Twinkle is back

This past Friday the girls woke up to find an unexpected visitor in our home. Bianca was the first one to spot her sitting on the branches of our New Year tree. She rapidly came to my room yelling “Twinkle is back, Twinkle is back! She is sitting on the Christmas tree”. 

Giovanna and I ran to the living room and there she was, holding a letter:

The girls were so happy to see her again and for being able to finally touch her and play with her for one entire day. Twinkle accompanied the girls everywhere. They even had lunch together at Mc Donald’s.

At night Giovanna slept with Twinkle in an attempt to not let her fly back to the North Pole. But in the morning she was gone. But she kindly left a farewell letter under Giovi’s pillow.

Goodbye dear Twinkle. See you again in December!

Come, Follow Me 2020

Today our family started studying the new Book of Mormon 2020 Come, Follow Me. This week we’ll be studying the very first pages of the Book of Mormon- its introduction, the testimony of witnesses, the testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith, and a brief explanation about the book.

This weekend Ale and I talked about our family plan to carry this study throughout the year. For now Ale and I will be taking turns teaching each week. This plan might change (or not) to better fit our family needs.

Today the four of us gathered around to listen to Ale’s enlightening message about the cover of the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, and how testament can also means witness- an evidence of a specific fact or event.

We talked about how exciting it is to have another testament of Jesus Christ in addition to the Bible, and how the Book of Mormon carries the fullness of the gospel.

I am so grateful for this gospel in our lives, and for having a priesthood holder who blesses our family and helps me raise kids who know and love our Savior Jesus Christ.

Get a FREE copy of the Book of Mormon here.

*Also, I can’t believe tomorrow is the last day of 2019!!!*

New Year Tree

It still feels like Christmas to me. I am taking my time and slowly putting Christmas decorations back in the boxes, and I am still asking Google to play Christmas songs.

Today we had a great idea to keep our Christmas tree up for a few more days. We took all Christmas ornaments and we left only silver and golden ones. The girls added a beautiful golden ribbon around the tree, and now our Christmas tree became a New Year tree. It looks gorgeous!

As per tradition our family will be driving to Bluffdale on the 31st to spend New Year’s eve with the Arbons. I am so excited for 2020!

Christmas 2019

Bellini’s Christmas Eve:

Feast- Ale baked his tradition rolls and I tried a new recipe for the Turkey. We had Brazilian potato salad, rice, and homemade gravy. Everything was delicious. Then we had ice cream rolled in oven-toasted coconut and fudge on top. Yum.

Games- We played Christmas bingo with marshmallows and we tried Hedbanz (Thanks Clark family!) for the first time. We laughed so hard!

Cookies- This year we made the cookies to leave it for Santa. The girls mixed the ingredients, shaped them (with the only Halloween and Valentines cookie cutters I have), and decorated them. No Christmas cookies for Santa, but I am sure he appreciates the effort.

We also watched Christmas movies and had a beautiful CHISTmas message. On Christmas day the girls woke up to find tons of gifts under the tree (and everything white outside). Bianca was the first to find the pickle ornament daddy hid the night before on the Christmas tree granting her to open the first gift of Christmas.

I am so grateful for the beautiful family I have to spend the most wonderful time of the year with. I am grateful for my older brother, my savior and redeemer, and for His courage to come to this earth to pay the price so I could return to my Heavenly Father one day.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas time with your loved ones. I sure did.

B&B Christmas

Our family spent this past weekend with the Britos. The girls baked and decorated Christmas cookies, we exchanged gifts, cooked Brazilian food, and played Christmas bingo. I love our traditional Bellinis&Britos get together right before Christmas. It is always a delight.

On Sunday we all attended sacrament meeting and enjoyed a beautiful Christmas program with songs and inspiring messages of our Savior Jesus Christ. I shared with Ale my thoughts about being in this earth to fulfill His purpose while finding happiness in our journey here.

I am genuinely excited to study the Book of Mormon starting December 30rd as a family. I am having a great feeling about it. It made me so good when I studied it a while ago! I know it will help our family a lot too.

“This Christmas, as the spirit of the season permeates our hearts, let us do something that expresses our feelings in an outward way, showing that we understand that the babe born in Bethlehem is the real Redeemer”.

-Gary E. Stevenson

Have you all a very Merry Christmas!

Salt Lake Temple

Last week Ale and I were able to attend a session at Salt Lake Temple. It was a sacred privilege to go once more before it closes for the next four years for renovations.

In an official announcement last April Pres. Nelson said:

“We remember the courageous pioneers who built this temple (...). For 126 years, it has inspired and served church members. This project will enhance, refresh, and beautify the temple and its surrounding grounds”.

For years this temple has been an active part of our lives. Ale and I were sealed there, I had my maternity pictures taken there, and Giovanna had spent most of her infant life running on its grounds.

Inside the temple Ale and I took the time to walk around, and take one last look at the rooms, the art, and its beautiful stained glasses, as everything will look different when its doors finally open again in 2024.

The Salt Lake Temple closes December 29th, 2019.

“We promise that you will love the results”.

-Pres. Nelson

Happy Holidays

We finally wrote our letters to Santa. Once we were done we put the letters close to Twinkle so she could take them to Santa. What a nice little elf!

We also had a fun time at Giovanna’s school Christmas party. I helped by planning a Christmas bingo for her class. They also played other games and built a small gingerbread house. I got the idea for the bingo here.

I also prepared a little something for the girls to give to their teachers. I bought cute mugs and filled them up with candy canes, marshmallows, and a hot cocoa packet. What better way then a delicious hot cocoa to start Christmas break, right?

Then later on I baked a dutch apple pie the girls delivered to their friend from church who was home the entire week sick. I still have lots of apples, so I’ll bake more delicious pies to give to neighbors.

I absolutely love holidays!

Christmas Presentation

In the morning Giovanna came to my room to wake me up- it was time to get ready to go to school.  That usually happens a few times through the week when I have a rough night and I can’t open my eyes in the morning.

She is always the first one (besides dad) to wake up. She gets up, gets dressed, and brushes her hair. The night before she turns her alarm on.

Today I was observing her as she got pancakes from the fridge, heated them up in the microwave, and broke them into small pieces. I watched her as she carefully placed the strawberries she had washed on top of the kitchen towel to absorb the water, then how she cut them and put the rest back in the fridge.

Giovanna is growing up beautifully. She is smart, helpful, and kind. She is responsible, obedient, and a great friend to everyone. I am so proud to be her mama.

Today she performed a Christmas song along with her classmates. Ale left work for a few minutes to watch her. (Have I mentioned I love he works so close from home? It’s been a blessing). They sang Mrs Grinch in English and Spanish. It was awesome!

Bottom line: I just wished all the kids were Christmas dressed up.

Fiesta Navideña

This past Saturday we had Christmas dinner at our ward. Ale was in Las Vegas for work and he couldn’t watch me and the girls perform as innkeeper and shepherds in Jesus is Born. But our dear friends Mindy and the Villatoro family were there to watch us and support us. We are so grateful for them.

 

The play was beautiful and I was so happy I was able to be part of it with my girls, honoring and celebrating this marvelous occasion when our Savior and Redeemer was born.  

After the play the girls talked to Santa. I am glad Giovanna is not too cool for that (yet). Then Mindy and Claire slept over. What a fun, fun night!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” -Isaiah 9:6

Eleven years ago

December 14, 2009 Ale and I arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah to start our new life as a newly married couple. We said goodbye to a beautiful summertime in Brazil and found everything covered in snow here. I was cold and I was sad for leaving my family and everything I knew behind.

We lived with Ale's brother for a month before moving to our first apartment.

It was an one-bedroom apartment only a few minutes from Downtown Salt Lake where Ale was attending LDS Business College. The rent was around $400, and I was so excited to finally have our own place.

When we moved to our apartment we only owned our luggage, an old mattress, a TV stand, and a small TV that didn't work. Then our bishop kindly gave us a form to pick up a bed, a couch and a table at DI Thrift Store. 

It was a hard first year with lots of trials, enduring, and adapting but we also had a lot of laughter, love and companionship. Ale and I spent our days talking, playing monopoly, getting Netflix through the mail, and just being silly to each other and growing in love.

This past Saturday we celebrated eleven years since we moved to Utah. Looking back... everything we went through, all the changes, all the growth, there is one thing that never really changed- Ale keeps making me laugh. And now the girls laugh too. He's been always the funnest of the house.

And, although life tribulations have taken a smile from his face at times, he would always find a way to keep smiling and making us happy. And I am deeply grateful for that, because I know this is one of the reasons why we are a strong bonded family.

I love you Alexandre Buck Bellini.