Making Room for One More- PART ONE

There's always room for one more! We are just in the process of trying to discover where it is at! Hehe. We live in a wonderful home, but it is not large by American standards, for eight people, at about 900 square feet. But with a little creativity, we can make it work very well.

Starting a New School Year!!!

Well, we are just finishing up our fifth week of our new school year, and so far, so good!
To tell the truth, I was *totally* overwhelmed about just thinking of getting started. I felt so disorganized, we had been traveling so much, and I felt "low" on curriculum. Two years ago, we returned to Brazil planning to be here for a two year term, so I planned out two years of curriculum for that time and brought it with me.  Now here we are two years later, and we are not going to be returning to the States to restock, so I had to rethink everything.

Me Time?? How much am I willing to give?

But Jesus answered them, saying, “.... Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name.”  John 12:24-28

LImitations on Video Games and Healthy Alternatives

Video Games... TV..... Movies..... Ipad..... Electronic forms of entertainment *abound* in our world these days. How are parents to manage all of these potentially helpful and potentially harmful "tools" for their children? We have tried a lot of different things at different times, and will probably continue to make adjustments as we go along, but I will share some of the ways we have managed this area as of late: 

Celebrating Vovô's 74th Birthday!

 It was a blessing that our seminar and ministry schedule took us to São Paulo the week of my father-in-law's 74th birthday so that we were able to take him out to celebrate!

An Afternooon of Fishing

A couple of weekends ago, we traveled to São Paulo to do a seminar at a church there on a Friday and a Saturday. The pastor then asked if we would consider staying longer so Fabio could preach at his church on Sunday, and we accepted. 

Afternoon Outside with the Littles

These pics were from about a month or so ago. Fabio was painting the ceiling in our living room/kitchen and also employing the help of the three olders to get it done faster. The problem was the two littles.... there was no good place for them to hang out, so I took them outside. I have to admit that I just don't get outside as much as I wish I did. It seems like there is always SO much I have to get done *inside*, that it is hard for me to just SIT and watch them play

Number SIX Coming Our Way!

Well, this sort of feels like old news since we put it on facebook a few months ago, but in an effort to keep a family record on this blog, I thought I would post this official "announcement" picture, and a few more to accompany it... even some NEW news!! 

And then..... there was Olivia!

I have waited until now to write this post, even though it has been in my mind for many months, because I was still processing the situation... And I still am, but I am ready to share.  I also wanted to write it down before I forget how things happened!

Ever since her unusual entry into the world, Olivia has been just a little bit different from our other children. Just when you think you have a little bit of experience in bringing up little ones, God sends a curve ball. Haha.

Happy 2014!

Dear friends and family,

Warmest Greetings from Brazil! We would like to begin this new year with a BIG THANK YOU, and a short recap of last year.

First a brief update about the family:

FIERY DARTS

“Mommy, I don't feel good!” It was Johann speaking. We were in the car on the way to a seminar about two hours from here. Oh, no. Not again! It seems that every time we go out to do a seminar, we are attacked in one way or another.

Museum Day

 Today we took some time out of our busy life to do something special with the kids - visit a museum! There were actually two, right across the street from each other, and both in old houses, so nothing like the monster museums in Chicago. We still had a wonderful time together enjoying all the fascinating displays.

Refinishing a Rustic Cabinet Project - Photo Tutorial

Well, just so you know, I am a complete amateur at refinishing furniture and until last year, I had never even considered it. Then my sister-in-law Luciana inspired me and I started looking at our old furniture with new eyes.

A Tribute to My Firstborn, Joshua Sebastian

Today our firstborn, Joshua Sebastian, turns eleven years old. It is hard to believe eleven years have passed, and at the same time, it almost seems like Joshua has always been a part of our lives. God has used Joshua in so many ways to teach us so many things and to keep us always seeking Him!  These eleven years of parenting Joshua have been the most challenging, the most rewarding, the most joyful and the most intense years of our lives. 

Beginning a New School Year

Well, we did it! We started a new school year! Prior to this, we had only had a break at emergency times, like during a move, the birth of Olivia, or for travel, for over two years. So when we finished the last school year around the end of April, I felt we needed a break just for the sake of a break. I was thinking of two weeks, but that quickly became a month. My plan was just to take enough time to regroup and reorganize our curriculum, but I was getting really frustrated with myself for not even feeling motivated to DO the organizing and planning of our next school year like I always had before, in order to start with a BANG! 

March-April 2013 Newsletter

If you click on the square icon on the lower right hand corner of this post, it will enlarge for easier reading. Or you can print it if you prefer. :) Blessings

Tsukayama Newsletter March-April 2013

We Need to Get ORGANIZED!!

I could not stand to even look into the children's bedroom. There was just SO much clutter everywhere!  I would sometimes try to tackle it, but we didn't have anywhere to put everything. No closet, no under the bed space, nothing. I wanted to tell the kids to put their stuff away, but they truly had no where to put it!  Something had to be done before I lost my sanity with one more glance in the direction of this room...  The two older kids sleep on a bunk bed, and the two beneath them sleep beneath them - on a mattress that goes under the bunk beds during the day. This eliminates potential storage space under the beds. Only Dominique had a dresser, and it was overflowing with junk. We had a shelf for the boys' clothes, but it was not working well and they basically just ended up shoving everything on - which was very visible since there were no doors to shut and hide all the mess. And books and toys just got dumped "wherever".

One Well Loved Little Girl!

If there is any doubt in anyone's mind as to whether or not Olivia gets enough attention, being the fifth born and all, let these pictures I have snapped of our daily life dispel any fear! She is one well loved little girl! Not only does she have parents who are so extremely grateful for the GIFT she is from God, but she has four doting older siblings that share the joy with us! Thank you, Jesus, for love that just keeps multiplying.

Safely Back in Brazil

Thank you to all who have prayed for us! We have arrived safely and are finally able to update. And post some pictures, of course. :) (There are more on facebook! You can add us as friends if you haven't already.)

Jesus Paid It All!

Well, as you can imagine, my hospital fiasco after Olivia's birth incurred quite the bill. We do not have any kind of insurance, so we were encouraged to apply for Medicaid to cover the cost. We went through all of the red tape and jumped through all their hoops, waited, called, waited some more and called again.