Carnival!!

We had a little Carnaval type party on the 21st and met up with lots of other Brazilians. It wasn't everything that I had hoped and more, but none the less it was fun. My favorite part was the "costume" I wore. Gabi made sure to have all the candy she could, as you can tell by the sucker in her mouth.
The party would have officially been much better if we had the famous Guarana soda from Brazil. That stuff is so good and I am definately addicted to it, but at least it's technically a fruit!!

Gabi, Gabi, and Simone

Bryan showing his love for food (I did want to pose for this picture. Come on, I do a good job at it!).

Gabi, Marcia, and Gabi

Yeah I know that couple looks amazing, and just look at that hot guy next to the model!!

A group picture of the almost all LDS Brazilian party members. Good times! ;)

The Best Snow Day!!

Here is a great picture of the little snow storm we woke up to here on February 10th. It was Gabi's first snow storm, besides what fell on the mountain, and she took full advantage of it. She took plenty of pictures of the beautiful surrounding cactus and plants full of splarkling snow as it melts and reflects the light through the little beads of water.


And then with some of the snow that nicely collected on the roof and railing, she made her first cute little snow man!! It almost looks good enough to eat!!

Living Legends

Living Legends came to Tucson on Wednesday, and it hasn't been here in many moons. They perform dances from Polynesian Countries along with Northern and Southern American countries as well. They are examples to people all over the world as they represent a mix of cultures, yet all as one, children of our Heavenly Father. Trips they make include states around the USA, Southern American countries, and next year CHINA!!
China actually wanted to copy their idea to represent traditions and cultural values, and impliment it there with the cultures from around China. So you can imagine how much of an impact that will have when they go there to share their talents.

The Figueroa brothers, Derrick and Richard, are two of the stars of the show. I wasn't going to miss seeing my busy friend who is away at BYU, and it was a bonus to see the performance. It wasn't exactly the longest reunion ever, but it definately is one to remember, especially since I got a picture to prove I have famous friends.
Richard is wearing a Northern American costume where he uses hula-hoop type rings and manipulates them to build shapes and extend his own body. In the finale he is one of three who builds a cylinder around his head and lifts it off and places it on the floor, while also making another ball around his feet.
The costumes are native to their country and some are very detailed, and it's amazing how quickly they can change costumes between the presentations of the various countries. It's Derrick's first year with the group, but Richard is already a veteran and so there are only a few dances he isn't involved in.
To stay at the top of their game, they practice the routines a lot and go on trips for at least a week at a time. So homework is tough, and get to do it on the road. But what an experience they gain as they travel the world learning about the cultures they represent, and all the people they meet.