Happy New Year! 2016

Happy 2016 to Everyone! We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.

Since this blog is part of my personal journals I thought I'd better backtrack and share a few glimpses of some of the wonderful visits we had from some of our kids in the past few months during the holiday season. Warning: Lots of photos. Kinda like watching someone else's home movies.

In November Matt and Kaylynne braved the many miles and three flights with their two little ones to see us.  We are so glad they did!

Meeting little Venice for the first time! Ah Venice!

Visiting the Turtle Reserve at  Projeto Tamar

They went with us to Raul's wedding at our chapel. (He is the wonderful man recently baptized that I have previously written about)  We had to leave the wedding early because you see in Brazil weddings often start quite a bit later than they are supposed to. (sometimes several hours later). This one was no different. It was late at night and Stockton was getting pretty full of himself and when the bride came up the aisle Kaylynne was afraid he was going to think she was a Disney princess and run up the aisle yelling "Princess" and ask to talk to her.  As it was he was already giving us that look that meant trouble! So as the bride came in they made a beeline for the exit and we left shortly after Shania Twain's "From This Moment" transitioned into "The Spirit of God Like A Fire Is Burning."

Moments like these were the best

But my all-time favorite moment was getting to put Stockton to bed at night and singing to him. One night as I sang to him he looked at me with such rapture in his eyes I could hardly believe it.  ( I promise you that I'm really not THAT good of a singer to illicit the kind of response he gave me.)  I felt like we were in a scene of a movie and his part was to look at me as adoringly as possible.  My part was to have my heart melt and to just keep singing.

Matt and Kaylynne and family at the Tree of Life 

As soon as we began to recover from having our hearts ripped open saying goodbye to them we were so excited to have Adam and Tennille and their kids come for Christmas.

Ever since the first time we had monkeys come to our window I've been dreaming about having the kids come and see them. 

Another one of the things we wanted so much for the grandkids to experience while visiting with us was that they would get a glimpse of the joy of missionary work. We were able to take them caroling with us and some of our missionaries in one of the town squares here. During our singing we passed out the "He Is Born" pass-along cards and some of us would talk to people passing by about the Gospel.  Savannah was particularly impressed as she observed one elder sharing the Book of Mormon with someone for the very first time.  I told her that when we share the Book of Mormon with someone for the first time we become as important to that person as Joseph Smith. He brought forth the Book of Mormon for the first time to the world, but it is we who bring it forth for the first time in the lives of individuals when we share it with them.

One of our elders "bringing forth" the Book of Mormon for the first time to this young man

I met this cute couple from Como, Italy who were backpacking through Brazil.  I tried to talk to them about the Church but my Italian was horrible!  So sad :(

We also enjoyed showing the kids some of the sites here in Salvador and seeing them experience a new culture since most of them had never been out of the United States.

The Lighthouse

The "Gold Church" São Francisco 

Savannah in the Pelourhino

Our Brazilian Boys

Meeting a traditional Bahian woman

Walking the old streets together

Visiting with Papai Noel

Learning about "capoeira" in the old town Salvador Pelourhino


  

                                                  They got to discover new creatures -

                                                                         Iguanas

And Boa Constrictors (Don't worry that one does not belong to us.  Never had one.  Never will.)
Don't you love David's and Harry's matching hats.

Newborn turtles



And not so new ones




We even got to see the force awaken all the way down here in Brazil! 

We were able to attend Church in the ward that meets in an open-air pavilion. (A first for all of them).  I sat next to Harry and Tyke and I loved how they gave their best shot singing the words to the hymns in Portuguese. Who knows? They may yet sing hymns in another language as their lives and missions unfold.

But the best part was just being together.

Asher helping me make cookies

Having Sunday Dinner

Celebrating Christmas

We have to admit that seeing them go was very hard. I must say that we had been feeling like the scab on the wound formed when Matt's family left had just begun to heal only to have it torn off again with the departure of Adam and his family.  (How's that for a poetic image). But it was definitely worth the pain of the goodbyes to have the joy of the hellos. 

Sweet little Norah's face was pretty much what mine looked like too.

"And it came to pass that I did partake of the fruit of the tree of life and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted.  Yea, and as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with great joy; wherefore, I became desirous that my family should partake of it also." (1 Nephi 8:11-12)

Until next time, onward, ever onward!

Bianca