Sabath Day

Today I went to Church and had a great time learning from wonderful
people. Brother and Sister Bradley taught us about the Priesthood, David
taught our Temple Preparation class and Sister Garcia gave a wonderful
lesson at the Relief Society. I cried buckets as always.

Did you know I cry a lot? I am probably one of the woman in the world that cries
more than anybody else. I cry when I am sad, hurt, scared, happy,
surprised, when someone tells me a great joke and I laugh really hard
and especially when I feel the Holy Ghost. I cry almost every single
Sunday at Church.

I had a RS meeting after the meetings and got home at 2pm, since I had to feed the missionaries, I took an one hour nap and got up to cook.

I made Brazilian strognoff, jasmine rice, green salad and Coconut pie and passion fruit mousse for dessert. I love feeding the missionaries because they always eat anything I make and
they tell me that it was really yummy. We have sisters and Elders in our
ward right now. They are wonderful, the sisters are so sweet and they
all work really hard. We have been having a lot of baptisms lately.

Before going home, the missionaries shared this video with us, I think you NEED to watch it!!

I am going to relax and rest for the week. My week will be crazy and
super busy, I leave to Europe on Saturday and I didn't even started to
pack.

Have a great Sunday!

San Diego Trip

Since the kids have Spring Break we decided to take a road trip to San Diego. I am really happy to be able to drive everywhere and especially long distances.
We stopped at the Redlands Temple on our way. The Temple is really beautiful and it brings me peace, even tough I didn't get to go in.
When we arrived in Sand Diego we stopped at (Uncle) Dieter's home.  I love his house, he has one of the best kitchens I have seen. Dieter has always been nice to us and I like to spend time with him.
Later in the day he took us to dinner to Outback Steak House and we had a great time. We said our good byes and spent a relaxing night at our hotel.
I have been feeling so tired lately. I have to see my doctor and see if something is wrong with me. I don't have a lot of energy at all.

It is never to late...

...to start updating your blog again!

I have been very overwhelmed about my blog. I always feel like that when I take to long to post something. Since I have been missing writing in it, I am taking advantage of a very rainy rain day here in Brazil to upgrade my blog. The date is 10/23/2012 but I will have to go back as far as May/2012...

 The end of May it got very busy for me, I knew we were going to spend the Summer in Utah and then off to Brazil for 4 months so it was pretty crazy trying to pack 10 suitcases, get the house clean for David, kids school's graduations, ballet show, end of another soccer season, piano recital, etc...
Let the pictures speak for themselves!

 Ballet Show (Hannah and Lucy go to the same Ballet School) and Piano Recital

 Mr Mike is one of the smartest teacher I have ever met. He was great with Isaac and I was very emotional and happy that day because my little Ike is not in special education anymore. He caught up!

 Both my daughters made in the "Principal's List" award,received the "Bee Glow" Awards for their grades and won Olympics of math (Belle) and reading (Hannah). I wanted to get up and shout when their name was called but I didn't. Embarrassment alert! :)

Have you ever hurt your child? Probably not but I can tell you how it feels. You feel plain horrible, you feel stupid (sorry for the bad word, I will wash my mind with soap later) and you fall asleep crying when you go to bed late that night. When I was a little girl, my mom used to ride her bike with me sitting just like that (pic 1) and I loved it. I would always tell her to go faster..It was one of my favorite things to do with my mom. I loved the feeling of the wind on my face and I tough it was pretty cool. I tried to do the same with Hannah that night, she loved at first but when it was time for me to stop she forgot to hold it tight and she fell on the floor with her face down. (explains her nose in the pic 2). I felt horrible.Just plain horrible. and I am also sure I won;t be doing that again.

 The Barlows took over Primary that day. Belle and Hannah had talks and Isaac had a prayer. It was nice to be there for all of them at the same time. I sometimes forget that they are doing something there and I think it was possible to forget in a day like this.

Less is More!?

We were always wondering what to do with Sam's hair...

His hair grows super fast and it is all over the place.

David had the idea to cut it very short and I think I like it better.

The smile doesn't mean that he liked it...he is always happy anyway.

Happenings:

1) Mr Mike (Isaac's teacher) asked me to come in to school for a meeting today and he gave me the good news that Ike is being discharged of the "Special needs" program. He exceeded his goals and is ready for Kindergarden. He is not going back to full time school next year. I just hope I can survive with two BOYS at home together all day again...We were invited for Isaac's GRADUATION" next Tuesday :)

2) Hannah is already packing to Brazil. First thing she put inside her suitcase was a pair of dusty boots. She told me about how excited she is to be able to wear her boots again. I know another girl that it is feeling the same :)

3) David is loving his new app that speaks Portuguese. After telling him that he speaks Portuguese well enough, he tells me that he wants to get better. PS: It made my day.

4) Belle made me feel like a good mom today, I listened to her playing "LDS hymns" on the piano while relaxing with the boys and it was nice to know that all of the times I had to "make" her practice, take her to lessons, recitals, etc is paying off. And made me very happy.

Happy Birthday Samuel

My baby Sam turned two years old yesterday.

Sam is my crazy baby. He is always making sure I listen to him,

where, when and how he wants to.

I always know where, how and what he is doing.

The dude is loud and I L.O.V.E. him.

Sam's top two:

1- Cars

2- Balls

I know you may think that every boy is the same but I never

met a boy that loves cars and balls SO MUCH...

I feel horrible about Sam's cake. Have you ever forgotten to pick it up your son's birthday cake?

            I know, I know...this things always happen just with me...

I ordered a beautiful "Cars" cake in your local groceries store

and forgot to pick it up on Saturday,

since we do not go to the store on Sundays, I had to buy this cake today so

we could celebrate his birthday.

I really hope you will forgive me Sam...

He didn't want to be the center of the attention

Starting to open his presents: Cars and Balls...what else? :)

Happy Mothers Day!!

David took me out last night and gave me the day off today for Mothers Day.

He made dinner and took care of the kids and I even took a nap :)

The girls made me some gifts (one of them was an apron that says: "Queen of Everything"), cards, gave me jewelry and for the first time

both of them made me poems. 

I am very thankful for my kids and for the blessing of being a mother.

Happy Mothers Day for my mom Arlete, mom Barlow, my sisters Izabel and Marisa and for all of the other moms I know! I believe our "job" is the hardest one in the world but also the best one in the same world!!

They also gave me tons of kisses

David gave me this cute Coach bag, I was very happy :)

Utah, here we come!

 We bought our tickets to Utah last night.

We have been looking for the prices for so long so when we found some tickets

that were reasonable we booked it.

We are going to Utah for the Summer again because I love Utah in the SUMMER

and we are having a Family Reunion in the first week of July.

I am excited to see everyone and spend sometime with people that I love but don't

get to see very often.

I am looking forward for a relaxing weekend celebrating

Mothers Day and Sam's 2nd Birthday!

 

While in Utah I want:

 

*visit tons of Barlows and tons of friends

*eat in a Brazilian Restaurant and Cafe Rio

*go to the "Neon Trees" show 

*have tons of "girls night out"

*visit the LDS Church Sites

*have my favorite "custard" at Nielsens

*shop at "Bohme", Maurices, New York Company and "Downeastbasics"

*buy an Utah Kids club card and take the kids to do all of the activities I can

*eat in a Brazilian Restaurant

*hike the Y

*take a day with the girls and tour all of the Temples we can

*watch the Mormon Tabernacle perform in the "Spoken Word"

*eat in a Brazilian Restaurant

*walk to Church on Sunday mornings

*run in some of their races

*go to the Brazilian Ward and all of their parties

and did I mention that I want to

*eat in a Brazilian Restaurant?

Lets talk about my underwear!?

Today I got an email from someone that reads my blog and sends me emails for some time now. She read an article in the internet talking about "Mitt Romney's Underwear", she knows I am a Mormon too and the article talks about Mitt wearing a type of "Magic Underwear". She asked me if I also wear the same kind of underwear. I won't lie to you or to her that I thought it was very weird that someone was asking about my underwear to start with, because I never would ask some other girl if she wears Victoria Secrets or Maiden Form bras and even less ask to a man what kind or brand he wears it. I think it is not anyone's business to know this and I was already planning what kind of answer I would send it to her. I sat on my bed and decided to ask our old friend goggle. I found the article and all of the questions people have. I know it is something different and like Mitt, I also wear it and I found the best answer imaginable from a man called Bob Lonsberry.

So, to all of you that have the same question, please read this answer, because it is exactly how I feel too. Read:

                                       here

I know you guys remember my trip to Morocco and Egypt back in January, here are again some pics that I took that show some women in Cairo wearing things for "Religious Purposes" . BTW, did you like me wearing a "Hijab" in Morocco?? David looks pretty cool with his "Kippap"(the white little hat on his head)  at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem too!

David is a "mom"

I have been sick for the past 5 days and this morning I went to see my doctor. After almost 3 hours I found out what the problem is, had tons of blood tests done and had 500ml of IV to help me to feel stronger. I took Sam because I am a mom and we do crazy things like that, it was a disaster, he cried a lot, was scared and made my doctor allow him to be in bed with me. I am a "horrible" sick person, I don't stop complaining that I don't feel normal, talk to David about 30 times a day, cry, lay down, get up, walk around and lay down, get up, walk around again and again. David has to make food that I think I want to eat but when I take the first bite I don't want it anymore, etc I know I drive him totally nuts but I want to say here that David is a "mom". In Brazil, when someone is really and extra nice to you we say that person is a "mom". Because no one loves you like your mom. David wins the title because he takes over, he cleans, cooks, feed and bath the kids, picks them up from school, etc...some of these things he does everyday anyway but with a sick Milena around? I don't think anyone else could.

This is the only place Sam would stop crying thinking that he was the next one to get the shots

I was driving in Kapolei today feeling very sick and trying to spend time while waiting for the laboratory crew and look what I saw... it has to be the "prettiest" and "nicest" Church building in the Island of Oahu. It brought tears in my eyes and I was so proud. If you didn't understand why I am making a big deal because of a building you have to know that the Church buildings in Hawaii are not traditional at all. My ward is in a building that I don't even know how old it is and the building I used to go in Honolulu has even a big Christ mosaic style picture on the front!?  I wonder who are the lucky ones that get to meet there...

I think someone (Belle) is excited to school to be over :)

Songfest

David, Sam and I went to the girls school to watch them sing and dance. I can't believe school will be over in less than 3 weeks now.

Hannah talked about "Missionary Work" tonight at our
Family Home Evening. She shared a great video with us, you can watch it here