House and Baby

HI!

I have so enjoyed this summer 2011. Thinsg are wonderful! Work has been so laid back, I've never felt better, and living with my Mom definitely has its perks! (no rent to pay, always good food & ice cream to eat, plenty of great company... sometimes). We could live here forever! (Just kidding Mom).

Actually we're really anxious to be in our own house before the baby comes in December. Qualifying for a mortgage loan isn't an easy process though. Well, it might be easy for most folks, but, for Jorge and I, seems like nothing comes easy. Because of a few "blemishes" on my credit history, my credit score is only considered "fair". And with Jorge being new in the country, he has NO credit score which doesn't help our situation at all. Our income alone won't qualify us for a mortgage loan eiether. So what does that mean? We have to wait to improve my score by cleaning some of the bad credit and obtain Jorge a credit score by getting him a... credit card. It seems so silly and backwards that to have a credit score you need to acquire debt? The idea is to not have debt or get OUT of debt as soon as possible, right? But I'm learning more and more that the creditors lending us the $100,000+ don't see it that way. They want to make sure we're responsible with the debt and loan they give us, so we have to prove to them we can handle it. Which means... credit card land, here comes Jorge!! (He LOVES to spend. L-O-V-E-S it!!!) LOL. However, we decided he will only use his card to buy gasoline, and will pay 85% of it off every month (heaven forbid we pay it off in FULL every month, which would be the responsible thing to do... but, not to the creditors who we want to give us money). In a couple months, it should be enough to earn Jorge a "GOOD" credit score, which will help us out immensely. So, my little house, wherever you are, wait for me! We'll be in touch soon where we can live happily ever after! (I hope!!!) The hardest part of this all is to NOT get excited about the extraordinary deals on some amazing homes. And sighing as I watch them get snatched up by some lucky, prepared and financially responsible with good- credit- score -person as soon as they go on the market. I just keep telling myself it will happen for us when it's meant to happen. I just hope it's sooner than later, but I trust that Heavenly Father will lead us to the perfect house to raise our little family in when the time is right.

Speaking of our little family, on July 13 (@19 weeks) we had our first (and probably only) ultrasound. I was SOO looking forward to see the baby moving, see the heartbeat beating and find out the gender of the baby. But when I went in there and laid on the table, I couldn't believe how UNCOMFORTABLE it was to have an ultrasound. They asked me to drink a lot of water (I can't even remember the quantity now) 2 hours beforehand so my bladder would be full, which would raise the uterus to take better pictures. But man, I couldn't stand it! I was practically in tears of pain as the sonographer, who showed little sympathy to my pain, jabbed the little wand thing over my belly taking measurements. It was hurting my back laying there holding my breath, and I could barely enjoy the process, which I had SO looked forward to. I didn't even care when she said that she said it was a GIRL (yay!). I was just wanting it to be done so I could pee. And boy did I. Luckily I made it to the bathroom, but went like a race horse three times before even leaving the imaging place. Oh the joys of pregnancy!

One special thing I do remember though was when the tech was measuring the the baby's femur bone and commented, "Wow, this little one has long legs!" Just as she said that, we watched as the baby started kicking upward in my belly with both of her long legs. haha. It was an adorable response! She'll probably take after her daddy. :)

The pregnancy is going well. She's growing more and more every day, and in fact is measuring 5 cm's bigger than average. Although looking at my belly you wouldn't think I was almost 6 months. I barely show. She loves to kick and squirm and roll and make waves through the majority of the day. She also seems to love the hiccups because of how often she gets them. Mom does not like to feel them however, what an annoying sensation! lol. I know she can't help it though. I've been keeping track of her heartbeat through the doctor visits. So far they've been:

6/6 - 14 weeks - 164 bpm

7/5 - 18 weeks - 147 bpm

7/13 - 19 weeks - 141 bpm (ultrasound)

8/1 - 22 weeks - 157 bpm

8/26 - 26 weeks - 152 bpm

9/26 - 30 weeks - 142 bpm

10/10 -32 weeks - 162 bpm

10/24 - 34 weeks - 139 bpm

11/7 - 36 weeks - 158 bpm

11/14 - 37 weeks - n/a

11/21 - 38 weeks - 138 bpm

11/28 - 39 weeks -

12/5- 40 weeks -
* sigh* Her heartbeat is the best sound in the world. :)

Here's a picture of the picture of her little profile. How cute is my little alien. LOL.

Busy month

June flew by! I enjoyed the whole month off from work. Here are the updates of what I was up to while I had my month off:

~ We had our first OB/GYN appointment on June 6th and heard the heartbeat for the first time. Fetal heartbeat of 164. :) I was thrilled and relieved to hear such a healthy and fast heartbeat, especially since I was so worried because of how little I could eat. I lost 30 pounds in the first 14 weeks being so sick with nausea. But good thing I had a lot of extra "reserves" for the little nugget to thrive off of, so it's doing well. We have our next dr. appointment on Tuesday the 5th. Meanwhile, I am 18 weeks along and HAPPILY enjoying my second trimester and eating again. :)

~ Holly and Nick's wedding was on June 10th! What a fun and special day. I can't believe my little sister is married! They were sealed in the Boise temple and afterwards had a beautiful reception at Eagle Hills golf course. We took lots of cute and fun pictures and I'll put them here.

Nick & Holly Warren!

One big happy family!

Cutting the cake at the reception

First dance as husband and wife

Throwing the bouquet (bouquets)

So funny that with all the single ladies there to catch the bouquets, Kelsey, Natalie, Kristin (future sis-in-law) and Ella (neice) all caught the one!

Jorge and Nick having fun on the dance floor.

The get-away car!!!

Other happenings this month:

~ I got to go to Moses Lake and visit Hayley & Carlos and their kids for a few days. :) It was so fun to relax and hang out with the family. I enjoyed the simplicity of just chatting, playing games together, reading books, watching the kids play outside, eating delicious meals, cheering on Fiona learn how to crawl, giggling at Ellia's tantrums and randomness and admiring Ava's maturity and playfulness. Such a great family!

~ The day I got back home from Moses Lake, I came home to a big plumbing problem in our apartment with water all over our bathroom floor, tub, kitchen floor... EVERYWHERE! Big sewage back up problems and the smell was so horrible we moved back into my Mom's house. We were planning on moving back in anyway, but the plumbing problems just moved the move out date up by a couple weeks.

~ The original reason we moved back in with my mom was to be able to save up some money to buy our first house! We are still in the beginning stages of house hunting.. .still working with a mortgage lender on how much we qualify for, but we would LOVE to be in our own little home before the time the baby comes. I don't see the reason in paying $750 in rent when we could pay $750 in a mortgage payment. Plus with the housing market the way it is now, it's an excellent time to buy. Jorge and I are excited for this adventure too.

Well that's about it for now. I start back work on Tuesday, but will blog again soon with the house hunting updates, baby updates (we get our first ultrasound in 2 weeks!) and ANOTHER sibling wedding coming up this month! Yay for weddings!!

Tchau!

January - June update :)

I really really stink at this blogging thing. LOL. I do hope to get better though. Seems like most people blog about their kiddos... so I'll soon get that same opportunity. Tomorrow I'll be 13 weeks pregnant and next monday, the 6th of June is our first doctor's appointment. 14 weeks seems so long to wait to have a first appointment, but with work and schedules that was the best we could do. GOOD-BYEEEEEEE FIRST TRIMESTER!! I'm excited to finally be able to hear a physical heartbeat and know there is something real inside me. Up until now it's felt so unreal. I mean, the biology of it all tells me I'm pregnant, and my sickness and constant nausea tell me I'm pregnant, but I can't wrap my head around the idea yet. I think hearing the heartbeat will be just what I need to accept it. Jorge can't wait to be a dad!! I'm excited to see him as a dad also. I on the other hand was so surprised about getting pregnant already. We planned for a baby later in the year or next year, but sometimes things don't work out the way you plan! So, we're planning for our first little one to join the Andrade family in December.

July-December update. :)

OOPS. THIS BLOG NEEDS AN UPDATE. haha. Thanks Christy. :) And sorry for no pictures. I've been bad at the picture taking lately.

Hello to the blogging world. I can't believe I've only written twice in one year. That's a pretty sad record, but hey, I DID say when I started this blog that there would be no promises. :) And after all those years of wondering why my friends disappeared after the first year marriage.... well, now I know why. When you have the most wonderful person by your side at all times, would you ever want to be elsewhere??? Not even the internet on the computer screen can keep my attention when I've got a cutey boy hottie hunk of a husband lookin' at me. haha.

So Jorge has been here for almost 5 months now. The transition back into married life has been marvelous. Jorge's transition to the United States has been interesting. He's got so much new stuff happening to him all at once, its enough to make a person crazy. And that's exactly how he feels sometimes. He's learning and adjusting to a new language, a new culture, a new CLIMATE, (he wears his scarf and gloves everywhere, haha) a new city, a new ward, a new family, new friends, learning how to drive a car. Did your head get dizzy imagining all of that?.... mine just did. Not to mention his constant worry about trying to learn the language, and trying to get a job. But, he is doing so well, if I do say so myself. He is diving in to it all, he is happy, and upbeat, positive and hilarious. He knows that if he puts the Lord and his work first, things will always work out for us in the end.

It's been so fun watching him through the process. The moments of laughter between the two of us, or shared with all my family around are priceless. The way he says blueblerry, instead of blueberry, or says Merry Christmas, when refering to just Christmas, Its so much fun. He's a great observer of people too. He gives everyone nicknames according to their mannerisms... for example, he nicknamed my sister Kelsey "yep" because she responds with the word "yep" to everything. He nicknamed my sister Holly "YAY!" because her response to everything is with the word YAY. He nicknamed my sisters boyfriend "I'm Ok" because he responds with "I'm Ok" to everything. LOL! He makes fun of my mom for sounding like a clucking hen when she calls to everyone from the kitchen "Come n' eat!" .... haha. These are things that we hardly realize anymore because of how often we hear them, but for someone learning a language, they pick up everything and bring to our realization how often we use common phrases.

Its been fun watching him discover the season of winter also. The first time snow fell to the ground he pulled up the blinds and pressed his face against the window and watched it fall in awe for about 15 minutes. Such a boy. LOL. He loves the snow. He loves to build snowmen, snow angels, forts, go sledding and my sisters will be teaching him to snowboard pretty soon too. :) We'll have to wait and see how long the wonder of it all lasts. haha. Meanwhile, he is practicing driving so he can get his license, continues to attend english classes 4 hours per week to better his English, serves diligently as secretary in the young men's presidency, volunteers willingly one night per week in the temple cafeteria, works unceasingly on his personal family temple work (we were able to baptize and confirm over 2oo names in the Boise temple last month) and is pressing on without discouragement on the ever difficult job hunt. But it seems that the Lord will bless us more and more when we are able to see his hand in our lives blessing us each day. Maybe not in our way, but in His way.

At preschool we did a reenactment of the story The Mitten, about how all the different forest animals crawl into a lost mitten to keep warm from the cold winter day.The kids got to wear animal masks and crawl into a giant mitten when it was their animals' turn. We performed it for the parents and they did such a good job! The parents loved it. :) And I love my preschoolers!

Today was Christmas. We all had a very merry Christmas too. Santa was VERY generous this year!! We got spoiled with a new ottoman for our living room and other home decor, like picture frames, and framed pictures. :) Jorge got tons of new clothes, shoes, pj's, hats... you name it, he got it. His favorite presents were probably the gift card to "Five Guys". He LOOOVES eating there. And also his gift card to Deseret book. He would buy everything in the store if he could afford it. Coming from another country where the church isn't prevalent just the idea of a store dedicated to selling only church items is a dream come true to him. LOL. (Makes him sound like such a nerd)! We've enjoyed our first real christmas together by decorating our own tree, making a dozen loafs of pumpkin bread and then ding dong ditching them at members houses in our ward, decorating Christmas cookies, trying to teach him the american christmas carols, drinking hot chocolate and spending lots of time under the mistletoe...... what? He's never seen mistletoe before. :)

Anyway, that is the past 5 almost 6 months of our life. Goodbye 2010. Thank you for bringing me my hubby. Hello to 2011! I have a good feeling about this year as well. My whole family will be spending the new year up in Moses Lake with Hayley, Carlos, Stan, Rexene, Rory, Cam and all their kiddos. FUN FUN!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

to all my family and friends. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I get to see my husband tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can hardly believe it! It's been over a year since we've seen each other.

Wow.

The immigration process has taken up the past year and a half of my life that I'm almost confused about what to do now! haha. I'm excited and nervous and anxious and smiley.

Wow, I really don't know what to say. So I'll stop typing now, go home and pack for my trip to Orlando to meet Jorge tomorrow. YAY.

Okay bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smile for us tomorrow. :)

Happy 2010!

Happy 2010 to all my dear friends and family!!

I am soo excited for 2010 to be here. I know this year will definitely be a good one, if only for one reason... that Jorge will arrive soon! We're counting down and hoping its only two more months!

A few things have happened since my last blog.
* Our immigration petition was finally approved. Now we are just working with the National Visa Center to issue him a visa.
*Christmas was a wonderful one spent with my family and being spoiled with furnishings for my new apartment. :)
* Kelsey, my cuz Jessica and I are all renting an apartment together until Jorge gets here. (then they get the boot). It's been so great living with family. Totally beats living alone like I did at my grandma's house for 6 months. Plus my mom is a superb interior decorator, so the apartment looks amazing! Thanks mom!
* I finally got offered full time at my job at the preschool! :) I am loving my 8-4 job and enjoy being with my 3 and 4 year olds all day long. We have so much fun!!
* I applied to be on the Biggest Loser... sadly I never followed through with it so I didn't make it this time around. But, my family has started our own biggest loser club and so far its going really well! :) Thanks to those family members who are my support system and my motivation!

My main goals this year:
1. Get Jorge here ASAP
2. Get back into school and finish!!(only one year left!!)
3. Lose weight!

Easier said than done for all three of them! But I know they can be accomplished.

1 year anniversary

WOW, I wrote this blog two months ago, and never got around to posting it. Here it is:

Well, it is hard to believe, but on November 28th, Jorge and I celebrated our first year anniversary! I don't really know how to feel about that... happy that time is going by quickly... sad that our first year of marriage, which we can never have back, was spent apart. I understand that it takes effort to make marriage work when you're together, but I learned that it also definitely takes effort to make a marriage work long distance. Sending emails every day, letting your spouse know you love them and are thinking about them on a daily basis can seem like a bit much. But it makes all the difference in the world to make that daily connection, even countries apart. I may not be able to see Jorge everyday or kiss him every day when I get home from work, but my stomach still gets butterflies when I see his name in my email inbox, and I don't get to hear him tell me he loves me every day, but I have over 1000 emails, text messages, and orkut love messages which DO tell me he loves me and with which I could compose a book out of! (We actually do plan on creating a book of our love letters and love story to keep within the family, which means all who wish to read them need to know Portuguese!). When I finally do get to hear him say those three words,"eu te amo" it just makes it all the more special. haha, it probably sounds pretty cheesy, huh?

OOPS, I missed the October Post!

I try to post monthly at least... but didn't quite make the deadline! October, thankfully, has been a full and busy month. Helps to keep me distracted.

I had my 27th birthday!

It was a pretty chill event with just my family. Kelsey made this delicious chocolate peanut butter BSU cake for me! Nice job Kels!! Yum, I want a piece right now!

We went to the corn maze and jumped on the giant trampoline pillow. Wee!

Getting lost inside the maze. Which way do we go Kelsey?

Kelsey also took me to Artist for a Day.

She painted this rice bowl which says LUCKY.

And I painted this Halloween plate. It didn't turn out looking professional or anything, but hey it was fun!

We also kept up the family tradition of going to FRIGHTMARES at Lagoon. It was full of Haunted Houses, and creepy dead people and FUN rollercoasters. It was a great time with the fam.

This is a giant spooky Alien who walks around and puts his arm on your shoulder to scare the heck out of you!

This is Kelsey's new boyfriend, don't they make a cute couple? :)

Another gross dead man... I had to give this corpse a lesson in good manners, as he was kind of rude... lol

The fam with the Gram. :) OH, and meet my brother's girlfriend Kristin. She is awesome and they are such a cute couple.

Last but not least, H*A*L*L*O*W*E*E*N!!

It was Kelsey's great idea to go as the bad Harry Potter witches. She transformed into Bellatrix Lestrange, strangely perfectly! I was the sidekick sister, Narcissa Malfoy. We didn't go to any parties or anything, just took Natalie and Hailey trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood was pretty rockin this year! It had haunted houses for people to walk through, a Monster Mash Dance party with awesome strobe lights and fog machines and a DJ in the middle of the street and tons of awesome decorations! That particular street was definitely better than any party! :) I love seeing kids and adults all dressed up. I LOVE HALLOWEEN! And the weather was PERFECT!

Here is Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange.

In the cemitary!!! Ok, not a real one, just the neighbors cemitary backyard!! oohh!

This is just one of the many cool haunted houses available in our neighborhood. Poor Natalie got so scared in this one that she ran away, tripped, fell and spilled her candy. That didn't make her very happy.

We also had a pary at Preschool. We're missing half our kids but we had a great time showing off costumes, playing Halloween Bingo, Halloween musical chairs, digging for squishy frogs in a bowl of fruit cocktail and of course, BINGING on all the sugar that was available to them that day.

Other events: I've been experiencing what it's like to be cell phone-less and the detachment

from the outside world. I accidently dropped my phone in the bathtub as I was taking a bubble bath AND text messaging... oops! My tight budget doesn't allow me to get a new phone, so I'm unavailable to come to the phone!!!! haha... if you want to get in contact with me, the best way is through email, or facebook. :)

Also, it looks like I'll be moving back in with my parents soon as my grandma's house that I've been living in alone has gone up for sale. *sigh*... Not looking forward to it as I really like having my own place, but it will be good so to not have to pay rent and the company will be nice because I often feel alone living alone, so that will be good too. We shall see what happens.

As far as immigration goes, I got a "Request For Evidence" in the mail saying they needed more evidence of a bona fide marriage, and until I provide the evidence the case is suspended. ARG!!!!! Sometimes I feel like giving up and just moving back to Brazil. The waiting is torture, and depressing. It would be nice to see some positivity in this whole process. COME ONE NOA2!!!!!

Well that's it for now. Bye!

Lucky...

There are probably only a handful of people in this world who understand completely our circumstance, so that's why I love finding music that I understand and that I can relate to. So I know this song is a little old, but I think it perfectly describes our current situation and our attitude about it. I've replayed it about 100 times today, missing Jorge, but also knowing that the separation isn't forever and how we are so lucky to have each other. Near or far, we are still fortunate we found this kind of love, and I treasure it every single day. I thank Heavenly Father for my best friend and pray that He brings him home soon.


"Lucky" Official Video With Colbie Caillat


Do you hear me,
I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky oh my, baby I'm trying.

Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard.

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again

Oooohhhoooohhhoooohhhh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will.

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music, feel the air
I'll put a flower in your hair.

Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round

You hold me right here right now

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend

Lucky to have been where I have been

Lucky to be coming home again

Lucky we're inlove in every way

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed

Lucky to be coming home someday

OooohhhOooohhhOooohhh

Number 96

Today I checked the USCIS website (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) and saw that Jorge and I are number 96 on the list now. (meaning only 95 people are in front of us until the application is approved) Woo-hoO!! Somehow we were able to breeze through 300 places in about 2 months. I can feel the approval coming soon!!! COME ON NOA2!! COME ON NOA2!!

Its also been over a year since I started this blog, and have about 25 entries now. That's pretty good IMO... about twice per month. I didn't think I would have even one per month. I'll try to keep things updated more though, now that there is actual hope and excitement in my life!! :) Such as, the count down to being with Jorge, BSU football, birthday/holiday season. If only I could find a full-time job things would be great.... part time work is crappy. Well that's all!

Ok bye!

I can't figure this out!

Okay... do you see 12 or 13 men here? WAIT FOR IIIIIT.....

okay, NOW do you see 12 or 13 men??

Anyone know how to figure this out? Where does the 13th man disappear to, or, reappear FROM? please for the love of Pete, let me know! LOL

My June

This June has been pretty eventful! (for once..haha) A bridal shower, two weddings, a visit with friends, the races at meridian speedway and a trip to the zoo with the kids. Here are the pictures

The Boise Zoo! Normally the Boise Zoo isn't all that exciting. haha... it gets old rather quickly and there haven't been a whole lot of cool exhibits. But THIS YEAR they included a new African Exibit with a cool African village, Lions, Elephants and Giraffs! The kids seemed to really enjoy it.

A two headed tiger?? It definitely looks like it doesn't it!! It just happened that the instant that I took this picture, one tiger was walking one direction, and the other tiger was walking the other direction. It looks like it has a bum-face. lol

Here they are inside of the jeep ready for the African Safari! Hmm... maybe Aaron shouldn't drive, he can't even reach the pedal! haha

This is them inside of the African Hut. It looks so authentic and they looked so cute peeking their heads out the "windows"

Look at these cute little monkeys... "oooohooooh ahhh ahhh" (monkey noise). They were imitating the monkies in the cage behind them. They were so active that day! It was so fun to watch them! (The Monkeys... although the kids were so active this day too!)

THE WEDDINGS

Congratulations to some great friends of mine who were married this past month!! I've known Kaitlyn since 6th grade and we became good friends in High School. Oh the good ole days!!! haha And I had the honor of knowing Alysa in college at BYU-I! We were only roomates for three short months, but have remained the bestest of friends for 7 years! They were beautiful brides and their husbands are SO lucky to have them!!!

Alysa and Russell Clark

June 19, 2009

Ogden Utah

Kaitlyn and Jonas Chilcote

June 27, 2009

Boise, Idaho

The same weekend that I was at Alysa's wedding, I got to stay with CHRISTY! and Ryan of course :) They are the sweetest couple and I'm thankful for their hospitality in giving me a place to crash! It was great fun, as always, to chat with Christy until 2 or 3 at night!! (we've made this quite a habit lately!!) But I love it and I love her. I also got to go to Salt Lake with them to the hospital and meet their baby girl EMILY! She is tiny, and adorable and it makes me happy that I was able to see her! They are the best family!

Then it was JFK day at the Meridian speedway. (haha, that rhymed). We were there to cheer on "Johnny the Jet", who went from 15th place to 1st in the non-winged sprint car division race! Go Johnny!

Silly Mommy has a funny face!! :)

After the races, my mom Kelsey and I took the kids to the pit to meet him and get his autograph. They also got to sit in his car. Here's Natalie and Broc.

AND FOR THE BEST PART.... Only four more days until I go to Brazil!!
Ready or not Jorge here I come!! (oh, he's ready!)

No luck this time

Well.... unfortunately Jorge wasn't granted a tourist visa. We had done hours and hours of prep work for this interview... performing mock interviews, going over tons of questions and the responses to them, getting all the paperwork together etc.... When he got there they asked him if 1. He was married, 2. If he was in school, and 3. If he worked. After answering those questions they asked if he was married to an American. He said yes, after that his visa was denied and that was the end of the interview. haha... All our hard work!! hahaha...
So, I guess we'll be doing it the long way... the way everyone else has to do it. But dang, I didn't want to have to wait 10-18 months to do the paperwork and processes. But that is a consequence of marrying a foreigner. What's one year compared to eternity, right?
At least I'll be able to visit him a couple times this year. Once this summer, and again in December.
THANKS to all the friends who were thinking about us!! I'm glad I have you in my life.

Visa interview

On wednesday, Jorge is going to the American consulate in Recife, Brazil for his tourist visa interview! If he passes (which in reality the odds are quite slim to grant a spouse of an American citizen a tourist visa...) But, IF he passes then Jorge will be here in July!! YAY!! I'm trying not to be too excited about it because I know its almost impossible for him to pass. But, we decided we wanted to try our luck doing it this way. So with a A LOT of prayer, fasting and faith, we'll see if he gets a kind-hearted immigration officer as his interviewer. :)WISH US LUCK!

Updates

Hello to all of my friends and fam! Sorry about the lack of blogging... its just that I havn't really had the motivation to do so... Or much to write about. I'm still missing my husband like crazy, and we get to talk every day thanks to skype and MSN messenger.
Holly entered the MTC two weeks ago!! Here is a lovely bright-eyed Sister LaMont as she put on her name tag with accompanying "dork dot" :) haha...

We don't get to hear from her too often, but from what we've received from her, she seems to be really loving it. You can catch up on her adventures by reading her blog:
www.sisterlamont.blogspot.com which will be updated weekly. Or as often as she emails me :) haha. I've been doing ok coping with her absence... although its was tough at tbe beginning, its slowly starting to get better. I bombard her with letters and emails and dearelders and I feel better.

oh I also moved into my Grandma's house in downtown Boise with my cousin Jessica. Grandma moved into an assisted living facility in Meridian into her own little condo which she loves. Its much more "old-person friendly" than her house. I enjoy living on my own and rent is very minimal. So life is good. The plan is to continue to live here when Jorge gets here and this will be home sweet home... until we get kicked out. But its been fun decorating it, furnishing it, landscaping...tearing wallpaper off the walls and painting. (okay so that part wasn't so fun, mostly because I did a HORRIBEL job!! I should have hired a pro) haha I'll post some pics later. But life has been decent and I am pretty grateful. I also am grateful for all the sunshine we've had!! YESSS.. I love spring and summer! It's so warm it reminds me of Brazil... which reminds me of Jorge... which... *sigh*.
Okay bye!

How well do you know your husband?

Here's a chance to see how well you really know your husband. Cut, paste and fill in the answers, then forward . . . shoot, you know what to do. The real challenge is to send it to your husband to see how right you really are.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? Any brazilian soap opera, haha. Everyone watches them in Brazil. Male, female, young or old.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? He likes any kind of vinegrette.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Macaroni and Cheese

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Kuat

5. Where did he go to high school? Padre Luiz Palmeira "High School"

6. What size shoe does he wear? I don't know in American sizes

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Probably church books or church movies.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Ham and Cheese. Although he said he tried PB&J once and loved it. We'll see once he arrives in the sandwhich capital of the world what he really does like. haha

9. What would this person eat every day if he could? french toast.

10. What is his favorite cereal? Cocoa Puffs, or Corn Flakes with Bananas

11. What would he never wear? He is VERY particular about the sleeve length on his shirts. Nothing too long. Again we'll see about that once he arrives in the U.S. and experiences COLD for the first time ever.

12. What is his favorite sports team? He doesn't really have a favorite team, but since MY favorite team is the Broncos, his is too. haha

13. Who did he vote for? He didn't vote. (he's not a citizen yet)

14. Who is his best friend? ME!! (but also Fernando,Fabio, Dan...)

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? He wishes I wouldn't be afraid of bugs so much, such as cockroaches. But, can I help it? I don't think so! Plus he gets to play the tough protector and kill all of them that entered the house. How macho!

16. What is his heritage? He is all Brazilian, baby.

17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? Two layer vanilla cake with passion fruit juice flavoring within the cake, chocolate frosting with shaved chocolate on the top for decoration. oooh, fancy huh?

18. Did he play sports in high school? They don't have sports in high school in Brazil, but yes of course he played soccer during those high school years. He also loves to play vollyball.

19. What could he spend hours doing? Spending quality time with me! DUH!! He could also spend hours watching x-men and thundercats cartoons. (boring!)

20. What is one unique talent he has? He is SUCH a people person. He can bargain his way into paying half for almost anything with his sleek, charismatic ways, plus he could become your best friend after just barely meeting you... He LOVES people. He's a great guy!

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania!

GREAT NEWS!!!! Holly just got her mission call to serve in the Harrisburg Pennsylvania mission!! We were all so surprised! But so happy for her.  We all agree that we think Harrisburg will suit her well.  She leaves on April 8th!! SOOOO soon!!!!!!!!! I will miss her dearly....(especially since I was in denial this whole time not believing it would really happen! haha) but I know a mission will be wonderful for her, and the people whom she will meet, and teach, and bring unto Christ. I'm so proud of my sister.  Congratulations Holly!

New chapter: "What's going on, life?"

So most of  you don't know my current situation. It all changed so fast.  Last thursday I was in Brazil by my husband's side happy as could be, and today, this thursday, I am back in Boise and NOT by my husband's side.  A string of events took place that created our current situation. I'll try to explain it the best I can. 

While Jorge was in Sao Roque (never neverland...) he spent his 30th birthday there. His age weighed heavily on him and his ambitions for life that hadn't been fufilled yet, he did not enjoy his job anymore, was unhappy there which lead him into serious life reflection. Together we had made goals for him to finish his degree in HR administration (which will be done this june),  for him to speak english fluently (he is working so hard!:) and at the end of the year, or more truthfully it was "SOMEDAY" go back to the USA to finish my degree and for Jorge to start a degree here as well.  These were all great goals, and some were to be acheived sooner than others. BUT, while he was carried away into deep reflection, upon his return home from working far away we had a discussion where he told me that it would be much better to get our life started in the USA SOONER than later, because we're both not getting any younger, and the idea of being 30 really freaked him out. haha... but it's true. There is always opportunity where there is faith in the Lord, but, still he was afraid that those doors of opportunity would soon start to shut if we procrastinated fulfilliing our goals for a few more years. **and Iwould just like to say how much I admire my husband's ambition and his unwillingness to just "settle", but to reach and strive to be better**

So, then we decided that we would go back to the U.S in June after his graduation.  I figured that his immigration papers would take a few months at least, so we started to figure out the process, and visited the consulate to get more info on the matter. There, we were shockingly advised that for me to be able to petition for his entry into the U.S, I would have to send the petition FROM the United States because I was not a permanent resident of Brazil. Anyway... it's a long boring story full of a bunch of bureaucratic policy and procedures, but either way I would have to be in the US to get my husband's immigration visa. 

SOO... we had a big decision to make.  Either we 1. Stay in Brazil forever 2.  Stay in Brazil and apply for my permanant residency and wait for that to go through before I am able to petition for his entry (who knows how long that would take)  or 3. Me return to the U.S alone and get everything going for him... paper work, a job, a house to live in, college...etc.

Option number one would go against the goals we set for our life. Option number two would put a major set-back on the goals we set for our life and option  number three would be the logical thing to do... but it would just be horrible to be seperated before we even reached our two month anniversery. I had been tested the week Jorge was away to see how I could deal with seperation from my husband... let me tell you,  that was probably one of the hardest things ever. I don't think I passed that test.  So H.F is giving us another "opportunity for growth"( so I have to keep reminding myself), to be able to acheive all the things we want for our lives, and to bless the lives of the people in our family and future family, we decided to go through with it.  We received answers to prayers quite quickly and I don't regret the decision we made, but I must say it is hard. The honeymoon is over... figuratively, and well, literally as well (at least for next few months). Life is hard and full of trials, but like my friend Rory reminded me in her blog awhile ago, that "trials are experiences that can bring refining."  I don't know the specifics of what the outcome will be for going through this, but I know the process is necessary and this will be a time to rely greatly on the Lord for strength and guidance. Life is too short to make the wrong choices, and with His help we can be guided to make the right ones. (I hope!!!...oh me of little faith...)

So, I am in Boise away from my husband, as hard as that is already, AND trying to get another semester of school under my belt, trying to find employment (good luck to me in this crisis) and find a roof over our heads that my husband and I can call a HOME. *SIGH*

Although I am far away from the one I love, it is soo nice to be with my family again, my mom has been SOO incredibly supportive and helpful and a nice distration from the lonliness that I sometimes feel.  Thanks to SKYPE, Jorge and I talk every single day, and that helps me be strong too.  He is like a sensitive teddy bear and I know he cries without me there... (hehe). But he is being the strong and steady priesthood holder, the optimist, the enthusiast, and my inspiration to continue on- to which I am grateful for because if he ever doubted for one minute or said to me "I miss you please come home"... I would be there the next day, no questions asked.  The seperation will be for our refining. And this is the new chapter in the life of the Andrade's. 

"Would I be out of line if I said... I miss you!"

I have never been alone in my whole life. I mean, sure I've been alone...there are days when everyone needs to be alone. But, ever since I was a kid, I always had my sisters and brother, my best friends, my mom. When I was in college, I always had my roomates, and friends... someone to always keep me company at night. When I was on my mission I was with the compy 24/7!! After the mission there was my family again... I literally have NEVER been alone... but that was usually fine with me, becasue I love to be kept company. I need the company of someone near me, even if there is no interaction... just knowing that someone is next to me, keeps me content. Now that I am married, I have the best companion I could have ever asked for. He is the best friend that I'd been searching for... I eat, sleep, and breath Jorge. haha, sound dramatic? Well Um, pretty much he is part of my cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system... I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can't live without him! Maybe it is newly-wed talk... but I honestly don't think so. I'm addicted through and through and there is no overcoming it.

This past week has been TORTURE for me. :( My love has been out of town on a business trip since early saturday morning. *tear* It is torture to not have him come home at night after work, to have to eat alone, go to bed alone, wake up alone... He is not here to bring happiness into the home, to make me laugh, to randomly grab me and start dancing, to pop my back, to hear his cute english expressions, to sing with me, to hold hands with me, hug me or kiss me... It's been so hard!! I'm going through Jorge withrawls!! But, I'm holding on because he is an addiction I don't want to cured of. I've really had to rely on the Lord to get me through this week. It's felt like an eternity. I've learned a lot about myself, what I want out of life and how to really VALUE what you have. I love Jorge and I'm so thankful for the joy he brings into my life. Without him, life would be meaningless.

(I'm also thankful to the friends I've made here in Camacari... they have also helped the week go by somewhat easier.)

But I can't wait for him to come home tomorrow. Vai ter FESTA! woo-hoo! I don't think I could have been able to stand it one more day. What do you do when your desperately inlove? What do you do when you sleep with the shirt he wore the day before he left just because it has his smell on it? What do you do when all you can do is look at his pictures, watch videos of him and listen to Incubus "I miss you" over and over and over and over again?

"To see you when I wake up
is a gift I didn't think could be real.
To know that you feel the same as I do
is a three-fold, utopian dream.
You do something to me that I can't explain.
So would I be out of line if I said,
I miss you.

I see your picture, I smell your smell on the empty pillow next to mine.
You have only been gone ten [7] days, but already I'm wasting away.
I know I'll see you again
whether far or soon.
But I need you to know that I care
and I miss you"


Am I pathetic? No...its not like I'm pathetic, I havn't lost my identity by getting married... I'm still the same Krista who was single for the past 26 years, its just that being married I also found a new identity that in MANY ways has made me stronger, and that new identity is him! He has made me stronger and when he's not here, I feel weaker. He's my other half. How do you live with only half of you? You can't... you need your FULL you. Does that make sense? I don't even know if this is making sense... I probably should just stop talking and thinking now before people worry that I am crazy. I'm not, okay? I just miss Jorge... Okay bye!

AND... Happy Birthday Kelsey!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELSEY!!!!

I miss you and hope your birthday was super special.

Love you!