Brazil: Part 2

Who knew that dominoes could be so much fun!

Bath time at Nana Jane's!

Embu-the name is very familiar to anyone who lived in Brazil. It's this little artsy town right outside the city that everyone goes to when looking for handmade things. My good friend Cindy (it's weird saying that because she started out as my third grade teacher and neighbor and now that I've aged a bit, she's gone from 'Mrs. Rast' to just 'Cindy'. It's better this way!) Anyway, Cindy and I went and spent the day doing some shopping and enjoying the misty weather :)

There is this one spot that we have taken a picture at every time that we go. 

For some reason I can't find the one we took in 2009....but here are the rest!

Disclaimer: I was pregnant in the 2011 picture-not just fat!

We had lunch at a little place on the corner and this little dog was quite excited about how messy Raylan was when he ate. 

Crumbs for everyone!

Me.

Raylan and I went to the mall on our own one morning. Just us two.

Coffee and Pao de Queijo.

Brazil: Part 1

As most of you know, my mom was diagnosed with stage two cancer a few months ago and has undergone surgery. She will be beginning treatment as soon as she has completely healed. We were all quite shocked that she would end her time in Brazil like this, but God knows what he's doing!! Before any of this had happened, we had planned that Raylan and I would come down for a short visit and that my mom would move back to the US with us. Well, obviously plans changed because of her health but we went on our trip anyways!

I was a bit nervous about traveling alone with Raylan, but he was a CHAMP! Our first flight to Chicago, he just stood on my lap and opened and shut the window shade the ENTIRE time. Literally the entire time. 

Wish this was a beautiful silhouette of me with our plane in the background. But it's not. Just some random woman.

Raylan crawling around before we board the flight to Brazil.

When they saw that I was traveling with a child, they moved me up to sit by the bulkhead, which made sleeping arrangements so much easier. The flight attendants made him this little bed out of like ten blankets and he slept right on the floor! 

He was like the prince and the pea!

We woke up in a terrific mood!

Watching a bit of morning TV before we landed. 

It was so great to see my mom and be back to my old stomping grounds again. I grew up on the PACA campus and every time I go back things feel the exact same but totally different as well. Raylan loved playing on the pre-school play ground.

On  Saturday evening the school hosted a wonderful reception for my mom to commemorate her forty years of service! There were TONS of people there for the reception and ceremony! They had a worship time, a video of people thanking her and then of course time for people to share stories and thank her. 

At the end of the year assembly she had received many different awards-teacher of the year, epcial recognition from ACSI ect...because she is the BEST obviously! The faculty, staff and student body were all represented on this gorgeous quilt that they made for her too! It was a wonderful evening to celebrate her and all that she has accomplished in Brazil!

Sunday was like stepping back in time and doing exactly what we did every week growing up. Coffee at Santa Marcelina. Church. Lunch at Calhandras. Back to Santa Marcelina for coffee and dessert. Perfection. 

Oranges, anyone?

More to come on the rest of our trip!

Raylan's Burrfday!

I know it's been like a month since Raylan turned one, but he must take after me because he drew out his festivities well into the next month! We invited close friends and family over to grill out and celebrate the wonderful year we've had with Raylan!

The amount of growth and development that happens the first year is astounding. It seems like just yesterday,  Raylan was this teeny tiny helpless bundle that would just cuddle for hours....and 365+ days later, he's this rascally tornado that you just want to eat because he's that cute. 

The week leading up to the party was rainy, windy, gloomy and just blahhhh. But the day of the party was just perfect! We had wanted to be outside and it was sunny and warm-BIG sigh of relief! 

How stinkin' cute are these cupcakes? My mother-in-law always makes the boy's birthday cakes and they are always fabulous! I don't know what shy puts in her frosting, but man-oh-man people just can't get enough of it! 

He was more interested in eating this plastic spoon that he was in the candle and cupcake!

One of Raylan's gifts really made me chuckle. My friend Stephanie had asked what Raylan was really into these days because she needed a gift idea. I had joked that he really loved getting into the toilet paper in the bathroom. So low and behold, she got him a box, filled with tissue paper (his other favorite) and his very own roll of T.P.! Excellent. 

We tried to high tail it through the gifts, because let's be honest-who really likes to watch a one year old 'open' gifts? You sit there for God knows how long while the kid stares at the wrapped box, while the parents sit there with huge expectant grins on their faces, going "Open it up! Open it up!" and we are all thinking the same thing, They have nooo idea how to open that thing just DO IT! 

Don't you just wanna eat him?!?

I was pretty surprised at how long that mustache stayed on his face! 

We are so so so blessed that God picked us to be Raylan's parents and I just hope that we treasure every minute of it. It is our prayer that your mind be filled with pure thoughts, your eyes focused on worthy goals, your ears attentive to HIS voice, and your mouth speaking truth. We pray most of all that you will have a heart for Jesus and his word. 

We love you Raylan, forever and always, no matter what!

Memorial Day Weekend

8:15 a.m. Memorial day started out gloomy and rainy but that didn't stop the boys from getting the ribs into the smoker .

They sat out in the garage with their coffee and doughnuts all morning and watched this thing...man was it exciting....yawn....

Thankfully the weather cleared up in time for lunch! 

Trouble One and Trouble Two.

We headed down to the park in the afternoon and stopped by the lemonade stand on the corner. Those little ladies were making a killing that day! $45.00!!! Geesh, I should just quite my day job and start doing lemonade...

Phoebi has gotten a little chubby over the winter so we have been trying to get her out exercising as much as we can. She runs for a bit and then just plops down in the grass and refuses to move.

There is a bridge near the park that Sawyer and his friend Josh like to go to....mostly because Bill lets them climb up underneath it and jump off! 

Chillin' at the playground.

Josh giving Sawyer a lesson on pumping his legs on the swing.

Why yes, let's climb to the highest point on the playground a jump off. Whoooo-eeee, the apple does not fall far from the tree! :)

Side Note: If any of you are looking for a good umbrella stroller once your kiddo is out of their huge infant monstrosity one, I would HIGHLY recommend this one. It's the Joovy Groove Lightweight stroller and we LOVE it! Most umbrella strollers feel flimsy and you feel like you are pushing a doll buggy. But this one is super sturdy, light weight, has a huge sun shade, seat reclines all the way back, sippy cup holders that sit next to the child for them to reach and it's pretty decently priced! We wanted something that we could use day -to-day and would also do well on our trip to Brazil. I love it!!

Ok, I'm off the Joovy Groove plug. We had a great long weekend with friends and celebrating the freedom that so many men and women gave their lives for!

Oh Say Can You See...

Sawyer's Kindergarten class has been practicing the National Anthem all year so they could sing at the opening of the Storm Chasers game at Werner Park a few nights ago! He has been talking about this baseball game since like the second week of school-he was very excited about it being at NIGHT. He was going to be singing at NIGHT. 

Oh say can you see.....Sawyer? See him? Nope? Me neither! He was in the very back row and we couldn't see him at all! Nevertheless, they belted their little hearts out in various octaves and tempos and it was great! 

Nana and Papa came and so did his little friend from Day Care, Dane. 

It was nice that all the Kindergarten families were all seated together so the kids could run a muck while sky high on cotton candy! You never remember how sticky and messy cotton candy is until you have seventeen kids covered in it.  

The Pals.

The proud parents.

The Ham.

And his good looks got him on the Jumbo Tron!

The celebrity. 

These two had bottomless pits for tummies, so on to Wendy's after the game! 

Like for real, Sawyer eats like a billy goat. It is never ending. He is always hungry. Always. He and Dane EACH had a cheese burger, four chicken nuggets, fries, a drink and a chocolate frosty. On the way home: "What are we having for dinner?"