watermelon in winter

Hey all!  Just popping by to give a little update... I came back to this blog a couple weeks ago, after starting a new one.  Man, I used to be inspired!  I guess now I'm just old and tired, so I am less original in my posts...haha! But here's the update.  Renato and I got married in 2014, and we had a baby girl in January 2016.  We are still living in Brazil, and loving life!  I am a stay-at-home-mom, which was my childhood dream, and I also teach private English classes.  Oh, and I make and sell American sweets too, so that's fun.  That has shown down a bit lately, but I'm not sure why.  It's okay; I am hoping it will pick up again with the holidays coming!  I started another blog, which I hope you all follow me at baianamericana.blogspot.com I have been amazed by all the views this blog has had, even in my long absence.  I could really use your help and support over on my new blog!  I started it in English, but am wor...

Well, here I am.  Sitting in my apartment in Provo, enjoying my last day of freedom.  Tomorrow I begin school again, except this time..it's my last fall semester here.  It has been a REALLY long haul up til now, but I finally feel like it might be coming to an end.  Supposedly I'll be graduating in April, but there will be a LOT of work between now and then!  BUT, after graduation and one more field camp, I will be moving permanently to Brazil and I will marry the love of my life, and THAT my friends, has been a long time coming and I am more excited about that than I have been about anything in my life (and you all remember how excited I was before I went left to serve a mission!)!!!! Yes, obviously I had to put another picture of us on here, because I think we are just so great together! :) So since I last wrote, I moved back to Provo from my parents' house, and while I wasn't happy about it, it is something I have to do.  Since being back in Provo ...

Today is one of my last few days at my parents' house before I head back to BYU for my senior year.  The long road of college finally has a light at the end of the tunnel, and it looks reachable!  But this time next year, if all goes according to plan, I will be married and living in Brazil.  The last couple days have made me look back on my summer and think about all that has happened... So, this is going to be a long post, mostly because of pictures that are going to help me tell my summer 2013 story.  I came back to NH in April after winter semester ended, stayed for about a week and a half, and then I went to Brazil for 5 1/2 weeks.  And while I was there, some wonderful things happened..... Renato proposed to me at the Recife Temple the day I got to Brazil (the first time we'd seen each other in over 9 months), and I said yes!  So (finally) we are officially engaged and planning a wedding for July 22 2014, in Brazil! Our rings :) We ...

Words of wisdom.  This is gonna be a long post, because of quoting a couple things... Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: "People are often unreasonable and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you.  Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous.  Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.  Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway." Martina McBride sang: " You can spend your whole life buildin' Something from nothin One storm can come and blow it all away   Build it anyway You can chase a dream   That seems so out of reach And you know it might not ever come your way Dream it anyway God is great but sometimes life aint good And when I...

Hello friends. Long time no contact, right? Yeah, my bad. Here's a very brief summary of the last 2 1/2 months of my life: -Christmas -New Years (started that off right!) -Renato's birthday -came back to school -got a new job (I'm back at BYUTV, hooray!!!!) and quit my old one -school is keeping me ridiculously busy, more than I'd even thought it would -I only have one roommate this semester -I'm cooking more -I have my first Portuguese student (I start teaching on Monday) -I've learned a lot about trust in the Lord (again) and about how having priorities in the right place can make a huge difference in all aspects of life -bought a plane ticket to Brazil- I'm going there in May! -fell even more in love with Renato :) So, that's the short list of everything that's happened.  There has been a lot going on.  I'll try to be better about keeping this updated again, especially now that I have a few big things to look forward to, es...

Sometimes I really think I'm the luckiest girl alive.  But actually, that's a word I don't like... I am so blessed!  Haha it may sound molly-mormon-ish, but it's true.  In January 2011, I met someone who would change my life forever, though I never in my wildest dreams imagined that back then. At a baptismal interview of some of my investigators in Suzano, I met my district leader's new companion, Elder R. Araújo.  This is a picture from the very beginning.  Who knew THAT DAY would lead to... ...this kind of happiness and love!!!!! Renato entered my life when I least expected it, and he is now in my life and I don't plan on letting him go, ever!!!  I got to go see him in Bahia, Brazil this summer, and those are 17 days I will never forget, that I spent with him and with his family. I have so many thoughts about all this, but it's all good stuff.  In short, the Lord works in mysterious ways.  In talking about how we met and became f...