I consider myself blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know my grandmother better, and be a part of her life for even a small period of time. We'll miss her, but I also know that she is no longer sad and missing Guy, that she can walk without discomfort again, and that she is indeed (no matter how cliche it might sound) in a better place.

Pioneer Day

Last night as I was moving the sprinkler around to manually water the lawn and feeling sad that we didn't make it up to the local junior high school for the fireworks show this year, I heard a loud boom, looked up and realized that I had a bird's eye view of the fireworks right from my own driveway! I went to the back yard and sat on my deck and watched the show. It wasn't as loud as being right under the fireworks, but it was a good show nonetheless!!

I was grateful that I had a chance to feel patriotic for a little bit!!!!

Blame it on the Rain (yeah yeah!)

Okay- I admit. I'm a slacker. I wrote in my journal an entire page, hand written, every single day of my life for 18 months as a missionary and never missed a day. That was when practically the same thing would happen every day- wake up, get ready, eat, walk a lot, meet new people, teach a little, eat, walk a lot, meet new people, teach, then eat, walk a lot, meet new people, teach, then go home, fall in bed and sleep. Next day would start the same routine again--- I somehow found something to write an entire PAGE about every day of my life then. But now, I'm married, starting a new life and adventure with Paulo, and somehow I can't find anything to write about, or better yet- discipline myself enough to sit down for even 5 minutes to recap the day every once in a while. Alas, I'm turning over a new leaf.
We just had a great week last week with my family all being here in Utah for Kay and Cameron's wedding (yes, my oldest niece has gotten married- those of you who know her can now pick yourself up off of the floor and continue reading!) and as I said goodbye to all of them I felt guilty for not keeping in touch with them more like I should. Life is full of daily reminders of what I can do better, so instead of feeling sorry for myself upon discovering yet ANOTHER one of my weaknesses, I'll just try harder to be better :)
I'm going to post a bunch of pictures from the year so far- I realize that I have done a lot of amazing things this year and shared none of it with hardly anyone, so this post is going to be a recap of some of the highlights, accompanied by pictures. Feel free to close the window now and get back to work- this might take you a while if you commit to reading on!!!

I put the picture of Rex and Gus Gus to begin with and this is one of the cutest pictures I have of them. Gus Gus, unfortunately, ate something he shouldn't have this last weekend and died. I was really really sad, and will miss the little guy. He was always the agressive big brother but Rex loved it. We'll miss seeing Gus Gus at Nana & Papa's house.





Christmas eve, after joining in the Lancaster festivities, we went over to our good friend, Elizama Vance's house. She just got married to a great guy named Roy, and they now live in Denver. Elizama is a great friend and we miss her a lot. She's a great cook, too- I ate so much that night I seriousy thought that I was going to explode. Good times with great friends- that's what we're all about!

Munna also had a fun Christmas- we put a Christmas tree up downstairs where she stays now (the stairs got too hard for her to manage). Santa was very nice to her this year!

We had a rockin' New Years at our house. Kay and Elizama were both flyin' solo without their men so we had a fantastic dinner and danced in the new year. It was seriously one of my favorite new years eves in a LONG time!!

Our 1st Anniversary came way faster than I expected- time flies when you're having fun I guess!!! We went out to dinner and then came back and ate the cake topper from our reception. Surprisingly, the cake was still really good!!! We kept it around and finished the whole thing over the next couple of weeks!

Is my husband cute or WHAT??? He painted one of the bedrooms one day and took this picture for me to see that he was thinking about me while he did it :) This is why I love him so much!

I never knew having a dog would be so fun. Rex keeps us on our toes, and is such a fun little friend to have around!!! My favorite thing about Rex is how he begs- he gets up on his hind legs and acts like he's praying with his front paws. It's pretty danged cute!!

Our primary class has been a blast this year- we just split our ward so we're not sure if we will still be their teachers which makes us sad. They're sweet kids and keep us on the ball on Sundays!! We just got called back to the Primary tonight which we are THRILLED about, since our ward was just split and we weren't sure where our responsibilities would land. Sadly, though, only 3 of the kids in this picture will still be in our classs if we keep the same age group :(

If you were at our wedding recption, you know that Brazilians know how to have a good time. Anywhere Brazilians are gathered, no matter what the occasion, they will eventually break out into dancing. It's one of the things that I love most about my new heritage!

We were lucky enough to score tickets to the Sunday Morning session of General Conference in April- it's always so great to go there and be a part of such a big huge event!!!

With Kay getting married in July, Christi made a trip out from Pennsylvania in March and we went with her to pick out a wedding dress! She tried on lots of different styles, but thankfully she ended up picking up a really classic and elegant dress!!!

Paulo went to Brazil for a week in March while I stayed home and cleaned the house like a crazy person. I missed him like CRAZY but it was fun for him to go and visit his family and have alone time.

Just before Kay got married we had her bridal shower at Gardener Village and after I took some pics of Christi and her girls- they turned out so beautiful!!!

Ok I've run out of steam. I'm going to upload pictures from Kay's wedding and our trip to Brazil onto my Facebook account, so if you're not on my friends' list, send me a request. Hopefully I will do better in the future at keeping our blog up to date!!!

Julie Andrews had it right the whole time!

This is the cutest video. I saw it this morning on MSN and seriously watched it almost every hour. It made me smile every time, and even feel a little emotional! It's so important to remember that we're all trying to dance to the same song here on this crazy place we call earth!

Here's a link to the video on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

More Baby Tyson

Here's a couple more pictures of the littlest Lancaster....

And Matt is just happy to be home!!!

Brazil, Meu Brazil Brazileiro

Not sure if I spelled that right, but I just had to post the exciting news- we just booked our flight to BRAZIL in May to visit Paulo's mom!!! We're going May 20th, and get back June 5th. Sorry Matty, we'll have to bring you back some Brazilian goodies to make up for not making it back for your bday this year! I'm so excited words can't describe it!! I'll post more later....

The Newest Addition

The newest member of the Lancaster Clan is here! 5 lbs 2 oz and as his dad says, he's a pimp!

Daddy's little guy

Anyone else see a look that says something like "HOLY CRAP. I'M A DAD!!!"

Yup, I guess I am!

LUuuuuuuuuuke.... Use the force Luke!

The happy family!

Meanwhile, Berkeley is completely clueless as to how her life is about to change....

Long time no post- I know don't remind me!

You would think that with having my husband in Brazil for the last 9 days, I would have had tons of time, and be blogging like crazy. Well, I decided to do something other than sit and think about how I missed having him here, and how I was jealous that he was in one of the most beautiful beach cities in the WORLD! So, I decided to make a transformation in our home.
I had been feeling pretty down on myself lately- and at the root of most of it was the fact that our house was a complete and utter wreck. I would have moments of such discouragement, because I thought GEESH- what a homemaker I am!! My house was almost always immaculate before I got married, but now that I'm married I can't keep it clean to save my own life?? I decided that I had had enough, and as soon as Paulo left, and I pulled myself off of the ground from being really sad that he went without me, I started at the bottom, and went to the top! Then went to the bottom and cleaned some more! I cleaned a little (or a lot) every day except Thursday- I decided to take a break that night and watch some TV.
So here I am- Sunday afternoon and Paulo gets back tomorrow, and my house feels like a MODEL HOME!! I have not felt this comfortable and happy in our home for a long time. I have a new resolve and plan to keep our home clean and organized, so that we can feel the spirit here and enjoy being here. I came to the conclusion that just because I am not a "stay at home mom" (don't know why I would stay at home right now, since I'm not a mom yet!), that doesn't mean that I can't be a good home maker. I think that I didn't really think about how having everything so disorganized was affecting our lives, but it really does make a difference! When you can just sit in a room and relax, instead of stress about the clutter around you, it makes life a lot more enjoyable!
So that's my "hey everyone, keep your house clean- it will make life a lot easier for you" rant. Thanks for listening :) Onto more interesting stuff . . . .
The week was good- I missed Paulo a lot, and had a hard time saying goodbye to him on Saturday. I think if you asked my sister, who talked to me a few hours after he left, she would tell you that I had more than just a hard time saying goodbye- I think she was seriously considering calling the local psychiatric hospital to come get me! But I calmed myself down, and kept myself busy and distracted all week. I had a fun get together with a group of my girlfriends yesterday (Saturday). There were 9 of us that got together and had breakfast, and caught up on each others' lives. I was looking at these 9 women- all of them I have travelled on at least one trip, and others I have travelled many more than that. I was really grateful to have friends in my life that have helped me over the years, and been a part of the process that has brought me to the point I am at now. Love you, girls!!
Paulo had an amazing week in Brazil, and I'm sure that as he is boarding the flight even as I type, he is filled with mixed emotions. Excited to come back home, but sad to leave home. The silver lining is that we will be back in Brazil together very soon, so he will be able to see his Mom and friends again. I am grateful that we both have jobs and are able to travel right now. It's so important to stay close to family, and I am so excited to finally meet the rest of my Brazilian Family!!!

I really should be going to bed right now (or about an hour ago) but since when do I actually get a decent amount of sleep? I always say that I'm going to be good and get the week started off on the right foot, but I never do it! This weekend has been interesting- definitely full of adventures, and we went to one of our friend's little girl's 1 year old birthday party. Of course it was a Brazilian birthday party, so a great time was had by all! Paulo finally broke loose and got out and danced for the first time in a while- it was so nice to see him having fun with his friends! I love the Brazilian culture so much- they always have a great time, and love to dance, which I love too (even though I'm not very good!)
My primary class tried my patience today- they have started a new game where they copy whatever Paulo or I are doing- how we are sitting, our gestures, etc. It got so bad today that I almost stood up and walked out in the middle of my lesson. It made me remember when I was a Merrie Miss and our teacher Dean Taylor (I think that was his name) kicked us all out of class for making fun of the lesson. I remember feeling so bad, and we all eventually went back to the classroom and begged him to forgive us. I'm not sure if it stuck with the other kids in my primary class like it did me, but I seriously considered walking out of the classroom, in hopes that the kids would feel bad like I did when I was young. But I didn't end up doing that! I just finished the lesson and got a headache. (NICE)
Everything else is going well with us- Munna is doing okay- I'm excited for springtime to come because she really enjoys sitting outside in the sun. It really helps her feel better to sit in the sun every day.
What am I talking about- it helps ME to be in the sun! I'm so sick of this gloomy winter weather!

Let's try this again

So, I started a blog on blogspot last summer, but I couldn't get to the website from my work computer, so if I wanted to update it it was hard to do that! After all, the last thing I want to do after sitting on the computer all day long is sit on the computer when I get home!
But Shutterfly's site became overloaded I think, and I couldn't believe how slow it got! So I'm going to turn my back on the other blog I was keeping, and start a blog where more people can see. I hope you like it!
I'm sitting on the couch right now and should be taking a nap, but I have to make sure that Munna eats all of her food. She has a nasty habit of hiding food in her room in order to not have to eat it, so the only way to make sure that she doesn't do that is to either 1) feed her myself (like you would feed a baby) or 2) make sure she knows I'm watching her so she doesn't try any funny stuff. Honestly, I don't know how we've survived the winter without an infestation of mice with all of the food that I find in her dresser drawers, behind the bed, in the closet, etc. (Knock on wood) So as soon as she finishes I will get a quick nap in before some friends come over for dinner.
We had our primary class over yesterday for a class breakfast/ game party. They are 10, and there were 9 of them who came. All I have to say is WOAH. I was so tired after I almost just fell asleep on the couch while they were playing Guitar Hero! I went to Stephanie's baby shower, and Paulo met up with an old Mission Companion while I was at the shower. Over all it was a fun Saturday, but we're both really tired today because of it!! Thank goodness for 9:00 a.m. church, and Sunday naps!