Valentine's Variety Weekend

VALENTINE'S DAY-PRESIDENTS DAY-CARNAVAL COMBO

This last week we all had a long weekend here in Brazil and USA

It  started with the best part. (and I love that it doesn't cost any money!)
 I did my regular Friday shift at the temple.

Then I stayed to do an extra initiatory session, then Elders Hall met me there

to do the 3:30 endowment session.  We do this once a month.  
 This is typically a small session 
and this time Craig and I were asked to be the witness couple.  

Randy also joined the prayer circle with us and others 
and our good friend Sis. Avila who happened to be there as well.

Often, when I'm in the temple, I reflect on the few times when 
Craig and I have been there with all four of our children.
We know this is a rare blessing, beyond measure, 
and we are profoundly grateful for power in the priesthood.

That night we went to the mall with Elder and Sister Swenson to have dinner at
Applebees.  Good food, English menus, São Paulo prices :(

The next day was Saturday, Valentine's Day.  
The Zaugg's made and delivered heart sugar cookies.  YUM
In Brazil, they celebrate "boyfriend/girlfriend day" on June 12.  
I have been told it's a big deal here, so we'll wait for June to see what that it's like.

Craig and I did not exchange gifts 
but we did pick up my repaired, resized wedding band :)
And I wrote him a love letter expressing
 thanks for this mission opportunity.

Even though initially, I really wanted to "pass", 
and many days are just plain hard,
it has been amazing in many ways.


So, this "story" is for Craig~

Sometimes I think that maybe I didn't really want to come to Earth.
That I had to be persuaded to leave my Heavenly home and family.
But after learning about the Plan and the privileges that I had earned
 and Eternal Life as the reward, Here I Am~

Saturday night we celebrated by going with Zaugg's, Hales, and Swensens to a 
Japanese Restaurant just up the street.  We hadn't been there before 
because Craig is always afraid of this, which was our sushi boat.

But there was plenty of other food and we enjoyed the evening.

The waitress took pity on Randy and brought him some "cheaters".

Shortly after we arrived home from dinner, our doorbell rang.

3 big chocolate candies and this card were on the floor - no person in sight.

We were victims of "ring & run"!

inside the card:

Remember when we were young and life was simple and free of worry and danger?  (At least on this special day. ) We went out in the early evening at dusk to go 'Valentining' to our neighborhood friends with our carefully handmade hearts to leave at the door.  We would quickly drop our treasure on the porch, ring the bell and run to hide hoping the neighborhood dog who was following us along didn't give away our hiding place.  We never signed our names, we just enjoyed the moment because it was so much fun to 
express a special feeling we didn't quite yet equate with romantic love. 

 It was just a very fun thing to do.

Welcome to our 2nd childhood!  

Happy Valentine's Day!

I knew it was from the Hales because 

I could hear her voice & personality as I read the message.

In Brazil this is also Carnaval weekend.   

This  annual festival is the Mardi Gras of the Southern Hemisphere, 

held between the Friday afternoon (51 days before Easter) and Ash Wednesday at noon, which marks the beginning of Lent, the forty-day period before Easter. 

It is the most famous holiday in Brazil and most businesses close for almost a week.

The church area office was closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Rio is the biggest Carnaval city where festivities are intense, day and night.   With sometimes 5 million people participating, many of them are from other countries.

Sao Paulo has huge organized parades with floats and dancers led by "samba schools".

After inquiring, this is the limited information we could gather.

Admission to the parades are very expensive and they start at 10:00 pm

IF you go, you should sit high up on the bleachers, so you don't see "the details".

Lots of near naked bodies.  Here are some more G-rated images that I found.

You can also watch on TV, starting at 10pm 

and/or there are lots of you-tube videos.  While I love a good parade, 

we didn't get ANY encouragement from Brazilian church members, that this would be a good "missionary outing"  :(

(and I'm usually sleeping at 10:00 pm!)

So while we are in Brazil, we thought of our real family and decided

to send chocolate strawberries from "Edible Arrangements"

to show our love and make sure they are thinking about us.

Katie gets a little dizzy over chocolate ;)

Lucy and her Dad went to the neighborhood Daddy-Daughter Valentine's Dance

She had to dance non-stop and felt bad that this event is only once a year~

close up of the toothless, dancing, love bug

and everyone's favorite Valentine Baby Savannah

Because it was also Presidents Day in USA, 2 of our children 

took their families to play and stay in St. George.

When we "FaceTimed" on Sat. we ached with envy that they were there

-- and we. were.  NOT.

Hiking shots in Snow Canyon

and I don't know but maybe that's Jake's gang sign?

Sally is always anxious to keep up.

Alex as "Brother Goose"

on the front porch.

Thanks girls, for dressing her!

Another Temple Highlight

Craig and Becky took their boys Ben and Jake 

to the St. George temple for

 Jake's first time to be baptized for the dead.

Pretty awesome~

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas:

Our sweet niece, Amy Nicole had returned from her mission in Rochester, New York

She served a proselyting and church site tours mission.

I know she appreciated spending much time in the Sacred Grove.

I suggest everyone who believes in the Joseph Smith story 

should go there at least once in your life.  It truly is "sacred".

 Amy spoke in Sacrament Meetingthat holiday weekend.  

So the 2 Hall families drove to Vegas Sunday morning to be with the cousins.

More turning "green" at not being there:

BUT  ~ ~

Amy agreed to take her iPhone discreetly to the pulpit and 

put us here in São Paulo on a FaceTime call!

That was so cool to hear her voice and listen to some of her feelings.

Somehow we disconnected about half way through but

 were so thankful for what we did get!

This is the beautiful "Cover Girl"

She leaves for BYU Hawaii in April

(more envy/green)

This is the Awesome Newson Foursome

Ashley -  Lindsey  - Amy  -  Liz

They were obviously glad to be together.

On Monday night we had our regular 

Senior Family Home Evening

We gather each week in various rooms, depending on what might be available.

This week it was Hall's turn to give 

food for body and spirit.

Craig gave an excellent lesson on Prayer using a talk by

Elder Kevin Pearson given at BYU Hawaii in 2011.

We were reminded of the importance of prayer.  Putting more effort and thought into our conversations with Heavenly Father and aligning our will to His will.

I love the reference to Prayer in the Bible Dictionary

I have copied the best parts below:

"As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are His children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God but to secure for ourselves and for others, blessings that God is already willing to grant but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings. Christians are taught to pray in Christ’s name. We pray in Christ’s name when our mind is the mind of Christ, and our wishes the wishes of Christ—when His words abide in us. We then ask for things it is possible for God to grant. Many prayers remain unanswered because they are not in Christ’s name at all; they in no way represent His mind but spring out of the selfishness of man’s heart."

I spent part of that day making a pasta/vegetable salad and banana-nut bread.

During Carnaval, most conservative Brasileiros take advantage of the time off work 

to recreate and/or visit and spend time with extended family.  

The church youth groups will often go camping

 to get them off the streets etc.

For Tuesday, Valter from Craig's office invited him, Randy and Elder Zaugg

 to go to a ward fishing activity!

They left at 6:00 am.  I got up to get some breakfast and then, because it was raining and that always makes me sleepy, I said my good-bye and went back to bed :) 

It rained only for a short time and they were prepared.

This is Valter and he LOVES to fish

but Randy got the ONLY one small catch of the day

I spent the day cleaning and shopping and they were home by 3:00pm

That night, this was our Net Flix pick.

We had not seen this before but absolutely loved it.

Very clever and funny for kids (and seniors) of all ages.

We were happy to end the day, learning that indeed:

"EVERY DOG NEEDS A BOY"