The Sights

So on this lovely day I'll show you some of the things we saw -

Here's what kicking around camp looks like -

About a mile walk to where they have water access to the ocean -

Twilight in Brazil - aka 5 pm!

Looking up! Stunning!

On top of the hill, overlooking their jungley area; this is a 'before' shot of the amphitheater -

Lake Ann really needs to figure out how to get these little guys there!

In and around Receife on the weekends we saw this -

Supermercado!!!!!!  I gotta find a grocery store wherever I am!

On the way from town to camp - SO lush!

The Colonial Zone - 

Receife at night -

Shopping in an old prison!

Our Hotel overlooked the ocean; Marybeth and I somehow always ended up with the Penthouse and therefore GREAT views!

Hotel Dan Inn - I thought Dan Cook was joking when he told us!

Baby palms on the beach -

At the pool - this was pretty much the extent of my use of it...

Why Hello there!

Looking out my window from the 14th floor-

Next stop: AFRICA!

Ta Daaaaa!
While in Brazil I was reminded over and over again of God's creativity in many ways, but especially in the scenery.  Just beautiful.

On a side note, today is my 2nd Blogaversary and my friend Allison's Birthday! :)

Brazilian Nutshell

In an effort to make my trip to Brazil a readable and pleasant blogging experience for both you and me, I'm going to do a little overview here, and then do more specific posts to follow.  So here goes, I hope you enjoy your little trip as much as I did mine!

We were leaving on a jet plane...but first what's a mission trip without a ride on the bus?!

Ooo lala thank you Chinese dinner!

The sights were beautiful - it's winter there so everything is green right now!

The Friends - SO many great friendships were made!

The Campers - We all had a great time hanging out and playing with the campers 

 

The food - I just love me some food!

The fun - we had lots of great opportunities to do fun things while we were there

The Projects - Painting, clearing, arranging, photographing, dishes etc.  Whatever they needed!

The family - especially when you can really only talk to a few people, it gets to be like family! :)

Stay tuned, I'll hit on these topics and explain a little more as we go!

I've found it's hard to really describe how the trip was - so please ask questions! :)

Also - Happy GOLDEN birthday Sam!!

I'm Baaaaaaaaack!

And I'm working on photos so stay tuned!!

It was a great trip: people. places, attitudes, lessons, and so much more. 

Dan Cook said we'd leave a piece of our hearts there, and he was right.

But for me, I have to say it's good to be home.  

Here is where my whole heart is.

While I'm Away

I'm off to Brazil for the next couple weeks!  I've been looking forward to, and planning for this trip for a long while and I cant believe it's HERE!  Check out my Brazil blog for a little peek into my prep.

Here's a link to our team's Facebook Page.  Look for updates and highlights throughout our trip.

Thanks for checking in, I cant wait to share my experiences!

BFF (Betty Ford Forever)

Betty Ford's funeral hit town this week, and I was actually able to participate in a fair amount of the farewell.

On my way home I was listening to the coverage and as I approached the 96 overpass (that I cross over everyday) I realized why cars were parked and people were on the bridge - the motorcade was coming through any minute!  I got video which unfortunately is not working and I dont have time to monkey with right now!!!  So here are the still lifes!

Kari and I also went downtown to pay our respects -

BFF with my BFF

Biking for Breakfast

On Saturday my girlfriends and I hopped on our bikes and headed out for breakfast and a ride around Reeds.

Kim and Me outside the Cherie Inn

Sunday we all celebrated with Josh and Allyson as they dedicated themselves and Baby Lili to the Glory and Honor of Jesus their Savior.  Thanks for including me in your celebrations!

I also got to spend some time with my friends the Wu's. So good to see them too! :)

Ramona's Table

I ate this: 

Rating:  
Turkey - Shaved or carved; almost like Turkey dinner leftovers.  Strong flavor, a little overpowering.
Slaw - Delish.  I believe it was made from scratch, a sweeter but not strong enough flavor.  I liked the pieces of peppers. 
Bread - Great! Toasted nicely, but wasnt cutting my mouth.  Soft on the inside but not soggy. Good Rye flavor.

Dinner with Kim - Excellent!  And Congrats to her on passing yet another Super Hard Actuarial test!