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.