more on Santa's helper...for the homeless

When friends get together...

We had a great time, my kids and Victor and Lucas, our friend's sons and we put together the stocking and the bags for the homeless. I can't put in words what we felt as we prepared and delivered those simple things for those in need.

Last few days

This last few days have been full of emotions. Last night some friends invited us for dinner and I confess my first thought was to say no. I have so much to do, finish all the homeless things,finish pack the neighbors and friends goodies, I didn't even start to wrap x-mas presents, but I went anyway.
I'm so glad I went, it was friends from our first ward in Austin when we moved from Dallas, so was the other two families that they invited. We had sooo much fun,so many things to remember and we still friends. We played games, what a fun,fun night we had.
Tonight we had dinner with my Brazilian friends, this was a picture night, oh my gosh we laugh so hard, this has been over 8 years, looking that slide show I thought how much fun, how many memories, those moments are priceless, we do have fun.
I'm so lucky to have Greg that embraced my culture,the Brazilian people. It's like I have a little of Brazil close by. The same way that I embraced the American culture as my on. We just have the best of both world I guess. We are the only member of church, but everybody respect our believe even though it was hard to understand why we do not aloud alcohol at our house.
It has been fun and overwhelm at the same time having my mom here, it's make me happy and sad at the same time, because I have the feeling that maybe be the last time that I see my mom. I really hope I'm wrong. I don't want to think about it right now, just want to enjoy.

Homeless and X-mas

I have so many things to post, I'm so far behind in so many things but I'll get there.
I'm very excited about the amount of donations that I got to make a few people warm this winter.
This started few years ago just me and my kids,I bought 12 x-mas stocking and filled it with can of soup,crackers,can of tuna, cup and hot cocoa mix,fruit,gift card from McDonald, a blanket and few other things, got in my car with my kids and went look for homeless people and wish them a Merry X-mas.
The next year a friend called me and I told her what I was doing and a hour later I have so many kids with bags of food, X-mas stockings and lots of love and dedication for those that have almost nothing. Greg came with us and our family was very touched for those lives that crossed our way, from each of one that we delivered the stocking we heard "GOD BLESS YOU"
I always have a party before X-mas to gather our friends. This years was a very nice one, simple, I have soup for dinner, It was a very,very cold night, it was perfect, we had Jambalaya soup, Pumpkin shrimp soup and lentil soup, they're all very good. I asked everyone of my guest to bring socks,gentle used coats,blankets,shoes,unwrapped toys and Oh my gosh you can't believe how much stuff I have to prepare those bags.
I went to the Dollar store and I bought the X-mas stocking and also some cute x-mas bags, on the stocking I'll put as always the food and in the bag I'm going to put all the tooth brush and tooth past,bar soap,socks,blanket. We're going to put it together tomorrow and Thursday we're going to deliver it.
I'm very grateful for all my friends that help me with donations, may God bless each of one. Every year I want to do more and more, I can't help everyone in the world, but I feel very blessed and very lucky for the opportunity that I have to make a difference in someones life. I'm going to put a book of Mormon in each bag :-)

Halloween 2010

Halloween as always at Cassia's and Javier's house and as every year we had lots of fun. This year they had a DJ, we dance until 3:00am. It was my mom first Halloween and she had lots of fun, I'm glad she enjoyed. I'll never get tired of dance and my girls loves too.
I got a costume for Greg and he didn't want to wear it, he said he had something in mind, when he came down stairs I asked what he was supposed to be and he told me a housewife I want to kill him. For sure he didn't get inspired on me.He also had lots of fun.

My reality

My sister-in-law and my mother think it's amazing how I have a big house, 4 kids and I don't have a full time maid, that I only have a housekeeper once a week. I was explaining to them that it would be very expensive to have a maid everyday. Greg helps me a lot, we keep things as organized as we can, the kids has responsibilities and in USA we have machines for almost everything. Greg's and my church clothes goes to the cleaner. I don't feel like I kill myself working,my house is clean, but really would be nice to have a full time maid to do everything like I had when I lived in Brazil.

My mom

My mom also is visiting us. My sister in law already left, but mom will stay for the holidays.

My sister-in-law

My sister in law Alessandra came to visit from Brazil. She's having twins girl, we went shopping everyday, for almost all day. We had lots of fun .

My B-day

This year I didn't want a big party. I didn't want to cook,to clean. I just want to have fun and enjoy myself, my family and my friends. I had a celebration with Greg and the Kids and another with Greg and my dear friends.
I went to do what I love the most "DANCE", we went out to eat and dance. 26 of my friends came along and we had a awesome time.

Wow 48 years old!!! I remember that I waited forever to be 18, then 21,after that seemed like I had a b-day every 6 month. hahaha!!!! Not complaining, I enjoy every second of my life. Of course I'd love to keep my exterior youth forever, but I'll try hard to keep my interior one. My spirit will be FOREVER YOUNG.

A curiosidade

A curiosisade humana e fascinante, algumas pessoas ao saber que tenho um blog, ao inves de me perguntarem o nome do blog,foram pesquisar no "google" e me acharam. Espero que gostem, eu gosto :-)

Until we meet again....

Today was brother's Dial service, what a organization,love,respect, it's amazing how we all get together to help,this is something about the Mormons that I admire. Greg and the boys went to help set up the chairs,I help prepare the dinner,I thing everybody from our stake or not wanted to help we had in our building today people from all faith.There were over 1,000 people.
All the talks were amazing,but when his older son Rodney spoke was hard to anyone hold the tears,the things that he told about his dad.Rodney just got married not to long ago, he's such handsome and sweet guy. He cried so much,he laughed so much,he said he dad loved his children but he loved their mother more,he said that his dad only spoke soft and gentle words to his mother. What a great example.
Rodney spoke about the pain that his dad won't be here to hold his first child.Rodney spoke a lot about marriage,about love,about his father and our Savior, about eternal life, about been together forever as a family.
He talked a lot about his father with so much love and respect,Rod was his best friend, all the memories that he will have forever of his dad.
Greg said this was the first service that when it was over he felt inspired, my son Cody said the same thing. Uau!

What righteous man,how much he loved the Savior and his fellowman, he lived his life and the gospel to the fullest and died doing something he loved. His family will be okay,they love each other so much, they had a great example and mentor, they know they'll be together someday, that this life is nothing compared to eternity.
Goodbye Rod until we meet again, I'm sure you made home, I'll do my best to see you there someday :-)
I'll try harder to be the best that I can be. I loved the movie that I watched tonight Fire proof, it's not Greg's kind of movie,but he liked and we talked about the movie when it was over. We both agreed sometimes people get used to each other,they forget the reasons they fell in love,they stop getting to know each other, they let other things deceive their hearts. Good movie. I told Greg he is a such a great example for his children too :-)

It's going to be...

I better go to sleep,it's going to be a very sad and emotional day. The viewing will be at 1:00 and the funeral at 3:00.Greg and I are not going to the view, we want to remember brother Dial smiling and happy,but we're going to the services. Me and others sisters will bring dinner for the family and all the families and friends that came out of town and are at the Dial's home.
I like the way that all of us get together and are so willing to serve. I tell my kids all the time.God can't be here to do everything, sometimes we don't have mom and dad close by so God created FRIENDS, if you have friends you're not alone.I call my real friends "Angels among us", I have great friends and I believe I have great special Angels around me too.
Greg and I spent some time today sitting outside talking about what happened,it seams so unreal,both of us were crying thinking about his two younger boys,about the whole family.
We have a big surprise party to go tomorrow night, is our friend big "50" b-day,but I really don't feel like going, maybe we'll stop by for a little bit. We'll see how the day goes.
We talked we need to serve more. Our family enjoy going to serve dinner on Thanksgiving's day for the homeless and then we come home and have ours and talk about our experience. The kids really appreciate and like to serve dinner for them.We're looking forward to go help wrap and help deliver presents for those in need for X-mas. I know there are more things we can do.

Sunday Talk

A sister from Korea gave a talk Sunday at church, she said she always says no when they ask her to give a talk (this is me I always say no,I haven't given a talk in 7 years),but this time she asked to think about it and decided to say yes.
What a talk, it was wonderful,everybody was paying attention.
She asked how many of us has traveled in a train.She said she did several times in her country,she said you pass through several tunnel some are small,some are a littler bigger,and some are very long and dark and that sometimes you stay several minutes inside of one.Because it's dark the small kids cry because they are scared,the older kids play with their shadow in the window and the adults think about their life.Sometimes takes a long time but each tunnel have an end and there is a light.
So she compared those tunnels with our trails,some are small, some are bigger,some of them seams forever and w/o solutions,but like a tunnel they'll have an end and there will be a light.Like the tunnel we have to have faith because you don't know what's ahead at the end of the tunnel.
I really liked her talk,the Lord always answer our prayers and answers come from anywhere,from an ensign, from an stranger,from anywhere, it's up to us really listen to the answer and don't ignore because it's not the answer that we don't want to hear.
We only have this time here on this earth to be the best that we can. I was telling my friend Maria today, that the Lord loves us and he doesn't expect us to let other people hurt us,use us, the Lord really expect us to do what is right, but to also stand for ourselves and never forget who we really are. Sometimes we have to have courage to fight a great fight,with the knowledge that doesn't matter how much it hurt we are not alone,beside our Heavenly Father and Heavenly family, he gave us earthly family to give us a big and warm hug,real friends, because he knew we would need that. I don't know why but I felt a strong desire to write about her talk.Doesn't matter how long is the path and have to go through, we are not alone.

What a sad day!

I can't believe how sad and crazy this day was.Is so hard for me to deal with death. I don't think brother Dial new how loved, admired he was,unbelievable how sad so many people is.I don't know if there is the "D" day that we have to go back home. His mother died few hours before him. He was kayaking with his 17 year old daughter that survived.
What a great family, brother and sister dial married sooo young, I think she wasn't 17, their family is amazing, the love they have for each other, they did everything together as a family. It's so sad to see two people that love each other so much be apart for a tragedy like this.
He's only 50 years old, just few years old than me. He did so much for others. Summer of 2009 they went to Mexico to do a family service, help to build an orphanage.
My friend Maria came over this afternoon and asked me what I believe that happens after death, so I told her what I believe and that we marry for time and all eternity.
I have upstairs a big picture of Salt Lake Temple that says Greg and Selma Gibby married Nov 15,1991 for time and all eternity.
I really think that heavenly father was very please w/ brother Rod, he had a great life,a great life,great friends,did a lot for others.It made me think if were me, made me think about the things that I'm not doing,made me think about the things that I should be doing, about the things that I shouldn't be doing.
I talked to my friend Cristina today, and she knows everything about me, we talked for a while,I was very sad and she told me something very sweet after " that she's very proud of me,that I have such a strong faith"
I'm sooooo far to be perfect,but I do have a strong faith, I really believe we are not alone,I do believe that God hear and answer our prayers,that doesn't matter how difficult is our moment he knows that we're stronger than we think we're. We sometimes see ourselves so weak,so fragile,so small,we forget who we really are

Os animais

Quanto mais conheco os homens, sua natureza, sua capacidade de maldade e de guardar rancor por tantos anos. Sua rapides de julgar, de apontar o dedo e atirar pedras, de condenar antes mesmo de dar ao proximo o direito de defesa e julgamento.
Sua mente poluida, sua inabilidade de perdoar e esquecer os erros alheios, como se apenas si mesmo fosse humano o bastante para errar e ser perdoado.
Quanto mais ando nas ruas, no shopping, em fim quanto mais vou aos lugares, mais vejo o preconceito e racismo, as pessoas sao rotuladas pelas marcas que usam, pelos carros que dirigem, pelos bens materiais que possuem.
Outro dia sentada no terraco fiquei maravilhada como o ceu estava azul, como as folhas, arvores, grama e as flores estavam lindas e saudaveis e ali sentada tomando um suco, lendo um livro pensei.
" Como Deus teria coragem de um dia acabar com tudo isso? " Como o ser humano pode ser tao cruel, como pode se explodir pelo prazer de matar e destruir outros em nome de Deus"
De repente o meu sorriso foi se apagando, dos meus olhos maravilhados pela beleza da natureza e criacao comecaram a rolar lagrimas, pois percebi que o meu mundo e bonito, a minha geladeira e meu pantry estao cheios e caso esteja faltando alguma coisa e so entrar no meu carro e ir comprar. Meus filhos sao saudaveis e se acaso sentem alguma coisa e os levo ao medico, compro os remedios. Eles fazem esportes, musica, o que eles quizerem, a noite meus filhos recebem muito amor e carinho, fazemos oracoes e ai dormem em camas limpas e quentinhas,
Ah! como o meu mundo e bonito e quase perfeito. Quais sao os meus problemas??? Quero emagrecer, quero, quero, quero.................................

Nao Deus, voce nao esta e nem deve ter o desejo de fechar os seus olhos para os seus filhos que sofrem injusticas, fechar os olhos para a mae que olha para seus filhos como fome sem ter o que lhe dar para comer, fechar seus olhos para a prostituicao e trafico de criancas e jovens que sao obrigadas a fazer isso, sem ter o direito de protestar ou se defender. Fechar seus olhos para as criancas e idosos abandonados, humilhados. maltratados. Fechar seus olhos para as criancas que nunca souberam o que e ser crianca, ser amadas, protegidas.

Quanto mais leio jornais, assisto as noticias, quanto mais observo o ser humano, mas tenho vontade de aprender mais e ser mais como os animais.
Eu adoro viver, adoro aprender, adoro a vida, mas quando penso no mundo real, na vida de outras pessoas, eu fecho os olhos e tento olhar dentro do meu coracao e peco Deus nao demora muito, muitos sofrem enquanto muitos vivem banalmente e agradeco pela pessoa que sou, por nao ser rancorosa e quando tenho magoas por que nao sou perfeita, talves demore, mas eu perdoo, talves nem tanto pela pessoa, mas por mim mesma, por ser pecadora e digna de perdao diario. Grata por apesar de coisas materiais, roupas, sapatos etc, isso nao representa o meu mundo, nao rotulo as pessoas por causa delas.
Tenho varios amigos de diferente niveis sociais e para mim nenhum deles e mais ou menos que o outro. Sou grata pela minha capacidade de amar, de estender a minha mao a quem precisa e nao simplesmente a quem merece. Sou grata pela capacidade de ser amiga e sou grata pelos amigos que tenho.
Sou grata pela familia que tenho, pelo amor que existe entre nos, grata por ter Deus em nossas vidas, grata pela beleza da natureza, pela pureza das criancas e dos animais. Por outro lado sou triste pela frustracao de nao entender o por que de tantas coisas, uma delas como e permitido o que acontece com as nossas criancas, a fome e a miseria, mas o homem tem seu livre arbitrio.
Quem sou eu nao minha ignorancia humana questionar as razoes de Deus.
Assisti outro dia em um programa de televisao o luxo da casa de cachorros de famosos, nao menosprezando os cachorros, por que como mencionei acima, os prefiro aos seres humanos, apenas indignada com tanta hipocrisia enquantos tantos morrem de fome.

Fishing trip

Greg had lots of fun fishing, he brought home over 50 lbs of fish.Here are some of it.

Fun Saturday

Greg went to his deep sea fishing trip, I'm so glad he went, he loves it,I went ones with him for 4 hrs and it was the longest 4 hrs of my life, I did for him, but I don't want to go again.He wants to go back to Alaska, he really enjoyed when he went over there, but he told me I'd hated it.
My aunt came visit from Houston and we made some brazilian appetizers that was so good.( pao de queijo "cheese bread" and pastel). I blow up my 1200 calories a day in one afternoon. I have to go see my dietitian on Tuesday. nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! But we had lots of fun making and eating, Monday I'll be good again, my aunt is going to make a wonderful brazilian dish tomorrow :-) We went bowling with the kids and now they're waiting for me to watch a movie. Tati is almost sleeping,she won't make 1/2 of the movie.

Doche

Doche had his little surgery, keeping him still was a challenge. It's worse than a child sometimes.We had to put gates up and we have toys all over the house,but we all love him so much. He likes to bring his little blanket with the monkey head and sit in our lap. He's so cute, I love him,I told Greg sometimes I think in getting a playmate to Doche and he gave a "look" I couldn't figured that look yet. hahaha!!!! I think I did.