Christmas 2014

This year our Christmas was extra special with our little peanut soon joining our family. We are all so happy and I feel so blessed! Giovanna is super excited for finally becoming a big sister. 

On Christmas eve, per tradition, we had dinner, movie, and we decorated gingerbread house. Then later that night, Giovi left cookies and milk for Santa, and carrots for his reindeers. 

On Christmas day we opened presents. Giovi was a good girl and got exactly what she asked for Christmas this year. Good job princess!

We are pregnant!

Ale and I have been trying to get pregnant for the past two months. A few weeks ago I took a pregnancy test and it was positive! I was so excited to tell Ale, but instead I put the pregnancy test inside the red baby knit bottie that belonged to Giovanna, and I hung it at our Christmas tree.

I had hopes that Ale would pass by and notice it. I wanted to surprise him. Everyday I would get anxious for him to finally see it, but he didn't. So on Christmas day, I told him there was something special on the tree that he was supposed to find.

Giovi helped him look for it, and when they found it they were SO happy! We are all so happy to have a new addition to our family!

Baby #2 is on the way! Due: August 22nd

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Countdown

I can’t believe we are only a few days from Christmas. I am so excited! Christmas is one of my favorite holidays.

Grocery for Christmas dinner✔
Gifts✔
Christmas PJ's & Socks✔
Gingerbread House✔
Christmas Cards to friends in the U.S✔
New Year Cards to friends & family from Brazil ✔

I guess we are ready!

Remember we put Giovanna's letter on our Christmas tree? This morning she woke up to find out the letter wasn't there anymore. She was so excited!

Also, I have big news this Christmas and I can't wait to share it with all of you!

A letter for Santa

I love holidays. Truly it is the most wonderful time of the year. I love when Christmas songs start playing on the radio, I love the beautiful lights, and the sweet Christmas spirit.

Today, I helped Giovanna write a letter for Santa. This Christmas she wants an "Elsa's mirror" (Frozen vanity), Elsa's crown, and Elsa's ice castle (the real one! lol). 

We put her letter on our Christmas tree for the Elves to come pick it up. She can't wait for Christmas Day!

Bathing in the sink

We are still having some setbacks with our bathroom, so tonight we had to improvise and bathe Giovanna in the kitchen sink. She loved the idea and had a blast filling up cups and bowls with water.

We also had the missionaries over for dinner. We love having them. They bring such a sweet spirit. Tomorrow we are excited to watch Giovanna's first Christmas presentation at preschool. Then she will take a week off. School starts again on January 4th.

Giovanna talks to Santa Claus

Last Saturday, bishop Villatoro and his family invited us for a Christmas dinner in their ward. We had a wonderful night! We listened to a beautiful Christmas message, then we ate a delicious meal, and we watched the kids from primary perform.

 

Giovanna played with her friends, sang, danced and even talked to Santa Claus. She loves Christmas and hates Santa. After a bit of chitchat she high fived him and came to tell us: “He is nice. I am not afraid anymore”.

Gingerbread house

We have been planning to see the Temple lights, but workers are still fixing the ceiling in the bathroom that started leaking a few days ago. Because of that Giovanna's been missing her naps which means early bedtime for her. 

Giovi is great, but if she is tired there’s no way we can go out and have a good time. So we have been around the house these past few days, we’ve done some Christmas shopping, and gone to a couple of playdates.

Today, Giovanna decorated a gingerbread house with Everett and Aiden. They played pirates and all boy stuff Giovanna loves. It is so much fun seeing her play something different then princesses.

Decorating gingerbread house is one of our favorite Christmas activities. Our family decorates one every Christmas eve. It's our little tradition. We don't usually eat the gingerbread house though. Instead we display it on our home for weeks, we take a bunch of pictures, then we throw it away.

Tomorrow we are driving to Pleasant Grove to have a Christmas dinner with some friends. Don't you just love this time of the year?

Story of our Life - Part II

Story of our life - Part I

Ale came to Utah in 2006 to start school while I stayed in Brazil getting ready to start my Au Pair program. During this time our long-distance relationship wasn't working very well, so one day when we broke up Ale decided to come back to Brazil.

Ale's family didn't like the news, and they were pretty upset because he took the semester off to travel back to Brazil. My family wasn't happy either.

It was a difficult time, specially having everyone giving us unsolicited advises about our relationship. I really could use some time away from everybody to organize my thoughts and feelings. So I kept my Au Pair program plans, and in 2007 I flew to Massachusetts to live with an American family for a whole year.

Ale served his mission in MA in 2003.

After I was living there for a couple of months, Ale decided to fly to MA to see me. It was our chance for a fresh start. During his time there he helped me with the language, took me to places, and introduced me to people he knew from his mission.

After a year we started talking about marriage. We planned a trip to Utah, where we would move to after the wedding so he could finish school.

I met his brothers, and the beautiful Salt Lake City. I thought winter in Utah was definitely better than in Massachusetts.

When we were back to MA we called our families and told them about our decision to go back to Brazil, get married, and move back to the United States.

Our story will continue on the next posts. :)

Family Pictures 2014

This past week we took family pictures. Last time we did it Giovanna was a baby. I can’t believe how fast she has grown! In this picture she was only six months old:

Here she is three and a half years later:

I love pictures. Every year I pick the best ones, I print them, and I put them in a photo album. It's a tradition. I've been doing this since 2009 when we moved to Utah and started our own family.

You can see the full photo session HERE.

This is the most wonderful time of the year

Today, Ale surprised us by taking us to Draper to see the "Tree of Life"- a willow tree with over 1,000 strands of lights.. It was BEAUTIFUL! While seeing the lights I felt the sweet spirit of Christmas. I usually feel so much peace at this time of the year. I love it!

It was a cold night, but we kept ourselves warm by running around with Giovanna. Then we were hungry for dinner. We had garlic chicken pizza from BrickOven.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Santa Claus

Last night we told Giovanna to get dressed because we had a surprise for her. We were taking her to see Santa Claus’s arrival at City Creek Center in downtown. 

Every year City Creek kicks off the holiday season with the arrival of Santa Claus. Elves lead families in a sing-along until Santa appears on the rooftops to greet everyone before settling into his cottage for the season.

 It is a fun event and we were absolutely sure Giovanna would love it. Well, we were wrong.

 She made faces, complaint, and cried pretty much the whole time. First, because she was tired. Second, because she didn't want to sing along. Third, because of the fireworks (she doesn't like them). Fourth, because she wanted to go on "Santa's house" but she didn't want to take a picture with him. And finally because she didn't want to take any picture at all.

So we went back home. At least next year we already know.