Denhams in Brazil

2011-03-07T16:42:00.001-05:00

Mod Peony Green 5x7 folded card

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Visitors

2010-09-19T20:27:00.004-04:00

This is Beau Walsh. He came to Brazil to intern and serve the Fiel ministry this summer. Not only did he make a bunch of new friends but he really became good at speaking Portuguese in his 2 months here. Beau was a blessing to Fiel in many ways. He found a spot in our hearts and I hope he comes back to see us again.

Rick helping Beau pick out some jewerly from the Amazon for a present for his sister.

Beau sharing his coconut water with James. Sweet Lilah posing for Mommy's camera.

Here is the group from Montana that stayed with us for 2 weeks in June. They came to serve at our local Christian school. What a great group of young people. Big hearts! They made a video mocking homeschoolers (all of them were homeschooled) with the help of Daniel Gardner. Check it out.

This young man walked down our street selling these bouncy balls. I bought one for the children to share and he let me take his photo.

January to August 2010......

2010-09-13T22:48:00.011-04:00

Hello blogging friends. I am back again to try and pump life back into my long abandoned blog. Please visit often and leave a comment...it will be an encouragement to keep it up and running. Beijos from Brazil!!!

Mom and Dad Denham with Rick and his brother stand in front of the new Fiel Ministries Office building. We moved in a few months ago.

A family photo from a friend's wedding in January. Lilah was one of the flowergirls.

This little one loves to paint.

Here is James and Lilah and neighbor Isabela getting ready to go to school. Lilah is not yet in preschool but I take her with me the one day a week I teach English. To say she loves it is an understatement. Just look at that face!

Our 1st Brazilian Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T02:58:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas dear friends and family! We give thanks to the Lord for each one of you.
James (age 5) and Lilah (age 2 1/2)

James on the Tooth Fairy

2009-05-18T18:09:00.003-04:00

April in Review

2009-05-14T10:55:00.023-04:00

Our friend Daniel, who will soon come to work alongside us at Fiel early next year, is helping us breathe life back into our family Blog. So I have decided to attempt to get caught up by posting some highlights of each month missed. Here goes April.....
After our annual college conference, our little family enjoyed a quick trip to Parati with the sweetest couple, Larry and Gladine McCall. Pastor Larry was one of our speakers.

On the way to Parati, we stopped along the side of the road to see one of our favorite waterfalls.

Daddy and Lilah enjoying afternoon free time at the college conference.

Uncle Mark was in Sao Paulo on business and came by to spend the day with us.

On the road to the conference was this truck selling safes...........think there's a problem here with theft?!

Her favorite is mint chocolate chip like her mommy. What a face!!

We stopped at Alaska Ice Cream shop where Ricky's parents took the kid's on special occasions.

Daddy was so happy bringing his little girl to the place he loved as a child!

Yeah..............she didn't last long after filling her belly.

For Easter, James received a homemade chocolate Egg filled with candies from Tia Debora (Aunt Debora) In Brazil, children do not have egg hunts for Easter, but receive a chocolate egg with a surprise in the middle.

These photos are out of order. Here is what the chocolate egg looked like before he opened it.

Lilah and James getting ready to help Mommy make something.

Que Alegria! What happiness! Lilah opens up her Easter egg.

After our quick trip to the States, I brought back some cheap kites for our neighbor friends.

A photo of 3 generations on Easter. Could have been 4.......where was Lilah?!

"Look you guys, you have to let Mommy take some pictures before you can hunt for eggs, okay?"

Papa helping Lilah find eggs.

"Go James, go!"

I hid a few eggs inside too.

Cool Lilah eating her cheese puffs.

The kids love the new park in the neighborhood......in Florida, not Brazil.

Mommy and her little ones.

Sweet James.

Fun James.

Daring James.

March 09 in Review

2009-05-04T20:21:00.005-04:00

Every year during Carnival our church has a retreat. This year we didn't spend the night but went daily as it was close to town. The kids had fun and so did we.The children from our church pose for a photo....all except Lilah. She was not interested.

Mom and Dad also came out one day to hear the devotions and to fellowship. Don't they look great?! They have been on the mission field for over 55 years!!!
This little face just makes my heart smile.
One of her favorite words is "play" and boy, does she like to play!These photos of Lilah were taken at a local park.James having fun with his giant firetruck. This was his gift from Nana and Papa the day that he became a big brother. These goofballs tried on Tia Ro's shower caps and loved it! They are filled with tiny Styrofoam balls.One of my all time favorites...Daddy and his little girl.

Watch this video and tell me if they have these in the US? They are these dance floors (mostly at arcades in shopping malls) where two people follow a series of steps that flash up on a screen to music. It is hilarious to watch......the kids seem to almost have it down.

February 09 in Review

2009-05-04T18:52:00.006-04:00

James started a new preschool the first week of February (the start of the Brazilian school year). It's called Escola Cristao Kids and it is a Christian Montessori type school. I was offered a teaching position to teach English to the children each week. In exchange for my time, they will give James (and eventually Lilah) a scholarship. I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to stay close to James and to get to better know the school and teachers. So far, we are both loving it! My American friends and I have started a little play date each week for our little blondes to have some fun together in English. It looks like Marina, Lilah and Gianna will grow up together.......their parents are lifers in Brazil like Rick and I. Because our apartment building is receiving a face lift via paint, it is not unusual to see a man hanging outside our window. Can I remind you that we live on the 4th floor? Try and wash dishes with this as your view.....it's very distracting! Our college-age neighbor Natalia celebrates her birthday with all her short neighbors!

Rick's dad often comes upstairs for a visit. Here Daddy helps the kids put together a "head breaker"(the Brazilian word for puzzle directly translates to this).

James and Lilah helping Mommy do some produce shopping.

We like to go to our local park that has a zip-line. We are still trying to get Lilah to try it.

"Getting boots in a care package from Nana makes me want to dance!"

Could anything be better than white chocolate ice cream? James' fav too!

Lilah and friend Vinni hanging out in their drawers. This seems to be an ideal photo to embarrass them in say.......twenty years!

Celebrating friend Sara's 4th birthday.....check out that cake!We recently went to a new park that has a concrete skateboard ramp. James had the best time sliding down on his bottom. No fear baby!And of course, he made some new friends while there.

James loves loves loves getting his haircut.........just like his mommy I guess.

January 09 in Review

2009-05-04T14:43:00.005-04:00

We started our first few moments of the New Year in the Sao Paulo Airport. Having just arrived from our long flight we heard the countdown to the new year in Portuguese while we waited for our luggage. That was a first for us. We were a little disappointed after waiting 30 minutes to discover NONE of our luggage made the flight to Brazil. What bummer news! Especially as we had to wait a couple days for it to be delivered because of the holiday. The neighbors were happy to have James and Lilah back home again. Some of our friends rented a beach house for the week and they invited us to come spend a day with them. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was Lilah's first time to the beach! I often allow James to use my camera. Here is a photo he took of his mommy on the drive down to the beach. The children are lined up eating the good food from the churrasco. (Brazilian BBQ) This was my first year to spend a birthday in Brazil. My sweet friends planned a party and made a beautiful cake topped with fresh fruit. This was the first time I had ever seen fresh blackberries and blueberries in Brazil. It was a real treat. A photo of all my lovely birthday flowers. ( only one is still living....definite black thumb!) Our main reason to getting back to Brazil so quickly was to prepare an apartment to receive Rick's parents. The family decided it would be best for Mom and Dad to come live in our building where we could better care for them. Not only us, but there are many friends that live in the building who love them and could help if needed. Unfortunately, I don't have a good photo of the two of them together. Here is Mom giving Lilah a lift on her walker.

Back to Blogging

2009-02-21T18:12:00.038-05:00

Well, it appears that I have been on a blogging "furlough" for 5 months. I am happy to be back and have much to share with you.

After our Pastors/Leaders Conference in October, we flew back to the states in time for the kids to enjoy dressing up for Halloween. James was Batman of course, and Lilah had two costumes this year...a ladybug and a black cat. My mother and grandma came over and passed out Ringpops to the kids that came to our door while Ricky and I took the children through the neighborhood. I had to give Lilah a couple lollipops along the route to keep her seated in the wagon I took her in! James used his scooter to move from house to house quickly. We ALL had so much fun that night. You can see it in his face....he believes he is Batman.

Lilah playing in the driveway after going through the neighborhood. That little tail wagged with each step...so cute!
Lilah at the pumpkin patch.

Daddy and his boy.

Lilah is almost the same size as this pumpkin!

"Mommy, look at this baby pumpkin I found."

We spent Thanksgiving in Greenville, South Carolina with Rick's family. It was so nice to see everyone, especially Rick's mom and dad. My mother-in-law had just suffered a mini stroke in September and by God's grace was released from the rehabilitation center in time to be back at home with the family. We had much to be thankful for.

Getting ready to dig in.

Lilah and Grandma playing us a song.

The children loved playing in the fall leaves.

Auntie Faith giving Lilah a trim.

We went back to Greenville again for the week leading up to Christmas. We always celebrate on Christmas Eve with a big feast. I am happy to announce that after 8 years of being a part of the Denham family, I finally have my own "dish" for Christmas dinner. Rick's sister Dawn has the Broccoli cheese casserole, Faith has her famous green bean casserole, Saralee makes mac'n cheese and always brings the pies and now I have..................the Corn souffle!!!! It passed with flying colors and I am happy to say it's a keeper! Our Family Christmas photo Christmas Eve 2008

This was the photo for our Christmas card this year.

Lilah had enough of the photo shoot! Wow...was that difficult for all of us!
Mom and Dad Denham and their 5 children.
All of the Denham Grandkids.

We left early Christmas morning and drove all the way back to Melbourne, FL where the Reese family was waiting at our house for our arrival. Yes, Christmas was at our house. Imagine coming home to your house after a long drive and everyone is there cooking, playing in the backyard, and waiting for your arrival. It was great! Lilah got a tutu for Christmas.James got a tool bench. He loves fixing things!Crazy Aunt Carol and Li take a spin all throughout the house on James' plasma car. These cars are the coolest. Cousin Alli and Lilah at the kid's table. All the girls are in the kitchen getting the meal ready.

This was the first year we didn't have a traditional turkey dinner on Christmas. This was fine with Ricky and I as we just stuffed ourselves with turkey the night before. So Mom made her famous meatloaf, Grandma made her famous fried chicken and Carol and Jimmy grilled up some baby back ribs. It was fabulous!

Random Photos of our time in the States:
We took James and some Miller kids to the circus one night. We especially enjoyed the camels and elephants.

Ricky took this photo of Lilah while she played in the front yard. So sweet! James had the opportunity to play soccer with a local Christian league when we first got back. He was a little young but they made an exception because he is an MK. (missionary kid) Some of these kids towered over James.

Look at him go!At his last game, the children were given cupcakes, popsicles, and bubbles....he loved it. Here are 4 generations on the soccer field cheering for James. This photo still cracks me up. Lilah put on James' Spiderman mask and kept it on for a long while. Normally when you put, say a hat on her, she rips it right off. I think she was loving it!

Lilah's very first pigtails!My wonderful little man! Lilah liked playing with the doll that I had played with as a little girl.

A Dino-Mite Party!

2008-10-01T21:16:00.003-04:00

Our little James turned 4 on September 29 and to celebrate we had a party at the local play center in our mall. In typical Brazilian fashion, it just wouldn't be a party without the balloon arch. Special thanks to Nana for buying all the dinosaur decor.....I couldn't find anything dino here! The sweet table guarded by dinosaurs.....chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and chocolate covered marshmallows.
"Hey Toofers, having fun?"

This amazing cake was made by my friend Debora. Would you believe it weighed more than 7 kilos? (1 kilo=2.4 lbs) This massive cake was a 4 layer vanilla cake with strawberry and white chocolate filling. Insane right?

There's No Place Like the Park

2008-09-14T17:13:00.004-04:00

Saturday, I took the kids to the zoo and afterwards for a picnic in the park. The kids had a blast playing in a different park with new "playthings". It's nice to switch it up a bit......I found myself using the zip line and climbing through some of the obstacles. Now that Lilah is walking, I let her down in the sand to play and venture about........Que alegria! (What happiness!) She loved it!! James played with this for a long time. I tried to get Lilah on it, but she would have none of it.
I put Lilah on the bench to take some photos of her but she flipped over to her tummy and slid off before I even stepped back ..................this girl wanted to play! "No time for photos Mommy."

"Yeah, I think I can do this too."

I just loved this furry chicken we saw at the zoo.....isn't he cute?This monkey was BEGGING for food..............Too bad the "Do Not Feed" sign was not a little lower....it would have made a great picture! James has the Camera smile down pat.
"Having fun baby girl?"

Isn't this sweet?

The Zoo in Sao Jose

2008-09-14T14:41:00.003-04:00

I took the kids to our local zoo yesterday where they enjoyed the monkeys, ferrets, toucans, and ostriches. (It's a small zoo but the kids enjoyed it nonetheless.) The farm animals were a highlight, minus the turkey.....he gave the children a mini scare. I just asked James what he thought of that turkey and he said, "That turkey was not funny....not happy."

Eating 101

2008-09-10T20:02:00.004-04:00

Open up mouth, here it comes....
Almost there.........

Yahoo! Success!

James and Lilah cruisin'

A sweet smile for mama!

"Over here baby......look at the camera!"

L & J on the Bike

2008-09-10T16:13:00.003-04:00

We're Still Kickin'

2008-09-08T22:13:00.003-04:00

I am sorry to say that I have been a horrible Blogger these past few months..........not only in posting but also in reading those of my friends. What happened you ask? Trip to the states, Lilah's birthday party, various viruses passing their way through the family, a husband that has been traveling a lot and then I got addicted to Facebook. I was sucked in through finding several friends that I haven't seen or talked to in years. It's been fun but I am ready to get back to my first love. So hang on, I have lots of catching up to do in the weeks to come. Root for me!

I Heart Lilah....

2008-08-11T17:01:00.018-04:00

It's hard to believe that our little Lilah turned one on July 24th. Where has this year gone?! We waited for Rick to come home from Africa to have her big celebration. First birthdays in Brazil are HUGE! (More for the adults, than the birthday girl if you ask me). This is one of the only photos I have of Lilah looking at the camera with a big smile....of course, it had to be during the prayer!We used the big room downstairs to host the party. I really enjoyed making all the heart center pieces and the hanging fabric flags....it had been a while since I have been able to sit down at the sewing machine and be creative. It felt great!Our friend and neighbor Debora made the most delicious cake....strawberry white chocolate! The crowd was wanting seconds and thirds........we had to beat them away with a broom stick. Okay, not really but it was that good. She also made these darling cupcakes........did I tell you she is a professional chef? How lucky am I?!Chocolate covered marshmallows and Oreos were a hit along with the chocolate-chip cookie cakes.......are you getting hungry yet??
Lilah and Gianna will likely grow up together here in Brazil.........they both have American mothers and Brazilian fathers and are only two months apart.
This is not something typical here....................an American grill. ( You were thinking the fellow in the heart apron, right?) Rick and I found this here in an import store with a greatly reduced price, so we snatched it up. I made Hawaiian chicken kebabs and Felipe happily grilled them for us. He had so much fun playing with this grill that when the kebabs were all gone, he ran upstairs and grabbed a box of hamburger patties to grill. Brazilians have only seen these grills in the movies and Felipe was dying to try a hamburger made on one of these things! By the way, I made these aprons as presents for all the helpers....12 in all! I could not have done an event like this without their help. Thank you dear friends!

The birthday girl showing off a great smile and those red shoes.......there's no place like home, there's no place like home!
Another shot of the cake table.The kids are lining up underneath Brazil's version of the pinata! It's filled with candy and ready for an adult to pop it with something sharp, in this case......a used kebab stick.

And the candy rains down.......the children scramble."Hey buddy, what did you get?"

Lilah getting caught red-handed trying to sneak a cupcake.

Mommy and her girl......."Rockin' red" a friend said.

Although it appears to be clawing, Lilah was attempting to give a kiss to her friend Sofia.

We didn't see James most of the party. He spent his time on the veranda kicking the soccer ball with his friends.

Here is Debora the cake maker I told you about earlier. I like this photo of the two of them.After the party, we sat down and uploaded our photos and were shocked to find this one. Rick had wondered why the candle had gone out during the singing of the happy birthday song.....he quickly re-lit it for Lilah to blow out. We later discovered that this rascal sneaked in between us and blew out the candle!Lilah opened her gifts upstairs later that night.............I'm not sure why Brazilians don't open gifts at parties. Hmm..............
Lilah's loot! Overall, it was a fun time visiting with friends (our Brazilian family). We wanted to give thanks to the Lord and celebrate the one year of life he has given our baby girl. To HIM be the glory!

Trip to the States

2008-07-29T08:35:00.004-04:00

We got home last week after spending 3 wonderful (quick) weeks in the states. We enjoyed spending time with family and friends, a wedding, a pool party, visiting two of our churches, a July 4th firework show, a zoo and so much more!
It's always hard for me to find time to do email and keep up with my blog in the States. So I'm sorry for the delay. Now, that the kiddos are back in a routine and our lives are getting back to normal, it's time to post some photos..... Tiago, our manager at Fiel, came to the states with us. He and Ricky had the opportunity to visit a Pastor in Michigan. The day we arrived in Miami, Tiago casually informed us that it was his birthday. So later that night.......my parents took us all to Carrabas. What a treat!!James was so excited to ride his Jeep again. It was all he would talk about in the weeks leading up to our trip. So my parents made sure that the battery was charged and ready to go when he got here. Just two days after we arrived, my mom, the kids and I went to Nashville for my college friend's wedding. My sister flew it to meet us and we made a short weekend out of it. Here is mom and Lilah at the Nashville Zoo. James insisted on taking a photo on top of the Lion's head at the zoo. He gave the camera the biggest smile.
I had the opportunity to meet up with some college friends at the famous Pancake Pantry. I hadn't seen these girls in 7 years! I was happy that they finally got to meet my kiddos too.
After breakfast, we drove over to the hospital to see Ginny and baby Scarlett who safely arrived the day before. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of her as the nurse carried her off as soon as we got there. :(My sister Carol is the fun-loving auntie to Lilah and James. We said our goodbyes at the airport and Carol headed home to Raleigh, and mom, the kids and I flew on to Florida.We got home around 11pm and the kids were zonked out in the car seats. They didn't even budge when I slid their pajamas on and gentle put them in bed.

Sleeping Habits

2008-06-22T07:34:00.006-04:00

Yeah, we found James sleeping like this one morning. This is not a common scene at our house. In fact, this is the first time that she has fallen asleep in her chair. Poor thing, she wore herself out.
We often play hide-and-seek with the kids as it is James' favorite game. We divided up into teams: Mommy and Lilah vs. Daddy and James. The boys hid in my closet and gave us a scare when I opened the door.

Lilah is always making friends. She had a fun night celebrating Johann's 3rd birthday.

James and his friends enjoy his new table we bought for him to use for homeschooling. The neighbors love to come over and play too.
Another care package from Nana arrived....wow, are we spoiled now!
James liked the piggy bank Lilah received.......his alligator squirt gun was a real hit too. Thanks Nana for thinking of us........we know how much you miss us.

A fun photo of Lilah watching the kids play soccer at our neighborhood park.

A photo from last month of our nephew Adam and college friend Mark having lunch with us.
We took Lilah's play center toy next door for little Vinicius to use.
"Sharing is fun.....but I think I want it back Mommy".
Loving on V.
Sweet photo of Li-Li.

Lilah Colors!

2008-06-20T15:36:00.002-04:00

Here is a mini video of Lilah coloring for the first time at Sunday school. Her little friend's name is Ana Julia. Lilah will be 11 months in one more week. Enjoy!

Slacker!

2008-06-15T13:57:00.005-04:00

Yes, that's right...I am the Blogger slacker. But you already knew that. Sorry, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. My apologies. Where should I start? Hmmm..... Finally, a tooth has come in for Lilah. The Brazilians say that a tooth has "been born." (nasceu) She had 4 fussy days before it finally broke the surface. Double-click the photo to see "toothers."
I really like this photo. It is so sweet to see James and Lilah start to play with one another. She loves watching him and following him around the house. And I love the mornings when Lilah wakes up first, I get her out of her crib and together we go to wake brother. I let her climb all over him and she squeals with happiness. James wakes with a smile on his face too.
This is the position that James usually carries Lilah around the house. I hated him picking her up at first but he is strong and she loves it.

Here Lilah is posing with neighbors Raissa, Marina and baby Vinicius. Lilah loves being over at their apartment. Usually, when I open our front door, she bolts to the neighbors door. I need to get it on video....I am sure she is the fastest crawler in the mundo!
I took this photo to show you how sweaty Lilah gets when sleeping. It is winter right now in Brazil but our winters are very mild.....usually sunny and warm during the day and then cold at night. So it is hard to know how to dress her because it is hot when she goes to bed but then cools off later in the night. It's kinda a pain to wake her up and put more clothes on her before I go to bed.
Here are my two "goobers" playing nicely on their little sofa.

There is no doubt in my mind that Lilah will be walking within a month. She is always cruising around the place, holding on to the coffee table or cabinets. She likes to pull herself up while hanging on to my pants while I am cooking or washing dishes. (James didn't start walking until he was 14 months old.)

A care package from Nana arrived........Yahoo! It's like Christmas around here when we get a little "love" from home. (books in English, small toys, Cheetos, and other goodies.) Thanks mom, it was a lot of fun! (especially, the dinosaur egg that hatched in water....the excitement lasted for days!)
Lilah was playing more with the box than it's contents.
For over a month now, I have been hanging out in the nursery during the morning service at church. Lilah cries like crazy when I try to leave. Normally, I would let her cry it out but the Brazilians can't handle the crying..............they get nervous and come and get me. So hopefully this phase will pass soon.Lilah and Sofia coloring. So cute to see her sitting in a big chair....it didn't last long.
James covered in ice cream. He loves ice cream as much as his parents do!
Another photo of Li-Li and V. If the Lord allows, his little family will return with us to the states in November for two months ( just to vacation) Vinicius' father works at Fiel with Rick and can still work on design while there........just like Rick.

The Fiel College Conference

2008-06-04T16:22:00.006-04:00

Early last month, we had our 5th annual College Conference with over 300 young people in attendance. The theme this year was "Knowing God's Will." The speakers shared about God's will and how it relates in every aspect of our lives. ( i.e. career, relationships..etc.) I heard several say that they were really encouraged from the messages and thought this was the best year yet. Overall, we had a great group and the Lord used this time together for His Glory! James and Lilah having a snack picnic in the back of the auditorium during one of the messages. Unfortunately, it rained 2 out of the 4 days of the Conference. When the sun finally came out, everyone was ready to play. Here is a photo of the relay races getting ready to start. There was also horseback riding, hiking, paddle boat, fishing, swimming (although too chilly) and there was an organized treasure hunt that lasted several hours.The children getting ready to watch the relay races. Here is a photo of us at lunch after morning messages. Our nephew Adam ( green jacket) and his friend Mark (first on right) came down from the states to participate and travel a bit. They just went home last week. We enjoyed their company.Here are the children of our Fiel Ministry team members sitting down watching an impromptu puppet show in one of the cabins.
And little Lilah all bundled up at night. Look at that little red nose.....she was cold....we all were!

Hot Chocolate Anyone??

2008-05-18T12:06:00.006-04:00

So I thought you would think it interesting that there is a gas station/restaurant on the way to the beach where you can stop and get a hot drink....literally! That's right folks, you milk the cow yourself. For only a dollar you can grab a cup and milk Reininha (Queenie) the cow. Not only that, but you can flavor the hot milk. The sign reads " Milk at the foot of the Cow". Then you can choose different flavors to add to your milk: honey, coffee, sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, and grenadine.
James thought it was interesting too. I am glad that they tie up the tail and back legs to make sure you don't whacked in the face.

I had a small taste of the milk and it was totally normal tasting. I didn't finish it however, because I was a little freaked out at the idea that it hadn't been pasteurized.(Yes, I know I'm crazy...how do you think our ancestors drank milk?!) But here is a little lady that patiently waited for the "gringa" to stop playing and taking pictures! She happily drank hers!

Sunday Lunch

2008-05-01T21:33:00.009-04:00

One of my favorite families here in Brazil invited the kids and I over for lunch on Sunday after church. They were so sweet to think of us, especially since Ricky has been traveling the past two weeks. Valdir, the father, is the music director of our church and the principle of James' future school. Vanda, the mother, is such a sweetie. We are hoping that she will one day join the Fiel ministry team when the timing is right. Their daughter Carolina also lived with us in the states for a short time when James was a newborn. This family is near and dear to our hearts!

After lunch, Lilah had her first piano lesson with Tio Valdir.

And of course, James got in on the action.

Here is a cute photo of Miss Lilah hugging her Teddy bear as she slept.

I had just climbed down from the top shelf in the kitchen when I noticed Lilah already making a B-Line for the step ladder. This girl is FAST! I have to keep my eyes on her.

Our friend Jura set up shop in our building and cut 14 different haircuts, including mine and James. I get milk, pizza, and medicine delivered.........now haircutting services!

Brazilian BBQ

2008-04-24T13:15:00.008-04:00

On Saturday, we made a last minute decision to go to a local park for a churrasco (Brazilian BBQ). It was a cloudy day but we had fun nonetheless. Unlike hamburgers and hot dogs, Brazilians always grill chicken or beef skewers. There is always rice and a salsa type salad to go with it. Here we are toasting rolls on top of the skewers. Something you'll never see at a park in the states............beautiful granite top BBQ and sink! Brazil is rich in these beautiful stones!

A photo of our very full picnic table.

James playing in the sand with his new bucket.

Our friends Vania and Kelly eating lunch with Miss Lilah!

Lilah and Marina sat swinging for the longest time. Lilah loved it!

Lilah LOVED watching the other children play in the sand. I know she was dying to get down and play but her mean mommy wouldn't let her. :)

James and Marina enjoy a snack right before we leave. My only contribution to the picnic was a big batch of brownies! My friends always leave me to bring the desserts. I can't even tell you how popular my chocolate cookies are! This is not something Brazilians make but thanks to American TV shows they are familiar with them. I try to bring them to every potluck, picnic, and/or house visit. It's so much fun for me to see the smiles..........and it's only cookies!

Iguacu Falls

2008-04-20T11:23:00.010-04:00

Three weekends ago we had the opportunity to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World: The Iguacu Falls.

Rick decided last minute to accompany Edivanio to the city of Foz do Iguacu to help him buy some electronic equipment for the ministry office. This city is on the boarder of Paraguay where the prices are super cheap. After deciding to go, Rick then thought of taking me and the kids to enjoy a little weekend visiting a different region of Brazil.These little animals (not sure what they are, anyone have an idea?) lined the path down to the falls hoping to get some food from the passersby. As I started digging through the diaper bag to get my camera, these little creatures must have thought I was getting some food out because they rushed over to my side. Before I knew it, one of them reached up and tore open a grocery bag I had hanging on the stroller filled with snacks. They ran off with a juice box and a small bag of cookies. James started crying after he found out that it was his cookies they took.
This butterfly was special with it's "88" on it's wings. It's amazing how the Lord created his own little defense mechanism.........they look like big eyes to any of his predators!

It has been said that upon seeing Iguaçu, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly exclaimed "Poor Niagara!" Would you believe that Iguacu has 275 falls?!

We enjoyed seeing and discovering all the crawlies along the way down to the falls. This guy was almost 6 inches long!

James had a blast. His least favorite part, however, was the "rain" from the waterfalls. The lookout points were so close that the mist, if you stood long enough, would leave you quite damp and sticky!

I couldn't believe that the pilot on our flight home circled the falls TWICE to give everyone on both sides of the plane a chance to see. I AM TALKING A COMMERCIAL JET!! It was totally unexpected and a nice treat. Double click this photo to see it better. Amazing!

Here is just a few seconds of God's amazing workmanship!

Lilah is Crawling!

2008-04-16T18:04:00.003-04:00

Two days after I posted her combat crawl Lilah started crawling at our neighbor's house. Notice how she dissed the dolls and went after the purse............a girl after her mommy's heart! Hee, Hee!

The Ham

2008-04-16T15:56:00.002-04:00

I thought that you would enjoy this one!

James hearts bugs

2008-04-14T19:32:00.004-04:00

Let's just say I was traumatized after this event.

While You Were Out

2008-04-10T20:31:00.005-04:00

Yes, just like the show! Our friends next door, Rosi and Edivanio, decided to surprise and paint their daughter's room over the weekend while they were away enjoying a slumber party at a friend's house. The other neighbors and I offered to make the bedspreads, pillow shams, and throw pillows for the girls but we only had 4 days!!!!Here is the before photo of Marina and Raissa's room.

I did most of the sewing while the others cut fabric, ironed, pinned and cared for James and Lilah.Debora stayed up working with me every night after I got James and Lilah to bed.

Ta-Da! The finished product! The girls LOVED it! Their reactions were priceless.

James' 1st Trip to the ER

2008-04-10T19:07:00.006-04:00

My carelessness and James' naughtiness caused us to spend an afternoon at the Pronto Socorro (emergency room). I was sitting at the computer last week when James asked me for an apple. So I got up grabbed a plate, knife and apple and sat back down at the computer to do the cutting while I read. I gave him half and told him when he was finished, come back to me and I will cut the other half for you. Meanwhile, a lady from the church called asking to borrow a toy firetruck for a lesson she would give the children at the school where she teaches. She would be over in a few minutes so I jumped up to go find the toy truck before she arrived. Anyway, you know what happens next............................. I hear a scream in the other room and James runs toward me holding his bleeding hand. I remain calm but couldn't tell which hand the blood was coming from. Rick had the car, so our dear neighbor drove us to the hospital where Rick later met us.

He was just devastated at the sight of his own blood. Like father, like son! I'm just glad he didn't pass out.

James is getting ready to receive his stitches. Rick and I told him jokes and gave him candy to keep his mind off it.

After two shots to numb the area and two stitches, he didn't want to see any more of his favorite doctor Paulo. His face says it all.

After leaving the hospital we drove to the toy store for him to pick out a toy for being so brave. He loved it but I don't think he'll pick up another knife anytime soon. We go tomorrow to get the stitches removed. Pray that it will be uneventful. Blessings!

Church Easter Retreat and Other Photos

2008-04-09T20:56:00.016-04:00

Our church held a retreat at a nearby farm during Easter weekend. Here James and his little friend Rebeca enjoy playing together.

Lilah stayed inside with the other small babies. Marcinho is closest in age to Lilah at just two months older.Despite the rain during most of the weekend, several of the kids spent most of their free time in the pool. Here we are celebrating the birthdays for the week with this giant cake. (Notice who is front and center waiting for a piece.) His lips were blue and trembling but he didn't care. The little guy loves the water!

After the retreat, our neighbor Debora delivered homemade chocolate eggs to the children that live on our floor. The kids were so excited to receive yet another egg! ( Note to self: make dentist appointments this week!)

A common occurrence: a horse "parked" in the median of the main road in our town.

James loves his bi-weekly swimming class. He is just learning to put his face under the water.

We had an American baby play date last week. My friends Stefani and Christy are both married to Brazilians and are more than likely here to stay. So, (left to right) Isabella, Emerson, Lilah and Gianna will make many memories together.

A special moment with daddy and his little girl.The girls are getting ready to go for our nightly walk after dinner. My neck has been bothering me lately ( problems that stem from a car accident in college) so Debora has been carrying Lilah these days. Lilah loves to bounce along, watch other walkers and cars pass and even sometimes falls asleep.

It was our little neighbor's Marina's birthday last week and we were invited to celebrate with a birthday breakfast. You will find it interesting that a typical breakfast consists of rolls called paozinhos that are usually eaten with cheese and lunch meat, cake (minus the icing), and coffee with milk. And of course fresh fruit, usually bananas, papaya, and a type of honeydew melon. We can buy cereal here, however there is only about 4 kinds: Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes and something like chocolate shaped stars.

Lilah had bed head and the girls thought she looked like a parakeet! Not to mention, how funny she looked with a cheese bread hanging on her lip.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this photo of my babes. It seems to only happen once in a blue moon to get them both looking and smiling!

Uncle Mark is back in Brazil working for the month of April. He is planning on taking us to the beach this weekend. Fun times............it will be Lilah's first time to the beach.
There were 4 birthday parties last week for James' little friends. Here is a photo taken at Luanna's party. Notice James was the only boy invited!

Lilah and The Combat Crawl

2008-04-08T15:59:00.003-04:00

Lilah has been crawling like this for the past two weeks and I think she will be up on her knees any day now. She is doing many new things since she turned 8 months. She can clap her hands, pull herself up to a stand, wave bye-bye (we say "tchau"), drink out of a cup by herself, and feed herself little pieces of food that I put on her tray. Still no teeth yet but oh so cute nonetheless!

Happy Ressurection Day!

2008-04-01T13:50:00.011-04:00

I want to make sure that James and Lilah have the same American traditions that Rick and I had when we were children. So of course, I threw together an Easter egg hunt for the kids that live in our building. When luggage space was available, I brought down plastic eggs (can't buy them here) and my neighbor Debora and I made these baskets for the children. I filled the eggs with candy, homemade play dough, coins, and little toys. They were SO excited. Wouldn't you be too?!

I love this photo Rick captured of James running to meet his friends that just arrived.

We took the children to the Parque Cidade (city park) for a picnic and egg hunt. There were 5 families that participated.

Anyone who has two or more children know how impossible it is to take a photo with both kids looking and smiling at the same second. There were 4 of us waving chocolate candies and Lilah's binky behind the camera to get their attention!

James had so much fun. I love this sweet photo.

Here James and Lilah wait for their chocolate Easter eggs. The Brazilian tradition is to receive a chocolate egg which, depending on the size, has a little toy or candy inside.

Yay, we got our chocolate eggs!

James wasted no time digging into his egg.

"How do I eat this thing Mommy?"

I love this little face.

Easter

2008-04-01T13:46:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Nana!

2008-03-10T22:49:00.003-04:00

We hope your day is special. We love you sooooooo much!

Love,

James and Lilah

Back in Brazil

2008-03-06T20:51:00.009-05:00

We are happy to be back home in lovely Brazil. James and Lilah did extremely well on both flights and Rick and I were able to get some rest too. We had a welcoming party waiting for us back at our apartment at 11:30pm! Bem-vindo (welcome home) signs were made and placed on our door and our dear friend Rosi made some caldinho for us. This is a type of soup made with beef and yucca which is like a potato. It sounds horrible but it is really tasty, believe me! We were praising the Lord for our safe arrival and for the love and support shown by our Brazilian family!

Lilah had fun "helping" her big brother put together his puzzle.

Lilah met her neighbor and new playmate Vinicius for the first time. He is my best friend Rosi's new baby. Lilah then managed to steal his sock right off his foot and started to eat it!

Double click on this photo to enlarge it and see this mean storm roll in. I took this photo from our kitchen window. We had a few strong storms this week and this one was the worst. We are at the end of summer and it is still quite hot and sticky. We are doing our best to adjust but it's difficult when there is no AC! I mentioned the heat to a lady at church and she suggested that we take a walk through the downtown shopping mall to cool off! (It's air-conditioned.) Funny, huh?

Lilah is back to bathing in a bucket! Just kidding! This is a baby bath but since there are hardly any bath tubs in homes here, this works just fine for James too!

James is old enough to take a shower but he enjoys splashing with his sister.

We had a really rough time this week trying to get the children back on schedule. Lilah was eating dinner at midnight and going to bed at 2:30am the first night back in Brazil! After a whole week of letting them skip naps so they would be exhausted enough to fall asleep a little earlier we are now going to bed between 9-10pm. Lilah loves to sit and play in her room. I recently got all of James' baby toys out of storage and Lilah is having a hay day!

I still have several photos to post from the time we were in the states. My sister-in-law reminded me that I hadn't posted any photos of Christmas. Whoops! Look for them soon!

Buddies

2008-02-25T08:52:00.004-05:00

Recently, James had climbed in my bed during the middle of the night and I let him stay as Rick was traveling. Like I normally do when Lilah wakes in the morning, I picked her up and put her in my bed in between James and myself. Lilah rolls over and sees her sleeping brother. She begins to coo and gently start patting his face. And then the sweetest thing happened. James sat up and said in the most sincere voice, " Mommy, I love her.......my sister.......she don't fight me.........she be nice to me......I love her." I thought this was so cute. It makes my heart smile to see a little friendship blossoming between these two.

90% in Height?!

2008-02-07T00:45:00.000-05:00

James is doing well and growing taller. He constantly talks about Brazil and can't wait to return and see his friends. He is insisting that we take his Jeep( the motorized car Nana and Papa gave him for Christmas) back to Brazil so he can show it to everyone. We remind him daily that it will not fit on the plane. Christmas really made an impression on him, as he loves to still sing Jingle Bells all the time. He loves putting together puzzles and playing soccer with his daddy.

Lilah just started sitting up. She is still our happy little girl, always smiling. I took her to the doctor last week for a well visit and the doctor reported that she is in the 90% in height. I asked her to repeat herself as I couldn't believe what she just said. What a shock! (Considering James is not even on the charts.) She is in the 30% in weight......................long and lean.
She eats fruits and veggies now and is still nursing. Pears and Sweet Potatoes are her favorite. Yesterday, Lilah took her very first bike ride with daddy. She loves watching and giggling at her brother. And James absolutely adores her, I still have to keep a close eye on him as he thinks he can pick her up.

Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare to head back to Brazil on February 27.

Family Cruise Vacation

2008-01-31T09:26:00.000-05:00

We recently took a cruise vacation with my mother, sister, and grandma to the Western Caribbean a couple weeks ago and it was fabulous! During the cruise, I turned 30! I cried a little but not because I was leaving my youthful 20's but because of the 30 years the Lord has given me on this earth. Oh, and all the many blessings.......my family, my health, my basic needs (and then some) and also the opportunity to serve Him in Brazil.

We had to participate in a safety lifejacket drill. As you can see, Lilah didn't quite fit in her jacket.

We were so proud of James for climbing up the famous Dunn River falls in Jamaica with Mommy, Daddy, and Nana. As you can see, James was quite proud too!

James and Lilah hanging out in Cozumel, Mexico.

My sister Carol was a HUGE help with the children. Lilah seemed to always take a nap during dinner.

It was so much fun having my mom and grandma with us too. It's not often we get 4 generations together for a whole week. We made some great memories.

Here I am with my sweet Lilah. On the way to dinner a man in the elevator said to me, " Oh she is cute, she looks like a gypsy." He was being totally serious. What?--Was it the leopard print bow? I have no idea where he was coming from. Daddy and James enjoyed the yummy food on board. Costa Fortuna is an Italian ship and the food was fabulous, especially the pasta!

Lilah even participated on Toga Night. We used a napkin for her toga and for James we used a pillowcase. Unfortunately, James didn't keep his on for more than 5 minutes.

Turning the big 3-0!

2008-01-31T09:25:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T10:17:00.000-05:00

Greetings and blessings your way from the Denham family this first day of the new year! We are currently at home in Florida resting from all the traveling we have been doing this Christmas season. I have LOADS of photos to share with you but must wait as I left our other camera at my brother's house this weekend when we celebrated Christmas at his house. So they will be coming soon. However, here are a couple photos of James and Lilah to hold you over.

Pure sweetness!

James was hilarious opening up his big present from Santa.....a.k.a. Nana and Papa. I just love his face in this photo. Put a "whoooooa" to it for sound affects!

James and his new ride. His cousin Alli got a purple one to match. The adults had so much fun watching the children drive all over my brother's front lawn. They sometimes confused these cars with bumper cars!

Lilah bouncing on Nana's leg. I think she had the most fun watching everyone open up their gifts. She was wiggling so much that it was hard to hold on to her. Can't wait to see what she will be like this time next year!

Ele Chegou!

2007-12-06T22:43:00.000-05:00

My sweet Brazilian friend had her baby boy on Monday via C-Section. Vinicius was born at 9am and weighing in at 3.5 kilos. Praise the Lord for his safe arrival. Rosileni is well and recuperating and Edivanio and the girls are filled with excitement over the new family member.

Just to fill you in: Edivanio works at Fiel with Rick and they are our next door neighbors. Rosi is my dearest friend and is always serving others around her. Their girls are like big sisters to James. We miss them very much.

Congratulations friends! The Lord is good!

Okay, I'm Back...........Finally!

2007-11-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks for your patience dear friends. We have been traveling for what seems like a month now. Here are some of the places we have visited lately:

Raleigh, NC

Greenville, SC

Nashville, TN

Washington D.C.

Culpepper, VA

Roanoke, VA

So now we are back in Melbourne, FL settling into a routine again.
Enjoy the photos.

My sister Carol and Lilah at the 1st annual Garcia Fall Festival. A fun time for all!

The weather was wonderfully cold in Raleigh and we enjoyed bundling up. (Something we don't get to do too often.)

We then headed to Nashville for a short visit to our home church. I was able to have lunch with two college friends Stacey and Hannah during our two day visit.Love you Tia Hannah. Will you come visit me in Brazil next year?

After church Sunday, we had lunch with my German friend Maike and her beautiful family. Two weeks ago, she officially became an American citizen. Hooray for Maike! Such good news.

James had a blast playing with Maike's children. Rick captured James in mid-air while Sara watched on.

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend my 10 year high school reunion. It was a real treat to see all of my favorite girlfriends from my childhood. Even after all this time, we have managed to keep in touch on a regular basis. I sure do love these gals!

I was so excited to show off my wonderful hubby to all my friends. He's the best, God was so good to me! I couldn't help but feel proud.

Here is a photo of my friends and the children at the reunion picnic. My friend Heather is holding Lilah. (She has 3 beauties of her own.) Notice James wanting to break loose. There is something about turning 3 years old and not wanting to pose for photos any more. He is just too busy to stop for the camera. Anyone with kids have this same problem? Ugh!

My dad, a.k.a Papa, is about to referee a soccer game. We brought the kids to watch him and the game. James loved it!

Papa and Lilah sharing a happy moment.

Not sure if you can notice Lilah's face or not. She is giving me the most darling smile. I sure love this girl!

James had so much fun playing soccer with his daddy on the sidelines. Notice his first pair of cleats, he is so proud of them.

Both with silly faces.....James and cousin Alli- she is just 3 months older than him. So nice to have cousins close in age.

Beautiful girls Lilah and cousin Alli. Love that smile!

With matching pajamas too!

Thanks to Aunt JJ for capturing this beautiful smile.

Still Kickin'

2007-11-11T09:23:00.000-05:00

Yes, my dear friends...............it has been a while! So much has happened. We are back in the states for a couple months to travel and speak at churches, visit family, and spend the holidays with them. Here are some photos from Halloween. Buzz Lightyear to the rescue! Little Miss Muffet and her spider!

James' cousin Sarah was such a big help taking him from door to door. Those driveways were steep and hard to push a double stroller up them. Thanks Sarah! The ride home James' loot!

More pictures to come of James' 3rd birthday party, our pastor's conference, our visit with my sister in Raleigh and my 10 year highschool reunion.

Spring Bike Ride

2007-09-25T11:51:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, James participated in the annual First Day of Spring Bike Ride that his preschool puts on. The children decorated their bikes with a spring theme. Here James is showing off his tricycle. The course that the school chose was, in my opinion, difficult for the small children to cycle. At one point the road descended and the parents had to coast their kids down the hill. And of course, we had to push them back up the hill on the way back. Let's just say I got my workout in this weekend.James had such a wonderful time. He got a medal for his participation. James also won a trophy for the cutest decorated bike. He was so proud of himself; he even asked to sleep with his medal and trophy that night.

Lilah slept through the entire bike ride. Special thanks to my friend Debra for pushing Lilah. There was no way that I could have pushed both of them up that hill!

My Apologies

2007-09-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

Well, let's just say I got in trouble yesterday by several family members who were upset that I didn't include any photos of Lilah in my post. So, to appease them.........................

Week in Review

2007-09-18T13:31:00.000-04:00

Life has kept us busy. Last week the FIEL ministry (faithful in Portuguese) participated in Brazil's Christian Booksellers convention in Sao Paulo. This is our third year at the event. We think it is extremely important for us to have a presence there as Brazil is being saturated by the prosperity movement. So FIEL makes available books and materials with sound doctrine. Overall, it was an encouraging week with many new contacts made.

I have been preparing for James' 3rd Birthday party- VeggieTale theme. (Os VeggieTais in Portuguese) It is relatively new here and has just entered on Brazilian TV. At the convention last week, Rick and I met the lady that owns the licensing rights for VeggieTales South America. Rick spoke with her for a considerable amount of time and she mentioned something about Rick designing products for her. Exciting and a nice complement, but not the reason we came to Brazil.

The FIEL team is gearing up for our annual Pastor's conference which will take place the first week of October. We are expecting over one thousand in attendance. Please pray that the Lord will use this event to edify the lives and ministry of these pastors and everyone involved. I will post more about this as it nears.

We are going to Sao Paulo on Friday to apply for an American passport for Lilah. We have already applied and have received her Brazilian one. It's adorable. I think often how fortunate my children are growing up bilingual and living in two different countries. They will have a better understanding of the world and an appreciation and respect for other cultures.

We had a little photo shoot with James at our neighborhood park. Because there were so many distractions it took forever for him to look at the camera longer than just a quick glance. Finally, the ice cream man wheeled his cart behind Rick with the camera and aided us in getting this award-winning smile. And of course, to show our gratitude we bought some ice cream!

As we were stuck in traffic on the way to Sao Paulo, several ambulance and police cars kept passing us by. We soon figured out that the commotion was caused by this man in a red shirt wanting to end his life. Rick grabbed his camera and took these photos. Unfortunately,this is somewhat a common occurrence here. It is sad to see such desperate people................if only they had Jesus in their lives.

We don't know what happened to this man.

We were thankful that James was asleep through this. This is something I didn't want to have to explain.

More on Lilah

2007-08-31T15:55:00.000-04:00

Mommy and her favorite little girl.

Special thanks to our friend Joanne for bringing down Lilah's baby bedding while on a business trip to Sao Paulo. We love it- thanks!

We decided to keep the color of our former guest room as it would cost a small fortune to replace the red with a pastel. (Not to mention the labor with all the coats needed!) So we were able to find this bedding set with red already in it. Lilah is happy with it too!

A photo of Lilah's books (formerly James') and baby toys that she will one day enjoy.

Lilah hanging out with her crib buddies.

The Hug. The Kiss.

The Smiles.

Plane show

2007-08-28T13:29:00.000-04:00

Some of you may not know that we live across the valley from Embraer, a huge factory that makes passenger jets for Delta, Continental, and American Airlines and many others. I bet many of you have flown on these jets not knowing they were made right here in our backyard in Brazil. Last Sunday, happened to be Family day/Open house at Embraer. We knew of this not because of the several Embraer employees that go to our church but because of the loud air demonstration happening outside our apartment window. What an incredible sight to see 3 huge passenger jets flying low in formation! It seemed as if we could just reach up and touch them from our balcony. And the roar was exciting too! James was screaming with delight! (check out the clip) I only wish our photos could have been better..........

Life with Two!

2007-08-19T14:42:00.000-04:00

PTL! We are enjoying this little sleeping princess. She is such a sweet baby, she hardly ever cries. And when it is time to feed her, she patiently waits for mommy to finish what she is doing. No colic problems with this one either. Yes folks, she is a dream!

Life with two has been tricky, especially since my mother went back home on Tuesday. Those extra set of hands were a sure help. I'm finding that two children require a lot more planning and juggling for that matter. The first 3 or 4 days of Lilah's little life were really rough on James. He didn't quite understand what was going on. Lots of people were coming to the house to visit Lilah and he was feeling somewhat threatened by her taking all the attention. He wanted to hold her, in fact, HE wanted to be the only one to hold her. Since then, the jealously is gone and is replaced with a constant desire to give her affection. Yes, this is surely sweet but a huge challenge for me. I have to be a hawk and make sure that he is not too smothering. James loves to kiss his little sister, especially when that mouth of his is covered in melted ice cream or other traces of food. Ahhh!

Last Sunday was Father's day in Brazil. We celebrated by going to our favorite restaurant and park- Santa Barbara. The food there is fantastic and I'm glad that mom was able to come too. It's a special place to us. Happy Father's Day Ricky!

A sweet photo of James at the park. I sure do love this little guy. He's a dream too!

Below are photos from a day trip we took to the mountain city of Campos do Jordao. It has a strong Swiss influence and is famous for fondue and chocolate. Not to mention, the temperature is almost always cold and is so refreshing to bundle up and drink hot chocolate.

Campos do Jordao is only a one hour drive from where we live. On the way up the mountain, there is a fabulous place where we always stop to take photos.

Looks European, huh?

Picture Time!

2007-08-05T20:57:00.000-04:00

Lilah sits in her Bumbo chair -12 days old today!

Lilah in her first week- looks exactly like James as a baby.

First brother and sister photo.

James loves his little sister! He is constantly laughing at her.

Nana reading to Lilah-she loved it!

James wrapped in his favorite towel. My friend Sonja had her mother make this for him.

James at the city park enjoying the seesaw.

Our pastor and Lilah's first visit to church.

Our first family of 4 photo, taken at the city park. Lilah-11 days old.

She's Arrived!

2007-07-26T17:17:00.000-04:00

Lilah Amaris Denham

born Tuesday July 24

4:15am

6 lbs 8 oz

19 inches

Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil

I stayed home during the labor and arrived at the hospital 15 minutes before Lilah was born. There was no time for an epidural so it was a natural birth!! She is a healthy, calm, beautiful baby and we are praising the Lord for her safe arrival.

My mother arrived just 4 hours later and we had our neighbor pick her up and bring her straight to the hospital. Of all the days to book a ticket to fly down, she chose Lilah's actual birthday! My hospital experience went extremely well. The nurses, the care, even the food was top notch. An overall wonderful experience and we have much to be thankful for. God has been so good to us. Thank you for your prayers.

Happy Birthday Rick!

2007-07-15T19:14:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Rick's birthday at the ministry's office last week. Tiago- Fiel's manager, and Edvanio-Fiel's graphic designer, had birthdays as well. So us wives decided it would be easier if we had a party together and shared the fun and the work load. I made the ice cream cakes and they were a hit! So easy to make too! Unfortunately, I was only able to take two photos before my camera battery died. Better planning next time!

More Pics of Festa

2007-07-15T18:29:00.000-04:00

Festa Juninha

2007-07-10T18:18:00.000-04:00

Festa Juninha is a hillbilly party that takes during the month of June. Originally meant to celebrate the first crops of the season and to give thanks to the saints, it has now become an event much like a county fair. James' preschool sponsered a festa juniha 2 weeks ago. I ran down to our Wal-Mart (yes, we have a Wal-Mart but it's not the same) and picked out a costume for him to wear. He even let me draw on his face with eyeliner. We arrived at the farm out in the country and they had several things happpening. Some of the kids were doing a dance they learned in school, there were games for the kids to play and of course, typical country food was being sold. Not to mention, they had Brazilian folk music playing on loud speakers. It was a neat experience and James had a blast.

Ahh! For some reason, Blogger is not letting me post the other photos. I will try again later!

For My Sis

2007-06-27T22:43:00.000-04:00

Well, today I got a call from my sister informing me that I am majorly slacking in posting photos of her favorite little nephew. So her are a couple photos for you sis to tie you over. Love you and miss you!

Denham Beach Trip

2007-06-11T17:38:00.000-04:00

Well, the Denham gang is at the beach this week. Mom and Dad Denham left Brazil last Thursday for a much needed rest and time with family. They haven't been back to the states in almost two years. They will return in September to a brand new grandaughter. Wish we could be there too! Love you guys!

Big Boy Bed

2007-06-11T16:51:00.000-04:00

Well, we thought it would be wise to move James into a big boy bed before his little sister arrives. He has been sleeping in it for a little over a month now and has adjusted just fine. I really enjoy climbing in bed with him and reading together. It's our special daily routine.

The first few nights he rolled off the edge and fell on to a bunch of pillows that I had there waiting in case. So we would wake up to a crying, disoriented little guy. But those days seem to be over. The only problem now is trying to keep him under the sheets! This is not an easy thing to do, but it is important as it is winter here. Did you know our seasons are opposite from those of the states?

As for baby girl, we have moved James' crib into our guest room and have decided not to paint over the red. Rick said it would take at least a dozen coats to cover it with a pastel. So now my mission is to find some bedding with red and pink in it. Maybe I will sew something. Anyway, here are the pictures of her room thus far.

The Legend Turns 80

2007-06-03T19:59:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to my favorite father-in-law Dad Denham! Our church gave dad a birthday celebration dinner Friday night to honor him and his decades of service to the Lord. Dad has touched many lives over the years and the Lord has used him to bring many to Himself. There was a slide show of photos of him and mom throughout their lifetime and several letters of gratitude were read. Ricky had the opportunity to speak at the podium of how dad has "loved" people into the Kingdom of God.

It has been a real testimony to me to see dad constantly witnessing to people he comes in contact with- if only briefly. For example: On a particular day of one of our first trips to Brazil, dad came with us to open up a Brazilian bank account. While waiting in the lobby, dad began speaking to the young man sitting next to him about the Lord. Our next stop was the furniture store to show dad the couch that we were thinking of buying. Seeing a bible opened on a table, dad then asked the sales lady if she read it. Thus, opening the door to witness to her too. There was one more instance later this day that dad witnessed to yet another total stranger.
I remember thinking, if only I could have the same boldness to share my faith and have the same love for the lost that he has for others. He is genuinely concerned about the eternal condition of each person. Dad and mom both have crowns laden with jewels waiting for them in Heaven. I feel privileged and honored to know them and to belong to their family. Happy Birthday Dad Denham!

My Friend Stephanie

2007-05-28T10:25:00.000-04:00

My American friend Stephanie is also expecting a baby girl. She is due within the next two weeks and here is a photo of us at her baby shower. It has been so nice to be able to have someone to talk to during this pregnancy. We will both be delivering here in Brazil which makes for some funny conversations on what to expect. I told her that at least she is going first and can later give me the run down! Stephanie's mother will be coming this Wednesday to help before and after the birth. We were talking about how we need to prepare our mothers (my mom is coming in July) on the condition and methods of the hospitals. The hospitals here look and are run totally different. For example: Rick and I went to visit the hospital where I will be delivering and they gave me a list of items to bring. I have to bring EVERYTHING!! From diapers, to baby shampoo, to baby blankets and baby clothes. Not to mention towels and everything else that I will need for myself and the baby. They even expect me to bring nail clippers for the baby. The hospital provides NOTHING! (Only sheets for the bed and my meals.) The baby will not leave my side the entire time I am there. The tests and even her first bath will be done in a sink in my hospital room. Different huh?

Another thing I found interesting during our tour of the hospital is that they will provide ear piercing for baby girls before leaving the hospital. They don't provide diapers or blankets but they will pierce your baby's ears!

I still plan on posting photos of Rick's trip to the Amazon. Look for them soon!

Under the Weather

2007-05-21T15:35:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, the Denham gang has had a rough week. James awoke in the middle of the night last Sunday coughing and unable to catch his breath. So I ran next door and asked for help from my neighbors. It is such a blessing to live in an apartment building where most of the tenants are from our church. (Rick was traveling.) So my friend Rosi and I then took James to the children's hospital and they told us that he had a form of laryngitis. Praise the Lord it was nothing more serious. The doctor said it was viral and should disappear within two days. So twice a day, I took James to the hospital to have inhalation treatments to help him get better. The laryngitis is gone but a cold has been left in it's place.

Now mommy is sick too! I am thinking it is strep throat but will find out when I go to the doctor tomorrow. This is especially not fun mainly because I am pregnant and unable to take anything. So I have been drinking loads of hot tea and sucking on honey drops to help in the discomfort. Here are some interesting cultural facts for you: Brazilians seem to think that my family is sick because we use Air Condition and walk around the house barefoot. They also think I am crazy for drinking cold drinks with ice.

As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans." Maybe I should change some of our habits. What do you think?

A Whirlwind!

2007-05-10T10:45:00.000-04:00

It has been almost a month since my last post and I don't want any more time to pass without an update. Rick, James and I spent two weeks in the states visiting family and friends and picking up supplies to last us the rest of the year. (winter clothes and baby stuff for the new one) We also took a 2 day trip to Nashville to visit our church and any friends and family that we could squeeze into our tight schedule. Here are a few photos to share with you:We spent our only Saturday visiting Disney's Animal Kingdom with my family. My sister flew in from North Carolina and even my brother Garry and his family surprised us and met us there!

James and his sweet cousin Alli are enjoying a moment in front of Mr. Potato Head.

Everytime we are back in Melbourne, I always try to take James to his favorite park where he feeds the ducks and plays on the playground. Unfortunately, this time James thought it was more fun to chase the ducks than feed them. As you can see, two ducks found safety in a tree.

James got to visit his Uncle Robbie at the Firehouse one of the first days we were there. James was thoroughly impressed with the whole experience that he still asks mommy to read him his firefigther book to him EVERYDAY!

I will be posting another update soon of Rick's trip to the Amazon with the team from Desiring God Ministries. It went incredibly well!

Here's Our Baby

2007-04-12T07:48:00.000-04:00

I had another ultrasound yesterday and here is the most recent photo of our little girl. (23 weeks) It looks like she has James' lips. So sweet! We are counting our blessings.

A Brazilian Easter

2007-04-11T06:59:00.000-04:00

Hope you had a wonderful time celebrating Christ's resurrection and the hope that we have as Christians to one day be with him in Glory! On Easter morning, I sat in on James' Sunday School class, mainly because he wouldn't let me leave. Normally, I am a mother who has no hang-ups about leaving their crying child because I know that he will stop in a few minutes and begin to play. This, however, was a special occasion as all the children were gathered together in one place for a special Easter presentation put on by the teachers. While listening to the Passover story, each child was given some unleavened bread and a piece of cooked lamb. I was impressed with the amount of preparation that was put into this lesson. When my Portuguese improves, I look forward to helping more with the children's ministry!After church, we drove out to a restaurant in the country overlooking two lakes. Unfortunately, it began to rain and I was unable to get photos of the family and the mini egg hunt I planned to do for James there. The custom in Brazil for Easter happens not to be Easter baskets or egg hunts but rather the children are given giant chocolate eggs with a surprise inside. The surprise is usually a small toy or some candy. Not only did James receive a chocolate egg from his parents but also an American Easter basket that my sweet cousin Susan and her daughter Reese sent us in the mail. It was a nice surprise and I was able to hide some plastic eggs around the house for James to find later after we got home. Thanks guys- it was super thoughtful!

The care package sent by our cousins. We are looking forward to making the cupcakes!

Here is James with his Brazilian Easter Egg with the theme of Superman. His little surprise was a red cloth Superman cape which he quickly opened and put on.

James seen here relaxing with his cape and chocolate egg!

Later that evening, we went to our sister church to hear a children's cantata. James' little friends Raissa and Marina sang beautifully! Here is a photo of Raissa and James.

A group photo of our favorite friends. Edie and Rick work together at Fiel and Rosilene and I spend a lot of time together.(We live in the same building.) She has become my best friend here in Brazil. The Lord was sweet to send me a special friend. I always enjoy our time together and she is so patient with me and my "slow" Portuguese. The Lord knows our every need!

An Overdue Update

2007-04-05T09:37:00.000-04:00

Hello friends!

Well, lots to share with you. Three weeks ago, Ricky flew to California for the annual Shepard's conference hosted by John MacArthur and his ministry. During this week, Rick made several new contacts for Fiel. One contact in particular, Desiring God ministry (author John Piper), is interested in and sending some of their people down to Brazil to film a documentary about what God has been doing through the books of John Piper and the publishing work of Editora Fiel founded by Rick's father over 55 years ago. Rick, his father, a camera team and representatives from Desiring God ministry will be flying to the Amazon to trace the origins of where our ministry began. We are beyond excited, especially Rick's parents who were the first Protestant missionaries in this region of Brazil. It will be amazing to see and hear stories from people whose lives have been changed from hearing the Good News so many years ago. Please join us in praying that all the details of this trip will fall in to place and the team will be able to capture the footage they need to accurately give account to God's work. I am looking forward to showing you some incredible photos! The trip is to take place the first week in May. Most of all, Please pray that God will be glorified through all these things.

Family News:

James has been enjoying preschool and comes home every time saying something new in Portuguese. It has been one month and I am shocked at the amount he is speaking. In fact yesterday, he correctly conjugated a verb into past tense! He is also mixing the two languages, for example: Nao quero sleep. ( I don't want to sleep.) I know this is normal and part of learning two languages at an early age. He has also started potty training and it is going well. That first week was rough- let's just say I did double my normal washing load for the week! Right now, he is using diapers only while he sleeps at night. We are very proud of him.

As for myself and the baby, we are doing well. On Monday, I will have the important 22week ultrasound where they measure everything and check all the organs. (In the states, this ultrasound usually takes place during week 20.) I have a little belly showing these days but most still can't tell I'm pregnant. We have yet to settle on a name and we're not sure if we will share it or wait until she arrives. It is hard choosing a name that is unique but yet easy for both Brazilians and Americans to pronounce. We will see!

Rick is extremely busy these days. Juggling many projects simultaneously is something that he has mastered. However, he has been having many headaches lately and just recently had an MRI. PTL we got the results yesterday and everything is normal. We will soon be leaving for the states on April 13 for a quick 2 week visit. If the Lord allows, we would like to visit Nashville during this time.

Below are some recent photos.

Here is a photo of our church on Sunday morning. You will find it interesting that the morning service is very casual and the evening service is the main service where everyone dresses up. The exact opposite in the states.

Some of the ladies from our church organized a special party to celebrate the International Women's day last month. We had a devotional and afterward ate finger foods while different ladies spoke on beauty tips, cooking and organizing the home. It was cute!

This is James' Sunday school class. Notice he is the only little boy.

James and his favorite friends enjoying a McDonald's ice cream cone. There are McDonald's ice cream kiosks all over the city and are super popular and yummy too. A cone cost about $0.75.

James is addicted (like his mommy) to a very popular drink here called Acai. It consists of a berry found in the Amazon region and is supposedly healthy and full of antioxidants. There are Acai drinks stands everywhere and it is the thing to do when meeting up with friends. It has a smoothie-like consistency and we usually order it blended with strawberries. But it can be mixed with just about anything: condensed milk, powdered milk, granola, crushed peanuts or any fruit imaginable!

Our Beach Trip

2007-03-20T11:54:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago, Rick's brother Mark spent the weekend with us and took us to his favorite beach in Brazil. We awoke early and took a very bumpy boat ride to Ihla Grande (Big Island) where we jumped off and hiked 2o minutes to a secluded beach called Lopes Mendes. Incredible!The water was completely transparent and you could even see your toes when wading in the water chest deep. The sand was so fine that it looked like powdered sugar and squeaked with every step that we took. I have never been to a more beautiful beach! This photo was taken high up the mountain during the hike down to it. James enjoyed waving at this plane that kept flying low along the coast. To our surprise, the pilot eventually landed further down on the beach. James thoroughly enjoyed the boat ride and still talks about going on a boat again. On the way back to our hotel he fell asleep in his daddy's arms exhausted from the sun, water and fun.
A photo of James and I on the way back.The day before we went to another beach called Itamabuca. We stayed at a Eco Resort where they also had camping. Once again, there was the beautiful blue-green water surrounded by vast jungle and plenty of rocks to climb on and dive off. Below an ice cream vender takes a breather.

Of course, we took advantage of the fact that the ice cream man drug that heavy cart through the sand to make a sale. James was covered in green popsicle!
James was delighted to find some "treasure" in the water. With this nice beach comes a fresh water river (the Brazilians call it sweet water.) that runs into it making an ideal place for James to stay and play. My brother-in-law Mark jokingly said that the next time we bring foreigners to this beach, we will have to warn them about the piranas!

Here James finds and plays with some little friends. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend getaway and a fun time spent with family!

James Starts Preschool

2007-03-17T14:38:00.000-04:00

James started at a Christian Preschool last week and is enjoying the interaction with the other children. Rick and I thought it would be a great opportunity for him to hear and learn Portuguese for a couple hours a few days a week. I don't want him learning incorrectly from his gringa mommy! So we are doing a testing period to see if this will be a good thing for him. Here is a photo of him in his school uniform.

James making Breakfast

2007-02-28T18:15:00.001-05:00

Tacos!

2007-02-23T13:18:00.000-05:00

Last week, we had our sweet neighbors over for their very first experience with tacos. Saying they enjoyed them would be an understatement! I found a place that sells taco shells but they are a luxury as a small box costs around $10. Notice the ketchup on the table. The girls poured it on and ate 3 each. Brazilians love their ketchup!

James and his new buddies stopped playing ball long enough for mommy to take a photo. James makes friends everywhere he goes and this day it happened to be at the park right next to our house. Yesterday, while James and I were walking to the grocery store to pick up some items for lunch we passed a little boy in the street that knew his name. I think he has more friends than Rick and I combined!

Here is a photo of a distressed James getting "hooked" with his toy fishing pole. He has never been fishing but he loves to pretend. A string of yarn or a shoelace becomes a fun toy to throw over the back of a chair. His uncle Rob and uncle Garry will have to take him the next time we're in the states.This is how I found James watching cartoons one morning- inside two pool floats! Kids are the best!

Books in English

2007-02-15T18:18:00.000-05:00

Now that I am certain James is past the stage of tearing out pages of his books, I have moved all his books down to the lower shelves. It is so nice to walk in his room and find him quietly looking at his books. Childrens books in English are hard to find and when I do find them I can't afford them. Yes, they charge an arm and a leg for these specialty items!

Mommy and James posing for daddy.

A Day in the Park!

2007-02-13T08:05:00.000-05:00

I am happy to say that I am feeling almost back to normal. The nausea only pops up maybe once every two days and my energy level has increased significantly. I am looking forward to starting up my Portuguese lessons again and getting back on track. Thank you for the prayers said on my behalf. And a big fat thank you to Ricky for picking up the slack these past couple of months! You're the best sweetheart! I love this photo of James playing in the downtown park. Julie and Brant Cuthbert from Michigan came down for two weeks to get to know the Ministry of Fiel. (Faithful in Portuguese) They were such an encouragement to us.

Here we are visiting the city market on a Saturday morning. This is a fun place to pick up some handmade items such as jewelry, linens and knick-knacks.

I took this photo 4 months ago at our home in Florida and just had to post it. We found a turtle is the neighbor's yard and had a fun time watching it.

We're having a Girl

2007-01-30T16:43:00.000-05:00

We found out the news today. I took a blood test last week and the results came in today! We are absolutely delighted and our thanking the Lord. I am almost 13 weeks and the baby is growing right on schedule.

Egypt photos

2007-01-30T12:13:00.000-05:00

Here is a photo of the famous Khan-Khalili market in Cairo. We enjoyed walking around and looking for interesting things to bring home. You defintely need to have a back bone if you are going to get a good price. Out of all our travels around the world, the Cairo market is the most intense! These young married Egyptians asked to take a photo with James and I. Kinda funny, huh?
A lovely country-side view of a Giza Pyramid.

A favorite photo of my boys.

James is checking out the man on the donkey who rode up to sell us a coke. He pulled two bottles out of his bag and opened them even after we told him that we didn't want any. He waited around about 15 minutes, hoping that we would become his customers anyway. A police man on a camel came by and shooed him away for us.

2007-01-30T09:38:00.000-05:00

James loved the camels and didn't want to get down. He was definitely more brave than mommy!

A family photo taken at the Pyramids of Giza

No more photos please!!!!

I'm Back to Blogging!

2007-01-21T15:43:00.000-05:00

Hello dear friends. There is so much to tell you about. Most importantly, James is going to be a big brother. I am 11 weeks pregnant and haven't been feeling my best these past few weeks. But I am praying that this phase (nausea and exhaustion) will soon pass like it did with my pregnancy with James at 14 weeks. We are absolutely delighted and counting our blessings with this exciting news. The baby's due date is August 9 and Lord willing, will be born here in Brazil. Yes, we are back in Brazil and are settling back into a routine. We flew back January 9th, on my birthday and it was such fun to celebrate in both counties with loved ones. Well, it is official, I am 29 and holding as the expression goes. I have many photos to share from the past 3 months, so please excuse me as I play catch up. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Here is a photo of our dear neighbors Debora and Natalia who decorated our apartment door for our arrival. Wow, how we felt loved!

Pics of Egypt

2006-12-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

There are many more photos of Egypt to post but they happened to be saved on the other computer. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas filled with fun, laughter, lots of yummy food, and of course family! It is our favorite time of year and we had the oppurtunity of spending a week with Rick's family in South Carolina and then on Christmas morning we drove down to Florida where my family was waiting to start the Christmas celebration. Look for those photos soon. Above is a photo of James and a little Egyptian girl that he made friends with at the famous Khan al-Khalili market.

We are in Egypt

2006-12-02T01:24:00.000-05:00

Hello friends, just wanted to let let you know we are currently in Egypt on vacation. It has been an amazing experience to see first hand the land of the Pharaoh's and biblical times. This photo was taken at the historic Mena House in Giza, with the Pyramid of Khufu in the background. It is the largest of all the Pyramids !! Please pray for James, he picked up a virus yesterday but thank the Lord , he is doing better today. More photos to come!

More photos

2006-11-17T11:07:00.000-05:00

Bath time fun James playing air hockey with Nana
James and Grandma Lou
Visitors in our backyard.

A Praise!

2006-11-15T22:52:00.000-05:00

Blogging friends-I was just wondering if any of you have switched over yet to the new version of blogger in beta and if you had any problems or dislikes. I have been a little hesitant to make the change and I was thinking I should get some feedback first. Thanks in advance!

Well, little James has just come out of a rough two weeks of having a yucky virus called Hand-Foot-Mouth. He was finally diagnosed on the second visit to the doctor when she noticed the little red spots on the bottom of his feet and palms of his hands. The poor guy suffered from a fever that lasted over a week and diarrhea that wouldn't ease up. He vomited 3 times and at one point I thought of taking him to the emergency room. The fact that we do not have insurance in this country deterred me from this option. So my mother came over and with her help we monitored James through the night. I have two praises from this story that I would like to share. #1 James is better and has gained the weight that he lost. This was a huge concern to us as he is already tiny and only weighing 22 lbs. (the average weight of a 1 yr. old) (Yes, I DO feed this child, he is a really active, small guy and burns off everything he consumes!) #2 This is really neat. After we get done seeing the doctor, I go to the desk to write a check for the visit. To my surprise the receptionist tells me that I have a $298 credit on my account. I tell her that this cannot be possible and that maybe she pulled up the wrong account on her computer. I inform her that we haven't been in to see the doctor since the last time we were in the states. She said that the computer hadn't listed any specific details and that she thought that I must have overpaid. So I smiled at her and said, wow, praise the Lord! It didn't occur to me until later that maybe someone had anonymously done that for us. There is just no way that I could overpay by $300!!!!!! Isn't God good?!! He used someone in that office to bless and take care of us. Thank you Jesus for your provision!

Halloween

2006-11-06T12:28:00.000-05:00

James had a blast trick-or-treating and he couldn't believe that he was actually getting candy ("dandy") when he asked for it! He Loved being a chicken, though at times he did get hot so I removed his shoes and occasionally took off his costume to cool him off. We got our money's worth out of this costume. Earlier in the week, we went to a Halloween Festival at a local church where he played games, rode a pony and enjoyed petting some farm animals. My father also treated us to tickets for the "Not-so-scary Halloween" night at Disney World. James enjoyed the rides and spending time with his cousins.( The whole family was there including my sister Carol who flew in from SC and my aunt Dorothy, cousin Susan and her daughter Reese who flew in from VA.) The Firework show on the other hand was a loud, scary event but he still kept his curious eyes open during the whole thing while maintaining a death grip around my neck. Enjoy the pics!

Photos Finally!

2006-10-27T11:19:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I am finally up and running with a computer. I accidently left our card reader in Brazil and have been unable to download photos from my camera. So with Rick's help, I am ready to post! Below is a photo of James at one of his daily swim lessons. He already knows how to roll to his back and float (drown prevention) and this week he starts with the swimming aspect. Please pray that the weather will keep warm a couple more weeks so he can finish this course. We return to Brazil in January, the middle of summer, and I want him to have this life-saving skill. For my mommy friends, here is the website of the course we are using: www.infantswim.com It is fascinating, check it out! Being back in the States, we are taking advantage of the free events that happen in our city. Below are a few photos of a K-9 demonstration they had at a local church fall festival. James loved seeing those smart dogs perform.
Here James is helping daddy put together his bed. He still sleeps in his crib but the bed is great right now for cuddling up for storytime. We may start using it soon though, as last week I awoke at 4am to feel something tugging at my sheets. Let me first tell you that Rick was away traveling so I was by myself and horrified when I sat up suddenly to see my blondie out of his crib! A very uneasy feeling!Here is a photo of James and his Nana and Grandma Lou out to lunch. I love this photo!

Back in the States

2006-10-22T22:16:00.000-04:00

Hello dear friends and family. Forgive me for not posting in a while but many things have been occuping my time. We arrived in the states two weeks ago today and we are finally settled and falling back into a routine. We will only be in the states for 3 months and then will travel back to Brazil the first week of January. We are in Florida staying close to my parents and it has been nice visiting with them everyday. James enjoys seeing his grandparents and asks constantly about "Nana and Papa". The week before we left to come to the States we were in the city of Aguas de Lindoia for our annual Fiel Pastor's Conference. Rick and I ran the giant bookstore...........( our background in the music industry comes in handy). Many pastors were blessed by the speakers and their edifying messages. Over 1500 pastors and leaders of churches were in attendence. Rick's father started this conference over 20 years ago and God has allowed it to grow into something that has touched many lives over the years.

................This computer is not allowing me to post photos for some reason but I will drive over to my parent's house and post some photos later after James' nap.

Hope you are doing well and having a blessed week!

The Party

2006-10-06T21:13:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, we celebrated James' two year birthday with a party downstairs in the banquet room of our building. The theme we chose was soccer while using the national colors of Brazil. Just like in Brazilian weddings, the table is the main place for photos so they are usually really elaborate.Our friend Edvanio, made this giant poster of James for the party. James smiled so big when he first saw it. I think I will tape it to the back of his bedroom door. It's just too cute to throw away. We set up a special room just for the kids to play. I made playdough,bought paint and set up little stations for the children to play. Although, I asked two young girls from the church to help in this room the paint eventually turned into a big mess. I won't do that again.
Here is a photo of some of the young people from church and grandpa or "ampaul" as James likes to say.James had a heyday with all the candy and desserts. Here James is sneaking a brigaderio. This is a popular chocolate trufle-like candy. It is made with condensed milk, chocolate powder and chocolate sprinkles. My friend Laura made these for the party and arranged them in the shape of the Brazilian flag. Thanks Laura!
Cookie in hand and ready to sneak a couple bites of sprinkles and frosting. He is sure a rascal!I think this was the first time for many of our friends to ever eat a cupcake. I think they liked them. Who doesn't like chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting?

Happy Birthday James!

2006-09-29T19:16:00.000-04:00

Wow, time flies! I can't believe my little guy turns 2 years old today. It seems like yesterday I was sitting in the doctor's office waiting for a normal check-up when my water broke suddenly. The doctor walked in and said, "Looks like we are going to celebrate a birthday today!" What? I couldn't believe it, James was going to arrive 6 weeks early!?! I began to cry as I told the doctor I wasn't ready yet. I still had so many things to do; James' crib wasn't put together, none of his cute little outfits had been washed with Dreft yet, my hospital bag wasn't packed, and I couldn't stop thinking that I had left the house this morning with a sink full of dirty dishes! What a crazy thought! A precious little being was about to enter my world and change it forever and I was thinking about a dirty kitchen! I was also a little bummed that I had only had a piece of toast and hot chocolate for breakfast because I knew the hospital would not feed me until after James was born. But I quickly forgot about my stomach when the pain of the contractions started to really bump up a notch. After 12 hours of labor, I finally requested an epidural and was able to rest a bit during the night. Unfortunately, the epidural brought my progress to a standstill for 7 hours. So the doctor lessened the dosage (which increased the pain) and within 3 hours James was ready to make his grand entrance. My mother, who quickly flew in from FL, pulled out the video camera, Ricky changed into a nice, button-down shirt and I brushed my hair and put on some lipstick to welcome our little peanut. We had the Newsboys Adoration CD (praise and worship) playing in the background. With the third push, out FLEW James Richard Denham IV! (5 lbs 6 oz, 18 inches) A nurse and I gasped at the explosion of baby that the doctor had just caught! Rick's words were, "Oh, look at him!" amidst tears and laughter. I was still in shock at the shear power of that last push that I was still holding my hand over my mouth when the nurse handed him to me. I couldn't help but think to myself, "Thank you Jesus for this precious little gift, your ways and timing are perfect."

Roles Switched

2006-09-24T18:52:00.000-04:00

Well, this morning both James and I woke up sick with colds. For me, it is sneezing, sore throat, drainage, and a head that feels like it is going to explode! The weather, I think, has contributed to our illnesses. One week it's hot, and the next it is freezing! Last night was yet another switch of the temperature. I had to sleep with a hot water bottle to keep warm and James has a heater in his room. (There is no central AC or heat in Brazilian homes.) Anyway, we are grateful that it is Sunday, a day of rest! And that's exactly what we have been doing today. I have been preparing for James' birthday party that will be next Saturday night. I decided to have it downstairs in our banquet hall in our apartment building. Last year, we celebrated his first birthday out at the ranch and invited the whole church. It was so much fun. Below are some photos. Uh........actually, I couldn't find those photos. I'll keep looking and will post them later. Okay, here are some photos of my little rascal getting a hold of mommy's camera and taking some pictures. This guy knew exactly what button to press. I wonder how he knew!? Here are some of his better shots: This one is not so bad, I just had to lean over to make sure I got in the photo.
The last two photos are of mommy taking the camera away. Not a happy camper!

Delirious!

2006-09-20T07:58:00.000-04:00

Last night, James, some friends and I drove into Sao Paulo to see some old buddies from the UK band Delirious. I worked with them 3 or 4 years ago while they toured in the states. It was great to see them and they were excited to meet James.Leticia, Allan, and Diego went with us. Leticia and her family live right above us in the apartment building. She studied in England for a year and speaks English with a british accent. It's cute!
We thought the name of this church was funny........"Bola de Neve" which means Snowball church. James is enjoying an ice cream before the show.

A wedding!

2006-09-19T07:20:00.000-04:00

Our friends Jackie and Felipe were married on Saturday during an outdoor ceremony at a ranch. On the way to the ranch we got lost and arrived 45 minutes late but weddings in Brazil never start on time, so we were there to see Jackie walk down the aisle! Below is a photo of the ringbearer and flower girl getting ready to throw flower petals at the newly married couple. A photo of my mother-in-law Pearl and the happy couple.After the wedding, the bride and groom stand behind the cake and take pictures with the family and wedding party. Instead of using the church steps as a background for photos or other locations, the main photos are taken by the cake. This cake is never cut at the ceremony. Guests are brought out cake from the kitchen already served on plates. Different, huh?
During the reception, the groom walks around with a tie around his neck and guests (mainly the men) are given the opportunity to purchase a piece of the tie if they donate money for the couple's honeymoon. The bigger the amount of the bill the louder the groomsmen cheer. It's funny to watch.

James put money into the pot and there were several people that took photos of it. I asked where was James' piece of "gaveta" after he put his money in. Everyone started laughing. The word for tie is "gravata" and I said the word for "drawer". Oh the joys of learning another language!

Christian Booksellers Expo

2006-09-14T22:45:00.000-04:00

This week Fiel is participating in the annual Christian Booksellers Expo in Sao Paulo. It is great exposure for our literature as more than 30,000 people are expected to attend this week long event. Please pray that many doors will open and we can get our reformed books into as many hands as possible!James and I went to visit daddy working at the booth on Wednesday. We ran into Larry and Bob from "Os Vegetais". James adores VegeTales DVDs, however, you would never know it by the look on his face in this photo below. He was so scared of these lifesize characters!

I took a photo with this famous Brazilian news anchor. He is an equivalent to our Tom Brokow or Dan Rather. I don't even know his name. Oops!You might be surprised to know that there are a several Christians on the Brazilian World Cup team. One of these players, Ze Roberto, wrote a book titled "Gathering Fruit in a Dry Land." Unfortunately, we had to leave before he showed up for his autograph session, but our friend Allan had him sign a book and James' soccer jersey. Thanks Allan!
And here is a cute photo of James' little friends Raissa and Marina. They are such sweeties!
Hope you're having a blessed week!

Independence Day

2006-09-09T10:27:00.000-04:00

September 7th is Brazil's Independence Day and we celebrated by going to the parade downtown. James is pictured with his best friends Raissa and Marina.
Below is a photo of some men using painted paint cans as drums. I think Brazilians are the best at recycling!!You might be surprised to know that we have Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in Brazil. They have similar uniforms too. Unfortunately, they don't sell Girl Scout cookies! No thin mints for me. :(The clowns were cute and they even posed for the foreigner with the camera!
I thought this was a little bit strange.................the Assemblies of God preachers marched in the parade. Later in the evening, we went over to Rick's parents house for a party given for my mother-in-law. Happy Birthday Mom! We love you and thank the Lord for you everyday! You are precious to us.

A Special Shower!!

2006-09-08T16:13:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday night, I threw a bridal shower for Jaqueline who will be getting married later this month. Jaque works with us at Fiel and her parents are part of the backbone of our church. Her father is a british missionary that has been in Brazil 50 years like my in-laws and her mother is one of the sweetest God-fearing women I have ever met. I was excited to do something for her and to have all the ladies of the church over for a typical American shower!(I am talking about the food.) They loved it!
The games, however, were planned by a couple of girls from our church. They really like to embarrass and humililate the guest of honor. When Jaque answered questions incorrectly during some of the games, they painted her face and made her do silly things, such as sing songs and make a wedding dress out of toilet paper. Brazilian humor is definitely different! I was pleased to see everyone laughing and enjoying themselves.

Mercado Municipal

2006-09-05T14:12:00.000-04:00

Rick's brother Mark was down once again working in Sao Paulo and we met up with him last weekend. Mark took us to the old Municipal Market where they sell fresh fruit, cheese, spices, and meat for super cheap. Below is a photo of the beautiful building. Inside the building are individual stalls where venders come to sell their goods. We went on a Saturday and it was a little crowded.As we walked past this stall, I was a little horrified of the little piggies hanging in the window. Rick then noticed that the sign reads "Porco Feliz", which means happy pig. They don't look too happy to me!Did you know that the cashew nut comes from a fruit? This photo is for our Pastor Spivey in Melbourne, Florida. Pastor, this is what a cashew fruit looks like. The stem on top of the fruit is where the nut is located. Brasilians love to make juice out of the caju fruit. When you and Patricia come visit us one day, I will make it for you! :)Here is a neat photo below of the many different varieties of hot peppers they sell. Generally speaking, brazilian food is not hot at all. Actually, I have never tried anything really spicy here. Who buys these peppers anyway!? We later went to the old train station and then to the park next door to take some photos and to enjoy the beautiful "winter" weather. James loves his Uncle Mark! Little kisses are the best!

The happy family photo! Here James is tried of his mommy taking pictures!

Answered Prayer!

2006-09-04T15:47:00.000-04:00

We received news that the father of these dear sisters, has accepted Jesus as his Savior. Both Antonivan and Ana Paula, who work with us at the Fiel Ministry, are currently back home in the North of Brazil caring for their father who is terminally ill with cancer. Although difficult to see their loved one sick, they can rejoice because they now have the hope of seeing him again in Glory! We miss you girls and can't wait to see you back in Sao Jose. We are praying for you and your family.

James the Super Baby!

2006-08-28T15:56:00.000-04:00


My friend Rosilene and her two daughters came over last night for tea. This is the family that I mentioned earlier that just moved in to our building. What a blessing to have them close by. We take turns watching each others kids when we need to run some errands. And the girls absolutely love playing with James!

Shame on Me!

2006-08-24T15:50:00.000-04:00

I have allowed way too many days pass by without a post. Please forgive me blogging buddies and friends alike! This past week has been filled with children birthday parties, baby showers, and a wedding shower. It is the season. And there are more to come..........2 more on Saturday and 1 more on Monday. Not to mention, I am putting together a bridal shower next Saturday for a girl named Jaque who works with us at the Fiel ministry. Below are some photos from one of the baby showers. Let me just tell you they are completely different than what you would expect in the States. Read the captions below. Here are the ladies playing a game after the devotional. Who can dress the baby the fastest?
When you are given an invitation for a shower, you are told what present to buy and what food to bring. This really shocked me when I was first invited to a shower. For example: bring something sweet, and a baby bottle. Kinda funny, huh? I guess they want to have a variety of food and to save the guest of honor from getting repeat gifts. No such thing as a baby registry here! Most gifts are baby shampoo, cottonballs or diapers and sometimes clothes are given. Below is a photo of a women cutting a "salty cake". This is a common treat made for showers or special events. It is layered with white bread and has a filling of chicken salad with eggs, olives, corn and such. It is then iced with mashed potatoes and topped with potato sticks. I usually avoid it as I am unsure of the amount of time the mayonnaise has been out of the fridge.
Below is a photo of James staring at the cake. This little boy loves sweets! Another common occurrence is there are never plates or forks at showers. (Mainly because these items are expensive and they can do without them.) One is expected to eat cake off of a napkin. So I usually volunteer myself to bring these items!!
Here is a photo of my dear friend Rosilene and a little girl from her church. She was the one that invited me to this shower at her church. Rose's husband works with Rick at the Fiel ministry and just recently went with Rick to a Christian Booksellers expo in the US. She and her family just moved to our apartment building and James has been spending a lot of time with her two little daughters. I have a video clip that I want to post of them playing. Look for it soon.
This little girl followed me around like a little puppy. She kept asking me to say something in English all night! She was so cute that I had to take a photo of her.
Here are all the children at the shower. They noisily played behind the church. And of course, my blondie is a favorite among the girls.

An Attempt to Catch Up

2006-08-15T08:12:00.000-04:00

Below are several random photos I have wanted to post for a while now. I just needed to catch up a bit! Below is a photo of James and a carton of milk. I thought you would find it interesting that we get our milk delivered here. This helps a lot as the 1 liter cartons are so small and have an expiration date that lasts about 2 days. Otherwise, I would have to go to the grocery to fetch milk almost everyday. Below is a photo of several young people from our youth group that were over at ricky's parents house to say goodbye to Ryan, my nephew holding James. He was down here for a 3 week visit. Rick's mother Pearl, Ryan and James.
Below is a photo of James charming the ladies for a piece of chocolate. It worked! We were at a winter fair where they sell sweaters, coats and such.
Pictured below is a booth selling necklaces and other jewelry made by Indians in the north of Brazil. (Amazon) Most of the pieces are made from seeds, wood, feathers and coconut.
I took a picture of an ambulance so you could see what one looks like here.

Water Baby

2006-08-12T08:45:00.000-04:00

I have started taking James to a "Mommy and Me" swimming class two days a week. The place is called Aqua Brazil and it is just down the road from where we live. Super convenient, as we only have one car! James says thanks for the shirt Auntie Heather! He was really hesitant at first and it took a while to get the little guy in the water. Finally in the water! It is currently winter in Brazil but they keep the pool nice and heated. Class is over and time to get out of the water! James kisses little Julia goodbye! Always a hit with the girls!

Chicken Leg!

2006-08-09T11:44:00.000-04:00


Here is James talking to mommy while eating a drumstick! It's a good thing we have a leather sofa! Easier to clean!

Where We Live

2006-08-07T21:27:00.000-04:00

I thought you might be interested to know where we live. Here is a photo of our apartment building taken from the street view . The name of the building is Bella Vista which means beautiful view, that is, if you have an apartment on the backside of the building. There are only 6 stories and we live on the 4th floor facing the valley. There is a small lake, lovely protected trees and cows that roam around. James loves to point at the cows and say"moo" every time they get real close to the building. There are also two castle homes in the distance that we like to spy on with our binoculars. Just kidding! Supposedly, a retired general from the Brazilian army and his son own the two homes. If you double click on the photo it will enlarge and hopefully you will be able to notice them. Also, have a look at the many ant hills. They are huge and solid as a rock. Someone told me that these giant ants mix the dirt with their saliva causing it to pack on firm. I have a photo of my dear friend Hannah standing on one at our ranch when she came to visit last year. If I find it, I will post it.
Photo below is of ant hills and castles.Here is the main view from our balcony. Notice in the top left corner the famous small jet factory Embraer. Many of their planes are bought and used by American, United, and Continental Airlines. You have probably flown on one of their planes! And they are made right here in my back yard!This is the view from my kitchen window. I spend a lot of time washing dishes looking at this view. That's right ladies, NO DISHWASHER! Actually, I do have a housekeeper that comes twice a week for $12 dollars a day to give me a break. She arrives at 8am and leaves at 4pm. She is a huge blessing to me, homes here require more daily upkeep. Notice the terracotta roofs, ALL homes here have this type of roofing.
Here is one of our friendly guards whose name is Jose. Actually, he doesn't look too friendly in this photo but he is a nice guy. After I took the photo, he asked me if I wanted his autograph too! He doesn't speak a lick of English so it took me a few moments to figure out what he was saying.

My Teacher

2006-08-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

Meet Simone, my Portuguese teacher. She comes to my home twice a week and gives me lessons while James takes his afternoon naps. She mainly teaches me grammar, all of which she explains in Portuguese. This is definitely not easy but I'm managing. I know I am progressing, as last night was the first time I caught myself thinking in Portuguese. This is huge! (I have also dreamed in Portuguese) I wouldn't say that "I have arrived," but at least I am just around the corner!