Christmas

It took me a while to get in the Holiday Spirit. Going to Brazil, moving in december, and everything else that goes on around holidays kept me really busy.

We normally have our Christmas decorations up on Thanksgiving weekend, not last year. We moved on December 12th. We didn't get decorations up until December 18th. At first it felt like a waste. Dragging all the boxes upstairs and decorating the house, but I'm glad we did it. We always have so much fun doing it.

Our tree this year. The kids do most of the decorating. They are getting better at decorating the whole tree and not just one side.

Cam and Izzy having fun.

Amos and I trying to untangle some of the ornaments.


Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. I know a lot of people don't like how crazy it gets, but I love it! I love deciding on the menu for Christmas Eve dinner, getting the piano books out to play Christmas Carols, cooking, making candy with my sisters, seeing the kid's faces when they open their presents, amigo secreto with my family, I love everything about it!

Last year we talked to Cam and Izzy about Santa. They already didn't really believe in it, so we explained to them how the Santa tradition came about. I was surprised by how ok they were with it.

So this year they knew that if they weren't good mom and dad wouldn't give them anything...not really, i just love using it against them. I don't think I've ever gotten this much help on Christmas Eve. Cam and Izzy wouldn't stop asking me what else they could do to get the house and dinner ready. Izzy and Crystal set up the dinner table, Cam and Amos got aprons on to help me with dinner. It was great!



The "amigo secreto" is always so much fun! After so many years of doing it, I'm amazed at how many new funny things we can say about each other. I love how my family is so into the game!

A couple of years ago, we also decided to start singing Christmas Carols again. That is really the only time a year I play the piano. It's fun to gather around. It brings back lots of good memories.




Cam and Izzy on Christmas morning. This year my mom was living with us. We normally go to bed between 2-3am on Christmas Eve. My mom is used to sleeping in, but not this year! The kids made sure she was up early to open Christmas presents. She could barely walk upstairs! It was quite funny.

Then continuing on with traditions, we went to Gil and Becky's for more Christmas fun. This year Grandma and Grandpa Hoover couldn't make it. It felt very strange not having them there.
All the grandkids had such a great time! Cam looooved his new pogo stick! Izzy loved all of her arts and crafts supplies!





To end the day Amos and I decided we should always have dinner at our house. I love cooking! It was fun to plan two meals for Christmas. Most of his family came over. We had a great time over great food and conversation.

Cam, Izzy, Quinton, and Avry playing my favorite childhood game "Tapa Certo". My siblings and I spent so many hours playing it. Not sure why we don't have it here. It's so fun!

We had a great Christmas! Everything was perfect! Can't wait for next year!

Thanksgiving

Last year's Thanksgiving was very different. I was in Brazil, where Thanksgiving is not celebrated.

I didn't grow up celebrating it. In fact, when I moved to Utah, I had not idea what it was all about. Over the years it has become one of my favorite holidays. It's nice to have a day where all you care about is spending time with loved ones, feeling grateful for all you have.

This day always makes me realize how much I have. How lucky I am to have the friends and family that I have. Life is so fragile. Sometimes we get so caught up with what's going wrong instead of all the things that are going right. It's not always easy to remember that our glass is half full.

Before I left for Brazil I decided that a Thanksgiving dinner there would be a perfect way to spend time with loved ones. I had to take a few ingredients from here and make do without others, but it turned out perfect!

My aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was such a great night! We haven't all been together likes that in so many years. Such a special picture!

Our dear family friend Claudio and his wife. So many great memories with him. My brothers and I spent countless hours with him.

My mom and her siblings. It's been a few years since they've all been together. It was great to have Tia Noemi come from Japan at the same time my mom and I did.

Mika wanting to be part of the conversation. I love this picture! She sits in the car or on the furniture like she's a human being.

Claudio's little boy totally in love with Thor.



My aunt and uncle. Beautiful couple!

Brazil

After 14+ years I went back to Brazil to visit. I had so much anxiety on the months leading up to it! It had been so long! I had changed so much, life was just so different now. I didn't know what to expect.

Moving here was definitely the right choice for me. I'm glad I did. I learned so much about myself and how to appreciate the little things in life.

Going back was great! There was so much extended family and friends that I had not seen in so long. I realized how much I miss having them around. It brought back a lot of great fun memories. And the food! Oh do I miss the food!

Amos and I decided to be healthier and get in better shape. It was nice to loose some weight before my trip. I was able to eat whatever I wanted, which was all junk. Thanks to my aunt's Pilate's, yoga, and personal trainer I didn't gain any weight back!

I got to Brazil on Thursday 11/18. I can't sleep in airplanes, so I was exhausted, but the new Harry Potter movie was coming out at midnight, I had to go see it! My cousin Fe asked/ begged one of her friends to give me his ticket. I got to say that it was an experience I will never forget! I thought midnight shows were bad here...it was insane there! A lot of waiting in line, running to get good seats. I couldn't stop laughing!


There was a lot of hanging out with little cousins that aren't so little anymore, playing video games, watching Fe read the Hunger Games trilogy non-stop, eating out. It was so fun!



We went to a Rodizio called Fogo de Chao. It was absolutely delicious! I thought Rodizio Grill was pretty good, but compare to the one in Brazil it really sucks! I was only going to eat a little, but a little of everything turned out to be a lot!



My family was great! I had such a good time with everyone. I got to eat passion fruit mousse, brazilian pizza, esfihas, kibe, chocotone, yakult, pastel...so many things I loved. They all tasted sooo delicious! Why don't we have that stuff here???
Then we had the "big anniversary party". The whole reason why I went. It was a fabulous party! The music, food, ambiance, everything was perfect! It was very strange to go to a party without Amos. I so used to having him with me at events like this. It felt like something was missing.

My cousins Flavio and his girlfriend, Bruno, and Vanessa.

My cousins, Aunt Noemi, and Aunt Ana Maria.

My Tio Peter.

My Tia Gi.

My little cousins Bibi, Fe, and Vanessa. Aren't they gorgeous?



I loved the masks! Brazilian parties are fabulous!

I ate so many brigadeiros. There are so many different flavors now! And the sweetened condensed milk is so different, it makes brigadeiros taste a million times better!

Of course I had to go to the mall. I loooove the malls in Sao Paulo!
Nerds were so expensive! Who would pay that much for it???

It was very strange to have Christmas decorations in the summer. Yes, I grew up there, but snow makes it feels more like the holidays.

There was a pet store inside the mall!

I got to see some dear friends from college. Leila, Luciana, and I used to study and hang out together all the time. It was so good to see them and their beautiful families.



It was an amazing trip! Hopefully I'll get to go again in less than 14 years again...lol