Long overdue Part 1 ( Christmas, New years)

So I sat down today to write a blog because I was in a "bloggy" mood. Then I realized I never posted one over christmas! I know I wanted to wait till we got back to post it because we were not at home over the break so I didn't want to tell the world I was not at home. SO.. I am going to do a little holiday re-cap!

    

SO we were not going to be home for Christmas but I still wanted to have a tree! And I had been looking and looking and the trees here are SO expensive! SO MUCH. And so most people have a small tree that we would put in a kids room haha. But wanted a white tree... and it was very hard for me because christmas is very special to me. And it was already hard being away from my family. Ruan understood this and through his mom they found me a tree. And it was PERFECT. I had been planning my ornaments for months. I had already made my decorations for the house! Made my little tree forrest out of paper cones pain and glitter, well the one with the red bow on tom is made form pieces of plastic cups. :)

I tried to make them things we both love since we started from scratch! 

So I made little superman "S" shapes from paper and cardboard and we had a few coca cola ones my mom gave him for christmas last year. And one that my mom had sent with someone who came before christmas! and then of course my little paper ( drawn with pencils) Yoshi's from Super Mario. He is my favorite character. So he was what I made for the tree :) The star is from the game too. I thought it fit well. :)

        

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Okay, so for christmas break we traveled to the most southern state of Brazil on Christmas eve morning. Here is a map! We live in Curitiba, and we traveled to Porto Alegre. (also what I call "the city of FIRE" it was the hottest place I have ever been to. )

Curitiba is the best city to live in. It is very close to Georgia weather. I mean its bi-polar like Georgia.. like it can get pretty cold here. But not in Rio Grande Do Sul... we if it does get cold its more like *comfortable* outside. And remember not common to have A/C only small fans and such. Some people have it. but not super common. 

The reason we went there is Ruan's sister (Carol) and husband (Douglas)  and their son (Daniel) live there! It is also where Ruan was born!  I had only met them once before, but it was just for a weekend, last year. and this time we were explaining on spending TWO WHOLE WEEKS there. So I was very excited! 

SO we arrived Christmas eve day. went swimming! haha and relaxed and hung with his family! ( and pretty much what we did the rest of the two weeks :)

Here is our first picture as a family! 

On christmas eve night. Here in Brazil they stay up till midnight ( they have parties like we do for new years, and they open gifts then)  

He loves his Uncle

 He was happy to have him there! :)  

My sister-in-law and I

 Ruan was teaching him on his old 

lefty guitar that he gave to Douglas

 the tiny 5 year old crazy 

boy who rides with no training 

wheels. he is the size of a three 

year old..... crazy! 

Just a funny picture I took on one of the 

hottest days. 

I was using the ipad as a mirror. Because at this point more of his family had come to stay. so there was 11 people in a two bedroom ONE bath apartment. (tiny bathroom) it got kinda crazy. so I had to get creative :) 

So we had a great time over new years. went to a water park cause they kicked us out of the apartment pool cause we didn't live there. so the water park was an experience haha it was fun though! And new years we stayed at home and watched the concert on tv. Then we had our own time of worship with just Ruans sisters family and us and his parents. All in portuguese though but i knew most of them. It was a very cool time with his family. 

So on January 7th we flew back home. i am sure J.J. was missing us. 

I finally got my window seat! On the flight down there I had a window seat with NO window!!!! so mean! 

 this was just too funny not to post. that lady was tired.. haha (only a 45 minute flight) 

Ready to go back!

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Well this end part 1 of the "LONG OVERDUE" blog. haha :)

Stay tuned for part 2 which includes the newest member f our family! :)

Love, Ruan & Anna <3 

Nossa Casa - Our house (In Progress... )

SO in case you didn't know... our living room "theme" is SUPERMAN. because its Ruan's favorite super hero.  SO I started thinking of what to do on the walls here, and while at the mall one day i saw a comic strip that was grayscale on a superman display. and i knew what i was gonna do in the house... :D so here are some pics from the Progress.









I used the churches projector to layout the individual pictures that i took from a comic that i had, ( that i got from you Aunt Selita ;)  ) I took the pictures and turned them into black and white on my computer and then basically one by one put them in a collage and traced the basic lines and mainly the words onto the wall. then moved to the next picture. ( the comic is not in order cause i wanted it to be more of him so i picked all the good scenes. ;P )

It has taken QUITE some time to paint all of it.. And I get bored and stop and watch a movie hahah its still not done.. but there is just a few left to paint.

Basically I am making (painting) wallpaper. the hard way.. cause no one sells what i wanted. HA

So with the tv moved this wall is almost done.. !
to the right is the two doorways and thats al that is left.

Before and after :) 

I finished the wall with the french doors finally! HAHA i had to finish SOMETHING or I was gonna go crazy. 

At some point i downloaded this house designing app. Which was al ot lie the one I LOVED as a kid on my brothers computer. So since before the wedding i have been sesigning our house. and since the bedroom is "done" i put the picture of the REAL thing and the DESIGN together so see how i did. :D
(his parents gave us the wardrobe and the bed, and curtains.. nit in the picture..  from their house since they are moving. which was a huge blessing)

SO now to hang pictures a bookshelves and its done! :D
*thumbs up*

Here its is bigger for ya... 

OH YEAH. back to the living room. 

Since this picture I have painted the brown door white (by the way) I am gonna add pictures in the frames eventually haha... and paint some of the white ones a different color.. i was just dying to hang something on the wall tat day. :D Also... to my family.. ( you may notice the *beloved* superman pillow has a lovely spot in our home... we love him hahaha ) 

                                                                            Finally got the shower curtain hung! 

Thanks to my father in law! As you will see in the next picture i had to add a string for support which was fine but in the picture its un even ahah i fixed it now. :P   

Im creative i know :P it looks funny but 

now we know it wont ever fall. 

SO THIS!....... was my next project! I had a 

great idea to fill in the grey wall where 

our table was.. its pretty big.. 

end it was empty. so i decided to do a three 

canvas painting of superman to hang up!       

So I started free hand drawing on the canvases that Ruan got me. i only had two for a while but it was okay haha :) they are pretty cheep here compared to the states! so that is exciting!    

(here is a picture of part of the canvas store hehe ) 

      

Once I finished sketching with pencil I started painting... and didn't stop the whole day till I finished.. :D

...almosssssttt....

progress..../ lunch break haha

ANNNNND I finished all I could so till I got the third canvas.. :) 

I was in the superman mood the day we got 

 the third canvas... hehe.

And JJ patiently watching me painting.. :) 

Finally got the third one. so I could start the back ground and finish the cape. :D they were way bigger than our table haha 

SO ...here is a before of this wall in the living room. 

AFTERRRRRRRRRRRRR........(still not done but its close) the painting is done. and the wall is crooked so its really difficult to hang something and make it look straight... still working on that!!!

ANNNDD thats its for now! (my kitchen is not clean otherwise id take pictures to post ha)

-Anna, Ruan & J.J.

Getting there..

Hey everyone! I have been wanting to post a blog update recently... of the house and everything here. buuuuuuutt we haven't finished decorating the house yet exactly.  Because of A.D.D. and being bored.. I have started many projects and not finished all of them haha :D but i decided to make one anyways.  but i have gathered over 70 pictures to share... I'm gonna split them into two blogs. So the next will be about the house! But for now ...here are a few of the things going on here!! -----








Here are a few pictures from the shower the church threw for us. It was really for just the ladies... but I wanted Ruan to stay to translate hahah But the pastors Wife, Mrs. Luci. Which some of you may have met, shared a

sweet message for me and the other ladies.  encouraging me and sharing with me from her time when she lived in canada, and how it was hard to be in a place you don't know. And encouraged me with scripture on how to be a godly wife. it was really sweet. i really loved it! Also.. after gathering all the pictures for the blog... i have over 80 i want to share.... so it may be coming your way in 3 or 4 blogs hahha.. so be patient with me. :D Also... I'm still figuring out this blog. its not doing what i want it too...so .. yeah .. stick with me.












I wasn't a huge coffee person.. but we got a coffee pot from our shower... so i make it a lot now hahah :D plus its brazilian coffee.. so come on!

One of the first meals we made at home when the 

kitchen was finished. SPAGHETTI!! One of 

Ruan's favorites :)

Excited I found cantaloupe at the store! its one 

of my favorites! Ruan prefers Papaya but 

I hate it haha.. so i was very happy that day!   

Ruans' parents gave us this box with the screws in it for the wardrobe and said we could keep it.... SOOOOO i had a great idea to transform it and make a medicine box for the kitchen! And it turned out great! and works so well! we love it! 

J.J loves to be in the house with us. he wants to

be in all the time. i think he gets lonely. but one 

day when we were cleaning up the house, 

(cause the rain and mud was everywhere, 

before the roof was fixed.. ) we found him laying on our tiny rug.... he is so cute... ;D  

My beloved art room. Finally set up and going well. I have added a few more things since i took this picture. :D but you get the idea :D

My home-made shelves... out of foam board 

that I had made in  the states and collapsed 

to bring. And my 4-pack of monster boxes that I 

am using as shelves.. they fold up nice and flat. 

plus the look cool ;)    

My little wall of things I love :) 

A closer picture of one of my first things I made

in my new art room 

-Ps. 71:23a

J.J. can barely see in the window and it drives him crazy.. hahaha here is s picture of him peaking in to see us :D 

I made lasagna one night for dinner and Ruan 

LOVED it. He and I are huge fans of Italian 

food... we should have moved to Italy

...instead of Brazil haha 

J.J Spotted a St. Bernard .... hahah he was very confused.. ( this is what we do while Ruan is at work...) 

I know its not the best thing for you. But Ruan's 

family always had some on hand in case you 

need something quick to eat when you 

are out of food. ( which can happen a lot since 

they eat mostly fresh everything here so you 

run out of stuff quick. haha or at least we do.) 

But anyways.. the Brazilian "ramen noodles"

 are not too bad. :) 

Spotted this McDonalds the other day! and its in more of a suburb part of town.. so it had the feel of America.. the way the parking lot was.. haha I just had to take a picture! 

I got creative when i made pastels for Ruan and Mozart a few weeks ago. I added their initials to tell the different ones apart.. hah :) i was pretty proud!!

We found the typical "Jesus" from all the kids movies on the street hahahaha ... :D gave a us a laugh! 

I know I know... I take a lot of pictures of J.J ....but i spend a lot of time with him.. hahaha SORRY! ( he is cute though.) he has learned to stay on the porch when we open the gate for the car. I was SO proud of him. Like he always runs and sits on the porch every time..... so i guess we know he wont run away.. I guess that means he loves his family :D 

Mozart's mom made lunch last sunday and we had Lime Pie for dessert... I need to spend more time with her to learn how to make all the things she does.. she is AMAZING! it was seriously so good.. 

..oh yeah and we had chocolates too. ;) 

AND a very frequently asked question is... "have you gained weight since you got married??" ... my answer is NO.. ruan has a bit but I have lost some haha !" So I can have chocolate if  I want. 

 I stole a daisy from the churches garden.. it is like exploding with them... its kinda out of hand hahhaa .. anyways.. it looks cute in our kitchen ( pictures of the kitchen will be in the next blog.) 

OH!! i found this tea at the bakery we go to for dinner next to Ruans college! its a good replacement until my tea bags get here with Pastor Jorge form my mom... i am really missing sweet tea.. :\ I didnt drink it alot.. but just knowing you cant just go make some when you want it.... *tear*..but soon I can...

oh yeah. a cool shot of all my brushes... a lot of them were adopted.. :) 

J.J spotted me at church hhaha he was whining.. :)

WELLLLL I think this was all the pictures that were either random.. or had nothing to do with the house! I hope you enjoyed! I am gonna go write a blog about the house now! We miss you all and love you! :D

-Anna, Ruan & Joe James.. (J.J.) ...and Oreo... our stray cat who lives on the roof and fights with other cats all night...... heh. I will find a picture later..