Tree Trimming

I love getting out the Christmas tree and all our ornaments. We actually put up the tree right after we celebrated Thanksgiving but I am way behind on blogging. In my defense, Mark was gone to a meeting in Switzerland for a week and then I was sick for most of last week...

But I am better now, just trying to hunt down those last minute gifts and enjoying the season.

A rare sweet sister moment

The girls love helping put up all the ornaments. It is so fun getting out all the ornaments and talking about whose they are, where they are from and who gave them to us.

Thanksgiving 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow On Saturday we had our Thanksgiving dinner with some sweet Portuguese friends. We went all out and made ALL the traditional dishes, we wanted out friends first Thanksgiving to be the real deal! I had cooked a turkey before but several of the dishes were new for me to cook and I had to be creative and substitute some of the ingredients. For example, I had to make creamed corn in order to make corn casserole, and I had to turn soup from a packet into the same consistence as what is in a can of soup. But I surprised myself and it ALL turned out wonderful! I couldn't have done it without the help of my j-girls! They peeled and cleaned and played with the girls, made brownies, gravy and tasted everything to make sure it was just right! The biggest hits were the sweet potato casserole, dream whip and pumpkin pie! Not to mention the desserts my friends brought with them. One of my friends makes this amazing lime tarte, ooohh it's fabulous! We were able to tell our friends how special they are to us and how thankful we are that God has placed them in our lives. And then we all ate just a little bit more:)

World Cup Qualifier

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On Saturday Mark and I got to go watch the Portuguese National team beat Bosnia in a World Cup Qualifying game. It was incredible! We love going to any soccer game but this game- most amazing soccer experience yet! A stadium FULL of screaming patriotic fans, the National team, we won, it was just fantastic!

Mark and I love being in a country that is SO serious about soccer and the World Cup is a big dea in our books. At bording school there were only 2 reasons, EVER, that we would be allowed out of the dorms late at night. One- to watch the safari rally cars as they drove threw the campus and TWO- WORLD CUP! Didn't matter what time it played we were allowed to watch it!

So seeing a real live game and a World Cup qualifier at that- Mark and I were thrilled! And by the it was the second to last game to secure a spot in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the final game was played last night and PORTUGAL WON! South Africa here we come! (Well not us exactly but we will be watching EVERY game!)

Tirza e Beatriz

This is Tirza's best, best friend at school. They have been best buddies since the beginning of LAST year, yep last year as in when Tirza didn't speak Portuguese yet.

Tirza started talking about her within the first month... she called her Blakblack:) Some of you may remember hearing stories about this mysterious Blakblack, after a while I concluded that it must be an imaginary friend. I had even asked Tirza's teacher about it and she couldn't figure out what Tirza was trying to say:) So one day when I was picking Tirza up from school she wanted me to meet Blakblack and to my surprise she was a very real, adorable little girl, named Beatriz:)

They have been asking to play at each other's houses so last week they finally got their wish. Bea's mom picked them up from school after lunch and let them play all afternoon at her house. Tirza had SO much FUN! We had Bea over to our house later in the week. From the second I picked them up from school until the elevator doors closed when Bea was leaving, both girls were giggling and talking. So CUTE! They played and played...

I have a feeling this was the first of many play dates!!!

New Old Stuff

Let me preface this post by saying that I am not a yard sale/ antique hunter person... at ALL! But awhile back our friend Caroline called and said she had just rescued a dresser and two end tables from the garbage for us. I thought, free furniture- can't hurt to look! I was pleasantly surprised!!! Beautiful, old wood furniture... extremely expensive and hard to come by here. Like I said I am not normally a fan of "old". But this dresser has such charm, beautiful wood work. So we hauled it off to our trusty carpenters, he agreed that it was vale a pena (worth it) to have it cleaned and re-varnished as well as make a few small repairs.

It wasn't cheap, I will admit, but since I didn't pay um centimos for the stuff I figure it evened out in the end. So a few centimos later.....wahhhlaahh...... my new buffet and end tables!
Aren't they pretty!?! My linens are all on top because I was still trying to air out the varnish smell... many coffee beans and a few dryer sheets later (internet tips and yes, suggestions are still welcome.) I have put my linens away and even bought a new bowl for the top.

Bria's 7th Birthday

Make a Smilebox slideshow Bria had a great birthday yesterday. Her party was a blast! Lots of friends, presents, food and CAKE! Happy 7th Birthday my sweet Bria girl!

Aqueduct

One of my favorite things in Lisboa is the aqueduct. I really can't explain why, I just think it is so unique. It stretches across two hills of the city, its huge and for the time it was built it was a major engineering accomplishment. It is a piece of the old city, beautiful and full of history.
I love driving under it, being able to see how huge and old it is.
Today, on our way home from a birthday party, in a part of town we had not yet been in we got to drive under a different part. It was a smaller part near the end of one side. It just renewed my fascination with the aqueduct.
Our afternoon was great... big girls had a birthday party, we had no idea where it was so some friends let us follow them. Somehow we have found the most wonderful group of new friends (somehow... we know how, GOD!) They let us join in their events, conversations...lives and they are always kind to us and our girls and patient with us as we learn the language and culture.
We have past our grace period now where people talk slowly and make sure we understand what they are saying... Now they speak full speed and expect us to understand, keep up and respond. It is GREAT! I can not think of a better motivation to keep learning and progressing in the language. I look forward to the day when I can not only keep up with all that is being said but can jump in and say whatever is it I want to say.
And if you know me you know I have plenty to say!:)