Sophia's 2nd Birthday!

Sophia turned 2 on April 23rd. How time flies..It was like yesterday that we were holding her on our arms for the first time.

Highlights from Sophia's life so far...

0 Months= She was born

2 months old= Her baby blessing

3 Months= she got her ears pierced and she went to her first trip to brazil

5 months: She went to the beach in Brazil for the first time

7 months: She stood by herself

8 months: She got her first tooth

9 months: Her first steps
You can see the video

12 months: She had her first birthday party

13 months: She went to Brazil fer the second time

17 months: she went to the nursery

19 months: Her first time playing in the snow.

22 months: Her first prayer

23 months: She broke her arm-- Ouch! When it happened I was more miserable and upset than she was. Poor girl. She is so brave and strong.

24 months: Her 2nd birthday party
 This year, we went all out for her birthday party. We wanted to be very special so we planned ahead and started gathering all the decoration and supplies. She loves minnie mouse so that was her theme. She had a wonderful time.

 Here are some picture of her birthday party. We love you little Sophia.

                                          This puppy was one of her gifts. She adores him!!

 We made this cake from scratch, with the help of videos on the internet. What do you think? First time.. not so bad I think.

Sophia's first prayer..

Tonight, when we were finishing our family home evening and were ready to say a prayer, Sophia just out of nowhere started to say the prayer by herself. It was such a magical moment and we could all feel the sweet spirit. We couldn't really understand what she was saying but she lowered her tone of voice, folded her arms, bowed her head, said a bunch of things and said amen. It was just adorable. She is amazing and we are so proud of her. It's late, so I just wanted to share that and document this episode of our lives. We love the Gospel and how God's plan is so perfect. He loves us and we are His children. We can talk to him and He listens to our prayers He is Our Father!

Our Eternal Father..

I'm very greatful to Our Father for providing me with a family, for the blessings He has given me and the knowledge I have that He is real. It's just comforting to know that we can address Him as a Father, because that's what He is. A Merciful Father who cares for us and loves us unconditionally. He is real!

Many faces of a little girl...

I couldn't stop laughing and taking pictures of this little girl while she was watching Tarzan this afternoon. Look at all those faces.!!  BTW, it was so cute she was able to change her reactions so quickly.

                                 Love her so much!! She is just the perfect kid. We are so lucky!!

Meu super Niver!!

Eu simplesmente amei meu aniversario esse ano. It was  one of my favorite birthdays. First, forgive me for my switching of languages. I just can't think with only one anymore . Okay, so, on my birthday we went to my favorite restaurant Tucanos and  of course ate more than we could handle, but it is so yummy and so expensive that you have to take advantage of it. Sophia had a blast when the waiters came to sing Happy birthday e fizeram o maior batuque hehe.

                                                     Look at her face, what a cutie!





                At night we had our family together for a movie and pizza night. So fun!

No proximo dia ficamos o dia inteiro em Salt lake, pois Mac tinha umas surpresinhas por la.
Fomos no Aquarium e  depois patinar no gelo!! Pela primeira vez!!! Quase 4 anos em Utah e ainda nao tinha desfrutado disso. I love my man, he is so thoughtful. He was showering me with presents and surprises the whole weekend. He gave me a card that it was the most beautiful card I have ever seen and read, he worded so perfectly and expressed his feeling showing his  love in everything. Ok, no more cheesy talk, but yeah sometimes you have to recognize the dedication of your spouse, right?  Or maybe ALWAYS??

Here are some pics we took from that amazing day.

                                                     Not much of a happy boy, hum?

                                       
                                       She was amazed to see all the animals so close.

                                      
                                This one is like she is saying "Oh noo!" She actually can't stop saying that for everything bad that happens in her life. A spilled cup of water, a toy that broke and the list goes on... lol  This girl cracks me up!

                                     
                                        It was so beautiful when it got dark with all the lights

We didn't take a lot of pictures here, too cold to take your gloves off haha  It was a LOT of fun though. And before you ask, I didn't fall ONCE!!

Happy Birthday To Me!! It was definitely a great one.

New Year, New Reflections

Here we are, having survived yet another apocalypse, where do we go from here?  Though I know none of us really believed that the world was actually going to end I, Myself, often thought "What if?"  What kind of desolate apocalyptic wasteland would the survivors have to deal with in the aftermath of the Mayan End-of-Times? Though it would be a depressing world to live in, it's actually kind of fun to think about. I don't really know why.

2012 has been especially kind to me and my family.  I have a lot to look back on and laugh. To remember and realize how far we've come.  Mila and I have a wonderful little girl who is becoming so smart.  I have a wife that I love so much and who loves me too. We have a beautiful home that we bought this year. We have been showered with blessings. We may not be worthy to have been given all that we have, but you know what? We are children of God and in spite of our mistakes, we are worth it.  Sorry, I'm listening to a great song and it's kinda influencing my writing. Music has a way of doing that and that's what I love about it. In case you're curious, this is the song I'm listening to:

Though the end of 2012 isn't any more significant than the end of 2011, reflecting on the buzz that surrounded the story of the Mayan Apocalypse, it has given me pause and I have been thinking more about the choices I've made in my life. Of course, I don't see much purpose in asking myself "Am I happy with the way my life turned out?" because I know I am happy. My life couldn't have turned out better than it is now.

I believe there are an infinite number of directions I could have taken my life and I'm sure I would have been happy with many of those directions as well. My point is, my reflections of the choices I made in my life aren't about where they have brought me. Instead, it leads me to think what can I do now to make positive changes in my life as I move forward.

I'll give you a short example.  When I was in high school, I loved acting. It became my passion and my dream.  As the years have passed, I find myself working in another profession that I love and in which I find myself surrounded by film making and acting. I sometimes wonder what it would be like being on the other end of the camera.  Maybe I'll get that chance someday.

My example is simple, but there are a few things that I wish I could do more, things that I loved when I was younger. We can make positive changes in our lives anytime but the new year is unique in that it helps to remind us what we can do in the future to better ourselves and continue our joy. Let's make 2013 a year in which we remember the things we love and take time to share in our passions with those we love. Happy New Year!

Here are some photos that might make you happy. It sure made me.

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

To catch the real meaning of the "spirit of Christmas," we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ.

"With the birth of the babe of Bethlehem, there emerged a great endowment—a power stronger than weapons, a wealth more lasting than the coins of Caesar. This child was to be the King of kings and Lord of lords, the promised Messiah, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, he came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. During his earthly ministry, he taught men the higher law. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick; he caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life."

 

  
Merry Christmas to all my friends and family. May this season bring joy, peace, forgiveness, love to all our hearts.