The Nunez Family

1980's vintage dresses

2011-01-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

My mom found a few of my dresses and gave them to me the last time I was visiting the farm. I asked the girls to try them on for me and they at least humored me. Vivi was not so fond of her dress, but Valentina wore hers and I think would wear it again.

Our Happy Baby Boy

2011-01-25T19:47:00.001-08:00

Victor will be 4 months old in a few weeks. He is growing like a weed and sleeping better and better as the days go by. His smiles and laughs are precious.

Some December pictures

2010-12-18T21:01:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-27T12:27:00.001-08:00

We had Thanksgiving at our home this year. Here are some pictures:

Cookie painting

2010-11-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

Baking cookies is becoming a favorite activity of the girls aside from eating them. Painting the cookies is a bonus.

Pad Thai

2010-11-27T12:13:00.001-08:00

Jen has been making new vegan dishes and experimenting in the kitchen in since I quit eating meat or dairy in March 2010. We now have a handful of family favorites and this is one of them, Tofu Pad Thai. Come visit us and request this...you will not be disappointed.

Victor Manuel Nunez

2010-10-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Victor Manuel Nunez was born at 4:28 PM on October 7th, 2010. He weighed 8 pounds 11 ounces and was 22 inches long. Here are some pictures over the past 2 days.

Boating

2010-08-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Picture from this weekend on the Cedar River. The girls like boating, waving at the boys on jet skis, and eating sandwiches.

Insight in Italy

2010-08-20T11:32:00.001-07:00

I was in Italy visiting a friend where we stopped to throw (skip) rocks on the river. I ended up walking down a little by myself when I saw a clump of debris (sticks) stuck on the rocks from what seemed to be from receeded water from a previous down pour. Like a boy I wanted to set the sticks free to flow with the river and most of them did just that.

With the exception of a big stick about an inch in diameter and 3-4 feet in length that got stuck between the rocks and now fast moving water. As I watched the stick get mauled between the rock and the fast moving water I had an insight. The sticks resistance change to go where the powerful flow wanted it to go was causing it to take on some serious pain and abuse. If left alone the stick would eventually be broken in half. Attributing that to my life I thought of myself and my God given purpose. For the past ~15 years I have resisted God, His callings, and the changes needed in my life. At that moment I realized that I was no different than the stick....stuck, tired, drowning, alone, and not at peace.

I am no where close to the person that I need to become, but I have learned this summer that who I used to be was unacceptable and therefore I am commited to doing whatever it takes to become the best dad, spouse, leader, and servant of God that I can be.

An Inspiration

2010-08-11T04:10:00.000-07:00

When one thinks about being inspired one typically think of adults, but yesterday I was inspired by Vivi. For the past 2 weeks Vivi has been going to swimming lessons and has really been excelling. It is easy to see that swimming is her first passion in life.

I took Vivi to the high school pool last night to practice swimming where the pool is just deep enough that she cannot touch the bottom. That would be enough to keep most kids from jumping in, but not Vivi she just jumps in as far as she can get into the pool. And she will intentionally move 5-8 ft from me so she can do a nice belly flop and swim back to the ledge by herself. And when she is struggling and I am about to help she will shout "dad don't touch me" as her mouth is the only thing above water.

Just imagine what faith and courage it must require to jump into something that you know is literally over your head and that you can't do. That you will literally sink or swim. Imagine being exhausted after jumping in the pool, swimming inefficiently, and climbing out for 1 hour at 100% effort without quitting or wanting to take breaks. Wow! My daughter is a reminder to me what is possible with faith, courage, heart, and persistance. Vivi's gifts to this world are now coming out and I am excited to see her use them to impact others. My challenge is to help Vivi realize her gifts and expand on them.

Attitudes

2010-08-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

Jen and I served the church this weekend by helping with some kids games. We probably had 150 kids total. The kids were from K-5th grade and the game was a bean bag toss with 4 targets and about 4-6 different flavors of bean bag sizes and colors. I learned how early our kids can get poor attitudes and bad beliefs. Here were 2 of the most common comments that I heard from our next generation of leaders.

I can't hit the target with the bean bag.
I did not get the color bean bag that I wanted.

I responded in the following ways:

Don't play a victim when you do not like the gifts that God has given you and you prefer the gifts bestowed upon others. Don't envy what your teammate has. Be thankful for your gifts and use them to the best of your abilities.
You can do anything that you choose to do. The only person that can hold you back is yourself. If you say you cannot do it...you are right...you can't.

Becoming a man

2010-08-08T11:35:00.001-07:00

It is strange how time changes and evolves a person. Growing up reading was my (Josh) weakest subject and therefore I did not read (I can go into more about how this paradigm held me back another day). I distinctly remembering after graduating from Iowa State having an attitude that I was done learning (at least from books). What a poor attitude I have at such a young age (2002-2007), but thanks to God for attitudes and people do change with time and I now read almost daily. I am not the same person I was 1 year ago. What is great about this is that Jen reads the same books so we grow and evolve together, and as a result our relationship is getting better every day.

My goal for 2010 was to read 12 books and I have already reached my goal in August. I attibute hunger and passion for learning to the transformations I am making, clarity I now have, and being able to help others. For those that want to change their lives here are some books that I had read in the last year and all have impacted me in a positive way:

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiosaki
Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath
Secrets of a Millionaire Mind by T Harv Eker

Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
You Were Born Rich by Bob Proctor
The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley
The Contrarians Guide to Leadership by Steven Sample
The Bible (random books)
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
How We Lead Matters by Marylon Carlson Nelson
The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles
Magnificant Obsession by Llyod Douglas
Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale
Tony Robbins PowerTalk! series audiobooks
Bob Proctor's Six Minutes to Success daily videos

Improving my faith in God, becoming a better spouse, becoming a more loving and present dad, and becoming the best I can has become my obsession in 2010. If you have books that have impacted you in a way that helped you to become a better person please give me your recommendations and how it changed you.

What I have learned from all of this is that you are either getting better or you are getting worse (dying). Which way are you moving?

Feed'n the fish

2010-08-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

We went to Manchester last weekend to the feed the trout at the fish hatchery and have a snack. The girls (and daddy) really like feeding the trout in Spearfish, SD. Here are some pictures.

Glider flight

2010-08-07T05:20:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Josh, Vivi, and Robin few in gliders.

Gymnastics

2010-06-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

Viviane went to her first day of gymnastics camp this morning and loved it. The camp included sessions of dance, gymnastics, crafts, and games. Plus they had free time to play on the equipment. There were about 20 kids ranging in ages from 3-14. I'm really excited for her to develop some skills and enjoy a sport. We'll go back again on Wednesday and then be off for awhile for our trip to South Dakota!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

I couldn't get them to sit nicely with their arms around each other and smile for a picture. Instead, I asked them get up on the table and lay down while I stood on a chair to take their picture. They thought this was hilarious. Now I'll probably have to spend a week or two telling them to get off the table.

Valentina's 2nd birthday and some cat pictures

2010-06-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

June 12, 2008

A very cool winter day in Tres de Maio.

Valentina and her birthday cake, 2 years later.

Viviane enjoying Valentina's bubble maker.

Valentina learning how to handle the kittens at the Gray Farm.

Valentina loving the kittens.

None of the kittens used in this photo shoot were harmed.

Pictures from the past few months

2010-06-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

Our new kitchen table, Valentine's Day 2010

Tony Robbins conference, March 2010

Valentina with crayons and stickers, January 2010.
(See how much she's changed in just a few months!)

Viviane with her painting.

Chloe.

She doesn't get along with the girls so well, but they still like to include her.

Playing together!

Bubbles.

Viviane picking blue bells, April 15th.

Valentina looking at the bees on the Azalea, April 15th.

Viviane.

Vivi's first haircut, May 8th.

Valentina and Vivi at the Dorns', Memorial Weekend.

This picture just cracks me up.

Valentina riding Chief with Susie.

Viviane.

Valentina.

Tree frog at the farm.

The girls smiling for their dad who's in Germany.

Vivi dancing.

She's become infatuated with muscles, bones, and stretching since studying with her Aunt Susie.

What's going on...

2010-06-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

it's 7:18am and I just found my flipflops. I cannot stand walking around the house barefoot anymore. Something I developed in Brazil with the house floors constantly dirty from either red dust blowing in from the streets or the bugs.
the girls are still sleeping.
we're having a boy in October.
I've uploaded a bunch of pictures that have been sitting on our camera for a month or so.
I read this blog last night before going to bed and it made me LOL: http://www.notesfromthetrenches.com/
Josh is in Germany and soon to be in Italy for a few days to visit a college friend. They are going to Venice for a day.
the girls and I are going to church this morning for the first Bible study of the summer.
out my window it looks like a misty morning.
Valentina's 2 year check-up is today.
I've been reading: Emotional Intelligence, Goleman. The Happiness Project, Rubin. and plan to start How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, Faber & Mazlish.

Baby #3

2010-05-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot how to post on this blog...it's been awhile. As of today, Baby #3 is at 19 weeks, due October 14th. This pregnancy has been relatively easy compared to the first two except for about 2 months of nausea. When we found out in February everything was fine. By the beginning of March, the smell of food was making me sick and I was constantly tired even after sleeping 12 hour nights and 2 to 3 hour naps when the girls slept. That all went away though by about week 16 or 17.

During this time I was missing Brazil more than I had missed it since we’d moved back to the U.S. I missed the doctors and even more importantly my maid. During my second pregnancy, I didn’t have to clean or cook. Cooking for the girls was definitely the most challenging part. They have to eat and someone has to cook for them.

Now at 19 weeks everything is pretty much back to normal. I’m no longer sick, no longer missing my maid, and happy with the OB doctor that we’ve found. The doctor visits are similar to those we had in Brazil. The main difference is ultra sounds are not done at every appointment and everyone speaks English. Portuguese is fun, but sometimes, it’s just really nice to be able to speak English.

We have our middle of the pregnancy ultra sound scheduled for June 3rd and find out if we’re having a boy or a girl. We’re not particular just praying that the baby is healthy.

Vivi at three and a half has been really fun with this pregnancy too. Yesterday, we were laughing about something and she said, “Mommy is the baby laughing? Did she think that is funny?” And every so often out of the blue Vivi will ask, “Mommy how’s the baby doing today?”

Eyes Up and Ears Open

2010-04-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

When I worked as an intern at the Indianapolis Museum of Art I caught a glimpse of brilliant red fly high in the oak trees above me. The gardener I was with told me it was a Scarlet Tanager, a bird very rare to the Museum grounds. He told me, “Always keep your eyes up and your ears open.” You never know when you’re going to see a Scarlet Tanager again.
Before working at the Museum, I didn’t listen to the difference in birdsongs and I definitely didn’t spend time looking up in trees trying to identify birds not only by color but by flight pattern. To me, just about all birds were Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red-winged black birds or LBJs (Little Brown Jobs). I had no appreciation for the art of bird watching. But I learned…
Fast forward a little more than 10 years and now we have Vivi. If she’s scared of anything, it’s the owls outside her window hooting at night. Josh tried calming her fears by finding owl calls on the internet and showing her pictures of different types of owls. I think this has helped her with her owl fear.
Josh also played some other birdsongs for her including the Cardinal. Yesterday, Vivi and I were outside and she heard a bird. She said, “Mommy, it’s a Cardinal!” I looked around and saw nothing. “I’m not sure Viv. I don’t see one.” Then it called again. “Yes, Mommy. That’s a Cardinal. I hear it.” So it was.
So tonight, I told Josh about how Vivi identified a Cardinal. He played some more birdsongs for the girls. While they were listening they looked out the window to our backyard and saw a Scarlet Tanager. I wasn’t in the room and didn’t see it. But a little while later, it came back. At first glance you might mistake it for a Cardinal, but it’s so much more brilliant.
Seeing beautiful birds like the Scarlet Tanager or Indigo Bunting out in nature going about their own business is so lovely. I hope to past that love down to Vivi and Val so that they have a head start on their mama and don’t have to go around calling everything LBJs.

Four Wheeler

2010-04-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Josh finalized one of his 2010 goals by selling the four wheeler that he's had since high school. Before advertising he cleaned it up and rode around our yard with Vivi. It was a bittersweet day for him the day he sold it. A fellow John Deere employee bought it to add to his four wheeler collection.

Over the last few months...

We found out we're having another baby, due in October.
I joined a MOPS group and started attending meeting in February.
We invested in our first rental property.
Josh and I traveled to Florida to Tony Robbins seminar in March, first trip together without the girls.
Due to the seminar Josh stopped eating meat and dairy (yikes!). I’ve just stopped eating meat (most of the time) and reduced dairy.
We came home in March to our basement flooded due to the quick snow melt. Oh well…at least there was no more snow outside when we returned from Florida.
I’m so happy that winter is finally over. It was a long one, especially, after 3 southern Brazil winters.
We settled on Prairie Lakes Church for our home church.
Vivi’s new words lately have been fabulous, delicious, and decorations. I love deciphering her 3 and 4 syllable words.
Valentina is learning to use the potty. I’m planning to start potty training this summer.
We bought a bicycle and tricycle for the girls. They ride them everyday it’s not raining.
We spotted a scarlet tanager in our yard this evening. It’s going to be a great summer!

Icicles

2010-02-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

Not sure if this is a good thing for a house, but they are interesting to look at. Probably the only thing growing in our yard this winter.

Makes Me Laugh

2010-02-12T12:15:00.001-08:00

The girls have been up to a lot lately, growing and changing, etc. etc. For a lack of time, here are two of my favorites:

Vivi
We've checked out videos from the church that we've been attending. Last weekend we checked out The Beginner's Bible video on Jesus and his miracles. Vivi has watched it many times over. Enough to have memorized a few of the lines. The other day I heard her say, "Jesus? Is that you?!" Now at first, I was a little taken back at to what in the world she was talking about, but then I remembered the video and the scene with Jesus and his disciples after Easter. So throughout the day, I hear Vivi saying, "Jesus? Is that you?"

Valentina
I started going to MOPS on Thursday mornings. I kept delaying attending the meetings because I knew I was going to have to leave Valentina in the nursery and she doesn't like to be left and cries and cries. Finally, I decided we needed to get out of the house and we went. I dropped her off and she cried a lot, but the nursery attendents said they would come and get me if she cried more than ten minutes. No one came to find me. Afterwards, I went to pick her up. Usually you have to show a sticker with a number that matches your child's number. With Valentina, it's not necessary. The instant she sees me, she comes run and yells with all her might, MAMA!!. Her whole body shakes at she is screaming my name. Once I pick her up, she keeps saying "mama, mama, mama" over and over smiling.

Financial calculators...who knows how to use these things anyway?

2010-01-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day back to school and my 2nd semester since being back from Brazil. For those that did not know I started taking classes at the University of Iowa working towards a business degree. Shortly I will be a Hawkeye. After taking 1 class last semester I upped the # of classes to 2 this semester. Jen says that I just need to get this done and need 15 classes to do that. Taking 2 classes per semester and intersessions I think I can be done in ~3 years.

This semester I am taking Managerial Finance and Management in Organizations. Today's struggle was trying to figure out how to use a financial calculator after having used an Engineering calculator for the past 15 years. It will take some getting used to. I just need to read the manual and do a lot of problems.

If any of you are experts at Financial Calculators let me know.

Christmas

2010-01-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Christmas. Highlights were Anna Maria Island, FL despite being cold. And the Tennessee acquarium where there were no other people. By the way....shark cage diving is now on my (Josh only) list of things to do along with other things that I have previously been afraid to do.

We survived over 50 hours of driving with only 1 book. We thought about getting a DVD player for the van, but glad that we did without.

5 days with Daddy

2010-01-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

The girls had 5 days with daddy last weekend while mommy went to California with her mom and dad to visit family. The most challenging days were the ones were there was little to no afternoon naps. We got through them, however we were excited to see mommy Monday at mid-night.

Here are some pictures from the long weekend.

Aquariums

2010-01-22T15:04:00.000-08:00

In the past month I've become an aquarium enthusiast. Not on purpose though. I can remember going to only one other aquarium (in Atlanta) before this past month. And, I don't really recollect much of that visit since I was sick with my first pregnancy and was suffering too much to enjoy it. Since December 23rd I've been to an aquarium in Chattanooga, TN, Tampa, FL, and Monterey, CA.

On the drive down to Florida for Christmas we stopped at the aquarium in Chattanoga. The aquarium consists of two big glass houses, one for river animals and the other for sea animals. The best thing about this visit was our timing. We arrived at 5pm on December 23rd and we were about the only visitors. The girls were able to run from exhibit to exhibit and stretch their legs after sitting for hours in the car. The Tampa aquarium was similar to Chattanooga in that when you arrive you take an elevator to the top of the aquarium and walk your way down through the exhibits. Both of these aquariums had touch tanks with sting rays and other fish. Vivi wasn't too keen on the idea of touching fish. The girls loved the sharks and the big fish. In Monterey, we just happened to arrive at the large tank when the scuba divers were working. I actually enjoyed watching them just as much as the fish! The nice thing about each of these aquariums is that they focus on the native animals from each area, plus exotic animals from around the world.

I was searching on youtube for aquariums and found a video of an aquarium in Japan. It's awesome and so peaceful. Valentina watched it with me and kept shouting "Fish! Fish!" I didn't even notice the scuba divers until the end the first time I watched the video. I also love the guy who puts his arms up in the air for a picture. That is exactly what we did for pictures in front of the big tanks. Why is that? Being able to listen to the music and just sit back and watch the tank from your computer chair or couch or wherever you are is definitely more enjoyable than having to weave through the crowds. Maybe someday I'll go to this aquarium.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7deClndzQw

Two Shepherds

2009-12-16T08:56:00.001-08:00

We went to my parents' church on Sunday evening to see the live nativity. Every Sunday for as long as I can remember the First Friends Church in Grinnell has put on this live nativity that anyone can drive through to see the baby Jesus, Mary, Joesph, angel, wisemen, shepherds, and animals. Last Sunday was the first time our girls saw it. Vivi went outside a couple times and I guess she was more observant than I thought. Last night she put a blanket over her head and said, "Look mama! I'm a pepherd!" Then Valentina saw her and started saying, "Shep, Shep, Shep!" Together they say, Shepherd, very well. So this is a picture from last night. We used a couple of Josh's ties to keep the blankets in place. Luke 2:8-14

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angels, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Family Pictures

2009-11-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

I'm posting these two pictures because I just love them. I think they show us all at our best. We took them a little over a week ago right before Josh left for a weekend seminar in Chicago. I took the picture of Josh and the girls. And then Vivi took the picture of Josh and me.

I hope this is how Vivi remembers us when she is older. As the two parents who just love her and are smiling down on her. She really is a sweetheart and full of life. I'm so happy and grateful that I'm her mommy.

First House Guests

2009-11-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Supper on Friday night

Our first house guests to our new home in Cedar Falls came to spend Friday evening and Saturday with us. It was a great time for us to get together, laugh about the past, and watch our future play together. Since it was a 1:1 adult/child ratio, it was a busy 24 hours. After the kids went to bed on Friday night, we lit a bonfire and sat outside in the November cold until midnight staying warm by the fire. On Saturday, we went for a walk, Josh made a churrasco, and then we all went to the park. Vivi was very happy to show off her bedroom and to have some other little kids to play with. Having a little boy in the house was a rare treat, especially one with so much energy. He was all over the place and reminded me a lot of Vivi when she was younger! Brecken and Val were born four days apart so it's so much fun to see them together. The other great thing about our children is that they're all redheads!

Some things we learned:

1. Don't attempt to play a board game and expect to have small children entertain themselves. We gave that up and all went to the park.

2. An outdoor churrasco in Iowa in November is too cold. The meat cooks but it gets cold fast. Half the espeto is cold by the time it comes off the fire. I think we're retiring the churrasco pit until March.

3. Four children is a lot of work. It's best just to sit back and not expect to do too much except keep track of them.

4. We loved having guests over and are looking forward to having many, many more.

At the park this afternoon with the two daddys, Vivi, Emme, Val, and Breck.

Our Girls

2009-10-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

Viviane in her room with her horse

Vivi loves horses. She talks about my sister's 5 horses often. This stuffed horse is the mama and there is a baby horse as well that Vivi and Valentina are learning to share. About everyday they argue about who should have which horse. Once it ended in me taking both horses away, but since then, they only need one warning to settle their own disputes over the horses. Vivi is not fully potty trained but well on her way. She is sleeping in her own twin bed and no longer has the convertible crib. She likes to listen to Once upon a time... stories that we make up when she goes to bed. She was singing the ABCs in Portuguese this week thanks to Barney. We've been learning some songs in Portuguese together. She understands Portuguese but only speaks it when I ask her specifically how something is said in Portuguese. If I speak in Portuguese, she'll just respond in English. However, sometimes she will speak a little more if we watch a video in Portuguese. Vivi loves wearing dresses. If I don't put one on her at night, she'll get into her closet and find one to wear on her own. She is very caring. If Valentina starts to cry, she instantly runs to her and hugs her saying, that's okay, Tia.

Valentina Marie

Valentina's little personality has just blossomed over the last four months that we've been living in Cedar Falls. She is babbling/talking, walking/running, dancing, playing with Vivi, and she loves hugging and kissing. This past week she picked up my phone, opened it up, and said Hi, what are you doing?. And tonight as we were getting ready for bed I heard her say, Moomoo, where are you? when she was looking for her stuffed cow. I've been using cloth diapers with her regularly now and rarely use a disposable diaper. Her eye teeth are starting to come in now and they've been bothering her a little. After her eye teeth, she will only need four more back molars. She likes running and chasing people and then to be chased. She is so good at helping me get her dressed. And she loves wearing her tennis shoes.

Trick or Treat

2009-10-31T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is what the front of our house looked like tonight for Halloween. We took the girls downtown for tricker-treatering at 3:30pm, had supper at Panera, and then went back to our house just in time to pass out candy. Vivi fully enjoyed greeting everyone with a "Happy Halloween" and then giving exactly one piece of candy to each person. Some kids were not exactly excited about just one piece of candy, but who's going to argue with a 3 year old.

The Pumpkin

Spiderman (Vinnie, our friends' son), Snow White (Vivi), Josh, and the Pumpkin (Val) eating candy afterwards and checking for peanuts.

Faces

2009-10-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've been going through pictures that we've taken this month and I came across this one that made me laugh. I cannot remember what was happening here, but it looks like Vivi is upset at something and Valentina is denying she had anything to do with upseting Vivi.

Also, this was the first time we raked leaves and Vivi loved helping!!

Pumpkin Farm

2009-10-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to a pumpkin farm outside of Waterloo close to where Josh works. Besides the loud noise of Pumpkinator scaring Vivi and the haunted house scaring me, we had a good time.

Valentina and Vivi, Fall 2009.

Vivi picking out pumpkins.

The Pumpkinator shooting at a school bus.

Hayride

The entrance of the corn maze.

A Beautiful Autumn Day

2009-10-22T05:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those beautiful, magical autumn days in Cedar Falls. The weather was warm, the sky was blue, and the leaves were falling. We took advantage of the afternoon in our yard.

The girls racing around the yard.

Vivi walking around our house.

Valentina 'the cutie pie'.

Halloween costumes and the new potty

2009-10-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

The big highlights in our house the past few weeks have been the new little potty, successfully using the toilet, and halloween costumes. I bought a pumpkin costume for Val and a super girl costume for Vivi. Vivi was not thrilled with the super girl costume and soon became attached to the pumpkin costume. This happened the same day the little potty arrived which Valentina liked more than Vivi. I ordered the potty after a very frustrating unsuccessful day of Vivi using the toilet.

Vivi instructing Valentina.

I returned the super girl costume for something that hopefully Vivi will like better and use for more than just halloween...a Snow White dress and tiara. It's been a big hit.

Vivi in midair, dancing.

Seasons

2009-10-01T18:24:00.000-07:00

I've told Vivi that when the leaves fall that means it's autumn. Now whenever she sees leaves falling she says, "Mama look! It’s autumn."

I’ve realize that my perception of time is heavily influenced by the seasons. When we lived in Horizontina, the seasons changed although the change was so faint I barely noticed the difference between spring, summer, or autumn. And for that matter, sometimes winter even seemed like summer (except for those weeks of 40 degree weather both outside and inside the house).

There were even times while living in Horizontina I would be confused as to what month it was. Partly because the seasons are opposite south of the equator, but also because it’s just so warm all the time. I’d be thinking, what a beautiful, July day it is. Wait, it’s not July, it’s September! I’m three months behind.

Now, we’ve been in Cedar Falls for three months. Horizontina and our time there seems so distant. And, I have no doubt in which season I am in. It is October. The leaves are falling. And soon it will be snowing. We might be blessed and have a few more warm days, but face it Jen, it’s not going to get much warmer until maybe March.

Little Blessings from Today

2009-09-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few nice moments from today. I wish I had photos except stopping for the mama paparazzi probably would have ruined the moment.

1. The girls and I were playing in Vivi's room this morning. Vivi has a fascination with jumping. I was sitting on the floor and she jumped over my leg without hitting it which was delightful for both of us. Then I laid down and she wanted to jump over my stomach. I was a little nervous about this and couldn't help but react with fear of her hitting my stomach. However, I let her go ahead and like I thought she hit my side. I cried out in a little pain. Valentina's reaction was precious. She had this sad, compassionate look on her face. She walked over, laid down on top of me, and just hugged me. So cute!

2. I am working on being more patient with Vivi. Sometimes at bedtime, I just want to put Vivi in bed, say goodnight, and walk out for "Jen's time". This evening before she went to bed I spent about 30 minutes with her in her room singing and talking. She seems so much older now with her facial expressions and the things she says. I cannot really pinpoint an exact moment or thing she said but those 30 minutes were a treasure and well worth the patience.

3. I read a blog post today about the direct correlation between responsibility and privilege when raising kids. It went like this, “Too many privileges, too little responsibility produces a very snitty attitude. Too many responsibilities with no privileges produces resentment. [Children] are much happier when they see how they are an integral part of [a] household and family.”

So I applied it today with Vivi. We’ve been working on using the potty, however, Vivi is still using diapers and is not close to being potty trained yet. I decided today we would start trying harder. I haven’t read any books on potty training (which is kind of unusual for me), but my idea is just to put panties on her while we are in the house and continually take her to the toilet throughout the day. If she has an accident, fine…we just change clothes. Her responsibility is to use the toilet. Her privilege…I showed her the laundry chute and what it is used for. Up until today, I’ve specifically avoided using the laundry chute in front of the girls for fear of having all kinds of knick-knacks thrown down it to the basement. Now Vivi has the privilege of using it and helping gather dirty laundry. And she loves it.

As for the potty training bit…after a few accidents in the morning, she did a beautiful job in the afternoon. We’ll see how things progress.

Churrascos in Iowa

2009-09-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Another churrasco was in order since Josh has been asked to cater a Brazilian Churrasco for a small group of business men in Cedar Falls. He is under the gun to master the differences and is working on perfecting the experience at home with friends. The following picture is from this weekend's churrasco. Next weekend we will do the same thing for Josh's co-workers and their families.

So far we have been able to find a local butcher to prepare the cuts of meat desired, but we still need to figure out some other things to make it even more enjoyable. More to come.

New Hobby

2009-09-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have a new hobby...cloth diapers. This hobby has been sitting as an idea for a little more than two years when my sister mentioned that she would use cloth diapers. Back then I thought, umph, who does that? I don't know, nor have I met, a single person who currently uses cloth diapers with their babies. And I didn't think much more about it until the past three months when Vivi and I have been talking about recycling and why we recycle. I didn't feel good about the amount of disposable diapers I was throwing away every day.

In August I did a search on cloth diapers and was introduced to a whole new diapering world. It probably took me two weeks to decide on the type of diaper I was going to experiment with first. You can find one-size diapers (pictured), pocket diapers, contour diapers, fitted diapers, prefold diapers, nighttime diapers, AIO (all in one) diapers, flat diapers (a.k.a. the type of diaper my mom used in the 70's), newborn diapers, swim diapers, and training diapers, just to mention a few. The diapers come in cotton, wool, hemp, and bamboo fabrics, organic or not, with snaps or Velcro. Then you decide on a diaper cover which is required for most of diapers to keep the mess confined.

I settled on unbleached Chinese prefold diapers, a couple fitted diapers, and a couple diaper covers. I chose the prefolds because they were cheaper and had good reviews. I bought the fitted diapers just for fear that I wouldn’t like the prefolds. The day they arrived I was so excited. I have been slow to use them because of the chain of events that happened with our sea shipment arriving and unpacking, sicknesses, Vivi’s birthday party, and trips to visit friends and family. However, I finally began using them this past Monday with Valentina and it’s been awesome.

Thus far I’ve learned that I love using prefold diapers, the fitted diapers work best at night, and I need more diaper covers.

Worms in my apples

2009-09-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

My sister sent me home on Sunday with a grocery sack full of apples. They were from the neighbor's apples trees and not very pretty looking mostly full of worm holes, if not worms themselves. I decided today to cut them up and try to make something out of them. I was not looking forward to the worms and I doubted slicing apples was going to hold the girls' attention for very long. However, to my delight, the worms ended up being the highlight of the morning. Vivi was fully entertained playing with them and showing Valentina her collection. Thanks to the worms I was able to get my job accomplished.

Josh's German experience (Part 1)

2009-09-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

I have spent the past 10 days in Germany. This trip has been good for me. During this trip I have had opportunities to overcome some fears.

The following picture is of a swing ride that was at least 200 feet in the air. I really do not like heights.

This picture is of me doing kareoke. I really do not like getting in front of others. This was the 2nd time in my life that I did this. I was initially scared, but after the first song "You never even called me by my name" by David Allen Coe I was up for 3 or 4 more. The picture below is of me singing Guns N Roses "Patience" with a co-worker.

A 3rd fear that I overcame was speed. I was able to get up to 190 km/hr (~115 mph) on the German Autobahn.

This was a picture of a guy at Octoberfest. I would say that 75% of the people were dressed like this.
A woman selling cookies.

A woman selling pretzels.

A woman bringing out beers at one of the beer tents.

A foot long brat at Octoberfest.

Cowgirl in pink

2009-09-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from last weekend of Vivi getting ready to ride Maggio. She wasn't to keen on wearing the hat until she saw everyone else with their hats. She loves the horses.

Churrasco

2009-09-15T19:05:00.001-07:00

This picture was not taken in Brazil but in Iowa!

Josh hosted our first churrasco on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. It was a wonderful time and well worth all the planning.

To prepare for this day, Josh first found a butcher and explained to him what pieces of meat he wanted and how they should be cut. Josh had the help of Gladimir, a fellow Brazilian-expat, for this. On the day of the party, Josh, Gladimir, and Eduardo, Gladimir's son, met at 5:30am to drive to the farm to start the ribs by 7:30am. The ribs need to cook for 6 hours. It was a beautiful day. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Josh was exhausted by the end of it but he said it was well worth it and maybe even found a new calling...Churrasco Chef!

Three Years for Vivi

2009-09-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Vivi's birthday on Saturday afternoon with supper, cake, and of course, presents. She was all smiles and happy to have a party.

Graduated

2009-09-15T18:47:00.000-07:00

Valentina drank milk out of her regular straw bottle today so I put the baby bottles away!! This probably seems like no feat to most people, but Vivi stuck with her bottle until she was 2. It is great to be done with them!

2009-09-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Our sea shipment has a arrived!!! Actually, it arrived about a week ago and since then we've been unpacking, celebrated Vivi's birthday (she's 3!!), I was out 2 days with the flu, Josh was home taking care of the kids because I was sick, and then Josh flew to Germany for work. I'll get some pictures on the blog this week. In the meantime, a friend of mine sent me this youtube link last week. It's fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

Viviane Mae Nunez, Photo collection I

2009-09-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

These photos were all taken by Vivi. Got to give credit where credit's due. She has fallen in love with taking pictures. You can see the world through her eyes.

Mama in the kitchen.

Valentina. (This photo has a striking resemblance to one of Val's final ultrasounds. Don't quite know how Vivi pulled this one off.)

Running through the living room.

Pile of books on the floor.

The table at eye level.

Aunt Susie with her 29th year birthday present.

The Year at Maple Hill Farm

2009-09-01T19:09:00.000-07:00

We are reading The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen this week. The best part for the girls are the illustrations. They're beautiful. Viv is still naming all the horses on every page, "There's Rio, Ranger, Magio, Vana, and Chief." (The names of my sister's horses.) The book begins in January and goes through all the seasons with life on a farm.

Passing the Torch

2009-09-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

If there was such a thing as a naughtiness torch, I think Vivi just passed it on to Valentina. At almost 3, Vivi seems to now understand that when Mama or Daddy says ‘no’ or ‘don’t do that’ or ‘please keep your fingers out of your cup’ (etc.) that we actually mean it. And she listens…some of the time. Hooray!!! Now it’s Valentina’s turn.

On Tuesday evenings Josh has a class in Cedar Rapids and I’m at home with the girls. Bathing, dressing and getting ready for bed is always interesting when it’s me versus them. We dash from the bathroom to Valentina’s room and shut the door so that no one escapes (i.e. falls down the stairs) and so I can dress them and dry Vivi’s hair. Tonight, Valentina was determined to climb on top of the changing table beside Vivi. I pulled her down for what seemed like the 15th time and said, “Enough, we don't climb on top of the changing table. Next time you’re going in the crib.” Of course, she climbed again and chose to go in the crib. She then progressed with the biggest temper tantrum a little girl her size could muster. Her face was red, she screamed, she cried, she threw herself against the bed and then stood up just to do it all over again. This lasted for maybe 5 minutes while I stood calmly looking away drying Vivi’s hair. Thank goodness for the hum of the hairdryer. Vivi kept saying, “Mama, Tia’s crying. Tia’s sad.” I just said, “Yes, that’s because she didn’t listen to Mama.”

After Vivi’s hair was dry, I picked a somewhat subdued Valentina up, gave her a big hug, and explained that she needed to start listening to mama. Personally, I think kids at this age understand a whole lot more than we give them credit. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of understanding for Valentina.

Make way for ducklings

2009-08-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

I went to the library and brought home a group of books for the girls. Make way for ducklings has been Vivi's favorite so far. There is a lot of great things about this book. First, I think I slightly remember it from when I was little, at least I remember the cover. Second, the ducks fly to a Public Garden (of all places!). I did not know this before reading it the first time to Viv. As a horticulturist, how great is that! Third and probably the best, she's been learning a lot of new vocabulary. This week she's already used: public garden, river bank, mallard, and highway outside the context of the book. So we're taking advantage of our local library and all the books available.

An average day

2009-08-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Vivi and I took these pictures last Friday morning. Valentina was still sleeping and we were messing with the camera.

We see lot of squirrels, chipmunks, and birds out the windows. Always something to watch.

Vivi took this one.

She took this one of Horse eating breakfast.

Later in the day we made rice krispy treats. She loves stirring. You can see the floor that Josh tiled from this picture too. Looking over Vivi's arm is the doorway into the four season room where he started the tiling project. We have a small dining table in this room for everyday meals.

And this is one side of the kitchen and the floor looking at the doorway to the basement. So the tiling project is done for the most part. Just a few things left to finish. It looks great and it's so much better than the prior carpet and linoleum.

Iowa State Fair

2009-08-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from Vivi's first trip to the Iowa State Fair. We left Valentina with my parents and the three of us went the Fair on the 17th. It was the first time I'd been to the Fair in 4 years and even though Josh calls me an Iowa State Fair guru, I thought a lot had changed. Plus, this was the first time I got to experience the Fair through Vivi.

Lunch at the Beef Tent.

Some really nice man let Vivi sit on the bleechers while we waited for the Brown Bear show to begin.

This was not my idea. Vivi ran for these and said, "Mama, come on!"

Petting a lamb at the Learning Center.

One of the pig litters.

Not interested in the magic ag show. We left shortly after this picture.

The Little Hands on the Farm exhibit was great. Vivi walked through all the stations. Here she is getting vegetables from the garden.

Then she picked apples off the trees. Everything is fake but she still had to try it out.

Driving a tractor.

Milking a cow was her favorite. I think she's been fascinated with milking cows since we went to the fair in Santo Angelo in May. We went to the Youth Pavillion in Waterloo last week and they have a cow to milk which she returned to many times over.

Playing at a playground near the Cultural building.

Gaúcho Music Night

2009-08-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

After supper and before baths, we had Gaúcho music night. Vivi found the Rio Grande do Sul flag and used it as her dress. She loves dancing and spinning around and jumping to the music.

Neal Smith and Pella

2009-08-22T17:42:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday afternoon we drove to Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge to see the buffalo and then to Pella before heading back to Jen's parents' house. We caught a glimpse of the buffalo and took some pictures near a windmill in Pella.

Valentina slept through seeing the buffalo.

Josh, Valentina, and Vivi at the base of a big windmill in Pella.

Gray Reunion, 2009

2009-08-19T05:16:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we traveled to my parents farm for a family reunion. This reunion included everyone on my great-grandfather's side, Walter and Grace Gray (paternal great). There were about 40 of us that attended. People came from California, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois, Georgia, and New Jersey. The girls had a great time playing with their cousins.

Valentina loves eating sweet corn.

Jane fench braiding Vivi's hair.

Valentina's first braid.

Emily, Susie, Vivi, and Jane

Susie, Vivi, and Jen

Vivi and Rio

Vivi wishing she could "go fast".

Emily and Chief

Phyllis and Janice

Josh and Dave at the start of the Adventure Race.

Getting instructions for the Adventure Race.

Dave and Jane

Dave, Josh, Jane, and Jon

Three legged race down the river.

Jon and Josh filling buckets.

The oldest and youngest at the reunion, Maxine and Valentina.

Vivi, Collete, Katie, and Chief

Jen, Josh, Valentina, and Vivi

Everyone that went to lunch on Sunday. There were about 10 people who couldn't attend.

Vivi with the Propsoms.

Grandpa Gray and Vivi with their tie-dye t-shirts.

Jen, Susie, and Tim

Vivi and Gramma Gray

14 months of Valentina...14 months with two kids

2009-08-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

Valentina is 14 months today. Her personality is blossoming and it seems like she has really grown over the last few months. I like to describe her as calm but with a streak of humor or silliness in her. She is walking and babbling and climbing. Chairs are her hobby right now. If she sees one, she wants to climb it. She can conquer about any chair especially with the assistance of Vivi for a boost. She has her front teeth on the top and bottom and then a molar is coming in too. She'll eat almost anything still. And she has a love for her stuffed cow. We've yet to name him, so maybe we'll just call him Moo.

Waverly Parade

2009-08-12T11:56:00.001-07:00

Vivi quickly learned about firetrucks and candy at the parade in Wavery, IA a couple weekends ago. We have enough candy to get us to at least Halloween. The parade was so long (1.5 hours) that Vivi tired of picking candy up off the ground in front of her. Josh has a soft spot in his heart for Waverly, since he graduated from Wartburg in '99. I think he is determined to make Vivi a Knight. We'll see...

You can take the gauchinha out of Brazil, but you can't take Brazil out of the gauchinha

2009-08-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

In the beginning I thought it would be no big deal for Vivi to move to the US. She's adaptable, right? For the most part that has been true. But there are the little things that she is having to relearn. And, to an almost 3 year old, maybe the little things are, afterall, not so little. For example, the average complete stranger no longer speaks Portuguese (ok, just about no one speaks Portuguese) and they will not respond to Tio or Tia. You no longer have to say goodbye with a hug and kiss to the other little kids you meet at the park. Used toilet paper is now thrown away in the toilet, not in a wastecan beside the toilet. Rice and black beans are not served at lunch as often anymore.

Frankly, I haven't had time yet to miss Brazil. We've been too busy to think about it. The only times I have missed it are when Vivi mentions wanting to go home, as in our home in Horizontina. That's been difficult because I know we will not have that life again. The life she was born with and learned to know. But we will remember it and someday maybe we can go back for a visit.

Vivi dancing in the Ouro Verde

Lookout Park

2009-08-12T10:53:00.001-07:00

The girls and I have been spending a lot of mornings at Lookout Park which is about a half mile from our house. About everytime we go we meet some new moms/dads and kids. These are a couple pictures of the girls swinging this morning.

Messy

2009-08-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

I cannot find our little camera and our other camera's battery is dead and I cannot find the battery charger, so no pictures yet. They're all around here some where. Vivi was stacking her apples, cheese, and chips at lunch making some food sculptures which would have made great photos, but not this time.

The girls and I went to the farm this past weekend while Josh stayed in Cedar Falls and tiled the kitchen floor. The tiling is done. Now we just have to grout and seal it which we plan to do this week.

Vivi's favorite part of the weekend was either petting the cats or riding Chief. Her Aunt Susie took her on two rides. Vivi also got her first lesson in cleaning and trimming horse hooves. And, she has all 5 of the horses' names down. Viv is so blessed that she has the opportunity to ride horses and someone like Susie to teach her about them. As for the cats...Vivi was the first person wake on Sunday and my mom found her in the kitchen with a cat that she'd brought in from outside.

My big goals this week are to finish the kitchen floor and organize the house. The house has been a disaster since our air shipment arrived. We have boxes, clothes, toys everywhere. It's a little difficult finding things.

Welcome to our new blog

2009-08-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Iowa on the 28th of June and finally are connected again to the internet world and living in our new house. Here's what's been happening with the four of us since June 27th...

Took several long and not so long van and plane rides to arrive in the U.S.
Visited and closed on our house.
Threw candy off of Robin Gray's apple truck in the Sully, IA 4th of July parade.
Visited Jen's best friend and family from high school.
Watched Vivi be knocked over by Monroe, the big black lab.
Moved into our house after staying at a hotel for a week in Cedar Falls.
Started work at JD Waterloo Works.
Went to the park next to our house and met a few moms.
Bought a car.
Met most of our neighbors within the first week.
Went to the library and story time.
Saw some deer in our yard.
Went to the Cedar Valley Arboretum (fyi. much, much better than how the name sounds) met another mom.
Spent time unpacking and organizing our storage shipment.
Went to Walmart.
Ripped up the carpet in our 4-seasons room and began the tiling project.
Went to Target.
Drove to Iowa City to meet a fellow ex-expat and play at the Children's Museum.
Caught some fire flies.
Walked at George Wyth State Park.
Visited Nazareth Luthern Church and met someone we'd met at the park.
Watched Valentina take her first step.
Watched our Gaucho music video for the umpteenth time...(Vivi's been going through culture shock).
Met another Brazilian family in Cedar Falls.
Spoke Portuguese.
Visited Orchard Hill Church.
Went to the park and met a dad and his daughter.
Realized it would be nice to be able to watch tv but then decided it's nice without it too.
Finished the tiling project and decided to continue tiling into the kitchen.
Had supper with Robin and Denny.
Weeded a little.
Comforted/Distracted Vivi after she said, "Mama, I wanna go home."
Watched Valentina walk for the first time.
Drove to the farm.
Canoed down the river with cousins.
Rode some horses.
Went to the park and met a friend.
Met a college friend at a nearby Mexican restaurant.
Received our air shipment with all the girls' toys, the computer, etc.
Had lunch with a friend and spoke some Portuguese.
Created our new blog.