Oi do Brasil! I hope all is well with you! We have been crazy busy, but I wanted to stop and post a few pics before too much more time passes. I really should be studying my Portuguese as I have an assignment due tomorrow, and I just need to study period! :) We are at a point now where we feel comfortable going out to the stores etc, as we can get along okay. My nanny is a whiz at understanding my broken Portuguese and she helps me communicate with others when I don't understand them as she is very familiar with the vocabulary I know and simply rewords things into my vernacular. :) The girls are doing great with their Portuguese. They went to their first birthday party Saturday evening with our little neighbor girl. They play with her on a daily basis. She is one of their best teachers! :)

Last Thursday evening, Grazi (our nanny) and her husband Max, brought us over some sugar cane. Max "peeled" and cut up 4 stalks for us. It was our first experience with it and it was a good one. This Thursday they are going to take us out to the country where they find it growing along the roads, and to a little stand where they sell sugar cane juice.

On Sunday, we went to San Miguel Missoes. It's an old mission from the mid 1700's. The movie The Mission with Jeremy Irons and Robert Deniero was partly based on this place. (Jennifer and Margaret I think I made you watch this film about 10 years ago--as I recall it didn't go over to well!) :) I still love this movie and really enjoyed walking through the ruins and sharing some of the stories with the girls.

The weather has warmed up here, and the girls have been swimming in our pool often. They have turned into little brown choclate beans.