Christmas time

So for all of you out there wondering what Christmas is like in Brasil.....here it is! IT'S HOT!!!!! We have spent quite a bit of our time in the past few weeks in the pool! (Thank God we got a house with a pool!) We don't have air conditioning so taking a dip is the most efficient way to cool off. Fortunately, we have fans in the bedrooms and screens on the shutters but it is certainly summer time down here!
Brasilians usually spend Christmas on the beach so it's become pretty quite in the neighborhood just this past week. It's rare to hear Christmas music here. Even what we do hear is in Portuguese, of course! The houses have a few decorations up, but not in the quantity as you would see in the States. The stores in town have been staying open until 10or 11pm to give people plenty of time to shop. It has been very busy, with lots of cars and foot traffic in town. I went to the grocery store this morning (christmas eve) and it was a complete zoo! Brasilians are very social and enjoy chatting with their friends. The grocery store is the perfect place to run into their friends, so everywhere I turned, there were Brasilians just standing in the middle of the aisle with their carts blocking it! It was quite a pleasant experience seeing everyone happy and smiling at one another. The Christmas spirit was obvious in the smiles and jovial manner of most of the people I saw there. I even got stopped a couple of times by people I know. I eventually got out of there after more than an hour!
It has been interesting trying to get into the Christmas spirit. We spent last Saturday in the pool listening to Christmas carols on the stereo. Very, very strange........ As for putting up a tree, the price for trees down here is obscene! Instead of spending money, this year I decided to make one out of paper. I taped together 3 large pieces of paper to be about 6 feet tall. I drew a quick outline of a Christmas tree on it and Garrett and I filled it in with green tempera paint hand prints (fingers pointing down). After it dried, I taped it up onto the wall and then taped Christmas lights to it. Garrett, my girlfriend Allie and I all made a bunch of snowflakes to cover the wires of the lights. I cut a bunch of circles out of red construction paper and then got out the glitter and glue and decorated them. Garrett and I then went and picked up pine-cones from around the neighborhood and we hung these on the tree as well. I will post pictures soon so you can see it.
For Christmas Dinner we are having about 15 people over. We understand how hard it is to be out of your country, especially during the holidays, so we invited over the rest of the expatriates. Everybody is bringing something, so we should be having quite a feast. So far the menu looks like this: turkey, ham, pork loin, chipotle sauce, gravies, mashed potatos, dressing, broccoli-rice casserole, pasta, salad, BBQ cheese, garlic bread and BBQ pineapple. For dessert, homemade banana pudding, apple crisp, cookies, and Brasilian Caipira cake with white chocolate shavings over white cake, coconut and doce de leite cream filling and cherries. I also made home made eggnog this year! Nobody will be leaving hungry!!!!

We leave Monday for the Amazon!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are all so excited, it's hard to imagine we are really going! The tour includes New Years Eve on the boat to bring in the new year with champagne! We will put up lots of pictures to share with you all.
Have a wonderful, peaceful Christmas and a very prosperous New Year! I'll post again next year! Tchau, Pam

Finishing up the year

So Halloween was really cool. We had a party with about 30 people here, most of which had never been to a Halloween party before. There were kids who came by the house to trick-or-treat and I was VERY generous with the candy. Garrett and his Canadian buddies went out trick-or-treating and came home with maybe a handful of candy each.
Thanksgiving was AWESOME! I cooked for all of the Americans here, which came to 12 people. We had turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatos, green beans, candied carrots and cranberry sauce (imported from the States by my girlfriend Paula). For dessert I made 2 apple pies and 3 pumpkin pies. Blake set up the TV so the guys could even watch American football!!! Everyone was fat and happy! It couldn't have been better!!!
It is VERY hard to get into the Christmas mood. The weather is still warm and getting warmer every day. Last week we swam every single day!! Unfortunately, Garrett got an ear infection so I had to take him into the pediatrician. Dr. Guido is Brasilian but speaks wonderful English! He lives in our neighborhood and has an office right behind the grocery store in town. He was truly helpful and kind! He even gave me his home and cell phones in case of any other emergencies!
We are staying home for Christmas and having the other expatriates over for dinner. We didn't buy a tree this year. Instead, we finger painted a tree onto the back of some old Blueprint papers Blake brought home. It's about 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide at the base. I cut it out and taped it to the wall. I then taped Christmas lights to it and decorated it with paper snowflakes. Garrett and I have been collecting pinecones to decorate with glitter and glue. We will hang some of these on the tree and then top it with a star made from construction paper and glitter. I'll post pictures when I get it done!
We are hoping to go up into the Amazon over the New Year holiday. Blake doesn't have a lot of time off from work, but he will manage to get a few days. We are planning on going up to Manaus and staying at a resort for 4 days and 3 nights. It will be extremely hot and the mosquitos will be atrocious! But it will be absolutely worth it, and we brought plenty of bug spray with us for just such an occassion! We will take lots and lots of pictures and I will post soon after we get back.
Feliz Natal (Merry Christmas) to everyone! Tchau, Pam

Back in the Saddle

For those of you still with us, Thank you for you patience and understanding! We are now back in Brasil and have gotten back into the groove of Brasilian life.
Tootsie survived our very long trip to Michigan and is in wonderful spirits now that we are home. She was jumping up and down and wagging her whole body when she saw us drive up!!! Simba, the cat, made it through the airports, airplanes and shuttle taxi's just fine. He went a little nuts on the airplane but it only lasted for just a couple of minutes. He didn't even meow very much at all. He and Tootsie are best friends once again, chasing each other through the house and sleeping together! Simba has even chosen one of the bedrooms as "his". He has gone outside and checked everything out, but prefers to stay near us. I can't blame him after 2 months on his own in Michigan.
Garrett is doing well with his school work. We have been focusing on multiplication tables, the first explorers, i.e. Columbus, Vasco de Gama, and the election. We all watched the last debate last week on CNN International. Like most of you, our family will be very glad when this election is over and done with.
Blake is back on site and happy to be there. Everybody else is very glad to have him back as well. The project is coming along. Many things have changed since we left. It no longer looks like a big pile of stuff, it looks like a factory! Go figure!
I am helping teach my neighbor how to speak English. She speaks about as much English as I speak Portuguese so it works out well.
We are all taking Portuguese lessons twice a week. Our teacher, Marcella, lives here in the Colina. Yes, she even gives us homework! Blake and Garrett are doing their best to figure it all out. I have no doubts they will pick it up very quickly!
Thanks for keeping up with our blog. Our internet connection has been off and on sporadically, but I will make sure I keep up on our posts. We'd love to hear from you, so just click on comment and I will respond asap. Tchau for now, Pam

Perspective

Well, we've been back in Michigan about a month. The paperwork for our Visa's has hit a bit of a snag and it looks like we may have to hand carry it to Chicago ourselves. To say we are a frustrated would not be overstating the truth! Blake is doing the best he can from here, but they really do miss him on site. Every single person he and I talk to asks first thing "So when you going back?" I wish I had an answer. We are both praying for patience and perseverance at this point. Freaking out and getting pissed off will only screw up everything we have worked so hard for. So, for now, we wait.
In the mean time, we have made a point to catch up on everything while we are here. I went to the Teacher store and picked up more curriculum with Garrett. We've been working pretty hard lately and I must say we are having a ball! ;) Garrett is even learning to type with the twothumbs typing tutor. SuperCool! I overheard him on the phone with his Dad yesterday, and he was telling him how much fun we had for school. "We learned about Vikings, and played catch! Dad, it was so cool! I had a blast with Mama today!" AAwwwwww!!!! I just go paid! :)
Anyway, we are hanging out and making the best of it. We are hoping to go home to Brasil vey soon. I'll keep you posted on the happenings as soon as I get any fresh news. Thanks for keeping up with us. Tchau, tchau, Pam

What happened to summer/winter!?

I'm so sorry! I can't believe it has been that long since a post! My sincerest apologies to all!
We have come back to the States and are living in the Michigan house for a few weeks. We left Brasil the beginning of August and were supposed to be back already. Of course, the paperwork is taking longer than usual, so we must wait patiently here at the house. The paperwork I am referring to is the permanent Visa's we need in order to stay in the country legally. Blake's paperwork must be done first in order to send his with my application. Hopefully Blake will be able to head back down in a week or two, because the project really does need him.
So it looks like Garrett and I will be here for a while longer. His curriculum is still stuck in customs in Sao Paolo (has been since June) so I took the opportunity of being here in Michigan to go to the Teacher store and stock up on supplies. Yes, Garrett has still been having school throughout the entire summer/winter! He gets weekends off, and of course the days we are travelling, but mostly he still has school every day! We are working on studying flight (appropriate!) and reading Captain Underpants novels. BlackJack 21 is a great game for teaching addition in your head, and Yahtzee is great for multiplication skills.
Tootsie is still in Brasil. My girlfriends are keeping an eye on her for me. Paula runs her in the morning before work, feeds her and then leaves her out on the lead. Simone come in the early evening to love on her, play ball, feed her and then put her in the house. We miss them all tremendously and can't wait to get back.
I will post again soon! Thanks for you interest and if you have any questions or are curious about something, let me know. Tchau for now, Pam

Getting to know the neighbors

We have been very busy getting out and meeting people. My girlfriend Heather introduced me to her friend Christiane, who lives in Tatui. She has a seven year old son Enrique who likes to play with Garrett. They get along very well, and don't seem to mind the language barrier. Aren't kids great!? They both like to play video games and kick the soccer ball around. The language barrier hasn't slowed them down at all. Christiane only speak a tiny bit of English but chooses to speak only Portuguese with me. She is very patient and speak slowly to help me understand her. She doesn't mind my mistakes and is just glad that I am trying to speak her language! Wonderful lady!
I have met other ladies here in the neighborhood as well. Two doors down is a lady named Egle. She is trying to learn English and loves to walk. We have started walking and talking together a couple of times a week. During one of these walks, she introduced me to her friend Paula, who is also trying to learn English. Fabulous woman! They both are still in the beginning stages of learning English, and they are genuinely interested in getting better! What fun! It has been a pleasure getting to know them because they are very sweet and friendly. Typical Brasilians!
We are getting ready to head home for a 2 week trip back to Michigan. We leave August 11th to arrive home on the 12th. We plan on coming back home to Brasil on the 29th. Hopefully the paperwork will go smoothly. We plan on bringing the cat back down with us this time. He escaped last time and has been living outside around the house for the past 7 weeks! Fortunately, our neighbors have been keeping an eye out for him and making sure he has fresh food and water! Great friends!
Thanks for keeping in touch with us. It has been a wonderful feeling of love and support to read your comments and know that we are in your thoughts! Tchau for now, Pam, Blake and Garrett.

Catching up

Well, the house is pretty much set up to our liking. Blake is working quite a bit, but still manages to come home for lunch most days. That is such a special treat. He never could do that when we lived in Michigan. The Guardian office is only 7 minutes away while the site is 20 minutes away on the other side of town. It is nice having him home more!
Garrett is enjoying homeschool. His favorite subject is recess/video games. He also enjoys math and puts up with reading and learning Portuguese. We usually start the day with an hour walk around the neighborhood with Tootsie. Garrett rides his bike and Tootsie sniffs everything!!!!! We say "Bom Dia" to the other people we pass in the street. Quite a few of them comment on how big Tootsie is and of course, they comment on Garretts "lindo loiro com olhos azuis" (beautiful blonde with blue eyes). The girls absolutely adore him, and want to touch him. This, of course, makes him shy, but honestly, I think he loves the attention. He's such a Cutie!!
Garrett is really enjoying the fruit. His favorite fruit are the bananas which are about half the size of the ones you would find in the States, but OH WOW the flavor is AMAZING! The mangos are delicious and plentiful, as are the strawberries and oranges. Garrett also loves the rice and beans which you can find with just about any meal here. The little breads (paozinho) are made fresh daily and don't last more than 24 hours. I make a point of picking them up every day at the local restaurant. They only cost R$1.80 for 6 of them. Delicious!!!!
I am trying to get a rhythm going with our new life here. We walk first thing after breakfast, and then come back and do school until lunch time. We work on Portuguese and typing in the afternoon and then go to the tennis courts or the empty field to throw the ball for Tootsie. By then, it's time for me to start dinner. Pretty simple life....... until later. Tchau

Settling in.

We've been here for a couple of weeks now and it is starting to feel like home. We have been introduced to a couple, Heather and El, from Canada who have 4 sons, ages ranging from 11 to 7. Garrett is absolutely thrilled to have boys to play with, and the boys are completely excited to have an American friend to speak English with. All four of the boys go to school here and have had to learn to speak Portuguese. They won't speak it with Garrett, so I am trying to teach him as best I can with the help of Rosetta Stone and a book I got from Heather called
"Portuguese in 10 minutes a day". Garrett used his Portuguese the other day when he said "Obrigado" to the waitress. She was VERY surprised, and responded "Que lindo, ele e aprendendo Portuguese" (How beautiful, he's learning Portuguese). Blake and I were very pleased and Garrett was pretty proud of himself!
We only have one car (it runs on alcohol) so getting around has been limited. We have been very fortunate to have a lady named Simone helping us to get settled in. Honestly, she has been a Godsend. She is always very patient and helpful with everything. She helped me put together the house with the furnishings, electricity and phone. She even managed to get the internet installed into the house (AMAZING) within 2 weeks. Simone is AWESOME.
Our internet is up, so our phone now works both ways. If you would like to call us, the phone is the same as always, and the time is an hour ahead of eastern time.
Love and peace to all, Tchau

We made it!!!!!

After many, many hours (36 total) we finally made it to Tatui! We didn't end up taking the cat because he was nowhere to be found when it was time to leave. Fortunately our neighbors are keeping an eye out for him and keeping his food and water dishes full. Tootsie had quite a trip but pulled through quite well. It took 13 hours to get her cleared thru customs! Blake had the Expeditors meet me at the airport and it was they who took care of all of the paperwork. There is no way I could have done it myself. Fernando and Raquel really took good care of us and even fed us lunch. The rest of the office staff was wonderful as well, watching Garrett when I had to run to meet someone or sign paperwork. I have been truly blessed and watched over!!!!
We have been busy putting the house together. It is starting to feel like home. I have even managed to find my way to the grocery store. I have gotten lost but found my way back after about 20 minutes. It has been an exciting adventure.
I told Garrett to count the cereal boxes at the grocery store and he came back with a count of 6 different kinds. Very different from the States!
It has been in the 60's since we got here. The winter time here is like in Tennessee. Not freezing but damp and windy. Yuck!
I hope everyone is having a great summer up north! Take care, Tchau!!!!

Second Chances

Well, we didn't get to leave last Wednesday. The paperwork needed to transport the animals didn't come back from the Brasilian Consulate in Chicago. The papework must be dated within a 10 day window so I have to redo all of the paperwork and drive to Chicago. I am hoping I can get the papers signed, translated and legalized and then be back in time to meet Blake in Brasil this weekend. Blake had to leave Saturday, so Garrett and I will follow him this Thursday 6/12 . Whew.......it's been a busy week.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers. Thanks for the calls, drop-ins and comments to the blog. Your support means alot and we appreciate having such wonderful family and friends.
I would also like to say how proud I am of my husband and son. Blake continues to amaze me everyday, and I wouldn't want to travel thru this life without him. Garrett has been very patient while he is learning to live out of a suitcase. The television has been turned off for a week now, and he has found other avenues of entertainment, mainly, playing with his friends and throwing the football (he's got a heck of an arm). Everybody keeps asking how he's handling it. Really, he is doing very well, considering the fact that he is nervous about moving to another CONTINENT! He will learn the language once he becomes emmersed in it. For now, he is focusing on maintaining a positive attitude and learning to read. I couldn't ask for anything more.
I go to the Consulate in the morning to get the animals paperwork done. I will post an update again soon. xoxoxoxoxoxooxox Pam

Packing!!!

Blake and I have been to Brasil and found a house! It is located within a gated community which means it is very safe. I saw a little girl riding her scooter down the street, singing and smiling. She waved as we went past. This is a good sign of what we have to look forward to living in Brasil. The people in Brasil are very friendly. Although they don't speak English, they are patient with my attempts to speak their language. Garrett has learned a few words of Portuguese, like Bom Dia (good morning), Por Favor (please) and Obrigado (thank you). I am sure that he will learn much more once we are moved down there and become immersed in the culture.
In the mean time, we are very busy packing for our trip. I have many lists of things to bring. Here is one of them.
First Aid kit: Band-Aids, Booboo juice, cotton pads, Neosporin, Aspirin, Tylenol, Motrin, Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, Caladryl, eye drops, ankle wrap, sunscreen, aloe vera and hot water bottle.
We are scheduled to leave June 4, 2008. We will fly down to Texas (3+ hours) and then take a flight to Sao Paulo (10+ hours). We then drive through Sao Paolo to Tatui (3+ hours). It will be a long day! The dog and cat are coming with us and I hope they will be safe and healthy through this ordeal. Garrett has been on many airplanes before, but never anything this long. We will make sure his Nintendo DS is charged up and that we have snacks packed with us. He has a u-shaped pillow to help with sleeping on the plane.
We are all very excited to be going on this trip and have just a few days to finish preparing. Please feel free to send your questions and comments. I will reply as soon as possible. Thanks for looking and keep in touch! Pam, Blake and Garrett

Something to think about before we go.........

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it can last forever. None is so right or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can'.t be made richer by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature's best antidote for trouble! Yet, it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is of no value until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give. (Author Unknown)

Getting ready to go!

We have been preparing for the big trip. It looks like we will be leaving sometime near the end of May. Luckily we will not have to sell the house!!!! We are going to be selling the cars, so if anyone is interested we have a 1999 Subaru Outback and a 1997 Ford Ranger pick up for sale! Please contact me (Pam) at my e-mail address, pambelding@gmail.com to get the prices!
Garrett is now being homeschooled. He seems to enjoy it and is really looking forward to learning about the culture of the people down in Brasil. We will take pictures of the house and surrounding areas once we get down there and post them to this blog for all to see!
Thanks for your interest and we would love to see your comments! Until next time, Pam, Blake and Garrett. March 25, 2008