Back to the blog!

Hey everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for so long! Tiago and I have been living at his grandparents' beach house for the last few months with no internet connection! We have finally returned to modern times and found a way to install internet! So... we have a lot of catching up to do! Let me fill you in on the last few months with a few pictures/captions.

MARCH/ MARÇO:

    

Carnaval in Paranaguá!

Espetinho!

Paranaguá's slightly smaller parade of samba schools. :)

Duda, ready to celebrate carnaval at school!

Tiago: Proud new owner of a '96 Fiat Elba.

APRIL/ABRIL:

April 14th, 2011: Tiago and I signed "the papers" making us Mr. and Mrs. !!!
We want to save the excitement (and $$)  for our actual wedding (tbd) so we didn't make a big deal of the day.
Just a quick, 10 minute, sign-the-papers ceremony. Afterwards, we had a few friends and family members over to the house to have cake and champagne.

ALSO,  I have yet to track down the pictures from that day...so I will leave you with our engagement announcement clipped from the local newspaper in Paranaguá!

MAY/MAIO:

Sometime in May, Tiago and I moved into his grandparent's beach house! 

It is conveniently located 2 blocks from the beach... :)

We love when Duda comes to stay with us for the weekend.

-Duda (sporting her very fashionable, hot pink, Barbie sunglasses! 

Thanks Tia Barbie!)  and Tiago near our house, walking to the praia.

Flying a kite on the beach with Tio Tiago.

Making mini-pizzas with Tia Kelli!

Duda and Gabi hanging out in the hammock at the beach house.

JUNE/JUNHO:

June 12th, 2011- Dia dos Namorados/Valentine's Day!

No...I didn't get the date wrong. Brazilians celebrate V-day on June 12th!

This day also happens to be the birthday of our friend Fabio's lovely mother, Marcia.

To commemorate this extra special day, we had lunch in Antonina. (a beautiful, small town near Paranaguá, pictured above.)

Sometime around June, I received my Carteira de Trabalho. 

It looks like a passport, but it is essentially a work permit. Just like a passport, you get stamps,

but instead of countries visited, the stamps are for the jobs you have had.

Mine is green because I'm an estrangeira. For Brazilians, they are blue.

My mug shot and finger print! They wouldn't let me smile- so not me!

(ps. check out my name!)

Now I just need a job...

JULY/JULHO:

In July we had to make a trip to the American Consulate in São Paulo to get a document I needed for my "Legal Resident" process. Seeing as our friend Fabio's girlfriend lives in SP, we made a mini-vacation out of it!

 GIANT bacalhau filled pastel at the Mercado Municipal.

 GIANT carne-seca filled pastel at the Mercado Municipal.

 Tiago and I outside the... you guessed it... Mercado Municipal.

Juliana and Fabio - Mercado Municipal. 

The camera only came out of my purse once the entire weekend, if you hadn't noticed.

AUGUST/AGOSTO:

August was an uneventful month for us... so here's the cutest picture I could find:

Maria Eduarda painting with the paints Tia Barbie sent her!

Painting in her undies!

SEPTEMBER/SEPTEMBRO:

September 2nd, 2011- Our 3 year anniversary!

We celebrated with churrasco and a little red wine!

September 7th is Brazil's Independence day.

Not nearly as much celebration as our 4th of July and also no fireworks....hence no pictures!

In September, I finally turned in all my paperwork to finalize my "legal resident" process.

This little stamp in my passport serves as proof of my legal resident status until 

I get my ID in the mail (sometime in the next 90 days).

September 18th,  2011- Maria Eduarda's 3rd Birthday!

Above: Me, Grandma, Amanda (Duda's aunt), Gabi (Duda's mom), Leide (Duda's Grandma)

singing Parabéns!

Blowing out the candles at her bday party at school.

Hello Kitty themed!

OCTOBER/OUTUBRO:

There are still a few days left of October...so I will be updating you soon!

Now that I have you all caught up, I plan on giving you updates on a more regular basis!

What kinds of things would you like me to post on this blog? 

Any questions or curiosities about Brazil?

That's all for now. Beijos! Tchau!