The good life - An official update
Thanks so much to everyone who has supported us as we continue on our adventure as a newly married couple! The biggest support we had was from our families and friends before and during the wedding.
The week before was wonderful, with my parents and I running around like crazy, and Joaquim and his parents enjoying time with their son, and some sightseeing in Chicago! Isaac, Joaquim's best man, was here from Wednesday until the wedding, and that was wonderful too.
The wedding day was just beautiful, and everything turned out perfectly. I woke up to raindrops, which is good luck! By the time the ceremony was starting, the sun was shining, and the rest of the day was gorgeous. Perfect temperature...God is good! We were so stunned at how many people were there to share the day with us. That is probably what meant the most to us! How many hours people drove, flew, how they lost sleep and comfort in order to see us get married and give their support to our union. It was such a blessing.
Another huge blessing was a honeymoon in Hawaii. We went and came back and it was beautiful...but we also know that is a lifetime dream for many people, and we were able to go there at ages 24 and 25. Maybe never again! But we are so grateful that God made a way for that trip. It was everything we could have imagined, and looking back at the pictures already brings back such sweet memories. Spending time alone, walking on the beach, taking 600 pictures, (thanks to Joaquim!) trying new food, finding comfort food, watching tv in bed, sitting on our balcony having coffee in the morning...it was relaxed and quiet, and it was so nice to just pause life for a week and enjoy each other!
Also, the climate and land in Hawaii reminded Joaquim a lot of Brazil, so that was a nice respite from midwestern blues. Keep him in your prayers as fall and winter barrel through the door! And anyone in warm places, think about keeping your doors open in February, March, and April. We may need to take monthly escape weekends from the tundra!
Now that we are back into "life" we are still so blessed and continue to be SO happy. Our apartment is just a big pile of wonderful. God is so good, and I still have to pinch myself when I remember that my parents lived there too...what a special legacy God prepared for us in that! It's a beautiful place, it is now cozy and homey...I love our kitchen especially (which is good because I spend a LOT of time there...which I also love!) It is so great to come home to a warm, loving space, a smiling face, and to make a nice cup of coffee and sit with my husband.
Our adventures with food have been most notable and I feel like I only write about our dinners. But food is a very important element in most cultures! When combining two cultures, it becomes even more so. (I have been reading a wonderful book called Your Intercultural Marriage...very insightful on this subject!) I truly love cooking, and it is a JOY to see my husband smile after every meal. (Well...ALMOST every meal...) It is a new discipline to make lists, plan recipes, and get dinner on the stove around...7pm. Yes, 7:00 is when I start cooking! It's marvelous actually. Spending 8 hours at the office and jumping into the oven as soon as you get home is no fun. This provides a break and quality time with Joaquim before dinner, and less indigestion because we don't eat in a rush. :)
We have also been busy! A few people have mentioned that our social-ness (is that a word?) really breaks the stereotype of most newlyweds. Let it be known that we simply are not most newlyweds! We weren't most dating couples, most engaged couples, and we are still different from most married couples. We love hanging out with people, friends, family, strangers...anyone. We had something planned every evening since Wednesday of last week. Now, it's also true that tonight we are VERY excited to have nothing to do. We'll probably watch The Biggest Loser, and just BE. So, you can call after tomorrow. :)
Prayer requests:
- Pray for Mae and Pai at Lar, as they miss Joaquim and are really feeling his absense. He helped with a LOT there!
- Joaquim's green card application and documentation is in, and we are just waiting for a response in a few months. PLEASE pray that his work permit will come through fairly quicky...we are praying for it by December!
- We are really seeking the Lord for our immediate future...how He wants us to proceed here in the next few years. Pray for guidance, clear direction, and an open door in every situation.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Succulent Salmon...
Last night was a lovely, tasty, and cozy success! Miso sauce is easy and deliiiiicious. Man, I could eat that stuff on anything. Is that bad? Chicken with miso sauce, pork with miso sauce, steak with miso sauce...Joaquim will be sick of miso sauce! But he liked it last night so that was a success!
My parents were impressed with the salmon, because it was so pink and beautiful. Yep, literally caught from a river in Alaska and it made it to my hands in a plastic bag. I wasn't quite sure how to cook the salmon, but I have this fabulous griddle from Princess House so I just smothered it in some butter and slapped the sliced filets on, covered it up, and away we went.
It was great to chat and spend some time with my parents and Brian (who was tired and quiet as usual...but he enjoyed some chocolate so there was a hint of excitement there) and my mom was excited to see our apartment. It was all in all a very nice evening. Joaquim and I did alllllll the dishes afterwards, and this morning we didn't have breakfast at home so it was great to have a maintained and clean kitchen for more than a few hours.
I am realizing that although I've lived on my own before and had to cook and clean and do my own laundry, etc...I have never been a wife. Duh. And that is very different! It is so fun and wonderful!
This weekend can't come soon enough...a relaxing evening at home is in store for us. Joaquim said yesterday, as we were washing dishes, that we have been so busy. Praise the Lord! The last thing we wanted was for him to feel bored or stuck in one place. He is tired because we've had something to do almost every night this week. This is a good thing! Tonight is a simple dinner of cooked polish sausage with onions, and rice. We'll watch a movie and chill, then sleep a LONG TIME tonight! Yes!
My parents were impressed with the salmon, because it was so pink and beautiful. Yep, literally caught from a river in Alaska and it made it to my hands in a plastic bag. I wasn't quite sure how to cook the salmon, but I have this fabulous griddle from Princess House so I just smothered it in some butter and slapped the sliced filets on, covered it up, and away we went.
It was great to chat and spend some time with my parents and Brian (who was tired and quiet as usual...but he enjoyed some chocolate so there was a hint of excitement there) and my mom was excited to see our apartment. It was all in all a very nice evening. Joaquim and I did alllllll the dishes afterwards, and this morning we didn't have breakfast at home so it was great to have a maintained and clean kitchen for more than a few hours.
I am realizing that although I've lived on my own before and had to cook and clean and do my own laundry, etc...I have never been a wife. Duh. And that is very different! It is so fun and wonderful!
This weekend can't come soon enough...a relaxing evening at home is in store for us. Joaquim said yesterday, as we were washing dishes, that we have been so busy. Praise the Lord! The last thing we wanted was for him to feel bored or stuck in one place. He is tired because we've had something to do almost every night this week. This is a good thing! Tonight is a simple dinner of cooked polish sausage with onions, and rice. We'll watch a movie and chill, then sleep a LONG TIME tonight! Yes!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
When all else fails...rice
You know how sometimes you know something hypothetically, but until you experience it, it doesn't really hit you? Well, last night I was hit with the true reality that when Joaquim doesn't have rice for a couple days, things begin to go awry.
Monday was such a complicated dinner that I had run out of steam, so I just made quick, simple, one stop shop deals yesterday and Tuesday. He was fine with Tuesday, but by yesterday...where's the rice? Still in the pantry! Now I know that is not the right place for it...
Sensing my disbelief and incredulity that rice is really such a big deal, he graciously made me coffee and breakfast this morning. That helped start off the day well, but I think he was just sucking up so I'll make rice tonight! Ok, Ok, I will.
This week has gone by quickly! I can't believe I last wrote on Sunday and it's already Thursday. Does anyone want to support my petition for 3 day weekends? That would be great...
Another recent marriage learning experience: While Joaquim is in the shower, he cannot make decisions or answer questions. Check. He was warned by my brothers and past roommates not to talk to me in the morning or finish off any popcorn that may be in my possession. But no one warned me not to talk to him in the shower! Now I know! :)
Tonight should be a fun and decadent evening as my family is coming over. River-caught salmon from Alaska! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand rice and beans. :)
Monday was such a complicated dinner that I had run out of steam, so I just made quick, simple, one stop shop deals yesterday and Tuesday. He was fine with Tuesday, but by yesterday...where's the rice? Still in the pantry! Now I know that is not the right place for it...
Sensing my disbelief and incredulity that rice is really such a big deal, he graciously made me coffee and breakfast this morning. That helped start off the day well, but I think he was just sucking up so I'll make rice tonight! Ok, Ok, I will.
This week has gone by quickly! I can't believe I last wrote on Sunday and it's already Thursday. Does anyone want to support my petition for 3 day weekends? That would be great...
Another recent marriage learning experience: While Joaquim is in the shower, he cannot make decisions or answer questions. Check. He was warned by my brothers and past roommates not to talk to me in the morning or finish off any popcorn that may be in my possession. But no one warned me not to talk to him in the shower! Now I know! :)
Tonight should be a fun and decadent evening as my family is coming over. River-caught salmon from Alaska! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand rice and beans. :)
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Lazy Sundays in Arlington Heights...and Brasil
Today feels like fall. Tuesday is the first day of fall, for any who didn't know...and we haven't been complaining one bit about the beautiful weather so far. Today Chicago began to show its true intentions...
The weekend was eventful in a nicely calm way for us. Yesterday we were "on call" expecting Isaac, Joaquim's loooong time best friend, who was due back in Chicago to catch a flight back to Sao Paulo this evening. He said he would come by and asked if we could take him to the airport on Sunday. Sure, no problem...he left a suitcase and an x-box here, and was also bringing us a belated wedding gift from Memphis, where he had been for the past week. So we were trying to be available and around the house yesterday in case he came.
This involved waking up to hammers and staple guns at 8:30am, which was lovely. (They put carpet in our hallway, which actually IS lovely...) and throughout the day we did lots of errands and eventually had the lovely Janell Keller over around 3:30...it was great to catch up with her. I am loving being married to a Brazilian because this means I can legitimately observe "coffee hour" on weekends. Yesterday I baked a little cake (from a mix, I'm not that impressive...) and we had cake and coffee at 5:30ish. It was lovely. Janell has officially experienced the Brazilian way to spend the late afternoon. Later we had tilapia for dinner, which was an adventure and was perhaps the most unappetizing meal I have ever seen. We were all wary because it didn't brown or anything...it was baked, and basically looked exactly as it had when I put it in the oven, though slightly more melted. Thankfully, it tasted great, and was approved by all. Phew. Joaquim eagerly ate more leftovers for lunch today.
Today we woke up early for the 9am service at Harvest. That's when Joaquim usually goes to church, so there goes my usual 11:15 am attendence. But it's definitely nicer to go at 9. Sleepier, but I took a nap before lunch, and the day has felt more productive. On our way home from church we went a little out of our way and stopped at Eurofresh. Joaquim saw lots of brands he recognized and said the supermarket even smelled like Brazil. We bought 2.5 liters plus 2 little cans of Guaraná, and also found some Japanese seasonings I needed to make Salmon with Miso Paste in a few days. Trying to recreate some salmon we had at Benihana in Hawaii. Delicious! So if you are looking for rice vinegar, sesame seed oil, and miso paste, they have it all in one little aisle at Eurofresh.
The rest of the afternoon has been spent relaxing...we read some, took a walk - just before the rain started, and now I have lit a few candles and Joaquim is listening to the Corinthians game. Very important. I have the Bears on the tv, muted. So we are following two different kinds of "football" at the moment. I'd say he cares much more about one than the other. ;)
All of this is also to say that Isaac has YET to arrive...and we don't have any way to contact him. So if he doesn't get here in 3 hours or so, it looks like we will have gained a suitcase and an xbox. Finder's keeper's!
The weekend was eventful in a nicely calm way for us. Yesterday we were "on call" expecting Isaac, Joaquim's loooong time best friend, who was due back in Chicago to catch a flight back to Sao Paulo this evening. He said he would come by and asked if we could take him to the airport on Sunday. Sure, no problem...he left a suitcase and an x-box here, and was also bringing us a belated wedding gift from Memphis, where he had been for the past week. So we were trying to be available and around the house yesterday in case he came.
This involved waking up to hammers and staple guns at 8:30am, which was lovely. (They put carpet in our hallway, which actually IS lovely...) and throughout the day we did lots of errands and eventually had the lovely Janell Keller over around 3:30...it was great to catch up with her. I am loving being married to a Brazilian because this means I can legitimately observe "coffee hour" on weekends. Yesterday I baked a little cake (from a mix, I'm not that impressive...) and we had cake and coffee at 5:30ish. It was lovely. Janell has officially experienced the Brazilian way to spend the late afternoon. Later we had tilapia for dinner, which was an adventure and was perhaps the most unappetizing meal I have ever seen. We were all wary because it didn't brown or anything...it was baked, and basically looked exactly as it had when I put it in the oven, though slightly more melted. Thankfully, it tasted great, and was approved by all. Phew. Joaquim eagerly ate more leftovers for lunch today.
Today we woke up early for the 9am service at Harvest. That's when Joaquim usually goes to church, so there goes my usual 11:15 am attendence. But it's definitely nicer to go at 9. Sleepier, but I took a nap before lunch, and the day has felt more productive. On our way home from church we went a little out of our way and stopped at Eurofresh. Joaquim saw lots of brands he recognized and said the supermarket even smelled like Brazil. We bought 2.5 liters plus 2 little cans of Guaraná, and also found some Japanese seasonings I needed to make Salmon with Miso Paste in a few days. Trying to recreate some salmon we had at Benihana in Hawaii. Delicious! So if you are looking for rice vinegar, sesame seed oil, and miso paste, they have it all in one little aisle at Eurofresh.
The rest of the afternoon has been spent relaxing...we read some, took a walk - just before the rain started, and now I have lit a few candles and Joaquim is listening to the Corinthians game. Very important. I have the Bears on the tv, muted. So we are following two different kinds of "football" at the moment. I'd say he cares much more about one than the other. ;)
All of this is also to say that Isaac has YET to arrive...and we don't have any way to contact him. So if he doesn't get here in 3 hours or so, it looks like we will have gained a suitcase and an xbox. Finder's keeper's!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
We do!
Well after a LONG WAIT of...well, over 3 years...Joaquim and I are married! It's official. Thanks so much to all who came to our wedding and also who expressed support and love and congratulations if they were unable to come. We have been so blessed by all of you.
We are also SO glad to be married. It was a wonderful day (pictures to come on facebook...eventually...) and we have such great memories. I tried to log them all in my journal on the plane to Hawaii, so hopefully the memories will stay fresh! I'm sure I forgot some things though...
We are all settled into our apartment and are just adjusting to living together and just...living. It's a totally different thing than dating and spending even tons of time together. When you are ALWAYS together and are responsible for each other and for your own home, it's totally different and totally wonderful! We are enjoying cooking together and watching movies and arranging our beautiful gifts all over our cozy kitchen and living room. Our bedroom is finally organized, which is wonderful, and there are still a few odds and ends that don't have homes in our living room, but...it's coming together.
So far we are doing very well! It's nice to have no big obligations this week. But I am already finding myself wanting to hang out with friends and see people! I know Joaquim feels the same way. But man, we have busy friends...so, anyone free to do anything? We might make you dinner! So far Joaquim has made some tasty beans and I made delicious bacon chicken and a nice tomato vegetable soup last night. Although the soup was too salty...apparently in Brazil they say that when a woman adds too much salt to the food it's because she's in love. Guilty as charged. But really...anyone want to hang out???
On the same vein, we do really ask your prayer for a job for Joaquim. He is at home all day, every day...and firstly needs something to do, preferably making a little something too! If anyone knows of anything that is available...work around the house, painting, moving, heavy lifting (haha), raking leaves...the man will do anything! He even said he would babysit every once in a while. (He's great with kids!) So...just get the word out and prayers too!
Another prayer request is for his green card, work permit, and social security card paperwork. We sent it off to the lawyer TODAY, and hope it all goes through well!
More updates to come...when we get internet at home, tomorrow. :)
Thank you all!
We are also SO glad to be married. It was a wonderful day (pictures to come on facebook...eventually...) and we have such great memories. I tried to log them all in my journal on the plane to Hawaii, so hopefully the memories will stay fresh! I'm sure I forgot some things though...
We are all settled into our apartment and are just adjusting to living together and just...living. It's a totally different thing than dating and spending even tons of time together. When you are ALWAYS together and are responsible for each other and for your own home, it's totally different and totally wonderful! We are enjoying cooking together and watching movies and arranging our beautiful gifts all over our cozy kitchen and living room. Our bedroom is finally organized, which is wonderful, and there are still a few odds and ends that don't have homes in our living room, but...it's coming together.
So far we are doing very well! It's nice to have no big obligations this week. But I am already finding myself wanting to hang out with friends and see people! I know Joaquim feels the same way. But man, we have busy friends...so, anyone free to do anything? We might make you dinner! So far Joaquim has made some tasty beans and I made delicious bacon chicken and a nice tomato vegetable soup last night. Although the soup was too salty...apparently in Brazil they say that when a woman adds too much salt to the food it's because she's in love. Guilty as charged. But really...anyone want to hang out???
On the same vein, we do really ask your prayer for a job for Joaquim. He is at home all day, every day...and firstly needs something to do, preferably making a little something too! If anyone knows of anything that is available...work around the house, painting, moving, heavy lifting (haha), raking leaves...the man will do anything! He even said he would babysit every once in a while. (He's great with kids!) So...just get the word out and prayers too!
Another prayer request is for his green card, work permit, and social security card paperwork. We sent it off to the lawyer TODAY, and hope it all goes through well!
More updates to come...when we get internet at home, tomorrow. :)
Thank you all!
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