So, I’ve had this post ready to post for a while, just never have posted it (is that enough "posts" in one sentence?). Since Mrs. Pam brought up the name thing in her comment to my last post, I thought I would go ahead and post this. So, here goes…
Names are a funny thing. In one country, a name will be really pretty. But, in another country…well, not so much. The name that comes to mind first when I think about that is Patricia. In Spanish speaking countries, that is said Puh-tree-see-uh with the accent on the “tri.” I think it’s really pretty. The way that name is said in English though…although nice (and I know some great people with that name), honestly it’s not my favorite. Much prettier in Spanish (or Portuguese for that matter…pronounced the same) I think.
So, here are how our names play out here and what we think we might do about it…notice I said think we might do about it.
Joel – It obviously works here. It’s pronounced different…like Jo-el, with the accent on the “el” and the “j” is a soft J, but it works.
Grady – Although an obvious American name, this is workable also. I’ve found if you just pronounce even American words with a Portuguese pronunciation, they understand. So, if someone just refuses to say Grady the way we say it (some people don’t even like to try…I’ve found that Brazilians don’t have much practice in pronouncing different sounding words/names unlike people in the U.S. who are used to all kinds of people with all kinds of names), I’ll say Grady the Brazilian way. That is just making the “r” a Brazilian R (more of a soft d sound…same as Spanish) and sometimes even making the “d” sound like a J…we try to get away with not doing that though. His name works alright just because there is a long “a” sound here. The long "a" sound is spelled “ei,” but there is at least that sound…unlike the short “a” sound as in…
Hadley – The only thing we’ve come up with is that they are just going to have to learn her name as is. So the people around us aren’t so used to pronouncing different names. But, they aren’t retarded either. They can learn. We will be patient and it will be fine. That is, unless someone just happens to give her a nickname that we like and it just sticks, although we aren’t too big into nicknames personally, so it would have to be good.
Asa – This is an actual word here. It’s pronounced Ah-zuh. Of course we knew that…”Asas de Socorro” for heaven’s sake (the organization we work with). It means “wing” which I think is a very cool meaning, even though it’s not the meaning of the name Asa. Right after we had her, it was suggested that we reconsider the spelling of her name. At the time, the suggestions given us for optional spellings just didn’t work…they didn’t give us the same pronunciation and that’s what we wanted. Besides that, we were in no mood to even think about it at that point. I had just birthed an almost 10 pound baby, we had just spent over 24 hours racking our brains about what to name her in the first place (remember, I was sure we were having a boy whose name was going to be Abel…no girl name had been settled on)…it just wasn’t a good time. Well, it wasn’t until right before we got here in Brasil that we actually found out the best optional way of spelling her name that would give us the same pronunciation. It is Eissa (remember the long “a” sound is spelled “ei”…also, a single “s” is usually said like a “z”, so you have to do a “ss” to get the “s” sound). It has actually grown on me since I found that out…and now I actually like it. Although it is not a name here (nobody has ever heard the name Eissa), when I spell it out for them they say, “Ah, Eissa.” So, will we ever change the legal spelling of Asa’s name to Eissa. Not sure. Quite possible, just to make it easier…and esp. since Asa is an actual word here (so, that makes it different than the case with Hadley’s name). We won’t be changing Grady’s spelling to Greidy though I don’t think…just because that is my grandfather’s name and the way he spelled it. Plus, again…Grady is not an actual word here, so it’s just not the same case as Asa’s.
Michawn – Oh yes, on to my fun name. First of all, let me say that Michawn is not common anywhere you go. Am I completely used to having to repeat my name over and over again…yes. Am I completely used to being called Michelle and having to correct…yes. And I completely used to having to spell my name out for people…yes (I don’t think that it ever happened in the states that someone spelled it right…I always had to spell it for them). And one more…am I completely used to people mispronouncing it even when they see the spelling…absolutely (it was super rare for someone to pronounce it correctly when just seeing it written). So, is all this new territory for me? It absolutely isn’t. And, I’ve never even minded it. In fact, I love it. When everyone else in the circle introducing themselves just says their name once and then gets skimmed over to the next person, they always have to stop at me. It is a great ice breaker, a great way to get to know people…a foot in the door. Besides that, my parents gave that name to me. It was my first present (other than life of course). And, I happen to like it (I love my name actually). Like I said before, Brazilians aren’t dumb…maybe they’ve never heard my name before, but they can learn it. And it really doesn’t seem to be a problem. People have said that it’s hard for Brazilians to pronounce a name with an “n” on the end of it. But, I’ve seen tons of names with “n” on the end…Jefferson, Warren, Wilson, Milton, etc. Maybe it’s more common for a man’s name to end with an “n,” but still…it’s not an impossible task for people to say it. Again, if you say it more like a Brazilian would say it (or spell it out for them to see, minus the “w”), they get it really easily.
Now that I’ve said that…I might possibly change my name. :) Although it’s not a big deal if I don’t and I just haven’t decided yet whether or not I want to give up my given name, it might be exactly what I’m supposed to do (for here in Brasil…you people would still call me Michawn). I mean, God gave people new names all the time didn’t He? A new name for a new season. I am definitely in a new season. So, we’ve decided to just give it some time and just pray about it. It could be fun. I do have a name picked out already for just the occasion, should it ever come. It is, of course, a name that is uncommon here (I would never be able to live with a common name) and it also doesn’t totally abandon my actual name. But, we will see. I will keep you posted. (And no…I’m not going to tell you what it is…it will be revealed later, even if I decide not to use it).
Yep, names are funny things. We have a great friend whose sister, along with her husband, just moved to Peru as missionaries. Her name is Kay Jones. That’s a regular sounding name, right? Well, it is until you say it in Spanish. Then it sounds exactly like the word in Spanish for testicles. She will be changing her name. I’m sure God got a good laugh when her parents named her…He knew her future.
Yep, names are funny things.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Rubber Meets the Road
So, I want to be totally real with you people on this blog. Keeping that in mind, please don’t think that I am a negative person or anything. I just want to be honest about what is going on…what I’m thinking, what I’m going through. That being said, let me get to the real post…
We are all (sort of) settled into the house we will be living in for the next year. Things have slowed down significantly. For that I am grateful. But, at the same time, that brings reality. Ahh…good ole reality. :) Here is my reality: I know that God has called us here. I am very, very happy to be here. I feel privileged and honored to have been entrusted with this call on our lives. I am very, very excited to see where God takes us and what He does with us…so excited. I love that my children will grow up in a different culture and have some really great experiences. Now, all that being said, here is what could be taken as negative…
It’s hard. It is stinkin’ hard. Lest you get the wrong idea, I’m not depressed, I’m not emotional or crying all the time, etc. But, let me tell you…this is hard.
Let me tell you what is hard. I have to try to figure out how to live in this country and be as much a part of it, “be” Brazilian, as I can. A question that is continually running through my mind…”How do I do that?” I was sharing with someone this morning that I think if I was only here for a 2 yr. stint or something, it wouldn’t be such a transition. But, man is this an adjustment. As far as I know, this is home for the rest of my life. And I have to make it just that…home. The hard part is that so much of me doesn't want to. I know that I must...that's not a question. But, calling somewhere else home other than Saline, LA or Longview, TX or anywhere in the states for that matter...hard to do. It's hard giving up the American in me and conforming to Brazilian. Yeah, I know…more dying to self. Sheesh. I’m tired of that. :) Just kidding. It is hard though. Some examples of how this translates into everyday life:
1. All the little boys here wear Speedos…does Grady wear a Speedo so that he can fit in better, or does he stand out like a sore thumb little American and wear trunks? (gosh, I hate Speedos)
2. All the little girls here get their ears pierced when they are babies…do we go ahead and pierce our girls’ ears?
3. Homeschooling is practically unheard of here. Besides that, it would be so American and so American missionary of me to homeschool our children. But, that is truly my heart’s desire. It wasn’t always that way, but now that’s truly what I would love to do. But, now I’m wondering if that’s truly what I’m supposed to do. Would our kids still be able to fit in, relate to the little Brazilian kids, speak Portuguese well with little accent if we homeschooled?
I guess those are the top 3 I can think of immediately. The other things just come up in the little details of living everyday life. The top 2 might not seem that important, and are in fact just superficial at first glance. But, the issue goes much deeper…to what extent do we go to make this home, to fit in? Some may say that you don’t have to give up who you are and the things you want to live here. True. But, you do if you want to be effective and if you want to be able to relate. As much as I hate to “give up” my home, my culture, my traditions, my customs, my habits…well, what outweighs that is that I would absolutely hate to live here my whole life and feel like a total foreigner the whole time. So, those things must be given up. That’s the hard part, esp. right now. I don’t have any memories here, no special things to do, etc. I miss things like going to Granny’s, going to the little library in Saline and then meeting up with people at the MunchBox for lunch, going to church on Sunday mornings and then going out to eat with people at Papacita's in Longview, etc.
Those things will come in time I know. God is faithful and will provide special things here. It will take time for me to learn the culture and the language, meet people (and actually be able to communicate with them), figure out how to mix the things that I already love with the new things that I will come to love. In time I will probably be easily able to answer those 3 questions (and many more) that I listed earlier. And, hopefully within time I will be so a part of these people that wearing a Speedo won’t be gross or weird (O.K., that might be pushing it) and the whole homeschooling question will be made clear. But, just to let you in on a little bit of what people who move to another country to live go through, I thought I would post this. It is a difficult transition. You have to learn to do all new things and in a way be a whole different person (not at the core, but surely you know what I mean).
It’s funny. I can’t remember if I wrote before about what Grady said the other day. He was saying that he liked it here, “but just for a little bit. Then I want to go back to my house so I can do what I do.” So I can do what I do. It just came to me what I think he meant. I can totally relate. I’m not “doing what I do” here. The things we used to do are no longer. I don’t mean to be extreme…some things we do the same and of course we’ve kept the same basic routine for the kids. But, it’s a whole new life. For that I’m excited. For that I’m also sad.
We are all (sort of) settled into the house we will be living in for the next year. Things have slowed down significantly. For that I am grateful. But, at the same time, that brings reality. Ahh…good ole reality. :) Here is my reality: I know that God has called us here. I am very, very happy to be here. I feel privileged and honored to have been entrusted with this call on our lives. I am very, very excited to see where God takes us and what He does with us…so excited. I love that my children will grow up in a different culture and have some really great experiences. Now, all that being said, here is what could be taken as negative…
It’s hard. It is stinkin’ hard. Lest you get the wrong idea, I’m not depressed, I’m not emotional or crying all the time, etc. But, let me tell you…this is hard.
Let me tell you what is hard. I have to try to figure out how to live in this country and be as much a part of it, “be” Brazilian, as I can. A question that is continually running through my mind…”How do I do that?” I was sharing with someone this morning that I think if I was only here for a 2 yr. stint or something, it wouldn’t be such a transition. But, man is this an adjustment. As far as I know, this is home for the rest of my life. And I have to make it just that…home. The hard part is that so much of me doesn't want to. I know that I must...that's not a question. But, calling somewhere else home other than Saline, LA or Longview, TX or anywhere in the states for that matter...hard to do. It's hard giving up the American in me and conforming to Brazilian. Yeah, I know…more dying to self. Sheesh. I’m tired of that. :) Just kidding. It is hard though. Some examples of how this translates into everyday life:
1. All the little boys here wear Speedos…does Grady wear a Speedo so that he can fit in better, or does he stand out like a sore thumb little American and wear trunks? (gosh, I hate Speedos)
2. All the little girls here get their ears pierced when they are babies…do we go ahead and pierce our girls’ ears?
3. Homeschooling is practically unheard of here. Besides that, it would be so American and so American missionary of me to homeschool our children. But, that is truly my heart’s desire. It wasn’t always that way, but now that’s truly what I would love to do. But, now I’m wondering if that’s truly what I’m supposed to do. Would our kids still be able to fit in, relate to the little Brazilian kids, speak Portuguese well with little accent if we homeschooled?
I guess those are the top 3 I can think of immediately. The other things just come up in the little details of living everyday life. The top 2 might not seem that important, and are in fact just superficial at first glance. But, the issue goes much deeper…to what extent do we go to make this home, to fit in? Some may say that you don’t have to give up who you are and the things you want to live here. True. But, you do if you want to be effective and if you want to be able to relate. As much as I hate to “give up” my home, my culture, my traditions, my customs, my habits…well, what outweighs that is that I would absolutely hate to live here my whole life and feel like a total foreigner the whole time. So, those things must be given up. That’s the hard part, esp. right now. I don’t have any memories here, no special things to do, etc. I miss things like going to Granny’s, going to the little library in Saline and then meeting up with people at the MunchBox for lunch, going to church on Sunday mornings and then going out to eat with people at Papacita's in Longview, etc.
Those things will come in time I know. God is faithful and will provide special things here. It will take time for me to learn the culture and the language, meet people (and actually be able to communicate with them), figure out how to mix the things that I already love with the new things that I will come to love. In time I will probably be easily able to answer those 3 questions (and many more) that I listed earlier. And, hopefully within time I will be so a part of these people that wearing a Speedo won’t be gross or weird (O.K., that might be pushing it) and the whole homeschooling question will be made clear. But, just to let you in on a little bit of what people who move to another country to live go through, I thought I would post this. It is a difficult transition. You have to learn to do all new things and in a way be a whole different person (not at the core, but surely you know what I mean).
It’s funny. I can’t remember if I wrote before about what Grady said the other day. He was saying that he liked it here, “but just for a little bit. Then I want to go back to my house so I can do what I do.” So I can do what I do. It just came to me what I think he meant. I can totally relate. I’m not “doing what I do” here. The things we used to do are no longer. I don’t mean to be extreme…some things we do the same and of course we’ve kept the same basic routine for the kids. But, it’s a whole new life. For that I’m excited. For that I’m also sad.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Michael and Maira Time
We had a great time with Michael and Maira (pronounced "Myra" by the way) last week. They were possibly going to stay with us for 10 days, but some of their close friends came back into town halfway through and asked them to go stay with them. They were excited about dividing up their time. I'm sure they are having a ton of fun and are anxiously awaiting the return of their mom and dad...they missed them pretty bad!
Here are just a few pictures from our time with them.
Riding the broom.
The girls came out and said they were cowboys. Not sure what the towels contributed to their cowboy outfit, but we just went with it. :)
On Saturday afternoon we loaded the kids up and went down the road a little bit to the mall. It's not a mall like you would find in the states, although there is a really, really nice mall (like in the states) in Goiania. But, they have trampolines, an arcade, a nice kids' play area, and good eats.
Michael getting some air.
Everyone jumping. Hadley was actually too young, but they let her anyway. Maira didn't want to do it at first, but she saw everyone else having fun and changed her mind.
At the arcade. I like it that our kids are still young enough to actually be content playing on the game that we haven't actually put money into. :)
Balls are always fun...you can see Maira's face in this one.
Asa would just laugh and laugh as we leaned from side to side on the motorcycle.
At the pool here near our house. A little boy named Calebe (Caleb...you can't actually see him in this picture) always comes around when we are out playing. His dad is a student here and they live a few houses down from us. He is almost 9...he and Michael had a lot of fun together.
The boys with Calebe. He came over and played all day...the boys loved it.
They had just had a snack as you can tell by Hadley's face...it was chocolate ice cream in fact.
The nightly brushing of the teeth. Fun stuff.
Telling Maira goodbye.
Thanks for coming over, Michael and Maira. We loved playing with you!
Here are just a few pictures from our time with them.
Riding the broom.
The girls came out and said they were cowboys. Not sure what the towels contributed to their cowboy outfit, but we just went with it. :)
On Saturday afternoon we loaded the kids up and went down the road a little bit to the mall. It's not a mall like you would find in the states, although there is a really, really nice mall (like in the states) in Goiania. But, they have trampolines, an arcade, a nice kids' play area, and good eats. 
Michael getting some air.
Everyone jumping. Hadley was actually too young, but they let her anyway. Maira didn't want to do it at first, but she saw everyone else having fun and changed her mind. 
At the arcade. I like it that our kids are still young enough to actually be content playing on the game that we haven't actually put money into. :)
Balls are always fun...you can see Maira's face in this one.
Asa would just laugh and laugh as we leaned from side to side on the motorcycle.
At the pool here near our house. A little boy named Calebe (Caleb...you can't actually see him in this picture) always comes around when we are out playing. His dad is a student here and they live a few houses down from us. He is almost 9...he and Michael had a lot of fun together. 
The boys with Calebe. He came over and played all day...the boys loved it.
They had just had a snack as you can tell by Hadley's face...it was chocolate ice cream in fact.
The nightly brushing of the teeth. Fun stuff.
Telling Maira goodbye.Thanks for coming over, Michael and Maira. We loved playing with you!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
I Think He Knew
I think He knew that I would love to run, so He gave me a track right next to my house.
I think He knew that I would miss running at the lake and hearing the sound of the water, so He gave me a pool right beside the track. I can't actually see the pool as I run, but I can hear the water.
I think He knew that I would love nice views from on top big hills...I grew up on a big hill after all. So, He ordered it so that I would live, once again, on top of a big hill overlooking the city and also farmland. It's gorgeous.
I think He knew that He would send me to Brasil where bathtubs are basically non-existent. So, He made me a shower person. I haven't taken a bath since I was a little girl.
I think He knew that He would be calling me to a country where you can't count on your electricity or high speed internet or water supply, so He grew me up in Saline, LA...a great training ground. Funny...we have high speed internet here...my family still doesn't have that available to them where they live.
I think He knew that I would hate cold weather, so He sent me to a place where "cold" (and we do see people wearing heavy coats and scarves) is in the 60s.
There are tons of things that could fit into this list...some of which I might talk about later. But, He knew because He made me. As He said to Jeremiah, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb." He knew that I would be in Brasil someday, even when I was 3, swinging on my swingset in Readhimer, LA watching calves "get born" out in the pasture. And when I was 9 and just doing everyday 9 yr. old things like riding my bicycle everyday...He knew that I would one day be here. When I started going on mission trips when I was around 19 or 20...He knew. The whole time He has prepared the way of course...and still prepares the way for the things to come. It's so fun to be a part of this journey with Him, seeing it all unfold one corner at a time.
He knew...and I thank Him and praise Him for preparing the way and blessing me so. How great is our God! (sing with me) :)
I think He knew that I would miss running at the lake and hearing the sound of the water, so He gave me a pool right beside the track. I can't actually see the pool as I run, but I can hear the water.
I think He knew that I would love nice views from on top big hills...I grew up on a big hill after all. So, He ordered it so that I would live, once again, on top of a big hill overlooking the city and also farmland. It's gorgeous.
I think He knew that He would send me to Brasil where bathtubs are basically non-existent. So, He made me a shower person. I haven't taken a bath since I was a little girl.
I think He knew that He would be calling me to a country where you can't count on your electricity or high speed internet or water supply, so He grew me up in Saline, LA...a great training ground. Funny...we have high speed internet here...my family still doesn't have that available to them where they live.
I think He knew that I would hate cold weather, so He sent me to a place where "cold" (and we do see people wearing heavy coats and scarves) is in the 60s.
There are tons of things that could fit into this list...some of which I might talk about later. But, He knew because He made me. As He said to Jeremiah, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb." He knew that I would be in Brasil someday, even when I was 3, swinging on my swingset in Readhimer, LA watching calves "get born" out in the pasture. And when I was 9 and just doing everyday 9 yr. old things like riding my bicycle everyday...He knew that I would one day be here. When I started going on mission trips when I was around 19 or 20...He knew. The whole time He has prepared the way of course...and still prepares the way for the things to come. It's so fun to be a part of this journey with Him, seeing it all unfold one corner at a time.
He knew...and I thank Him and praise Him for preparing the way and blessing me so. How great is our God! (sing with me) :)
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Ruth It Won't Be
So, I've always liked the name Ruth...not enough to name a daughter that, but I've liked it. I'm sure I will run into many little things like this before it is all said and done, but a few weeks ago when we first arrived I found this out...
Ruth here is spelled Rute. An "r" at the beginning of a word is pronounced like an "h." The "t" in Rute is pronounced like "ch." And then of course you always pronounce the "e" at the end.
So, what is Ruth in Portuguese? Hoochie!
Yeah, so now it's definite...we won't be naming our daughter Ruth.
Ruth here is spelled Rute. An "r" at the beginning of a word is pronounced like an "h." The "t" in Rute is pronounced like "ch." And then of course you always pronounce the "e" at the end.
So, what is Ruth in Portuguese? Hoochie!
Yeah, so now it's definite...we won't be naming our daughter Ruth.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Michael, Maira, and More
Meet Michael and Maira. Michael is 7 and Maira is 4. They are going to be staying with us for the next 10 days. Their parents are Steve and Kristin, who I've mentioned before. They will be going with Asas (leading actually) on the Projeto Ide (translation, Project Go Ye)...the July mission trip they always take to northeast Brasil. Priscilla is going too. They actually leave at midnight tonight, so keep them all in your prayers, and the people they will serve. I believe around 200 people are on this trip.
Joel and Asa. Poor little Asa...she took a tumble yesterday and really skinned up her face...and busted her lip. But, she's ok, and happy as ever as you can tell.
We bought some furniture today, as you will see in the following pictures. We also bought this great fruit/veg. basket. I love it. 
The living room furniture that we got. I love it too. We were going to get 2 leather couches and 2 chairs...more on that in another blog post soon. But, bamboo it is. There are no cushions on it yet...they are being made and delivered to us next week. It's really cool furniture though.
The couch for the TV room. Hello...love it. It is comfortable, relaxing, and BIG. Love it! In case you can't tell, it is a light green color (more sage I guess, but looks almost grey sometimes).
We also got some hampers at the same place we got the bamboo furniture and fruit basket.
While I am at showing you the house, here are some pictures from last week. This bathroom is the kids' bathroom. It is black and white...we spruced it up a bit. Besides, I'm really into bright colors right now...lots of oranges and reds.
The night we moved in...the kids' room.
The kids seeing their new bedding on their beds for the first time...and their big orange rug (which Asa loves).
Grady with his football pillow (just the one that came with it...we would've opted for a basketball or soccer ball personally, but we don't let on...he loves it).
Hadley with the "thing" we bought to put on her bed, since Grady had a football. She affectionately named her "Chicken." Interesting, but we just go with the flow. Chicken it is. 
Asa passed out before I actually got to nursing her and putting her down that night. She was one pooped little girl. We had spent all weekend in Goiania, come back to Anapolis around 4 that afternoon, and moved all our necessities to the new house so we could move in. It was a crazy and long day. Poor little girl. She adapted well though...she just went to sleep on our mattress that was on the floor. Actually, she was already asleep when Joel brought her to me in the shower...she slept through her shower, woke up a bit after her shower while I was dressing her, and then passed out again. Sweet little tired thing.
Speaking of Asa sleeping...this is her crib. She still isn't using it, because after setting it up and all...well, we actually toyed with the idea of having someone ship our crib here from the states. Yeah...this isn't our favorite. But, we'll see. 
They are tiny cribs here...but, here is the bedding that we have for it, should we choose to use the crib. :) Also, not too happy about this bedding actually...still looking for a replacement, but this is a possibility...it's what we have right now (that is not in use). :)
The kids' room in the morning sun.
Our bedroom. You probably can't tell, but those are dark brown rugs on the sides of the bed. Actually, this bed is no longer in there, and we now have a Queen mattress. But, we still squeeze these sheets on there because I love them. They are super comfortable and soft (they are like the T-shirt sheets) and I just love this print...
...reminds me of my childhood somehow I guess (the 70s)...mustard color, paisley print. Nice.
And isn't this the coolest picture you ever saw? When we lived in our other house, a couple of little boys came by in a horse-drawn cart asking for money. We gave them food and they had this kite to sell. Joel bought it. It didn't have any string, just the kite (that the boys had probably just found). So, this was our first time flying it since we had to get some string. Anyhow, love this picture!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Ode To Saline
O.K., so it's not actually an ode. But, can I just say...I love Saline! Of course, it has it's faults, but what place doesn't, what people don't? Here is a list of what I love about Saline and also how being raised there helped me where I am now. This list is obviously not an exhaustive one...and very obviously has no order to it...you will pick up on the random-ness I'm sure. :)
1. You just can't beat the lake in Saline...AHHH! Laying on a raft for hours in that still, warm water. Going skiing almost daily. Playing tag on the spillway...almost falling in (not good...thanks for catching me Adam Kaiser). Doing flips off the top rail of the spillway (also, something that I would never do now).
2. Everyone knows everyone...and everyone mostly knows everybody's business, or they think they do. That can be good, esp. if there is no gossiping and backstabbing involved (and lots of forgiveness)...and if you are basically living the way you should you don't mind if everybody knows your stuff. So, since it can be a good thing, it is on my good list.
3. Saline Bobcat basketball games...WOW...love those...and loved playing.
4. Little league softball in the summers (which I played the whole time allowed, age 4-16)...go Readhimer!
5. The cookshack where you can hang your bill..."just hang it."
6. The general store (just like the mercantile on Little House, except they don't sell fabric) where you can "write it down" (on your running tab)...also, the employees there are all members of Carolina Baptist Church (where we attended when we lived there this last 6 months), so it was always fun to go in and say hi.
7. Family...my whole family is there and we all meet up regularly at Granny's, sometimes planned, most the time not. Fun stuff, great food, good times.
8. Cousins...alright, so cousins are family, but us cousins in Saline were all like brothers and sisters. We went to school together, church together, played together, were always at Granny's together (climbing the magnolia tree), and spent the night together. Grady and Hadley got a glimpse of that with Kiley and Skylar.
9. The woods...trees for miles and miles. We would walk through those woods when we were little (we as in me and my brother, Jared...and whoever else was there, mostly Jeffery and Ariel) alot. We had these huge gulleys in the woods in our backyard that we'd play in, build forts in. Fun stuff.
10. Walking to the top of the hill...we lived on a big hill...the plateau of part of it...but, to get to the actual top you had to go through the woods, oh I don't know, probably about half a mile at least.
11. Ditches...one of our driveways to our house was washed out really bad by a storm once. We never used it again, but it made for a great playground. There were tons of big ditches. Me and Jared would get in there and dig tunnels and all sorts of stuff.
12. Thinking stumps. :)
13. Riding bicycles...we rode hard and loved to ramp stumps (I think we called them that, but they were really roots).
14. Simple living...although we stayed busy, it was simple and easygoing. We didn't have a bunch of stuff. We knew how to play outside. Where I lived (O.K., I actually grew up in Readhimer, as seen in the one about softball; Readhimer is a suburb of Saline:) ), the electricity would go out if the wind blew hard. So, although that's only happened once in the last week since we've moved into this house, it happened at least every other day at the other house. I'd say that prepared me. Besides, a girl from Readhimer is never without her kerosene lamp. Yep, it's in the closet. :)
15. Warm people...could kind of fit in with #2, but people are just warm and friendly and there typically is no front. It's funny...when we lived in Phoenix, at one point we invited about 50 people over to our house. I think we had about 20 tops show up. And no, it's not because we aren't fun people. :) But, we laughed about how if we invited 50 people over in Saline (or East TX), you'd better allow for about 80 to show up. People just include other people. Nice stuff. Of course Brazil is like that.
16. Hunting...O.K., yes I did that. But, I think what I loved about it is just being outside...and I only really went when it was nice weather (a few times when it was butt cold, but not many...and thanks Jared, for always leading me to my stand and handing me my gun:) ). I only killed one squirrel (stop laughing, Jared), so it's not like I was a regular. But, my hunting days include squirrel, deer, and coon (I just tagged along on the coon hunt). Once when squirrel hunting, a coyote walked very close to us. It was really cool.
17. Fellowships at church...when you go to a small Southern Baptist Church, you eat alot. Mmmm! Especially the ice cream socials in the summers (home-made ice cream that is).
18. I need to wrap this up, so last, but certainly not least...the WATERMELON FESTIVAL! I will have you know that you are reading the blog of one year's watermelon seed spitting champion (and that year was just a couple of years ago). Oh yes! 36 feet. Now that's a spit. Anyway, we weren't able to make it this year (obviously), but we had to pay homage somehow. We didn't go get a watermelon...we've had several since we've been here in Brazil though. But...we were going somewhere on Saturday night, so we had to dress for the occasion.
Saline, I love you!
In the hammock, the only furniture that we actually have as of now, except our beds and the 4 kitchen chairs. :)
Can you tell Asa is teething? Her 7th little tooth just broke through today...and another one to come really soon.
This picture cracks me up. Grady is like, "Um, are we still taking pictures?" (we got him back for one more though) and Hadley is so the supermodel here, with her leg all cocked. So funny and typical and unposed.
My watermelon crew.
1. You just can't beat the lake in Saline...AHHH! Laying on a raft for hours in that still, warm water. Going skiing almost daily. Playing tag on the spillway...almost falling in (not good...thanks for catching me Adam Kaiser). Doing flips off the top rail of the spillway (also, something that I would never do now).
2. Everyone knows everyone...and everyone mostly knows everybody's business, or they think they do. That can be good, esp. if there is no gossiping and backstabbing involved (and lots of forgiveness)...and if you are basically living the way you should you don't mind if everybody knows your stuff. So, since it can be a good thing, it is on my good list.
3. Saline Bobcat basketball games...WOW...love those...and loved playing.
4. Little league softball in the summers (which I played the whole time allowed, age 4-16)...go Readhimer!
5. The cookshack where you can hang your bill..."just hang it."
6. The general store (just like the mercantile on Little House, except they don't sell fabric) where you can "write it down" (on your running tab)...also, the employees there are all members of Carolina Baptist Church (where we attended when we lived there this last 6 months), so it was always fun to go in and say hi.
7. Family...my whole family is there and we all meet up regularly at Granny's, sometimes planned, most the time not. Fun stuff, great food, good times.
8. Cousins...alright, so cousins are family, but us cousins in Saline were all like brothers and sisters. We went to school together, church together, played together, were always at Granny's together (climbing the magnolia tree), and spent the night together. Grady and Hadley got a glimpse of that with Kiley and Skylar.
9. The woods...trees for miles and miles. We would walk through those woods when we were little (we as in me and my brother, Jared...and whoever else was there, mostly Jeffery and Ariel) alot. We had these huge gulleys in the woods in our backyard that we'd play in, build forts in. Fun stuff.
10. Walking to the top of the hill...we lived on a big hill...the plateau of part of it...but, to get to the actual top you had to go through the woods, oh I don't know, probably about half a mile at least.
11. Ditches...one of our driveways to our house was washed out really bad by a storm once. We never used it again, but it made for a great playground. There were tons of big ditches. Me and Jared would get in there and dig tunnels and all sorts of stuff.
12. Thinking stumps. :)
13. Riding bicycles...we rode hard and loved to ramp stumps (I think we called them that, but they were really roots).
14. Simple living...although we stayed busy, it was simple and easygoing. We didn't have a bunch of stuff. We knew how to play outside. Where I lived (O.K., I actually grew up in Readhimer, as seen in the one about softball; Readhimer is a suburb of Saline:) ), the electricity would go out if the wind blew hard. So, although that's only happened once in the last week since we've moved into this house, it happened at least every other day at the other house. I'd say that prepared me. Besides, a girl from Readhimer is never without her kerosene lamp. Yep, it's in the closet. :)
15. Warm people...could kind of fit in with #2, but people are just warm and friendly and there typically is no front. It's funny...when we lived in Phoenix, at one point we invited about 50 people over to our house. I think we had about 20 tops show up. And no, it's not because we aren't fun people. :) But, we laughed about how if we invited 50 people over in Saline (or East TX), you'd better allow for about 80 to show up. People just include other people. Nice stuff. Of course Brazil is like that.
16. Hunting...O.K., yes I did that. But, I think what I loved about it is just being outside...and I only really went when it was nice weather (a few times when it was butt cold, but not many...and thanks Jared, for always leading me to my stand and handing me my gun:) ). I only killed one squirrel (stop laughing, Jared), so it's not like I was a regular. But, my hunting days include squirrel, deer, and coon (I just tagged along on the coon hunt). Once when squirrel hunting, a coyote walked very close to us. It was really cool.
17. Fellowships at church...when you go to a small Southern Baptist Church, you eat alot. Mmmm! Especially the ice cream socials in the summers (home-made ice cream that is).
18. I need to wrap this up, so last, but certainly not least...the WATERMELON FESTIVAL! I will have you know that you are reading the blog of one year's watermelon seed spitting champion (and that year was just a couple of years ago). Oh yes! 36 feet. Now that's a spit. Anyway, we weren't able to make it this year (obviously), but we had to pay homage somehow. We didn't go get a watermelon...we've had several since we've been here in Brazil though. But...we were going somewhere on Saturday night, so we had to dress for the occasion.
Saline, I love you!
In the hammock, the only furniture that we actually have as of now, except our beds and the 4 kitchen chairs. :)
Can you tell Asa is teething? Her 7th little tooth just broke through today...and another one to come really soon.
This picture cracks me up. Grady is like, "Um, are we still taking pictures?" (we got him back for one more though) and Hadley is so the supermodel here, with her leg all cocked. So funny and typical and unposed.
My watermelon crew.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Houses
I finally sat down the other day and figured it up. In the 6 1/2 years that we've been married, this house, the one we just moved to, makes the 9th place we've lived. 9 different places...in 6 1/2 years. Then of course we've travelled to Timbuktu and back several times to...O.K., maybe not actually Timbuktu, but we've travelled alot. That wouldn't be so hard if it was just me and Joel, but having 3 small children and all the paraphanalia they require (the necessities, not just the nice things to have)...it's hard. It really is. I'm done. Thank God, like I've said before, He gave me just enough grace to get me here. And, thank God, we will be here in this house for a whole year...WOOHOO!!
Another thing that recently helped me...we went to Goiania this past weekend. Goiania is where Joel grew up. He got to show me all of his old stomping grounds. It was fun. While there we stayed with a pastor friend and his family. I fell in love with this family. They have actually spent a lot of time in the U.S. and even recently became U.S. citizens. It's funny...their kids speak Portuguese with no accent of course, but they also speak perfect English, with no accent. The mom, Carmen, teaches English...she is also a psychologist.
Anyway, it was a great time and was also a good dose of America for me. As I said before, they speak perfect English, so that was nice. Also, they love movies...so, we watched movies. Although we were super busy the whole time (we shopped alot, for couches and such), it was also relaxing to just spend time with this family.
Back to what recently helped me...when we first got there, we were about to go up from the parking garage to their apartment in the elevator. We were waiting for the elevator and were talking about all that we wanted to get done while there as far as shopping to set up house and all. Carmen had her 3 children very close together too. When her 3rd child was born, she also had 3 children under 3. They have also moved ALOT. Jefferson, her husband, plants churches. So, they've been lots of places.
She is a very strong lady with a great sense of humor...she is hilarious. Those of you who know Suz Dykes...well, if you know Suz you basically know Carmen. She reminds me of Suz in so many ways...her humor and even her mannerisms. It's weird. Anyway, she was talking about how she could really relate to us. She said that when they lived in Florida I think, she finally had her house all set up the way she wanted it...after many years and many moves. Then, Jefferson felt like it was time to go again. She said it was so hard for her. She told God. God said, "I am preparing a place for you. It's not an earthly place." She said after that she was fine. She was giving her things away, saying "Here, take it."
Man, that was so good to hear. And so powerful. And so for me. I mean, I don't think we'll keep up this pace or anything forever...even now, as far as we know, we are staying put for a whole year...but it was just such a good reminder that our things are not our own...our plans for staying put for awhile...it's just not up to us. It was good to hear.
Anyhow, here are some pictures of that great family and us over the weekend.
We went to a wedding on Saturday night, so here is everyone all dressed up and looking nice. :) Pastor Jefferson, Carmen, Acsa (age 16...her name is a Biblical name...Caleb's daughter), Gabriela (age 13...she goes by Bia because when she was born Pedro called her that), and Pedro (age 14). Priscilla, Joel, and Asa are there too. Hadley was sleeping in the car and Grady was off somewhere else.
The girls at the wedding.
Pedro and Grady. Although they are about 11 years apart, they had alot of fun together.
Acsa holding Hadley during the wedding.
At the wedding reception.
The sisters.
The girls with Tatiane...the girl whose wedding we went to. Tatiane actually lived with Joel's parents in the states for a while.
The family.
Got this onesie at Target one day. I just thought it was funny. Asa's expression looks like she could actually be asking that question.
Funny stuff.
Another thing that recently helped me...we went to Goiania this past weekend. Goiania is where Joel grew up. He got to show me all of his old stomping grounds. It was fun. While there we stayed with a pastor friend and his family. I fell in love with this family. They have actually spent a lot of time in the U.S. and even recently became U.S. citizens. It's funny...their kids speak Portuguese with no accent of course, but they also speak perfect English, with no accent. The mom, Carmen, teaches English...she is also a psychologist.
Anyway, it was a great time and was also a good dose of America for me. As I said before, they speak perfect English, so that was nice. Also, they love movies...so, we watched movies. Although we were super busy the whole time (we shopped alot, for couches and such), it was also relaxing to just spend time with this family.
Back to what recently helped me...when we first got there, we were about to go up from the parking garage to their apartment in the elevator. We were waiting for the elevator and were talking about all that we wanted to get done while there as far as shopping to set up house and all. Carmen had her 3 children very close together too. When her 3rd child was born, she also had 3 children under 3. They have also moved ALOT. Jefferson, her husband, plants churches. So, they've been lots of places.
She is a very strong lady with a great sense of humor...she is hilarious. Those of you who know Suz Dykes...well, if you know Suz you basically know Carmen. She reminds me of Suz in so many ways...her humor and even her mannerisms. It's weird. Anyway, she was talking about how she could really relate to us. She said that when they lived in Florida I think, she finally had her house all set up the way she wanted it...after many years and many moves. Then, Jefferson felt like it was time to go again. She said it was so hard for her. She told God. God said, "I am preparing a place for you. It's not an earthly place." She said after that she was fine. She was giving her things away, saying "Here, take it."
Man, that was so good to hear. And so powerful. And so for me. I mean, I don't think we'll keep up this pace or anything forever...even now, as far as we know, we are staying put for a whole year...but it was just such a good reminder that our things are not our own...our plans for staying put for awhile...it's just not up to us. It was good to hear.
Anyhow, here are some pictures of that great family and us over the weekend.
We went to a wedding on Saturday night, so here is everyone all dressed up and looking nice. :) Pastor Jefferson, Carmen, Acsa (age 16...her name is a Biblical name...Caleb's daughter), Gabriela (age 13...she goes by Bia because when she was born Pedro called her that), and Pedro (age 14). Priscilla, Joel, and Asa are there too. Hadley was sleeping in the car and Grady was off somewhere else. 
The girls at the wedding.
Pedro and Grady. Although they are about 11 years apart, they had alot of fun together.
Acsa holding Hadley during the wedding.
At the wedding reception. 
The sisters.
The girls with Tatiane...the girl whose wedding we went to. Tatiane actually lived with Joel's parents in the states for a while. 
The family.
Got this onesie at Target one day. I just thought it was funny. Asa's expression looks like she could actually be asking that question. 
Funny stuff.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Get Ready For Lots Of Pictures
Time for some pictures, right? The people we are staying with here in Goiania actually have wireless and we can use our own computer, so here you go.
The first are just some of the kids because I figured that's what you most want to see...more of the kids to come later.
Hadley being goofy, as usual. This girl is crazy.
Asa having some laughs with Priscilla.
Our great friends, Michael and Maira (pronounce Myra) left some of their toys at the house for our kiddos to use until we get our shipment. Here the kids were playing family...Grady the daddy and Hadley the mama of course.
Now, some of the house we are living in now. It is a great little house...esp. for single people or a couple without children. :) It's been a great transition house for us though. We are very grateful.
This was our first morning here. The kids having breakfast out in the "back yard." Yes, this is the back yard. I'm not quite sure why I like it, but I do.
Another picture of breakfast.
The doors going into the kitchen.
From the double doors...looking into the kitchen. Notice Asa in her stroller/high chair. :) Behind Joel is the door to the garage/outside/front yard. To the left of the stroller is the door to the bedrooms/living room.
The washroom. The washer that we bought is now there on the far wall right between Grady and Hadley.
From the other side of the kitchen.
Through that door that leads to the bedrooms. This area is just an odd little nook. To the right are the doors to the kids' room (the first door) and to the master bedroom.
Kids' room.
Master bedroom.
Master bathroom.
Priscilla's and Grady's bathroom.
Priscilla's bedroom.
Living room.
Other part of living room...it's kind of an odd "L-shaped" room.
Garage area...you can see the door that leads into the living room.
Front yard/view of the street.
Looking back at the garage. You can see both doors now...the door on the left leads to the living room, the door on the right to the kitchen.
Front yard/front of the house.
And then here is the house that we will be moving into in the next couple of days. Woohoo. I realized that I didn't get a picture of the whole house from further away, but will soon. This house is on the campus of a seminary in Anapolis. It will be a great place to live.
This house will not be furnished, but there will be a few things left for us. What do you think?
View of the seminary house from the outside...view from where you enter anyway.
Side yard.
The gate.
Front yard. See the house looking thing...with the chimney? That is a churrasqueira...it is a grill...a built-in one.
Front porch.
Side porch. The door you see leads into the office. The front door is actually around that first corner you see, before you get to the office door.
The churrasqueira.
The end of the house.
The other side yard.
What used to be the garage...now it is just used for storage.
The back part of the house. Not much going on there, but that is where you hang the wash.
The living room. The first thing you see as you go through the front door.
Another view of the living room. The piano is being left for us to use...what a blessing...yay!
To the right of where you walk in is this door leading to the dining room.
View of the kitchen taken from the dining room door. You can see at the corner there by the refrigerator the door to the side room you are about to see 2 pictures from now.
Another view of the kitchen.
The room off the side of the kitchen. It's just sort of an entryway from the porch. That cabinet serves as a pantry.
From the last picture's view, if you go through the door and to the left, there is the washroom.
If you go back to the picture of the living room, there are some double doors at the back of the room. Those doors open up into this room, the TV room.
The left side of the TV room.
They are leaving this entertainment center there for us. So, that's all from this picture that will actually be in this room when we move in.
Again, if you go back to the picture of the living room, on the left wall is another door. That door leads to all the bedrooms and bathrooms. This is the master bedroom. You can see 2 doors. The door on the left is the office, which we are probably going to make into Asa's room. The door on the right is the master bathroom.
Office.
Another view of the office. That door leads to outside.
The left wall of the office. All of those shelves are staying.
Master bathroom.
More of the master bath.
Standing from the master bedroom door...this is the hallway with all the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms. The door to the right is the living room door.
The first door you come to is this bedroom, which will probably be the kids' room.
There are no such thing as closets in Brasil...that is, rooms called closets or even non-walk-in closets. Here we have these...wardrobes I guess, but they are called closets, since they are, in fact, the closets. This closet is really pretty...it will be staying for the kids' use.
The middle bathroom, which will be the kids' bathroom. And yes, that "door" is actually a hole. It's kind of cool looking, but the owner's daughter who uses that bathroom (age 13) hates it. She gets cold in the shower since there is a draft. So, although neat looking, not incredibly practical I guess.
Another bedroom. Not sure how we are going to do the bedrooms honestly...maybe this will be a playroom/guest room. We'll figure it all out when we get there I guess. The owner is on the bed with her 13-yr. old daughter...on the floor is one of her daughters-in-law. They have 6 kids total...5 boys and then a few years later this very unexpected daughter.
Another bedroom. This will be Priscilla's room while she is here...a guest room.
Priscilla's bathroom. Through that door there is another bedroom, but they are using it for storage while they are gone, so the doors will just always be closed.
I will be sure to take more pictures of the neighborhood where we live now and the city we live in and Asas and so on just so you can get a feel for our surroundings. And, of course more of the kids. :)
The first are just some of the kids because I figured that's what you most want to see...more of the kids to come later.
Hadley being goofy, as usual. This girl is crazy.
Asa having some laughs with Priscilla.
Our great friends, Michael and Maira (pronounce Myra) left some of their toys at the house for our kiddos to use until we get our shipment. Here the kids were playing family...Grady the daddy and Hadley the mama of course.Now, some of the house we are living in now. It is a great little house...esp. for single people or a couple without children. :) It's been a great transition house for us though. We are very grateful.
This was our first morning here. The kids having breakfast out in the "back yard." Yes, this is the back yard. I'm not quite sure why I like it, but I do. 
Another picture of breakfast.
The doors going into the kitchen.
From the double doors...looking into the kitchen. Notice Asa in her stroller/high chair. :) Behind Joel is the door to the garage/outside/front yard. To the left of the stroller is the door to the bedrooms/living room.
The washroom. The washer that we bought is now there on the far wall right between Grady and Hadley.
From the other side of the kitchen. 
Through that door that leads to the bedrooms. This area is just an odd little nook. To the right are the doors to the kids' room (the first door) and to the master bedroom.
Kids' room.
Master bedroom.
Master bathroom.
Priscilla's and Grady's bathroom.
Priscilla's bedroom.
Living room.
Other part of living room...it's kind of an odd "L-shaped" room.
Garage area...you can see the door that leads into the living room.
Front yard/view of the street.
Looking back at the garage. You can see both doors now...the door on the left leads to the living room, the door on the right to the kitchen.
Front yard/front of the house.And then here is the house that we will be moving into in the next couple of days. Woohoo. I realized that I didn't get a picture of the whole house from further away, but will soon. This house is on the campus of a seminary in Anapolis. It will be a great place to live.
This house will not be furnished, but there will be a few things left for us. What do you think?
View of the seminary house from the outside...view from where you enter anyway.
Side yard.
The gate.
Front yard. See the house looking thing...with the chimney? That is a churrasqueira...it is a grill...a built-in one.
Front porch.
Side porch. The door you see leads into the office. The front door is actually around that first corner you see, before you get to the office door.
The churrasqueira.
The end of the house.
The other side yard.
What used to be the garage...now it is just used for storage.
The back part of the house. Not much going on there, but that is where you hang the wash.
The living room. The first thing you see as you go through the front door. 
Another view of the living room. The piano is being left for us to use...what a blessing...yay!
To the right of where you walk in is this door leading to the dining room. 
View of the kitchen taken from the dining room door. You can see at the corner there by the refrigerator the door to the side room you are about to see 2 pictures from now.
Another view of the kitchen.
The room off the side of the kitchen. It's just sort of an entryway from the porch. That cabinet serves as a pantry.
From the last picture's view, if you go through the door and to the left, there is the washroom.
If you go back to the picture of the living room, there are some double doors at the back of the room. Those doors open up into this room, the TV room. 
The left side of the TV room.
They are leaving this entertainment center there for us. So, that's all from this picture that will actually be in this room when we move in.
Again, if you go back to the picture of the living room, on the left wall is another door. That door leads to all the bedrooms and bathrooms. This is the master bedroom. You can see 2 doors. The door on the left is the office, which we are probably going to make into Asa's room. The door on the right is the master bathroom.
Office.
Another view of the office. That door leads to outside.
The left wall of the office. All of those shelves are staying.
Master bathroom.
More of the master bath.
Standing from the master bedroom door...this is the hallway with all the doors to the bedrooms and bathrooms. The door to the right is the living room door.
The first door you come to is this bedroom, which will probably be the kids' room.
There are no such thing as closets in Brasil...that is, rooms called closets or even non-walk-in closets. Here we have these...wardrobes I guess, but they are called closets, since they are, in fact, the closets. This closet is really pretty...it will be staying for the kids' use.
The middle bathroom, which will be the kids' bathroom. And yes, that "door" is actually a hole. It's kind of cool looking, but the owner's daughter who uses that bathroom (age 13) hates it. She gets cold in the shower since there is a draft. So, although neat looking, not incredibly practical I guess.
Another bedroom. Not sure how we are going to do the bedrooms honestly...maybe this will be a playroom/guest room. We'll figure it all out when we get there I guess. The owner is on the bed with her 13-yr. old daughter...on the floor is one of her daughters-in-law. They have 6 kids total...5 boys and then a few years later this very unexpected daughter.
Another bedroom. This will be Priscilla's room while she is here...a guest room.
Priscilla's bathroom. Through that door there is another bedroom, but they are using it for storage while they are gone, so the doors will just always be closed.I will be sure to take more pictures of the neighborhood where we live now and the city we live in and Asas and so on just so you can get a feel for our surroundings. And, of course more of the kids. :)
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