Getting by with a little help from our friends!!

For those of you who have thought we're absolutely insane, this will only confirm it.  If you haven't thought it already, you may after reading this...

We've scheduled the container to come on July 19th.  This is where all of our belongings will live as they travel on the boat and are inspected (and hopefully passed off) by customs.  The big ole box will then be delivered to our front yard in Brazil anywhere from 45 days to 3 months.  The fun part is that we have 2 hours to pack up our entire house into that container.  After 2 hours, they company charges $75 an hour.  Not wanting to spend any more money than we already have on this move, Daniel is taking on the challenge of beating the clock.  Since I'm pregnant, I was automatically assigned to kid duty.  Luckily, all I have to worry about it entertaining the kids and keeping them far away from the action.  Daniel however, is going to need a lot of extra hands to help out.  Of course there will be the traditional beer and pizza for anyone who wants to join in!  Call or message Daniel or me to volunteer!!!

SURPRISE!!!

Well, it's about time I post the news somewhere.  As if moving to Brazil wasn't enough change, we're going to add another member to our family, as well!!!  Yes, you read that right...I'm pregnant!   We're looking at a due date around January 16th so I have some time to plan and get used to the idea.  Mikayla is adjusting to the idea of another baby in the house, but she's hoping for a sister.  Noah is sooo excited about a baby in my tummy and is convinced it's a boy.  In fact, he's an expert on all things the baby likes or doesn't like.  He'll often tell us to be quiet so we don't wake it or that the baby is happy, sad, etc.  Very cute to see and hear how much he loves it already.  Daniel says he smiled to whole way home from the store after buying the pregancy test.  I'm a lot more hesitant, but getting used to the idea.  Remember, this baby will be born in Brazil, in a hospital full of Portuguese-speaking nurses and doctors.  That thought alone is unnverving!!  Plus the possibility of different procedures and everything.  Yes, I've given birth twice, but this will be a whole different experience!!  And January is the middle of summer there.  Both my babies were born in March.  I'm not sure how I feel about being hugely pregnant in the heat.  I'll keep you updated about that too!!

It's Starting to Come Together...

So yesterday we sold my car.  Less gas to pay for, less insurance to pay, and more cash in our pocket.  All necessary things to prepare for our big trip!!  Selling my car was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I mean, it's just a car, right?  But it's only my second car.  It's the car Daniel and I bought when he first moved to Fayetteville.  It's the car we brought Noah home from the hospital in.  It's the car we spent countless hours on the road going all around the state.  No, it's not just a car; it's a vehicle for memories!

PLUS, we bought our tickets this morning.  Our official day for leaving the country is August 6th.  We're flying out of Raleigh at 7:40 at night.  Raleigh to Charlotte, Charlotte to Rio!  So this is really happening!  EEK!! 

It all started with a drink and a dream...

Whenever we mention that we're moving to Brazil the first questions people always ask are "REALLY?! Are you serious?"  After the initial shock wears off, the next question to follow is almost always "Why?"   So here's the story, as short and sweet as i can make it.  
Daniel and I have always talked about moving to Brazil. Even on the night we met, as we sat at the bar and enjoyed drinks in the rain, Daniel described the two of us laying on the beaches in Rio, drinking coconut water.  (Who could resist that, right??)  We just never knew if it was ever going to happen.

As Daniel's dad's health has slowly started to decline, it became more of a reality that we would need to go to Brazil, if for no other reason than to help his parents run the family store and take care of things when his dad was home or in the hospital.  This past year, everything seemed to fall into place.  It truly was this feeling of, "If you're going to go, now's the time."  So we've been making plans and trying to prepare both our families for the big move.  Easier for one side than the other, as you can imagine!

So that brings us to the present.  This week I have my whole classroom to pack up.  We've had the house on the market since January with the real interest.  So this weekend we're showing it to renters instead.  Maybe at some point down the road, things will change for our neighborhood and we'll be able to sell the house.  Who knows??  We're planning on shipping everything we own in a container that will arrive by boat three months later.  And then starts a hugely exciting, terrifying, new chapter of our lives!

I plan to keep our friends are family updated with all the adventures that come our way.  Good or bad, failures and successes, and hopefully lots of laughs along the way.  Join us on this crazy journey called life!