Stake Father & Sons Campout

Man did these boys have fun..... what better way to spend the night than without all the mommies around! For a week the boys have been planning their "venture" with daddy to the stake father/son campout. Smores, twig throwing, watching people catch fish, playing tag in the dark, and washing up with cold water were all a big hit. They lived it up and by the time they got home they were stinky, sweaty, happy, and had tics or chiggers all over! Mom stayed home to take care of a sick little Nadia. We ate ice-cream, watched a whole lot of "What not to Wear" on TLC, made popcorn, tickled and read books until Nadia crashed and mom sat up working on her Blog page for 5 hours. What a retreat for all of us.

Cutest little Jr.

As of the last Dr. appointment it looks like junior has a wiener.... not so clear in my eyes but you can sit and stare if you'd like... be my guest! We have an official due date of September 24, 2009 and we think we may go for the name Benjamin Nash Nogueira. We'll probably call him Nash. Couldn't let him feel like the lonesome outlaw if we didn't use an "N" name. And who knows if he may be as great as the late King Benjamin of old found in the Book of Mormon! King Ben has always been a favorite of mine!

Sergio's Independence Day

May 1, 2009 Sergio raised his right hand and took an oath to become an official citizen of the United States! What an awesome ceremony. For just our little neck of the woods in all northern Mississippi, 110 people were sworn in as citizens originating from 37 different countries. It was quite emotional for many and what an honor to be in their presence. Our country was built by immigrants and still grows strong today because of those who come, sacrifice, and strive to make this country a better place! Sergio said it wasn't easy taking the oath and he felt a huge lump in his throat as he spoke it out loud, but he knows this was the right decision. He has ALWAYS been so grateful for this country and all the opportunities it has blessed him with. He feels privileged to be a U.S. Citizen.

Everyday Life

It's been 5 long months since I've updated my blog so as you can see, we've been up to a lot of no good. The photos tell the stories so I'll let you gander at those.... all I can say is we have some pretty dang cute kids and we love spending time with them!! (I'm putting my huge supply of wheat to use finally... and my bread actually turns out great every time. Call me for the easy recipe if you want it.) Love you all.

Nick's 6th Birthday!

We started off the day with bringing Nick McDonald's for lunch. He loved introducing us to everyone in his class. Then it was Ninja mania or die, baby! Nick was so set on having the coolest Ninja birthday party and we're still hoping we met his high expectations.... he was on cloud 9. Mom tried to be awesome and make him his favorite homemade chocolate cake with a ninja guy on top (so so successful according to Nick). He invited 9 little friends from church and they had so much fun with the pizza, running around and the all out intense game of musical chairs! Everyone left with ninja swords, ninja guys, and ninja bracelets in hand. He got loads of gifts- thanks to everyone! Can't believe he's getting so big. What a pleasure to see him grow up!

Nadia's 2nd Birthday

Nadia had no clue she turned two! But we love her anyway! She invited 5 little friends from church to her "Butterfly" party and they had lots of fun with the cupcakes. We only had 2 disasters happen.... when I went to pick up her cupcake cake they apparently thought she loved Hannah Montana and made it into a pink guitar rather than a purple butterfly... and Nathan fell off the couch (head first) about 30 minutes before the party started. We spent two hours monitoring him thinking he had a concussion but he ended up sleeping through the whole party and wanted to know where the party went when he woke up. Poor guy. Nadia loved her shoes and cell phone. She also got a table and chairs along with a rolling tea party set. She is definitaley all girl!

Snow in Memphis

Yes, in March it snowed in Memphis twice. I thought I got away from all the snow, but no....it just had to follow me. Church was cancelled and we had a blast with the kids. Our make shift tube was our swimming tube. The snow stuck for about a day and then it quickly melted away.

Farewell to Sergio's Parents

For so many unforeseen reasons, we regretfully had to say good-bye to Sergio's parents. They lived with us for 8 great months. We all learned so much through this experience and we will never forget all the love and support they gave us. We pray the Lord will take good care of them as they venture back to Brazil and restart their lives. We know it won't be easy, but we know all things happen for a reason. We love you Iolanda & Nogueira. Thank you for so many memories...

(Por razoes que a gente ainda nao intende, tivemos que falar adeus para os pais do Sergio. Foi uma decisao bem dificil por todos. Aprendemos muito atravez todo essa experiencia e jamais esqueseremos o amor e o apoio que eles partilharem conosco. Oramos que o Senhor os protege ao voltar e recomecar uma vida nova no Brasil. Amamos voces Iolanda e Nogueira. Obrigado por todos as memorias...)