Lisa Lisa Bo Bisa

This winter was particularly horrid to us in the Midwest, and I'm wondering when Spring will really arrive.  Sure, sure, last year's was technically the longest (let's hope it doesn't snow again in May), but I've heard this one called the most brutal in recent memory.  Polar vortex, anyone? Despite the cold, snow, and misery that comes along with winter, time seemed to pass fairly quickly.  It's nearing on May already, which is incredible.  A couple trips to the sunny south always help pass the time.  Paired with a busy work schedule, a girls weekend, a few birthday celebrations, weekly Lenten church services, happy hours... the weeks are flying by.  Oh and it helps that I've finally subscribed to Netlix and have busied myself watching the first 2 seasons of Scandal.  I love TV. Did anyone else notice how awesome traffic was mid-March to early April?  Maybe you have to have the East to West commute ...

This has become the longest recap of a vacation in the history of blog posts.  But it was the longest vacation I've had, so I guess that's fitting. After Rio, we spent 2 final days in Brasilia with the whole clan.  My Uncle Gary road a bus down from where he lives in northeastern Brazil to visit...a whole 30-some hour trip.  He sure must love us (or he's crazy).  It was great to see him again, in his beloved country he has called home for so many years. The afternoon we returned to Brasilia, we stopped at an outdoor marketplace to look for some t-shirt souvenirs.  We enjoyed traditional Brazilian pastels and beer, a churro that was filled with dulce de leche (and seriously almost made me melt with happiness), and browsed around at the shops.  Then it was back home, where I recall snatching up N as soon as he was awake.  I couldn't believe how much he had grown in the 6 days we were away. This picture above makes me smile, because ...