Christmas

Our Christmas was a little different this year. Ever since we have been married we have always spent Christmas with family. This year we were all alone with just our little family. However, it turned out to be a very nice Christmas. Our kids were soooooo excited on Christmas eve. They opened the traditional PJ's from grandma and grandpa Christensen.
Then we attempted to sing Christmas carols - which consisted mostly of the kids choosing the carols and Andy and I sang while the kids wrestled on the couch and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Then we tried acting out the Christmas story - it's just not Christmas without doing it. However, it's a little tougher to do when 2 out of the 4 are reading the story and video taping which leaves us with just Mary and Joseph. Ethan didn't like his costume and felt the new Thomas PJ's were perfect for Joseph's outfit. So, our Christmas story was pretty much Lucy being a sweet Mary - sitting perfectly tending to her baby while Ethan raced from one side of the room to the next. OK - so it wasn't exactly how we had pictured but the kids were still having fun.

The next day was very fun. We spent the whole day together and played with the kids all day long. It was so enjoyable. It was also our first Christmas that was hot enough to go swimming. We made a couple of trips to the pool in our neighborhood and in between swimming we played with all the new toys. Ethan got some swimming rings from his cousin Lydia. They were a huge hit. He spent the whole time in the pool throwing the rings and and diving after them!

What a trooper!!

By now most of you have heard about Ethan. A little over a week ago he was drinking a ton of water and going to the bathroom a lot. By the second day of him doing this it really concerned us. So, we began to do a little searching around on the internet and just as we had suspected he had symptoms of diabetes. So, after many visits to the hospital, trips to labs to draw blood, and talking to several doctors it was confirmed that Ethan has type 1 diabetes. This came as a huge surprise and really bad timing given it was a week before christmas and everyone is eating treats and offering treats and suddenly we are told he can't have any sugar at all. Not to mention we felt we had a lot to learn about diabetes and not enough time given a baby could be coming any day now. Anyway, it has just been a crazy week. Ethan has been such a good sport though. We have to prick him and test his blood at least 4 times but usually 6 times a day. We also have to give at least 2 shots but sometimes 4 shots of insulin a day. For the most part he has been very willing to let us poke at him all day long. It's so hard to try to explain to a 2 year old why he can't have treats or drink soda etc. and yet he has been pretty accepting of the fact that he can't. At first we felt a bit sorry for ourselves given our lives have suddenly changed and we will be dealing with this for the rest of our lives. However, it hasn't taken long to realize that Ethan is so blessed and so are we. He can still continue to live a normal life. It's not like he has a terminal illness as is the case with many other families who have children with other health issues.
Here is a picture of Ethan holding his equipment - shots and the device that reads his blood sugar level. He is funny - he often sets up the stuff for us an then will say "mommy be sure to get a lot of blood" (he knows we have to do it again if we don't get enough the first time)




PS- Just thought I'd mention I'd make a horrible diabetic. I like sweets too much! One day Andy told me I should keep some treats in my purse just to have on hand on the chance that his blood sugar level went too low. I told him I had already thought of that but had a problem with it. I bought some candy - it came in a package with 3 rolls of candy and it was already gone - and not because Ethan's blood sugar level had ever dropped too low!!

Bad Day in Brazil!!!

There are some days that I just LOVE living here and there are also those days that I just don't like Brazil very much. I am not trying to be a pessimist in writing this blog but I do need to share my VERY BAD DAY in Brazil. I have told a few friends about it already because I had to vent right after it happened so if you are the few I've already told - sorry you have to hear it again! Andy knows some guys from his mission who are from the united states and are also living here with their families. I've never met them but was going to get together with their wives and kids to make Christmas cookies. Sounds fun huh?! (I was especially excited to spend the day speaking English and expressing myself without playing charades!) Well, one of the girls lives about an hour away so we were all meeting at her house since she is in the middle.
Before leaving I was feeling pretty pleased with myself for even attempting the drive given I had never been there. Driving here isn't always the easiest thing to do here especially when you aren't familiar with the area. Anyway to make a long story short, I left with the kids at 9:00 am and 4 HOURS later, 3/4 tank of gas later, many many many tears later, and way too many phone calls to Andy later I made it back to my house having never made it to the girls house. Our 1 hour drive turned into a 4 hour nightmare. Road signs are HORRIBLE here and don't match up very well to the map. Now I can't claim to be the best map reader in the world but I had very good directions and always knew exactly where I was on the map but the signs were just not helpful!!! Let's just say by the time I arrived back home I could not think of one thing that I liked about Brazil!!!! I have gotten over it ... kind of. Just thought you might like to know about my bad driving day in Brazil and hope it never happens again!

Our Christmas Tree

From what I have noticed people don't really do Christmas trees here. They might have a small one on their table or something but that is about it. You see them in stores for decoration but not in homes. Well, I couldn't imagine Christmas without a tree. So, this is what I ended up finding. It's a total Charlie Brown Christmas tree but we like it. The first time I put the star on just to see how it would look the tree toppled over. Yeah, it's not too sturdy! It's pretty much a stick with a few branches sticking out. It's funny but will do for this year. Also, notice the stockings in the background - nobody has stockings here. That is not tradition here. Also, we are learning that on Christams Eve here the people eat a big dinner like around 9:00 or 10:00 and open presents at midnight. People don't wake up on the 25th to open presents as we do in the United States. Interesting huh? I can't imagine keeping the kids up that late and then expecting them to go to bed after opening all their presents!

Sharing some traditions with the Brazilians

It seems that since we arrived I am constantly asking people how to get to places, where to shop, how to cook..... So, it has been nice to share a few things finally and do some things for other people. For Thanksgiving we had a family from our ward come and experience a Thanksgiving dinner. It wasn't a full on Thanksgiving meal as we didn't have some of the salads I typically like to make (for lack of ingredients here) and instead of a turkey we had chicken (because they only sell turkeys at Christmas time). However, we did have homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, chicken, gravy, rolls, veges, and best of all homemade apple pie! It was the best meal I've had since we arrived. It was fun to share it with a Brazilian family. Our kitchen was sooooo hot and I was so sweaty by the time we sat down but it was all worth it. (notice Ethan isn't at the table. Too bad he was still taking a nap - we could actually enjoy our meal!! sorry ethan!)


We had Fernanda and Camilla over to make salt dough Christmas tree ornaments. They were pretty fascinated with the process. A week later we had them over to do almost the same type of thing - make sugar cookies and frost them. The kids LOVED it and Ethan seemed to think any cookie he frosted he had to eat before frosting the next one. When I finally told him no more cookies he seemed OK with it.I looked over at him a few minutes later only to find his hand full of sprinkles. He had dumped almost the entire jar into his hand and was happily eating away!!




Brazilians don't know what waffles or pancakes are. Fernanda use to live in the United States. One day she told me she LOVED waffles and pancakes. Come to find out she was talking about frozen waffles and pancakes. She had no idea you could make them. So, she was very happy to learn how to make them and even had her husband buy a waffle iron on a trip he took to St. Joseph not too long ago.


When we first moved here I did whatever I could to get syrup sent to us. It became a big hassle and got held up in customs. Since then we have had it delivered to us from people who come to visit from St. Joseph for work. Anyway all of Andy's co-workers somehow became very aware of his wifes desperate need for syrup. So, we had some work friends over to try waffles, pancakes and the syrup they had heard soooooo much about. We did a big breakfast dinner with pancakes, eggs, bacon, waffles, syrup, and juice. It was really fun and they all seemed to like it.

Camilla is such a sweetheart! She came to our waffle party and is expecting her first baby in April. Before leaving she really wanted a picture with the moms to be! (so for those of you who keep asking to see a picture of me pregnant...here I am at 8 months pregnant and feeling pretty huge!!)

Our Little Ballerina

This weekend Lucy had her first ballet recital. Andy and I really weren't sure if she would really get on stage and dance. She was extremely nervous and Andy left her crying with the teacher but was told a few minutes later that she had stopped crying. When he found me at our seats he told me he wasn't sure if we'd end up seeing her dance. He really didn't think she'd end up walking out on the big stage. However, Lucy amazed us! Not only did she go out on stage but she ended up leading the line of kids because the girl who usually does got scared and didn't end up dancing that night!! Anyway, she did a great job and loved it!! Lucy has come a LONG way since our arrival to Brazil. For most kids dancing in a recital or going to school without mom and dad are normal things but for Lucy, who has always been extremely shy, these are BIG steps!!
















Lucy loved her hair and wanted to make sure her grandparents got to see what it looked like!

Lucy is holding the hand of the girl in the white costume

A little potty talk

Last week was very exciting at our house! Lucy is finally - after 4 1/2 years - potty trained!! We do realize that most parents with 4 1/2 year olds were celebrating this years ago but our turn has finally come!! We've tried just about every bribe possible. We've been really patient with her but it was starting to get annoying when Lucy would wear underwear all day long but as soon as she had to poop she'd come and ask for a diaper - long enough to take care of business and leave me with another dirty diaper to change. Finally we told her NO MORE TREATS of any kind until she pooped in the toilet and that she could poop in her underwear (which Lucy would NEVER do) or the toilet but diapers were not an option anymore!! So she did it!! And just as amazing - Ethan who has showed zero interest in the toilet started wearing underwear one day later!!!! Miracles do happen!! Ethan is not in underwear all the time but he is close. Perhaps our christmas gift will be not having any kids in diapers (which will only last for a week or so but it's better than having 3 in diapers!!)

Eric Goes on a Mission

I was working on some old family videos and came across this gem. Thought you guys might enjoy it. Just click on the play button (arrow thingy) below.

One last hurrah before the baby comes!

We spent a little over a week visiting a couple of beautiful places in Brazil. Our first stop was Florinopolis which is an island off the coast of Brazil with over 100 beaches. It is beautiful. We especially loved being in Florinopolis because we got to spend our time there with Andy's sister Amy and her husband Mike. We were sad to say goodbye. The kids especially loved being with them. As we were leaving Florinopolis we asked Lucy what her favorite part of the trip was and she said it was seeing Uncle Mike and Aunt Amy!



Amy and Mike with Lucy and Ethan


While in Florinopolis we took a 4 hour boat ride which made stops at different islands. Our favorite stop was on an island where there was an old Portuguese military fortress from the 18th century. The grounds were so pretty and there was a lot to explore.
Unfortunately it rained some of the time we were in Florinopolis. However, that didn't seem to keep Andy and the kids from playing in the water. One morning we got all ready for the beach and by the time we got there it was raining. However, the kids had their hearts set on playing in the sand and swimming. There was no way they were getting back in the car before having some fun. So Andy, being the GREAT dad that he is, took the kids out to the water even though it was raining. Mike, Amy, and I stood under a covering and watched them get soaked!

After saying goodbye to Amy and Mike we flew to Iguacu Falls. It was one of the most beautiful places I have seen. The pictures don't do justice but here is a little taste of what we saw. The first day we stayed on the Brazil side of the falls. On the second day we crossed over into Argentina which was really neat and gave a different perspective to the falls. There are bridges that take you over the top of the falls. It is beautiful. We also had fun taking a boat ride down under the falls. We went out on a motor boat and passed many of the different falls and made our way to the biggest one. It was tons of fun and the driver gave us a great ride. The kids loved it too. Ethan was laughing whenever we'd do crazy turns in the water. Lucy claims she liked it even though she kept asking if we were going back yet! While in Iguacu we also came to know their public transportation. It was great because as soon as we got to the hotel they were trying to sell us on their taxis that would take us to the Brazil side one day and Argentina another day. However, the prices were crazy. Given we both served missions in South America we knew we could get there by public transportation much much cheaper. So, for example the first day they wanted to take us to the Brazil side for $R90. However, we ended up taking the city busses for a total of $R8!!! I will admit it was not quite as easy to jump on the buses with 2 kids and strollers as it was to get on as missionaries. However, we did it and saved a lot of money and had fun!!


The first day we were at the falls these strange looking animals were everywhere. They weren't afraid of us at all. We were told they'd approach us but to not feed or touch them.

Halloween in Brazil

Halloween just wasn't quite the same this year! It is not a holiday here in Brazil. However, we did have random trick-or-treaters knock on our door on the 29th, 30th, and 31st. For the most part it was always the same group of kids. A few of the kids were dressed up but I really think they only knocked on our door knowing we typically celebrate halloween and would be thrilled to give them treats. It was pretty funny. Anyway, on Halloween day, my friend called to see if I'd like to bring the kids over to have a little halloween party with her daughter. They moved back from the United States last year so they know all the American traditions. She told me to dress the kids up. So, we threw costumes together. Lucy was obviously a princess and I'm not quite sure what Ethan was but he looked dressed up and was thrilled with the hat I found which was left behind by the family who lived here before we did. The kids had a great time and didn't realize they were missing out on trick-or-treating back home. I think it was me who missed it the most this year!

Lucy starts school

Lucy has recently started going to an all Portuguese speaking school. I have been attending with her for the last 5 days. However, today I stayed just for a little while and then left her. She cried a little as I left but then managed just fine. For anyone who really knows Lucy, this is a BIG step for her - especially given she doesn't speak Portuguese. We did teach her the most important words like water, bathroom, and more (for snack time!!). She attends 5 days a week from 8:30-11:30 am. (unfortunately they don't do pre-school just 2 or 3 days a week like they do in the states) The school is perfect for her given she doesn't speak the language. It's a very hands on type of learning. They do a lot of learning through play and don't spend lots of time at a desk. Lots of kids attend the school but there are only 5 other kids in her class. So, she gets lots of time with her teacher and her classmates are so kind to her. They are always holding her hand to walk to the next thing they are doing and are always calling for her to play with them. Lucy, of course, can't speak to them. So, a few days ago as she was leaving she said "chao" to everyone. They all looked in amazement and gave a big cheer. They were so happy to hear her speak Portuguese! It was cute. Here she is sporting the uniform she has to wear everyday. She loves it.

Go Tigers!!

Rio de Janeiro

We had a great time visiting Rio de Janeiro. We love all the national holidays Brazil has which gives Andy time off of work to go see some of Brazil. We flew out on Wed. morning and returned "home" on Saturday. It was the quickest flight any of us have ever been on - only 40 min.




Our first stop was to Sugar Loaf Mountain. We took a gondola to the first mountain (which is more like a giant hill) and then took another gondola to the next mountain. It was BEAUTIFUL on top of the mountains. Our pictures don't do it justice but here is a small taste of what we saw.


Once we were on Sugar Loaf Mt. there were beautiful trails to hike on. The kids especially liked climbing up this steep hill. It was so steep they have ropes to hold onto to help you up. I told Andy if he really wants me to have the baby before the end of the year he just needs to take me back to Rio and climb that hill a few times and that will definitely get our baby here for the tax break!


We also loved visiting the Cristo statue. Once again the view was amazing and the statue was huge. As you can see we weren't the only tourists that day. As it happens they were celebrating some anniversary of the statue so had a special ceremony going on while we were up there. It was neat to be part of what was going on but it was very crowded that day!!









We took a train up the mountain to get to the Cristo. The kids loved it! For the kids the trip was all about HOW we got to a destination not what we were there to see!

We enjoyed a couple of afternoons on at the beach. Ethan fits right in with all the other Brazilians wearing his speedo!



Here are Lucy and Ethan hanging out in the hotel after taking baths. At the end of the trip we asked them what their favorite thing was that we did. Lucy told us she liked the bus ride and the soda she drank at dinner! It just goes to show you don't need to spend lots of money on trips for kids. They are perfectly happy to just have a can of soda!

We also enjoyed going out to dinner with one of Andy's mission companions and his family.