Attention please:

I have a very important question for you ALL.


It is a matter of utmost urgency.


My vanity is at stake here people.



Can I pull off hair like this girl?


This is me yesterday:



Despite that fact that my nose is quite large you can't actually see my hair... I thought I looked damn good you should see my face shape....

Ahem.


Plus this is the perfect of example of why I should cut it. The last time I have photographic evidence of actually wearing my hair down, was a month ago. (You should remember this picture from two posts below) As you can see, it is quite long now.



Not only that, but it is hot here and humid. Which means it takes mass amounts of gel to keep this hair from frizzin' out. And I think everyone is tired of seeing my hair pulled back.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Lay it on me.

Wish you were here...

Or I was there...

Something to that effect.

So really I wanted to show you a picture of us on the beach, with big fat coconuts, and swaying palm trees. But we haven't quite made it there. Soon, I am told.

Here is our holiday recap letter we didnt send:

Things here in Brazil are going really well. Sidnei opened his own company and literally hasn't stopped since he started! We have felt so truly blessed because of this! I am so proud of him and how hard he has been working! Not to mention so impressed because half the time, I'm all, "I didn't know you knew how to do that!"

I am adjusting well, though I am really feeling 'saudades' about missing Christmas back home. My Portuguese has really come along in the last couple of months, especially the ability to understand! (Thank goodness!) I'm not working yet, but we have high hopes that I will start teaching at an English school soon! I have been keeping busy learning how to be domestically fabulous and finding my way around centro (downtown) so that I can shop pay bills.

We are so very grateful to be spending the holidays together this year! It has been a long trek, though our journey has just begun, and we are looking forward to enjoying many more holidays together! We would be remiss not to tell you how grateful we are for all the support you gave us these past (almost) 2 years! We love being able to have the internet and keep in touch with you all!

All of our love,

Always playing catch up!

Right now, I'm ignoring Christmas. Bear with me. Instead I will post pictures of my super cute nephew's 2nd birthday party. This was at the end of last month and it was so fun because he was so excited.

Just so you know, people blow out kid's birthdays BIG time here. I think I mentioned this before. It is themed, with thousands of balloons, decorations, huge cakes, and lots of candies. It is quite a spectacular to behold. However, this year Israel's parents decided to keep it simple with just family. So we DIY everything. It didn't take long and they saved a LOT of money. They want to wait until he remembers it all which I think is very wise. The HUGE birthdays here costs thousands of reais. And thousands of anything (dollars, pounds, reais) are just hard to come by these days.

So without further ado, check out how excited this little boy was. He is so stinking cute and has gotten so big since I've been here. It has been fun to watch him learn and grow every day (My MIL takes care of Israel every day Tues-Sat 8-7). And to be honest, he has taught me a lot of portuguese. We are learning together!

Israel LOVES to sing and clap. Here he is waiting for us to begin singing!

Here I think I was watching Israel open presents!

I love this photo because when Israel wants to be cute, he cocks his head to the side just like this!

This is the one where my husband thinks it's funny to make faces and I don't know. If there were a picture after this, I would NOT be amused. Though I am now. But at the time, I was tired. See?

I got Israel "Pingu" the Penguin. He watches Pingu on his DVD. Pingu doesn't actually talk in a specific language. More like the teacher from Charlie Brown. You don't know what the heck she's saying but you get the gist? So Israel is in LOVE with Pingu. He was SO excited. He is still carrying it around and loves when Sidnei will play and make the noises for him!

Singing and clapping to Parabens..with all of his beloved presents on the table with him!

This is the third time he's going to blow out the candles! We sang to him three times that night! He kept saying mais, mais (more,more)! It was so funny! I'm so glad he had fun!


One of the funniest things about Israel turning two, is that you can ask in him Portuguese or in English how old he is and he will answer in English and say TWO (and hold up three fingers)! And if you ask him to say dois, he will say NO! Two! Love it!

The Ugly Truth

Since I know you all have been waiting with bated breath....

I kid, I kid.

Seriously, Sidnei and I finally had a conversation. We talked about the pros and cons. We leaned a little towards building an apartment, we leaned some more towards renting. Finally after complaining wayyy too much talking with some willing ears (seriously, you know who you are and I can't thank you enough,) I realized that as much as I want to do the "smart" thing, as much as I want to be the better person I think would make that "smart" move...I just can't. I can not do it.

And all of your wonderful commenters are right as well. Obviously my pro/con list was very biased, because so am I. I really want to make the decision that involves me making the best decision for our future...for me that means, if we rent now, are we going to be able to save to buy a house at some point? I'm worried that that is a No. Which is why I wanted to think about building. However, I realized that my mental health is worth FAR MORE NOW than worrying constantly about where we will be at whatever point I think I need to achieve.

And here is the ugly truth...the straw that broke the camel's back. Let's go back to last week shall we? I dug in my boxes, pulled out some Christmas decorations that I shipped, put on my Christmas music, my Santa hat, and got to work (with permission from my MIL first). I displayed a nativity scene, some Santa, snow globes, and mistle toe bells (soo pretty..pictures later). It was all very Christmas-y and I loved it. Friday I decided to go to Centro, look for a table top tree (we decided not to use the big one I brought because of my nephew), some lights and decorations. I was so happy with me, I found everything I wanted, for less than $50 reais!

I came home and put up the tree right away. I was so excited. Nothing brings the Christmas spirit out of me better than Christmas lights...seriously, I love it! I decide to put our tree on the table that we have on the veranda, because we all sit out there every night to eat and talk. I got it all set up and I was happy, happy.

DUN-DUN-DUN

Enter SIL.

Before she goes upstairs to change out of work clothes she says, that would look more pretty inside the living room. I didn't say anything, hoping she would get the hint. She goes upstairs and returns (too) shortly after. She goes about her business and then says again, "The tree would look better inside...It's ugly out here." I tell her I like it out here. So she says it AGAIN. So she takes the tree, moves it inside the living room beside the TV and says, It looks more pretty here. So I said again, "I like it better outside." And then I just walked away. Because I was seriously seething...blood boiling..all those angry things. Because I wanted to punch her. And because you really aren't supposed to punch 11 week pregnant women (or anyone for that matter)...I walked away.

Enter Sidnei.

I tell Sidnei what happens. He says, well it does look better in here right? (Are you allowed to punch your husband?) NO, this is not the point. This is EXACTLY why we are NOT building here. Because I bought the tree, because I decorated everything, because I did all the work, SHE does not get an opinion. OK, she can have an opinion, but she can also keep her sticky pregnant paws OFF my tree. We are NOT building here because I will NEVER be able to do the things I want to do. We are NOT building here because you do not get that I need you to BE ON MY SIDE. And we are NOT building here because I do NOT want to start anything with your sister(seriously I loathe contention), but one day, one day I am going to blow up like the Macy's Day Parade Balloons and it's NOT going to be pretty.

So to make a long story short. We are going to rent. End of story.

Enter Justification for overreaction.

And yes, I seem to be a bit territorial with my Christmas decorations. But in my defense, I wanted the tree in a place where everyone could see it and bask in the Christmas spirit. But no one seems to give a damn since no one has said ANYTHING about the decorations the tree, anything. Which severely annoys me. I am having Christmas spirit issues because of the lack of it. I miss my Mom, the abundance of her Christmas-ness (after she decorates...she's a little cranky in the process), and watching Elf with her. Because no one laughs with me like my Momma when we watch that movie. And if I seem like a whiny, spoiled, self absorbed brat...Bite me. Try to remember... It's my first Christmas ever away from my family, in a foreign country, in a city that does not celebrate Christmas like we do, and it's damn hot.

Nevertheless, I am grateful to be with my husband this year.

And even more grateful that we are going to rent. Let's hope we get there SOON.

And thank you again for all your advice and opinions. It really does help.