Destin, Florida

Wow! Why has it taken us so long to get to the beach? October is a great time to escape and we had the BEST trip! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect get away. The beaches were amazing. Soft, white, buttery sand--- warm water--- no crowds--- great hotel room close to the beach---- yummy continental breakfasts--- dolphins in the distance--- a jelly fish ashore--- crazy crabs--- and great friends to share the trip with. Who knew you could entertain 8 nutso kids on a beach for hours and hours at a time. We loved every minute. Thank you to the LaVoie's for putting up with us.

Nash Tiago Nogueira ....

Yae- He's here! Born 6:14 a.m. on September 21, 2009. Weighing in at 7ibs. 14 oz. and 20 inches long. We can't believe it. And oh, so cute.

Here's our quick story-

As you can see by the photos my face started to swell the last two days before delivering but of course Sergio doesn't notice, he says I'm still beautiful and skinny till the last minute...whatever. And of course I only notice the swelling once the pictures are downloaded a week later. I should have known.

We also had the neatest two butterflies come land on our pool and stay put forever. That was on Saturday... I've always loved butterflies and they always symbolize something miraculous in my eyes, so once again, I should have known our little one was close at hand.

On Sunday night contractions started around 6pm. Off and on every 12-15 minutes. No big deal. At 4:00 am contractions started every 5 minutes. A little bit bigger deal, wake Sergio up and take a shower. At 4:36 am contractions show up every 2 minutes. Ok, big, uncomfortable deal. No time to waist. Put kids in the car as fast as possible. At 5:04 leave for the hospital with no time to drop the kids off at our friends house. Sergio... worried about the cops refused to speed and run red lights, mom starts to get extra huffy and puffy and tells him to get a move on it. I'm in love with the freezing cold air conditioner blowing in my face. Kids are popsicles in the back wondering why mom has to breath so much and SO loud. 5:38 am arrive at hospital. Check-in and wait in waiting room for at least 3 or 4 more contractions. Speed off to our room in a wheel chair, strip down, dress in my lovely princess gown and the nurse checks me and says "oh my, you're dilated to a 9.

Did I really say I wanted to go all natural? Ok, I did and whether I wanted to or not, it was all natural. No induction, no epidural, no make-up and hair-do a la natural. My breathing techniques and wiggly toes, and death grip on Sergio would have impressed you all. Or maybe the growling/grunting stunt I pulled at the very end would have impressed you even more. Either way...I am ONE with the pioneer ladies now. If they could do it in a covered wagon or in a tent, I could certainly hang on and do it in a hospital. Thank heavens my doctor was on call that morning and he showed up in the final minutes of Nash's arrival. I was so glad, and we are so blessed.

Our other 3 kiddos were amazing. They patiently waited so quiet and so curious. The nurses took them out of the room just in the final minutes and as soon as Nash was taken care of and swaddled up, they brought the kids right back into the room. I actually think it was meant to be this way and I am so glad they were there for the arrival of their little brother. They were all so excited to see him. It was awesome to watch the instant love and adoration they had - especially little Nick. He still can't get enough of his little brother.

The hospital stay was short and sweet. A total of 32 hours. I'm not a huge fan. Get me a comfy bed and some decent food and besides that there's no place like home, there's no place like home!

Sergio was able to take the whole week off. He is a such a trooper. He's the best daddy and the best hubby a woman could ever ask for. He took very good care of the kids and I. We wish he could have had more time off. The week flew by and it never even seemed like time off for Sergio, he was constantly on the go.

Nash is now just over a week old. What a treat and a blessing to have him in our family. The kids are so good to him. Nadia sings to him, Nathan gets him his binki and tells me when he's hungry, and Nick loves to hold him, bathe him, and he kisses him before school and before bed everyday. They are all such great helpers.

Now if I could just get my dang pelvic bones to go back into place, I think a full recovery is in the very near future. We love our new addition and already can't believe how easy it is to open up our hearts and love another little child with as much gusto as the other three. It just happens and now we can't imagine our family without Nash to top it off.

Sergio set up his surgery for next week. He's not messin' around with this. He definately says we're done with 4. Love him and I promise to keep some cool ice packs ready for you, honey!

We love you all and thank you for your support and prayers. Hope you like the pictures.

Nathan's Birthday

In all fairness to my middle child, I had to post his birthday pictures before I start back to blogging my up to date pictures. Nathan turned 4 on May 27th. He had the awesomest "Ben 10" birthday ever! We played bubbles outside, did musical chairs, opened presents and had ice-cream and cake. Nathan was so much fun to watch and he was thrilled with the gifts and friends that came to play with him that day. We are so thankful for Nathan and his curly hair. We can't imagine our little family without him. He brings us pure joy. He has the greatest one-liners that pop out of the blue. The other day, Sergio was taking him to the babysitters and he popped up saying, " Holy seacow, that hulligan didn't stop at the red light". He was referring the guy who just cut Sergio off... Sergio about died laughing. We love Nathan Mateus more than words can say.

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...)

Sergio turns 32, whewww

8 Amazing Years!!

As of Dec. 28, 2008 Sergio and I have been married for 8 beautiful years. We couldn't be happier. I kidnapped Sergio on Sunday afternoon and we stole away to spend some hours together alone with no kids and no in-laws. It was awesome to just talk and talk and talk and .... I won't tell you the rest. But we love each other so much and we are grateful for our strong marriage, our 3 incredible children, and our faith in our Heavenly Father that glues us all together. We look forward to 80 more years together in this life and 8 bazillion years in the eternities......

We Love you

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2008

Up Up and Away........ I can't believe it's over. Santa's gone and Christmas is trickling down for another year. What an awesome December we had. We decorated the house the best we could. We had a fun ward Christmas party where the primary kids were the highlight of the night. Sergio and I danced and dined at his work Christmas party. Nick had a blast at his school Christmas party. We sat on Santa's lap 3 separate times this year, not on purpose but he just happened to be at the same places we went this year. We did a sub for santa project where we fixed up and repaired 4 bikes for a family and delivered gifts to them...(unfortunately we were seen by the kids) but I'm still glad we got to help out. We invited a family over to make home made cinnamon rolls on Christmas Eve and Christmas day was filled with presents, laughter, laziness, pajamas all day and a yummy dinner made by Iolanda. We couldn't have asked for a more awesome holiday season. It was a more slow paced Christmas this year and although the last week was a lot of running around, it still seemed to slow down enough for us all to truly feel the spirit of giving and the true reason for the season, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We are so very grateful for the baby that was born and whom we celebrate every year. We missed you all, but pray that you all had a great Christmas!

Trip to Utah

Well we did it... we decided pretty much at the last minute to make the trek to Utah for Thanksgiving. It was worth every bit of sacrifice we put into it. Our trip consisted of so much fun... we flew into Vegas, rented a van and headed straight to Salt Lake. We visited friends and family there for 2 days and then spent the rest of the time in St. George. Our activities consisted of an adventurous Thanksgiving meal provided by good 'ol Chuck A Rama and dessert at Kerry's hours. Mom provided a fun thanksgiving craft for the kids. We did family sealings at the St. George temple which was so neat and then headed for the red rocks to let the kids run around. We had a whole day of 4-wheeling thanks to Joe and Kerry and then a birthday party for Seth and Spence. What a trip. The airplane rides were tons of fun for the kids and we hated to see the trip end. We love our family so much and although its tough to be so far away, we feel so blessed to have been able to spend 9 days with ya'll. Hope to see you again soon.

Trip to Utah

The Lucas Family

Many of you may know the Lucas Family. They are dear friends of ours from Brazil. We had the pleasure of visiting them during our trip back to Utah in November. Sergio grew up with Douglas and Giseli in Brazil and we spent many fun days together while we were still in Utah. Sergio and his dad were able to give both Giseli and Douglas a priesthood blessing of comfort and healing. It was a very special time for all of us. A day we will never forget. This week Douglas called us to inform us that Giseli's cancer has now spread into her brain. She has been battling cancer for over two years. The doctor's believe she only has a short time left. We love the Lucas family dearly and pray daily that Heavenly Father will watch over this beautiful family... thank you Gi for ALWAYS smiling and being such an awesome example of strength and beauty in every measure. We love you!!!!

Lucas Family

Fall Leaves

Fall has fallen and the crisp cool air has brought about the spirit of Christmas. Our leaves change into magical colors here in Mississippi. I love the fall because to me it symbolizes CHANGE. Just as the leaves change color, I believe we need to change up our lives a bit so we don't get too comfortable. My big change has been the new calling I have been given in our ward. Today I was sustained as the primary president. I am extremely humbled and feel I lack the knowledge to take on such a calling, however; I know I have been blessed with two great counselors and I know this is going stretch me to the max. I am very eager to love all the children in our ward and share with them my testimony and love for my Savior. I hope and pray that each of you have change happening in your lives, whether it be challenging or pure joy, all change is good!!!

Fall Leaves

Halloween 2008

Halloween was awesome this year! What a week we've had. Someone in the neighborhood does a free Haunted House here so we started the week off taking the boys to their first haunted house. They were pretty scared but no nightmares because we had prepared them for all the ooey gooey things they'd be seeing. We had the missionaries over for a fun Halloween dinner with green noodle spaghetti and witches blood to drink. The missionaries loved it. We then made Halloween cupcakes ( thanks to Grandma Katie's box). We carved pumpkins and then Friday we went to the church for a big Chili cook-off, hay ride, and trunk or treat. The kids loved it all. While on the hay ride, Nadia thought she was on a roller coaster so she screamed and put her hands up almost the whole time, making everyone laugh. I was for warned that I would need a ton of candy for the trunk or treat.... so I spent a sickening $30 dollars getting candy and to my great horror we have about $40 dollars of candy left. Candy is the worst part of Halloween and now I'm stuck with more than what we started with and can't take any back.....I guess I'll be pawning it off to Sergio's work and wherever else I can send it. What a waist of money. Next year I'm passing out plastic bugs and spiders.... We love you all and hope you enjoy the pictures.

Halloween 2008

DANCING QUEEN

Hey everyone,

Yes, it was my 34th birthday today. Yee haw. I feel , I feel, I feel exactly the same as yesterday! Today was a great day. I went out to lunch with some gals from my ward then Sergio took us all out to eat at the Olive Garden....yum. We had ice-cream cake when we got home. I received a nice book, perfume, shoes, a jacket and the Mama Mia soundtrack, but the big Kahoona was my monster hand Wheat Grinder. Yes! Can't wait to grind my own wheat and figure out how to make my own bread. Thank you Sergio for an awesome evening.

p.s. dad, the closest I got to going dancing was rockin' out to ABBA's song "Dancing Queen." That was pretty dang fun! You and Katie should try it some time.

Stacy's Birthday

Thank you MOM!

Mom, thank you so much for coming to see me. What a great time to just talk and relax for the weekend. We love you and know that the Lord will continue to bless you in your efforts to press forward with faith in your times of trials and hardships. Stay strong and positive. Have an awesome week.