A week in Formosa

Last week Mark had to go to Argentina for meetings.  He left on Sunday morning and returned Friday evening, so we stayed in Formosa for the week.  Sunday was tough for me - church was lonely.  Mark was gone, and my friend that speaks English was not feeling well so she was not at church.  We made it through the first meeting, then I found myself sitting alone during Sunday School.  I was totally lost in the lesson and could feel my emotions close to the surface.  So I said a little prayer that I would be able to hold it together for just a little longer.  Just then another friend, Fran, got up from her seat a couple of rows up and came back to sit with me.  She showed me where we were in the scriptures so I could at least follow along.  It felt wonderful to know that someone was aware of me.  Relief Society was good.  I have the manual in English and Portuguese so I can at least know what is being talked about.

Monday we just hung out at the house and played with the neighborhood kids.  We ventured to the market all by ourselves and survived!  The people have been patient with me when I look and say "No Portuguese."  Sometimes we can work it out, sometimes I have to break out Google Translate, which is amazing!  Adam lost a tooth and got a visit from the Tooth Fairy.  He wasn't happy to receive a US dollar bill, but the tooth fairy hadn't been to the exchange center yet.

Tuesday we explored a little bit in Brasilia with Agnes.  She took us to a radio tower in the center of the city so we could see all around.  The view was beautiful and the weather was perfect.  There is a man made lake in the city and an amusement park that we could see.  There are several malls, which we are excited to visit!  We went to one for lunch and I had a delicious salad.  I have been craving a crisp salad for weeks, but have had a hard time finding good produce.  It's getting better... Then we went to a Home Depot-type store called Leroy Merlin.  We had to get a few things for the house and the kids all added stuff to my cart.  I'll be gateful when they get over feeling like we are just on vacatoin.

Wednesday we went out and found a small store that we call Little Target.  And by little, we mean that the whole store could fit in one section of the Target that we are used to.  But it has a little of everything and our main thing to find was some toys for the boys.  Adam picked some little army guys and Evan got a ball.  We went back later in the week and they picked out remote control cars.  We also got a few other things and discovered a store across the street that has a few crafty things for when we feel the need to create.  I relaxed in the hammock after lunch while the kids played in the pool and had some iPod time.

Thursday we went to Itiquira - a beautiful water fall area.  Agnes and Fran and her boys and mother-in-law went with us.  It was a lot of fun and the kids had a blast playing in the water.  Afterwards we went to an ice cream shop and got a treat.  It was a fun scoop-your-own bowl which the kids loved because they could put whatever they wanted on it.  Agnes got an acai treat that was frozen and so good with bananas.  It was delicious!

Friday we had fun just hanging out.  We went to the park so Adam could play "War" with his army guys.  Then the neighbors invited us to go out to ice cream with them.  It was called Kogumello and the owner was telling us all about how she makes all of the ice cream there.  Kendall got some lemon ice cream that was amazing.  Kehli got an Ovaltine shake that she enjoyed.  I got a chocolate dipped ice cream on a stick that was creamy and delicious.  Good thing I worked out each day!

We were all happy to have Mark come home and he came bearing gifts!  He bought a hat for himself, which I am really happy about.  The sun is very intense here and he needs to cover up that head and face.  He brought me a beautiful leather purse and the girls each a bracelet.  I didn't let the boys open their remote control cars until he came home so they wouldn't feel left out of the presents.

Saturday Mark, Kendall, Adam and I went back into Brasilia to go to Sams Club and Wal*Mart.  Groceries are much less expensive there.  The girls had mutual (youth group) on Saturday evening and are learning how to crochet.  They both picked it up quickly and I am impressed with their progress on their rugs.  Also on Saturday evening was a Branch activity.  They taught about how to hold successful Family Home Evenings and then we played a game much like "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."  Our team won!  It was a lot of fun.  And we had some delicious food that I hope to learn how to make.  And they had a cake and sang happy birthday to a few members who had birthdays this month.

 On Sunday, during church, Adam pulled out another tooth.  Evan told him that now he could squirt water out of his holes and get two people wet.  Funny boys!  And the Tooth Fairy must have realized that we moved to another country because this time he got Brazilian money. In the afternoon the girls went back to the church to get another crochet lesson so they could work on it this week and then we headed back to the farm house for a few days.  We go back to Formosa on Wednesday because we have to go into Brasilia early Thursday morning to get all of our documentation and ID's completed.  Then we will finally be able to get our shipment of stuff on its way from the US!

Love this neighborhood!

Yesterday we decided to go out and walk around the neighborhood.  When Mark and I visited in November we took a few minutes to walk around the park area here and were impressed.  So, I walked down with the kids and found lots of fun things for us all to do.  There is an area on the edge of the neighborhhood that houses play area, a small chapel, classrooms, resturant/eating area, rock walkways, soccer fields, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, work out areas, racquetball courts, gym, dog kennel, more playground areas, covered area with fussball tables & ping pong tables, chairs/benches/picnic tables.  If there was a large soccer field, then there was a smaller one right next to it for the children.  Same goes for the sand volleyball courts.  There are play areas for toddlers, school age kids and up.  There is an area inside where there are free weights and some weight equipment.  Outside there are two areas: one with some kind of machines, the other a wood structure where different exercises can be performed.  We saw some pretty birds and even a couple of lizards.  Now I don't have any excuses to not exercise when in Formosa!

Inside strength training area:

 1 of 2 racquetball courts:

 Tennis Courts:

 Covered area where it looks like step and aerobic classes are taught:

 Outside work out area:

 Wood structure work out area:

 Lizard:

 One of several play areas:

 Big soccer field, smaller one is at the far end inside its own fence:

 Sand Volleyball courts - adult size on the left, kid size on the right:

 Resturant/eating area inside its own little building:

 Chapel:

Surprise!

When Mark and I visited Brazil last November, his boss (Mark Knight) mentioned that we should really think about having a house in Formosa for the weekends.  That way the kids could attend a bigger congregation at church and we would be able to socialize more.  What a great idea!!  If you look at the map below it will give you an idea of where the farm is located.  Brazil is a ginormous country.  When we arrive we fly into Brasilia, which is the capital of Brazil.  The second map shows Formosa to the northeast of Brasilia.  We can go from our home in Formosa to the edge of Brasilia to the Sam's Club & Wal*Mart in just over 30 minutes.  The farm is located past Cabeceiras, which is southeast of Formosa and directly east of Brasilia.  It takes about 1 hour 20 minutes to get to the farm house from Formosa.  So, when we are on the farm we are isolated from most of civilization.  We are lucky enough on the farm to have 2 neighbors and a missionary couple arriving next month.  Plus there is one empty home and a set of duplexes that could get filled.  I like being on the farm, but am not sure for how long I could be there at a time.  It is a HUGE adjustment being there.

So, back to the surprise...a month or two after we arrived a house became available for rent in a nice gated & secured neighborhood.  The company used to own some lots in this neighborhood but decided not to build a house on them and they sold a while back.  It is a desirable neighborhood with lots of kids, a park, dog kennel, soccer fields, and more.  I was so excited about it.  Then the owner decided to sell instead of rent so we were out of that.  Apparently the market for rental houses is hot here, especially in this area.  I would ask Mark occasionally if he had found anything and the answer was always no.  It weighed heavy on my mind as I am very concerned about the kids and helping them to adjust to living in a new country where we don't yet know the language.  I tried not to stress about it, but secretly I did.  We could rent an apartment, but the kids are so used to having space and being able to run and play with other kids.  I didn't think an apartment was an answer for our family.  I ran out of energy to worry about it and felt like it would turn out okay.

Soon after Mark picked us up at the airport he said that he needed to go to the bathroom so we were going to stop in Formosa at a gas station.  He turned off the highway and I said, "Hey, isn't that the neighborhood where we would like to rent a house."  As soon as I said it he turned the car into the entrance.  That's when I saw Rubens and Agnes in the truck in front of us.  I was in complete shock.  A house had become available to rent several months ago so it was secured and then kept a secret.  Agnes is amazing and furnished and decorated the WHOLE thing to get ready for us.  I felt like I was walking into a model home.  The kids were totally confused and I was speechless.  I was too exhausted to cry but felt my emotions bubbling over inside.  I honestly didn't know what to say.  This home in Formosa is perfect for our weekend getaways.  The kids are so happy here and already have friends on the street.  Some of them speak a little English so that is helpful as we learn the language.  It took pictures for documentation sake.

Outside by the pool area:

Boys room.  Since there is a window on the biggest wall, Agnes thought a trundle bed would be better than a bunk bed.  So smart!

 Boys room from the door.  Both houses we are in have amazing closets!

 Girls Room.  Matching bedspreads, cute lamp, little rugs.  Perfect!

 Master bedroom:

 Loving all this storage space!

Boys Bathroom:

 Master Bathroom:

 This is an empty room, we aren't sure what it's for or what we will do with it.  Maybe our little exercise room:

Detached Laundry Room (just a washer).  Another detail is the cute iron.  I should have taken a close up picture.

 Bathroom and storage closet in the laundry room"

 My clothes dryer:

 We call this the party room.  It's located between the dining room and the back yard.  The big glass doors open up on the side to the front yard and in the back out to the pool.  There is a kitchen/bar area, BBQ and a small bathroom.

 The girls bathroom:

 Kitchen:

I was impressed with all of the small details that Agnes though of.  Opening this drawer in the kitchen and seeing these "home sweet home" hot pads made me smile.

And the fact that she chose red, white and blue hand towels for the kitchen showed that she put a lot of thought into everything.  I cannot express my appreciation enough!

The front yard behind the gate.  Does that make sense?

Dining Room:

 Fresh flowers that Mark brought to the airport:

 Living Room:

 Just inside the front door:

 What greeted us as we walked in.  The kids noticed the family picture right away.  Another detail that helped us feel right at home in another country.

 I think this is the kids favorite feature of the Formosa home.  It's just the right size so I don't worry too much about them as they swim and they love to turn the fountain on.

The kids call this the "Privelege House".  I can see why they call it that.  We don't ever have problems with the wifi.  There are people around.  We can go shopping.  They can swim.  I can relax.  I like this place!