Brazil Part 1

My passport is stamped! Canada and the Bahamas let me down, but after traveling for so many hours the least I deserve is a Brazil stamp!

I want to remember everything about our trip. Writing about this experience is intimidating, so I'm breaking our vacation up into multiple posts (probably 3). Fortunately, it was like I hired a photographer to tag along with us everywhere we went. You're the best, Mom. In my phone calendar, the 17 days of our trip were blocked off as "Trip of a Lifetime." Perfect descriptor.

In this post I'll talk about travel, our pit stop in LA, and Iguazu falls.

Los Angeles

If there was an easy way to get to Ribeirão Preto, we would have picked that route in a heartbeat. There's not. Let me make it clear that the headache and time traveling was well worth it to see my parents. To help break up the long travel time, we opted to fly to LA first and spend some time with Jessica and Chris. We flew to Los Angeles the evening of Friday, May 24. After an annoying delay we arrived late only to learn that our car rental place closed at 10pm. 

It felt like we were corralling circus animals as we navigated our family through the airport. We didn't think to rent a cart for our luggage and what a terrible mistake that was. People were laughing at us as we attempted to lug 3 car seats, 5 suitcases, a stroller, and 4 backpacks around. The kids weren't at their prime at that late hour and we couldn't count on them for much help. The shuttles to the rental cars were packed and we had to wait and wait to finally be able to fit on one. 

Fortunately another car rental place was open and we lucked out and got a van! That was a positive because I doubt our stuff would've fit in the cheap and small rental I booked weeks prior. When all was said and done, we arrived at Jess and Chris' place after midnight. What a rocky start. 

All smiles before the delay, rental car disaster, and late night

Travel Break

We spent Saturday, May 25 playing tourists. Jess had a giant list of ideas. We landed on her favorite hike of all time in Malibu, Point Dume. It was stunning. We also went to a nice park near Beverly Hills. We ate some good food. My mouth is watering thinking about that pesto sandwich... We loved our time with Jess and Chris and they sure bent over backwards to make us feel at home.

Jess captured this action shot of me breastfeeding. I did not ask for this photo to be taken but I secretly kinda like it.

Long Leg

We took a direct flight from LAX to Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday, May 26. The flight was 11 hours and we landed in Brazil at 5:40am on Monday morning. The kids blew my mind and did awesome on that long journey! Penny slept for over half the flight and the older kids slept too. I got to finish my book! In case you were wondering, the meals they serve you on airplanes get 2 thumbs down. Double yuck.

Once in Brazil, it took us 45 minutes to make it through customs. We eventually made it to my parents and our reunion was frantic. My mom had pao de queijo for us which was so thoughtful. Andrew and my dad rushed most of our luggage to my parent's car. We kept one suitcase to bring with us to Iguazu falls. We zoomed through the airport and had to go back through security to make it onto our flight from Sao Paulo to Iguazu. Shoutout to my dad for being over 60 years old because we were able to go in a faster priority line to check our bag. I'm not sure if we would have made the flight otherwise. Our flight left at 8:20am and we boarded the plane immediately once we got to the gate.

Iguazu Falls

The flight to the falls was about an hour and a half which seemed like a piece of cake after the last one. My parents were also there to lend a hand. We arrived at the hotel and had lunch. Later we went to a wax museum. The weather was disappointing and 20 degrees colder than it normally is. The warmest it was while we were at the falls was 57 degrees. We weren't able to enjoy the hotel pools and outdoor spaces like we wanted, but we made the most of it. The hot tubs were fabulous and indoors and we played pool and ping-pong.

Getting used to Papa. Penelope had never met him before.

Don't be fooled. The water was frigid and the kids lasted less than 5 mins.

Tuesday morning we went to a bird park across the street from the falls called Parque Das Aves. Wow! The birds were vibrant and beautiful. It truly felt like we were in the jungle. I've never seen such colorful birds.

After it warmed up a bit, we headed to Iguazu falls. We had to take a bus to reach the falls and it was a double-decker bus. Of course our kids wanted to sit on the top because how fun is that. It proved to be chilly and let's just say we sat on the bottom on our way back. Kindly the driver stopped and let me and Penny move down to the bottom mid-ride. I have a sweet memory of my dad using his booming voice to shout "Opa" to the bus driver to stop and let some guys off. James now says Opa and it's adorable.

You can view Iguazu falls from Brazil and Argentina since it's right on the border. We stayed in Brazil. To get to Iguazu, there are different walking paths to take. The kids had plenty of energy to make it. The waterfalls were unbelievable and absolutely stunning. Nothing like I've ever seen before. They just went on and on. From top to bottom, the falls are 3/4 of a mile long. We managed to get pretty wet because the water was really coming down and we didn't even go on a boat. It's hard to describe what it was like so good thing we have oodles of pictures. A perk of the cold weather was that the falls were much less crowded than normal. Look for the rainbow in several of the shots! What a cool thing to see!

James told his school teacher, "I've been waiting my whole life to see one of the 7 wonders of the world." His teacher and I had a good laugh about that. Poor James has had to wait 7 long years. I'm still pinching myself that we got to go there.

Travel resumed

Wednesday morning, May 29 (my mom's birthday!) we flew from Iguazu Falls back to Sao Paulo. Then we drove 4 hours from the Sao Paulo airport to my parent's apartment in Ribeirão Preto. Phew! At long last, we made it to their place.

In my next post I will talk about the city of Ribeirão Preto, the food, and some activities we did there.

MAYcember

I'm taking things a day at a time. With kids, May is one of the most hectic months of the year. Throw in an international trip and it's the perfect concoction for chaos.

• Dance Recital: Saturday, May 18

Isabelle is a surprisingly good dancer and she knows it. Her confidence is astounding. "Mom, I already know how to do all the dance moves, so I don't need to keep doing dance." She also asked me while watching American Idol, "Mom, are any of the singers as good as me?" Let's hope she keeps this confidence. Her dance recital this time around was at Olympus High School in Holladay. Isabelle's ballet class danced to the song: "Let's Go Fly A Kite."

Action shot captured by Debbie Ostler. What a small world to run into some of my parent's best friends there. (They were watching their granddaughter perform.)

Isabelle has been going to dance dutifully on Wednesdays from 10:30-11:15am since September. She even showed up the day after Penelope was born. The only day of dance she will miss this year happens to be picture day. I'm heartbroken. We will be in Brazil. Isabelle has participated in a dance class for over 2 and a half years now. This was our first year at Rocky Mountain Dance and they know what they're doing. I'm getting more used to the intensity. The 6 page recital packet was less overwhelming and Izzy got a ride to the mandatory dress rehearsal the day before which made things more doable. It helped that the recital length was significantly shorter than the last one.

Watching Isabelle's recital was a blast. Izzy's infectious smile was glued onto her face and of course, she was placed in the front row. I recorded the performance and keep watching it again and again. Izzy wants to try gymnastics and will this summer. We thought gymnastics would replace dance because I told Isabelle she could only pick one activity. I'm not ready to give up dance yet though. Isabelle is just too cute and naturally good coming from an unbiased mom. I'm glad I'll get to continue seeing the other dance moms and several people in our ward at each recital.

Preschool Graduation: Wednesday, May 22 and Field Trip: Friday, May 17

It's official. Isabelle is a preschool graduate. Izzy gave graduation her all and lead the class with her enthusiasm. Afterwards, another mom stopped to tell me what a performer Izzy is. When Isabelle introduced herself, she told everyone she wants to be a doctor when she grows up! Preschool this year was a fabulous experience. Izzy made some great friends and Mrs. B has surpassed all my expectations. I can't say enough good about her. She is extremely thoughtful and caring. When I had Penelope, she gave us a baby outfit. What teacher does that? Izzy has asked if we can have her over to our house. Mrs. B really listens to the kids.

At graduation, Mrs. B gave the kids a book of pictures from this year and Izzy hasn't wanted to put hers down. Izzy calls it her "blog book." hahaha How is little Izzy big enough for kindergarten? We went to kinder orientation and my heart just about burst. I'm going to miss my little buddy. She is ready though and will be going to full day kindergarten. (This is the first year UT is offering all day kinder!) Isabelle is reading! Isabelle has mixed feelings about kindergarten starting because she will miss her preschool friends lots. (Her preschool was in Riverton and we are in another city by one block, so they're going to a different school.) Izzy has already asked if we can go visit Mrs. B next year. Good thing we signed up for a few summer camps with Mrs. B.

Penny was a fan of balloons

Isabelle's preschool class went on a field trip to Wheeler Farm this month and Penelope and I tagged along. Izzy now claims that a pig is her favorite animal but was a little disappointed to see that the pig wasn't pink. 

• Soccer: Wednesday, April 3 through Wednesday, May 15

Isabelle played soccer again this spring which was her 3rd season. We signed up for soccer with Isabelle's friend, Quinn from preschool. Quinn missed one game and Izzy was out of sorts. Nobody signed up to bring treats for a couple of the games which resulted in big feelings. The weather was chilly at a few games and Penny wore her snowsuit a time or two. Isabelle determined that she is not going to play soccer this fall. Is it bad to admit that I was counting down games until the end of the season? The squirrels weren't the best and some of the games were excruciating and painful to sit through. One game was 30-0... but we're not keeping score.

Taylorsville Temple Open House: Saturday, May 11

The number of new temples being built near us is keeping us on our toes! We explored the new Taylorsville temple. It was similar to the Provo City Center temple. We met my friend Liz and her son Jameson at the open house. Isabelle wasn't feeling her best, but made it through. We are looking forward to new temples in Lehi and West Jordan too. 

James seemed left out in the post. Sorry bud! I promise there will be lots about him coming up! We ended up having to drop baseball after they gave us his schedule because we had too many conflicts. James is doing track and field this summer! Watching him race other kids is going to be hilarious and I can hardly wait. He is also enrolled in a basketball camp so his dreams of being an NBA Jazz player might be achievable. We watched James present an animal report about bats at school.

The icing on the cake this month was that Andrew got asked to speak on Mother's Day. He spoke so highly of me! Wow! He pampered me that day with breakfast in bed, a gourmet dinner (funeral potatoes, steak, salad, heath cake), and thoughtful gifts (candy and a subscription to book of the month). He looked extra spiffy for his talk in his new suit. His old suit was 12 years old and it showed. Due to the madness of the day, I forgot to take a picture when Andrew was wearing his pink tie and pocket square. This pic is from the next Sunday but will do. 

We made it through the madness and events. Deep breaths-- the dozen hour flight (wish I was exaggerating) with 3 children is going to be a walk in the park!

Family is Everything

We have seen many loved ones lately!

Jessica, Chris, and George drove in from LA for a visit. Wahoo! We ate dinner at the park, saw the movie "Villains" which Chris helped produce, Jessica took Izzy on a lunch date, had a game/pizza night, and enjoyed Sunday dinner and walks together. George has grown up so much since they moved!  We're looking forward to our pit stop at their house in LA later this month. 

Birch, Sara, Chloe, and Cooper drove to Utah for graduation. Alysee, Dallin, and Hailee graduated from BYU and UVU. Catching up with their family at the Provo Rec Center pool was great. Penelope went swimming for the first time! We bathe her each night so it's no surprise that Penny was in her element. My girls in matching suits melts my heart. James nailed rock climbing! He also attempted the tricky ropes course.

Penny met Grandma Ditto! We had a Ditto cousin dinner. Mary and Sara were gracious to host in Vineyard. Grandma made a superb dessert and we got to see people I wish we saw more often!

Olivia and Avery came to stay with us! We caught up, went to the Butterfly museum together, and they supported Isabelle at her soccer game. Izzy was hysterical when they left. 

Family, keep coming please! Nothing brings us more joy.