Top 3

Somehow December and January got away from me without a single blog post. It's unfortunate because I am a forget-er (not an actual word) and there are many things I wish I had blogged about so they remain permanent memories. I've decided by way of catching up, I will post my favorite top 3 things that happened over the last two months.

Number 1- The Sea Shipment 

I am not going to lie, getting our stuff was probably one of the best things that happened in December and January. The shipment came just a couple days before Christmas and it was a total Christmas miracle. Santa was definitely scrambling to come up with a plan B and C in case the shipment (and all of the presents) didn't show before December 25th. Celebrating Christmas a few days later almost felt superfluous because it felt like Christmas day happened the day we began unloading this big red tank of joy.

I have always been taught that "stuff'" doesn't matter. It's true that worldly things don't necessarily equal happiness... but I have to say, having your own things matter. It has made this random apartment in the middle of a foreign country a home-our home. I love looking at the pictures of our family hanging on our walls all around me and reminding myself that this little family unit is all that matters and true happiness can exist when I have these people I love most with me here.



Number 2-Thais Meets Thais

The  story behind our Thais's name is that Jordan loved a family on his mission and they had a beautiful 7 year old daughter named Thais. When Jordan and I were engaged he told me that he dreamed of naming is own daughter Thais and hoped I liked the name too. I didn't like the name, I absolutely loved it. I knew we would have a Thais. It was a dream of mine for my little Thais to meet her beautiful namesake and that happened in December.

 Here is Thais with her own baby girl, Fernanda! It is unbelievable how this little girl from Jordan's mission is married and a Mama now. It makes us feel old ;)

Number 3-Juquehy Beach

All I have heard since moving here are how beautiful Brazil's beaches are. Finally, over Christmas break we made it a point to see one with our own eyes. It did not disappoint. We booked a tiny little motel called a Posada just a few kilometers from the beach. I knew it wouldn't be glamorous because the price was significantly lower than everything else we could find, but I figured it wouldn't matter because we would be outdoors all day anyway. I have to admit, I felt a little nervous when we walked into the room the night we arrived and the room was at least 100 degrees, smelled a bit like moth balls and the light didn't work. However, once they got that AC cranked and a new light bulb installed nothing else mattered cause we were at the BEACH!

The beach really was AMAZing! Here are the pics:

I don't necessarily love coconut water all by itself but I am telling you this was the best stuff ever! The coconuts are kept on ice, first of all, so they are deliciously cold. Then a guy hacks of the top with a machete and makes this cool little design on top (even better) then you get to enjoy the sweetest most delicious coconut water ever! It was rather heavenly,

This is my last little plug about the beach ( so as to attract visitors ;) ) 

The sand is so soft it feels like you are laying on flour. I'm just sayin! 

Tchau tchau from Brazil! 

Eli Loves his Rice and Beans!

Eli is a lover of Brazilian cuisine (we all are for that matter). He turns up his nose at all of my cooking but every time he goes to Gracie's school the teachers rave about what a good eater he is and how he consumed three platefuls. (or something ridiculous like that). What's the deal? Why does this little toddler of mine only eat the Brazilian school food? I decided rather than beating the problem I would simply surrender and learn how to make rice and beans like a Brazilian! Today I went to Gracie's  school and this is what I learned...

 Brazilians love garlic. This is a little mixture of garlic and salt that is applied generously to the rice and the beans.

 A little onion action for extra flava....

 Saute the garlic and onion in oil and consume that garlic aroma!

 Add your rice to the heavenly mixture and let it saute.

Next add heated water and let the rice steam for about 20 minutes. Pretty Simple!

The key to the beans is this little contraption right here. It's called a panela de pressão (pressure cooker) This makes it so you don't have to soak the beans overnight. You just cook them in this little contraption for 30 minutes and transfer the cooked beans to a pan with sauteed onion and garlic. Next add salt to taste and they are good to go! I am told a little bacon makes them over the top delicious. Not surprising! Bacon makes everything a bit more delicious.

I think I might have missed my calling in life as a school lunch lady ;) Yikers! Hopefully now Eli will eat for his Mama. I am going to attempt to make these this weekend. It seemed simple enough but we'll see if the Monson crew approves :)

Tchau!

Monkeys and Angels

Last Saturday was a fun day filled with monkeys and angels :)  The American Society here in Brazil hosts a Christmas party called The Angel Party; it's for local orphanages in the area and it was a day to be remembered. Also ( much less noteworthy) we saw our first monkeys in the trees by our playground. I was wondering when these little guys would make an appearance and finally they popped out of the trees.

Eli was pretty darn excited to see a Monkey. I love the picture of him pointing out the monkeys to the little girl next to him. Sky loved them too...he and a friend succeeded in feeding the monkeys some berries. It was like having our own little zoo in our backyard. 

The Angels of my day were these little people. It's hard to go and not want to adopt as least a handful of them. I helped serve them lunch and they had smiles from ear to ear. It's quite an event with games, music, delicious food and the magical moment when Santa ( two of them at this event) deliver a bag full of presents to every child there.

Loved this group of boys waiting outside the gym for their turn. Their excitement to meet Santa filled the place with a whole lot of happiness :)

I would love to have the opportunity to get involved in our community here. There are so many ways to do it and I just need to find my thing. I especially want to make Christmas extra meaningful while in Brazil . There is so much need. I love the idea of simplifying our holidays and looking outward.

Tchau Tchau

Sonda not Saída!

Learning a language is not without its hiccups. Yesterday I wanted to go to a supermarket that I had been to with a friend a month or so ago. My first mistake was that I couldn't remember the name of the store and I confused the name of the store SONDA with the word for exit SAIDA, while looking for parking in the parking garage. I drove all the way up the 6th level of the parking garage looking out for the store and then proceeded to get out of my car and asked a local, "Saida?" "Saida?" This of course means, "Exit?" "Exit?" so it would definitely explain the super confused look on his face. Finally, I figured out my mistake and drove back down to what I thought was the correct parking garage. I walked into the entrance from the garage, shopping cart in hand, and quickly learned I was right smack in the middle of the mall...no grocery store in sight. This time I asked someone where SONDA was and they told me it was another level down and in the back of the mall. I was embarrassed to be pushing a shopping cart through the mall, so I ditched the cart and made the trek to the correct part of the mall. I made it to the store and after I finished, I remembered that I needed to validate my parking card. I dutifully handed the card to the girl at the kiosk who does the validating and she started speaking to me in Portuguese. She held up a yellow piece of paper and I explained I don't speak Portuguese. Finally, after getting nowhere with the language barrier, I thought oh well, I have no idea what this girl is saying so hopefully there will be an attendant in the parking garage who will let me through. I made the trek through the mall all the way back to my car, this time with a cart full of groceries, and loaded them all in my car. When I went to go through the gate, the card of course didn't work, and the attendant said I need to pay 4 reais or get my card validated. This is where the frustration sets in. I can't tell him that I tried to validate my card because that would require speaking Portuguese. I just sit there silently in my car, I show him I only have a credit card and no reais and he nods and motions for me to back up my car. There are other cars trying to get out, so we all have to back our cars into reverse and maneuver through the dimly lit and tightly packed garage while I find  a space and park. The attendant then tells me, " Se Valedados!" He wants me to trek back through the mall and figure out how to validate my ticket. Doesn't he understand what he is asking? My kids are going to be home in 30 minutes, I have groceries loaded that need to be in the freezer, I need to start making dinner for a sick friend, the grocery store is clear at the other end of the mall and down a level, and above all I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SPEAK PORTUGUESE! I begrudgingly go back down to the store and basically say to one of the cashiers in Portuguese, "Yellow Paper?" "Yellow Paper?" Luckily she knows what I am talking about and gives the  me the yellow golden ticket so I can validate my parking card and race home to my kiddos.

There were some frustrated tears on the way home. Maybe a little bit of feeling sorry for myself...

But then I walk in my door and my empregada is on the kitchen floor holding Eli in her arms and the two of them are happily singing in Portuguese together. She has a look of pure joy on her face and Eli is smiling with delight ( his one little dimple is there). A little guilt sets in. My empregada lives in a favela next to drug dealers. Her life is HARD. I would feel so ashamed explaining to her that I was crying because I couldn't validate my ticket at the mall. I am struck with the realization of how lucky I am. This is our dream. To live and love this country and to speak Portuguese! We want this so much  for our children and I need to set the example. My enthusiasm needs to be infectious or this won't happen.

 I am grateful for a new perspective. I am stretching myself in ways I couldn't imagine. I am observing life through a new lens and that is always a good thing :)

Tchau!

São Paulo: The City That Is Making Me Stronger!

My friend invited me to do a class at her gym on Wednesday morning. It was just the medicine I needed to refocus and sweat off my negativity. Exercise is like gold right now. I have always known this about myself, so it is a wonder I ever stop, but working out sort of stabilizes my emotions and energy in a way that nothing else can. The act of willing myself to push past pain and fatigue in a difficult work out somehow translates to a stronger will to do hard things in all areas of my life. At one point after getting through a training circuit, I walked over to the big open window and thought about this new view before me. This view is fresh and exciting. It's not perfect, in fact it's a little rough around the edges but there is a lot of beauty in it. For one, I get to be whoever I want to be here... I just have to own it. I get a new focus and I am working on myself in ways that I haven't in a long, long time. My little change in thinking might be why I decided to face a HUGE fear I have here in Brazil...

That fear would be driving! The kids go to a school about 30/45 minutes away and I have been terrified to make the drive. My goal was to attempt driving to the school within 6 months of living here. However, on Thursday morning I sent my kiddos off to school and realized that Thais forgot a paper and I forgot to send Skyler to school in Pajamas and with his favorite toys for a celebration they were having in class. My mom guilt  couldn't stand having him show up as the only kid  without the toys and pajamas, and I knew I had to go. I didn't want to bother with a taxi, and I knew I had to get this over at some point so I grabbed the goods and my amigo, Eli and off we went.  

It took me an hour. I probably took the off beaten path a few times but the point is we made it! I love the look on Eli's face because it's like he saying, Wow mom, You're scaring me! This poor little guy is going to be subjected to many of my driving escapades but I sure love having a buddy doing this all with me. Don't worry Eli, soon your Momma is going to drive like a Paulista!

As a way of repenting for my negative attitude, here are the things I  am loving right now. This is our basketball/soccer court in our complex.  The coach comes to our complex every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to teach the kids. I love that. I don't have to drive around town dropping them at different activities, it is here and it has been fun. I want my kiddos to pick up this sport that is beloved by the entire world except America ;) Thais especially has loved playing and I love watching her!

The school my kids go to is a huge blessing. It is pretty darn wonderful and they are thriving. Today we had parent teacher conferences and Skyler taught Jordan and me about the magnet experiment they have been working on :)

Of course one of my gratitude items has to be about food! I stinkin' love the Orange Juice here! Every place I go it is fresh squeezed and muito muito delicioso! I had some at lunch yesterday after my long drive to the school it was a glass of orange happiness! Way to have amazing OJ, Brazil!

Tchau -Tchau!

Comfort {food}

We are back! We just spent over two weeks in Chicago and Michigan getting our permanent visas and we are back for good..

Being back has been hard.

I probably did this to myself because I predicted this would be the case before we left. The thing is, we were just getting into the swing of things here in Brazil and we left just as we were getting adjusted.  The kids were finally adapting to a new school and new way of doing things. There was talk of a few new friends and even a few play dates. I had started up a few things, one of them being Portuguese lessons. I guess it just feels daunting to start all over again. 

I was actually surprised by how much I missed being back in the U.S! We are excited about our new adventure out here but there was a tangible weight taken off my shoulders going home. At one point on the trip, Thais wanted to have lunch at school with all of her friends. We offered to pick up lunch for her and a friend and have them eat together at school. I set out to do this, along with a million other errands, and I relished the fact that everything was so darn EASY. The driving, ordering food in English, the minivan, the convenience. Just going to the kids school alone out here is really stressful. I have to call a taxi because the school  is about 40 minutes away (not ready to drive that yet) and somehow communicate with the cab driver in really, really bad Portuguese. The whole time I am in the cab there is this constant subconscious worry about my safety. It's more the São Paulo traffic than anything else, but I am always acutely aware that I am a new girl in a new country and I can't speak the language.

The other thing I missed are the American stores. I fully admit this is lame, but I may have gotten a little emotional walking through Walmart/Target/Costco and Trader Joes ;)  I just couldn't get over the surplus of choices. We can buy almost any genre of food and there are a hundred things to choose from. Thais has a cute friend here in our complex and she came over last night and she said to Thais excitedly, "You are Back! Now tell me EVERYTHING you bought at Target!" It is quite common to hear expats out here dreaming of roaming the isles of that beloved store!

I suppose I just have to remind myself that that is why I wanted to come... to change my focus a bit. I love the U.S. dearly but I knew I could learn some things from another culture. It's harder here in Brazil in a lot of ways but Brazilians are happier. Maybe I will write something sometime about why I think that is, but for now I think it's because "stuff" isn't the priority, people are. I miss the ease of being home, but I can already feel that my perspective on life/gratitude/people/blessings has changed for the better. 

So, while I am getting through the growing pains of being in a new country, I have to take comfort in the little things. 

Today, that comfort was my newly stocked pantry of American foods (I totally smuggle food in my suitcases)

I realize it doesn't look like much (it's actually rather bare looking) but you have no idea how grateful I am for some of these things... 

Even though it's 80 degrees outside, I decided to drink a Fall beverage and make some pumpkin cookies, so I could basically eat my sadness away. Who cares that my dryer takes 5 1/2 hours to dry anything and I am really missing my USA peeps! Pumpkin makes everything better!

Wish me luck on beginning the journey all over again. Tchau!

"People Who Love to Eat are Always the Best People" -Julia Child

I wouldn't be a true Monson if  there wasn't a blog or two about what we are eating around here. I have been very happy with Brazilian cuisine. There are many, many delicious restaurants in Sao Paulo and I have only been to a handful of them so there is much to taste and explore! 

Yesterday some friends took me to a Fiera (Farmers Market) and I was in heaven because it reminded me of the Eastern Market in Detroit. Below is a gorgeous array of peppers which is exciting because my friend and I made  fresh salsa. Salsa is really hard to find here and when you do, it's not exactly my favorite. It's all good though, because I am loving it fresh!

I already posted about how much I love the eggs here! I thought it was cute that they display them in nests.

Tomatoes galore! We eat these like candy!

I feel like this hunk of meat deserves a moment of silence. I am not a crazy meat lover (although I do like meat) but there is something about this picture that makes me want to grab the end and eat this baby cave-woman style!

 Variety is the spice of life! I want to know all of the tasty dishes you can make this many spice options!

It has been so much fun trying fruits we don't have in the States. So far my favorite is a fruit that looks like a large bumpy orange. It is quite heavenly!

 Sushi is really big here. No complaints about that!

 This guy is making fresh cane juice with lime aka Nectar of the Gods!

 These guys make a mean sandwich!

I have to say, one of the things I love most about good food is how it brings people together. Most of our traditions involve eating. For example, below are our General Conference cinnamon rolls. I told my kids we weren't going to have them this time around because my Bosch hasn't arrived yet in our shipment. Thais starting crying and said that we HAVE to have them because that would be breaking tradition. Luckily, my friend offered to make us some and the tradition was saved! You gotta love life's little pleasures :)

Tchau!