HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! FELIZ ANO NOVO!!!

HAVE A GREAT 2010

WITH MANY BLESSINGS!!!

Adivinhem onde eu estou!!!

Já tentaram??? Não adivinham concerteza. Estou na Kidzania com a Catarina, duas amigas e respectivos filhos. Quem não souber o que é a Kidzania, vá à Internet pesquisar porque eu agora tenho preguiça de explicar pormenorizadamente. Isto é «muita fixe», como diria a minha filha. É uma cidade em miniatura e a miudagem pode trabalhar, ganhar dinheiro, ir às compras, etc., etc. Mas fixe, fixe é estar aqui sossegadinha na sala dos pais, com direito a Internet, uma grande variedade de livros, TV e bar. É que andar atrás das criancinhas pela cidade, ninguém merece! E como houve mais cinquenta mil pessoas que se lembraram de vir à Kidzania nas férias do Natal (até já encontrámos uns primos), a confusão é mais que muita. E como se não bastasse a algazarra que a miudagem faz, ainda há carro de bombeiros e ambulância do INEM a fazer barulho q.b.. Mãe sofre!!! Hehehe!

Thank you

Thank you so much for your prayers. My brother and sister-in-law are already in Mumbai and they are feeling much better now.

Homemade Christmas gifts

This year we didn't buy any presents for our friends but we made some biscuits and marzipan treats to give them. And it was great fun making these homemade gifts. Catarina loved the time spent in the kitchen. (I'm having some problems with my blog so I can't put these photos in the correct order. Sorry!!!)

Preparing for the New Year

First of all, I want to thank you all for your prayers. I have no news yet. I will try to call my brother later and then I will give you news.

And second, yesterday I wanted to post a Happy Birthday message for my brother but I forgot to do it! It was his 38th birthday!

So, 2010 is coming! I am well aware that nothing magic happens from the 31st of December to the 1st of January. It is just another day on the calendar, some of you would say. Well, it really is another day on the calendar but I like to think that it is a different day. Probably this happens because I am a list/planning person. I just love planning and making lists. It's one of my simple pleasures in life. It helps me in my daily/weekly/monthly/yearly routines. I love routines but I also like to be flexible about them. And at this time of the year, I like to think about the year that is coming to an end, to think about what I have or haven't done, about what I can do better, and I like to plan the new year, to establish priorities and goals. But always knowing that my top priority is God and that His plans are always better than mine. Have a wonderful 2010!

Prayers Needed

For my brother and sister-in-law. They are in Goa and they are travelling tomorrow to Sri Lanka, and will have to spend a few hours in Mumbay. They have high temperatures and severe body pain. It might be influenza A but we don't know yet. Please pray for them. Thank you.

Christmas photos

This year, our Christmas was not as happy as we would like it to be but life is just like that. My Granny is not very well and my brother and sister-in-law are living in India now and couldn't spend Christmas with us. But it is in times like these that we have to remind ourselves that our source of joy is God, not our circumstances. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas time. May God bless all of you.

FELIZ NATAL / MERRY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!

Here are the photos I promised!

Just family photos. But we had a great day!

Visit

Tomorrow I will be visiting my Dad and Stepmom in Canas de Senhorim, in the centre of Portugal. We live in a very small country but the last time I saw them was almost two years ago. Please pray for a safe trip. I'll try to remember taking photos to post here later.

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Numa tarde chuvosa, nada melhor do que chá e scones! / In a rainy afternoon, nothing better than tea & scones

Uma excelente prenda de Natal!

Do you want to feel great?

«If you feel small and worthless, do something great - help someone in need.» Maria Fontaine

Our Christmas tree and Nativity scene

Presépio no Parque da Cidade em Loures

Défice

Ontem estava à mesa de um café com a minha filha, ela pegou num jornal que ali estava e leu o título em letras gordas: «Défice custa 1380 euros a cada Português». Perguntou-me o que era o défice e eu lá dei a melhor explicação possível para a sua idade. Ficou com um ar preocupado e disse: «Mãe, e cada um de nós vai ter de pagar 1380 euros?»

Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Raining a lot! But I love rain.

One of my simple pleasures:
Reading a good book in a rainy afternoon with a hot cup of tea.

On my bedside table:
A Portuguese book: Mal-entendidos, Nuno Lobo Antunes. It is a book written by a Portuguese doctor, to better understand children with problems like Dyslexia or Asperger Syndrome.

On my TV:
DD is watching Hannah Montana.

On the menu for tonight:
Soup and fruit.

On my To Do List:
Ironing, going to church, taking DD to her dance class...

New Recipe I tried last week:
Nothinhg new.

In the craft basket:
Christmas cards

Looking forward to:
Visiting my Dad next Tuesday. The last time I saw him was more than a year ago.

Homemaking Tip for this week:
No tips.

Favorite Blog Post of the week (mine or other):
A post in Portuguese (sorry!!!): Questionamentozinho sincero sobre a justiça de Deus

Favorite photo from last week:
No photos last week.

Lesson learned the past few days:
That elderly people, when they can no longer care for themselves, they can become frustrated and depressed. And that can give way to anger and many times the person who are closest to them become the target of that anger. But I am learning that we cannot take it personally and that we need to ask God for wisdom and patience.

On my Prayer List:
Always a long list but today, my friend Miriam who is travelling to Brazil, after 5 years in Portugal without seeing her family.

Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

Apelo

Pais e mães, por favor parem de dizer às vossas criancinhas que os manos e manas que nasceram ou estão para nascer são resultado das vossas preces fervorosas. Faço este apelo porque a minha filha está com uma crise existencial «braba» (como diria o nosso querido Rubinho!). Diz que Deus deve ter uma lista de crianças a cujas orações atende e que ela foi excluída da lista, que Deus não gosta dela, etc., etc. E eu já não sei mais o que responder!!!

Change your attitudes!

«People sense how you feel about them. If you want to change their attitudes toward you, change any negative attitudes you may have toward them.» Maria Fontaine

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

My 40th birthday (it was in September but I'm trying new things!!!)