Ale is 3.4

My dear husband is one more year older, smarter and more handsome. And I planned a whole day of surprises for him. In the morning after dropping off Giovanna to summer reading, Bianca, Ale and I had breakfast together. We had a typical American breakfast with pancakes, eggs, hash browns, toast, sausage and bacon.

 Then later that day we had a sleepover at the Britos. They offered to be with the girls while I took Ale to downtown Salt Lake for dinner. And guess where I took him?

Lucky 13!!!!!! If you've been there you know that place is awesome and has THE BEST burger and fries in Utah valley. Besides, it's just a cool place to hang out. Ale loved the surprise. I can't even remember the last time we went there. Three years ago?

After finishing our burger I gave Ale his present. I confess I was very excited about that. I picked a gift I knew he would simply adore. And he did! Bingo.

His gift was an Ancestry DNA kit. You know he loves genealogy and with this test by collecting his saliva and sending the sample back to Ancestry laboratory he is able to find relatives among the five million DNA profiles that has already been collected. It's really exciting and we can't wait to find out possible relatives he might have around the globe. It was the perfect gift for him.  

But the surprises didn't stop there. When we went back to the Britos, they were waiting for us to sing happy birthday. After all, what is a birthday without a birthday cake, right?

Claire is 5

This year Claire bear turned 5 years old! Her birthday party took place at Boondocks in Kaysville and it was really fun! The party started at 4:00pm but we didn't get back home until midnight.

The kids ate pizza, cake, and played lots and lots of arcade games. Daddy even got a ball for them on a claw machine. Bottom line: He loves claw machines! Every single grocery store we go to he tries to get a stuffed animal for the girls. We have at least ten stuffed animals he got from claw machines.

We also enjoyed mini kart and bumper boat. Bumper boat has been always my favorite! We seriously had tons of fun!

Then we sang happy birthday, opened presents and had pinata.

Happy Birthday to our favorite guy!

Today our favorite guy is turning thirty-four, and for some reason I keep thinking he is turning thirty-five.

I feel truly blessed for having you by my side. Life is not meant to be easy, but what makes the difference is having someone who lift us up when we are not strong. We've been through so much, but I know the love and family we have built together will help us keep pressing forward along the journey towards eternity. 

Your wisdom and desire to do the right thing teaches me beyond you may ever comprehend. Your loyalty to God is beautiful, and your devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ inspires me.

I love you. Thank you for everything you do!

Happy birthday!

Pioneer Day 2018

This Pioneer holiday we decided to avoid the heat and the crowd, and drive to North Salt Lake to spend Pioneer day with the Britos. We threw a Brazilian barbecue, played games, talked, and as soon as it got dark we started some fireworks.

I love the fact when we get together we don't need to go all out planning things to make the kids happy. They have fun just by being together. They play for hours and hours, and the adults can talk, laugh, eat, and relax. It's just great! 

The Britos leave in a new construction site, so we found a perfect spot to do the fireworks without bothering the neighbors. In fact other kids from the neighborhood came and joined us. The girls had lots of fun! At least until the mosquitoes started biting all over our legs. Then was time to go back inside.

Summer Bowling

The Fat Cats Provo is offering game bowling, rental shoes and more for only $.99/person until the end of the month of August. Giovanna's been asking to go bowling for a while so we took the girls this past weekend and it was super fun!

The girls love bowling! I don't really remember going bowling growing up. I guess that explains why I am so bad at it!

Sometimes I am lucky and I get a strike!

Happy Pioneer Day!

"Years from now your grandchildren will tell with amazement stories of your choices which changed their lives. You will be called their pioneers".

-Bonnie D. Parkin

This picture was taken when Ale and I had just arrived in Utah as a newly married couple on the Winter of 2008. Almost ten years later, looking back, I feel so blessed for everything we have conquered, for the life we have built in this country and for the legacy of hard work and faith we are leaving to our children. We will be called our children’s pioneer, and we will forever be to our grandchildren, and our great grandchildren, and all generations yet to come. 

Happy Pioneer day!

Pioneer's Day Concert

Tomorrow we'll be celebrating Pioneer day- the day when the first group of Mormon pioneers entered the Valley in July 24, 1847. I love the Pioneers holiday and I love the fact we live in Utah and can actually celebrated it with festivities and fireworks!

Giovanna is turning eight in October. I am so excited for her baptism and to take her to the Women's general meeting and all other beautiful events we can only take our kids to when they are at least eight years old. Eight is great!

Last Saturday I anticipated things a little and took Giovi to watch the Pioneer's Day Concert at the Conference Center in Salt Lake. As I have mentioned it before children under eight were not allowed at this event. But you know, she is so close to be eight...

We had a wonderful time together! Honestly, I thought she would think the whole thing was boring (sitting down for two hours, not talking, not playing, all the things kids loving doing), but she really enjoyed it. She asked questions, made comments, applauded, remembered names, and got really excited to see the prophet so close. When I asked her what was her favorite song, she said the very same one I had liked the most: You'll never walk alone. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

My baby girl is growing so fast. She's becoming such a big girl, and Saturday it really showed. She is loving, caring, and she makes me proud in every single way.

You can watch the entire concert HERE.

LDS missionaires and Pioneer Concert

Hermana Solis and hermana Cisneros- LDS missionaries came over to have lunch with us today. We love the missionaries and we love feeding them! I cooked Brazilian chicken strogonoff, then we had carriot cake with chocolate frosting for dessert.

After lunch the girls and I drove them home to drop off the cake I wrapped for them to go. Once we got there we helped them to feed the bunnies whose owners left for vacation and rent the basement for the missionaries. The girls had a blast as you can imagine. Then we left sister Solis and sister Cisneros at the chapel on our way back home.

Tomorrow I'll be going to Salt Lake with Giovanna to watch the Pioneer Day Concert. I am so excited! Bianca will stay home with daddy since babies are not allowed at the conference center. Technically, any child under eight is not allowed there, but Giovi is turning eight in a few months, so...

Just us

Today wasn't a good day. I don't even want to talk about it. 

Later today Giovanna asked me to go to the pool. Honestly I wasn't feeling like going, but what we don't do for our children, right? Nobody was at the pool. Just us.

"To be a good father and mother requires that the parents defer many of their own need and desires in favor of the needs of their children. As a consequence of this sacrifice, conscientious parents develop a nobility of character and learn to put into practice the selfless truths taught by the Savior Himself". -James E. Faust (The greatest challenge in the world- good parenting)

Harvard

One of the greatest things the Au Pair program offers is the $500 for educational purpose. Since I was in Massachusetts I knew exactly in which school I wanted to spend that money. Twelve years ago Harvard had an ESL program and the classes used to be held at their campus. Currently, the ESL program has its own building in Cambridge.

I met so many people from different countries and backgrounds. I also had at least three Brazilian students in my class. We used to take the train back home together.

 The classes were pretty tough as we didn't have an ESL book and most of our materials were dificult articles about politics and economics. Besides, our teacher (I can't remember her name) was very strict (like Harvard strict), and I couldn't understand half of what she was saying. But it was good. Everything about that time was so good!

On the last day of school we all went to a Mexican restaurant.

{My ESL teacher}