Flamboyant!

(FYI: Updates to come...on "family planning" topic and also some news with us here at Asas...future plans.)

Yesterday was YA-HA-HA awesome. Ahh...so full and tiring too, but not nearly as tiring as my days here at the house. Funny how that is.

We had a total girls' day, me and Gillian (and Cass). We went to my favorite place here in this area...well, favorite in the category of what reminds me most of home. We went to the mall in Goiania (the name of it is Flamboyant, hence the title).

This mall reminds me of the Galleria. Yeah, it's pretty dadgum nice. You will see in one of the pictures Gillian took. In fact, for more pictures and her take on it, go to her blog (link on sidebar).

Anyway, it was fabulous. We got to the mall and went to watch a movie, grabbed a bite to eat, went to the bookstore and just veg'd for an hour (my idea of one part of heaven...reading uninterrupted and people-watching while drinking a nice chocolatey coffee drink). Cass is of course the perfect baby, so none of this was a problem...she just went with it. After my hour of bookstore was up, we went to get our hair and nails done.

We each had one lady on fingernails, one lady on toenails, and a guy doing our hair the whole time. At one point I even had 2 guys drying my hair...one on each side of my head. I felt like I was in "hair and makeup" on a movie set or something. :)

After we felt thoroughly pampered we headed home. The day was yet to be done though. We had a wedding to go to.

Yep, it was a full and fabulous day. You can see for yourself. And you WON'T want to miss the display of astounding cuteness in the video at the very end (you'll have to tilt your head...don't know how to rotate a video).

Cass just hung out for the first 1/3 of the movie, then I fed her, then she played and pooped, then diaper change, then yeah...she was out. All of that basically without any peep out of her.
I should've thought to get a shot of her watching the movie (I'm sure that huge screen and surround sound were a bit overwhelming). But, no...just the credits. I think she enjoyed her first movie experience. ;)
Trying to find her thumb...but it's her right hand...she never finds that one.

We spent a month in Dallas a couple of years ago...lived right down the road from the Galleria there. Me and the kids went often (they had a great indoor play area) and I knew that mall very well by the end of our stay. I think this mall is even bigger than the Galleria in Dallas...and super nice.
Gillian's before shots.

Pampering in full effect.
After shots.

And now, the out-of-this-world cuteness!! (see below...this was taken while in the waiting area of the salon...oh, and I wasn't even touching her...no tickling or anything like that involved)
She drew quite the crowd. The stylists there really got a kick out of it.

Juno, Alaska

O.K., not really.

Have you seen this movie? I highly recommend. It's so cute and quirky...I love cute and quirky. If you don't, stay away, that's for sure.

There are parts that aren't so great, but nothing that you even have to fast-forward (only one really and it's super quick...probably too quick for you to press fast-forward through). And, what movie today doesn't have a couple of not-so-great parts, right?

But, seriously, I just love this movie. This is the movie that we were trying to go see since like January. We wanted to go see it every time I had an OB appt. in Goiania, but it just never happened. Well, in April I think, Joel was able to download it onto our computer (yes, legally...I think), so we now have it to watch at any time. Woohoo.

It is so very cute and so witty. I LOVE the dialogue these characters have...the language they use. It's stinkin' hilarious. I want to talk like that (minus any cussing and vulgarity).

But, I think the thing that most stuck with me is how the parents react. If you don't know, Juno is the girl in the picture...in high school, pregnant, not married. When she told her parents, they were just super cool about it. Obviously they weren't thrilled, but they moved on quickly and were very supportive. I don't plan on any of my girls (or boys) being in this situation (in the name of Jesus! :) ), but IF it happens (people make mistakes all the time), I hope to emulate the parents in this movie. Seriously, super cool.

So, there is your movie review for today. Just thought I'd take a short breather from all the pictures...there will be more for your viewing pleasure tomorrow and in the days to come.

Juno: 2 big thumbs up

4th of July

Last Friday night we had such a great event with Asas. We had a "states party." There are so many people representing so many different places here in Brazil. We also have different countries represented. So, they put together a little shin-dig to celebrate all of that diversity and also to really SEE it.

Each different place represented had a table where they could display things from their location (country, state, region), give food samples of typical food found there, some people had slide shows set up, pictures hanging, music playing...and we were to dress typically too. It was so very interesting. We got to see lots of different things and taste lots of different foods. The places represented there were all the different regions/states of Brazil and then also Ecuador, Argentina, Portugal, Lebanon, and the U.S.

Although we had many possibilities, we decided to go with the Texan 4th of July theme. We all wore red, white, and blue and just had a flag and flag tablecloth. We kept it simple for sure. We had 4 couples participating in the U.S. booth and well...the joke was that we are the most fertile region of the world (judging by our area of the room). We had kids running everywhere, so yeah...we kept it simple.

Our BBQ was a hit. Thanks Anneke! Kristin made the cherry delight...YUMMY! I made some coleslaw and sweet tea. And Joel made some root beer. All of it was a hit (well, the root beer was a toss up...some liked it and some didn't...some said it tasted like toothpaste or medicine...I tend to agree personally). Anyway, it was a fun time and really so cool to see so many areas of the world come together in that one place and in our one organization of Asas de Socorro.

Fun that we got to celebrate the 4th of July a tad bit a week early too. But today we will be celebrating as well. We have a few Americans coming over for a party at our house. It should be tons of fun...English only, good American food...all of the things that I know and are familiar. It hasn't happened that I've been in a group of only Americans since I've been here. It'll be fun. I'm sure we'll be posting pictures of it soon.

Also tomorrow we will be having a big meeting at 8am. Joel and I will go and talk to the leaders of Asas about our future plans. It is, in effect, an evaluation meeting and a time to discuss basically what might be done with us...where we might move and when. Yeah, it's an important meeting. We are looking forward to it. Your prayers would be appreciated though.

Now, here are some pictures from last week's states party. And, have a great 4TH OF JULY!! Yay, United States of America!

It was held in the airplane hangar.
The Argentina table.
Hadley with her little friend, Audrey.
I LOVE this picture...so very cute. So patriotic looking too, but so funny...our little girl is yet to be an actual American technically (paperwork). So this picture makes me smile.
She had 2 blankets...one white one and one blue one. Her outfit was red...a little Christmas outfit with green holly all over it, but red nonetheless.


The Portugal table...very nicely done.

Some little American kiddos. The guy holding Eissa is Brazilian but actually lives in Dallas. He owns a VERY successful landscaping business there.
Our table, all American like.

Sampling the scrumptious BBQ.
Hadley enjoying her friends. 3 little American girls (Audrey, Hadley, and Maira).
Grady...
...enjoying his BBQ.
Eissa...
...enjoying her coleslaw.
And ALL the kids there...
...thoroughly enjoying our wagon. (Once again, Uncle Vernon...seriously one of the best gifts we've ever gotten...thanks again)
Corn on the cob (not from the American booth, although completely fitting for a 4th of July celebration).

Every group had to parade through the center of the room. When it was our turn to go, Joel just pulled all the kids in the wagon for our little processional.
One group was doing a certain kind of dance. Hadley danced along with them...she was very intent, trying to do all that they were doing. It was really cute. Eissa joined in too at one point.



Sweet sugars.
And nothing ends out a great party better...
...than a great-tasting, sticky lollipop.

Bonnet Baby & Mama and Papa Bear

Hadley wore this cute little dress with bonnet for her first Easter, at the ripe old age of 1 month old. Eissa never wore it because she was that age during the winter months. But, we broke it out again here. Despite the first few pictures, Cass liked it...really. ;)

So...
...not...
...happy!!
Ahh...passy to the rescue!

All strapped in...
...and ready to go.
Grady and Hadley (Eissa was napping) came to me and wanted to carry their baby bears. We've done this time and again, but most recently they've seen me carrying Cass in the Moby Wrap, so they wanted to do it like me with Cass.


Then they took their baby bears for a little walk (or skip) in the sunshine. ;)