two.

Who would have thought that after  731 days -- two years -- of marriage, that one could possibly have writer's block?  Oh, don't get me wrong, I have plenty to say. But how can I organize it? How can I make it concise?  How can I put pen to paper (or fingers to keys?) in order to tell a story when that story has just begun?  Yeah, I don't know either.

But what I can say is that I love being married.  It's hard to describe sometimes, this communion of everything incredibly important and everything so simply mundane, a daily dance that reveals not only the best of you, but the worst of you as well.  

It's not every day that I would find myself quoting a romance novelist on matters of love, but I think Jodi Picoult really penned truth when one of her characters said, "Maybe you expected marriage to be perfect - I guess that's where you and I are different. See, I thought it would be all about making mistakes, but doing it with someone who's there to remind you what you learned along the way.”

Seeing yourself reflected in a marriage relationship is often a more accurate mirror than an actual piece of reflective glass itself.  And sometimes that's painful. Because sometimes we are ugly.  We make mistakes.  But other times... other times the companionship and covenant between us is so sweet that I can't help but think I couldn't possibly love him more.  And then the next day I do.  Nothing will teach you more about forgiveness -- both the asking for and the giving os -- than marriage.  It's a sweet juxtaposition of receiving love and receiving grace that teaches one how to give love and grace as well.

I suppose I could continue, but I think most people come here for the photos, so considering I never posted a wedding blog (would YOU sit in front of your computer uploading photos just days/weeks/months after moving to Europe? Yeah, me neither), here are a few of the actual day in all of it's [sweltering] glory.  If you missed it, be glad you stayed inside your air conditioned house... it was crazy hot!

Our invitation, designed by David Duong, www.pixelslickdesign.com

Programs and American and Portuguese flags to wave at the recessional

Isn't my dad so handsome?

The joining of two cultures: as sand from the ocean's shore in Portugal and red clay from the soil in Georgia are impossible to separate once poured together, so is the bond of two people united in marriage.

Did anyone end up with all these flags after the wedding?  I still have no idea where they went!

He makes me laugh every day... 

Fabulous friends... two of which flew across an ocean to stand next to us on this day!

We chose this historic plantation house as our wedding venue because we were able to
personalize every empty space as if it was our own!

Luis dancing to Portuguese music with this mom

The disco line dance, made famous by my college roommates, has now officially
been danced at each of our 5 weddings. So thankful to have these girls at my side!

I think everyone would agree that the highlight of the night was both of our dad's dancing together. As you can see, they were the center of attention!

My extended family, all the way from up der in da nort'!

The beautiful historic plantation house 

For more photos, visit Rosanna Marie's blog, where our wedding  was documented: Part 1 & Part 2.

Upon our arrival to Portugal just 9 days after the wedding, I met a lot of Luis Miguel's extended family and friends who weren't able to come to the States for our wedding.  We were blessed that even after helping us with the cost of the wedding, Luis's family threw us a fabulous reception for next to nothing!  Everyone contributed by bringing food, wine, and desserts.  Luis's godparents supply a large metropolitan hospital with all the pastries in their cafe, and they operate their business out of an in-home warehouse, which they so kindly donated for our reception.  We draped sheets over the ginormous shelves of flour and sugar and they set up quite a lovely dinner considering it's... well... a warehouse!  It was quite overwhelming, as everyone felt the need to meet me (and touch me a lot while doing so... they're freindly people, those Portuguese), but it was so fun to have a peek at how a Portuguese wedding reception could be! And let's just be honest... not every girl gets to wear her wedding dress a second time! Unfortunately, the day we planned the dinner for ended up being the same day as the wedding of the son of the most well-known wine producer in Pinhel, and it just so happened that ALL FIVE photographers were booked months in advance for his wedding that night!  Bummer.  Thankfully I had brought my own camera and snapped a few photos, then a kind cousin carried it around all night so that we could be included in the photos!  We even managed to sneak outside before the party started ans snap a few that "looked European"! :)

The wedding cake!  And yes, those are huge chunks of shaved white chocolate!

The Portuguese frequently have 3 or 4 desserts at a normal dinner party, so obviously we had like 20!

That's 3 tables of desserts, people.

Lots of Portuguese food!

Dancing with Luis Miguel's parents

This guy played for us and is extremely talented!

One traditional Portuguese dance puts the couple in the middle of the circle while
all the others  walk and dance in a circle around them, clapping and singing...

...and then they all come toward the middle in one big squeeze!

cousins and friends

Really love the doors in Pinhel...

Couldn't resist... it was like a human picture frame!  Wish we would have stood up as well!

I'm all "Does it look European? I need it to look European..."

And then... a little over a year after, we were crazy blessed when we actually got our real European pictures!  Our American friends hosted some American photographers here in Coimbra to do free photo sessions, and they invited us to be a part of it!  Since we had planned our wedding, I had always wanted to get photos in Coimbra with me in my dress and Luis in his suit, so this was an opportunity that I would not let slip away!

This was parked all by itself outside of the train station, and asked Luis if he thought I would get shot if I just jumped on.  He was skeptical, and I glanced at an old man sitting on the stairs, he nodded, seeming to give me his approval.  After asking if it was his and receiving an affirmative response, of course I asked if I could get on.  Aren't you glad I did?

 

Our little corner of the world...

And then a bird pooped on my dress and in my hair, signaling the end of the photo shoot.  Good thing I was in Portugal, because the Portuguese say it's a sign of good luck!

All photos by Kim Lewandowski

This year, we spent the weekend before our anniversary in London visiting my dear friend Ang from high school. What a blessing to still be in touch,  not only for friendship's sake, but also to share experiences: 5 years before I did, Ang married her very own European and moved herself 'cross the sea as well.  And how lovely it was to reminisce, share stories of being foreigners abroad, and just simply be ourselves together. There is nothing like living in another culture to make you realize how valuable the friendships are with people who knew you when you were young and remained friends with until now.  So thankful for this family for hosting us for the weekend and for making our trip so enjoyable!

Pete, Ang, Madeline, and Nate, rocking a PB&J like it's his job...

Their personalities in a nutshell...

Friends for the last 15 years... and as Ang said, we haven't aged a bit!

Since we love the ocean and, well, it's free to enjoy, we decided to spend the afternoon of our anniversary there.  It was the most brilliantly sunny day near our house, but unfortunately the beautiful, white puffy clouds turned low and grey at the shore. We still enjoyed ourselves as we relaxed and read on the sand, though!  

I'm so thankful for you, Luis Miguel Almeida! And just as I mentioned on our anniversary last year, being in love with you did not arise from a single moment, but in many moments strung together, constantly arriving one after the other, like ocean waves on this very shore. And the best part about those moments that arrive like constantly rolling waves?  From where we stand now, it's impossible to see the opposite shore; these moments will continue to roll in, day after day, year after year.  The opportunities to fall in love again and again will never end.  And for that I am forever grateful.  Thank you for showing me what unconditional love looks like every day.

Happy anniversary, my sweet Love!

week 31

Sunday, July 29th
Who loves the end of the school year???  We do!  Quite a few of Luis's clients gave him gifts at the end of the school year (because most don't come during the summer because summer holidays mean lots of things shut down and people hang out with their families or take vacation), and this was by far our favorite... a gigantic bottle of delicious wine! (Fleur de Lis trademark, in case any of you Portuguese are interested!)

Monday, July 30th
I remember when I first visited Portugal, I named Luis Miguel's garage the "Love Shack", because the protection on the outside of the windows has iron in the shape of a heart!  Now that I walk by them every day, I don't notice them as much anymore, so I thought I would document them today.

Tuesday, July 31st
As we are starting our second round of vacation in the next week, we will be home a few days doing house projects, one of which includes defrosting the fridge and freezer.  Since we would like to try to eat more of the things that seem to have been frozen for forever (and save some money!), we pulled out a big container of leitão pieces, which is a delicious pork, or Portuguese piglet, to be exact.  It's pretty expensive here, and almost everyone loves it, so we were saving it for a time when we could have people over, etc.  We decided it wasn't worth it to wait until our next dinner party, since it was taking up a huge amount of space in our freezer, and after realizing that it was impossible to break apart pieces that were solidly frozen together, we had to defrost all of it at once, forcing us to find some creative recipes to use it, including this delicious one.  It was mashed potatoes with various layers of leitão with a great sauce mixed between it.  Mashed potato leitão casserole?  Yes, please!  Better yet, Luis volunteered to make the meat even more delicious if I made the potatoes, and his version of the recipe turned out to be fabulous, contrary to what the sign on the top of the counter says! (Apparently my mother, who gifted me the sign, doesn't think that I inherited her culinary skills!) :)

Wednesday, August 1st
With special permission from his grandparents (the Portuguese are extremely cautious/nervous about anything personal being posted on the internet), I would like to introduce you to Manuel, one of Luis's clientes, and, I admit, one of my favorites.  No matter how early we arrive on Wednesday mornings, he is always there with his grandpa waiting for us, wanting to hold our hands as we walk up to the room where he works with Luis, and though a boy of little words, always seems to make me laugh.  Though he was pretty exited to stand on the desk, he was a little squirmy for the photo, which made it a bit out of focus, but that's Manuel in a nutshell, and we love him!

Thursday, August 2nd
I love big trees that have leaves hanging down low enough to touch!

Friday, August 3rd
Two sweet colleagues of mine had birthdays this week, so in the spirit of celebrating, I made some cupcakes.  And let's just be honest, I love any occasion that allows me to make a new dessert recipe or decorate something fun. Happy birthday Mariana and Carina!

Saturday, August 4th
Today we got to celebrate this great girl and her upcoming marriage!  Some close friends of my colleague Rita got together for her bachelorette party, and one of the activities was a photo shoot at a local studio.  We brought some accessories to dress her up and had a ball!  She'll be a stunning bride, don't you think?

week 30.

Sunday, July 22nd
When thinking about visiting Italy, I had long been dreaming of visiting Cinque Terre ("Five Lands"), an area on the northwestern coast of Italy made up of 5 colorful villages set upon the cliffs of the Mediterranean Sea.  After deciding to spend a week of our summer in Italy, this was the part of the trip I was most looking forward to, as it is less known, more calm, less commercial with regard to tourism, and as I anticipated, the most beautiful place I have ever been.  This is Riomaggiore, the village where we stayed, and in my opinion, the most charming of the five!  The first night surely lived up to my dreams...

Monday, July 23rd
Today marks the day when I thought I quite possibly might die... various times.  I would never ever call myself an athlete, and wouldn't even consider using the word "hiker", no matter what the terrain.  I would, though, consider myself very good at "Doing something artistic while sitting" or "Reading while lounging/riding/cooking". That being said, you can imagine that 5.1 miles through rigorous mountain terrain was not easy on this girl. Especially with an eager, athletic, and strong husband. Thankfully he was very encouraging, even after I growled "I hate this" in response each time he kindly asked me how I was doing.  He also graciously reminded me that we could always take the train to the next city instead of hiking the trail (I recommend that!), but by the time we were halfway through, I had Jillian Michaels screaming at me in my head ("Unless you faint, puke, or die, KEEP WALKING!") and was determined to finish!  And finish we did.  They say the hike should take about 4 hours, 5 if you stop to eat lunch, rest, etc.  It took us 6, and it was probably because I took about 150 photos like this...

Tuesday, July 24th
This is the how the ocean looks mere meters from the train station.  And yes, the water really is that clear. And turquoise!  This shot is straight out of the camera, as you can see by my continual problem of shooting a photo with a straight horizon... So sad to say goodbye to this paradise today!

Wednesday, July 25th
Though we knew before we left that our work cafeteria (which the staff eats in for FREE every day... so grateful!) was closed the week that we got back, but it slipped our minds around midnight Tuesday when we got back to Coimbra, and this morning, when we were a bit out of sorts from vacation.  Though we were pretty savvy in our saving for the trip, and definitely conscious not to overspend while vacationing, it still cost quite a bit, so we decided to go cheap for lunch today! Also, in Portugal, it is not uncool to eat at McDonald's as an adult!  After all, you can get a beer with your Big Mac for lunch! (Please forgive the low-quality cell phone photo!)

Thursday, July 26th
After what we thought was a strange bug bite that showed up the day before we left for our trip swelled up into a huge knob between my eyebrow and my eyeball, we decided upon arriving home that it was time to visit the dermatologist.  Thankfully it was just an epidermic cyst (read: little ball of fat that became infected by something on/under the skin and swelled up) and antibiotics cleared it up in a few days.  On a side note, the dermatologist's office was in a remodeled old house, which had these amazing wide stairways and stained glass windows.  It's not every day that you go to a doctor's office in a charming old house.  Could be a great idea to swap the bright white sterile doctor's office feel for a charming old house, right?  Just sayin'...

Friday, July 27th
Are we home... or are we home?

Saturday, July 28th
Sometimes you just need a vacation to recuperate from your vacation, right?  That's pretty much what we did all day (rest), along with lots of laundry and lots of staring at this screen. I have been hoping that I can use a few of my vacation days to stay at home and organize the thousands of photos I shot this year (and hopefully get a few of them on this blog!), but after lots of confusing hours in this photo editing program, I'm not sure how much I will be able to accomplish!  Maybe I should just hire someone for this...

week 29.

Sunday, July 15th
Pasta and wine for lunch... just preparing for comida italiana!

Monday, July 16th
Our packing method for this trip... tops with underwear and socks for each day rolled inside, organized in order of wear in giant 5L ziplock baggies that I accidentally bought  instead of the normal 1 gallon ones on our last trip to Ikea.  Note: they didn't change the colors of the bags just for fun. Colors represent sizes.  Whoops!  All bags are not pictured, but there aren't many more than this! We're bringing extra bags for dirty clothes, as well, and hope that in our 4 different cities, having clothes arranged in large zipper bags will eliminate hassle and avoid annoying me the 4 different times we have to unload the bag in the 4 different cities we will be visiting!

Tuesday, July 17th
We made it to Rome!

Wednesday, July 18th
How did I spend 2 and a half days in Rome on a college study abroad trip and not make it to the Roman Forum, one of the most famous ancient sites in all of Italy?  I still can't believe it, especially since it is about a 10 minute walk from the Coliseum!  Here you can see remains of Ceasar's palace, the first Senate house, the temple of the Vestal Virgins, and the Arch of Septimius Severus.  It's amazing to think that we can walk through ruins that are almost 1,800 years old!

Thursday, July 19th
After journeying to Florence, we ventured to the top of a hill that gave us a beautiful view of the city!  The large red domed cathedral is the Duomo, and the large bridge closest to us famous Ponte Veccio.  It was surely a stunning way to be introduced to Florence for the first time!

Friday, July 20th
Since it was 2€ cheaper to climb the Campanile tower than it was to climb the dome of the Duomo Cathedral, we chose that option.  And a brilliant option it was, since only by climbing the Campanile can you get this great shot of the Duomo's dome.  (Espertos!)  This also marked the day when we paid 6€ to climb 413 stairs.  Yeah. Espertos.

Saturday, July 21st
After doing quite a bit of research on places to visit in Italy and creating a concourse that would make sense (with all train transportation, cost of traveling during the week vs the weekend, etc), we had heard that Pisa wasn't a place worth spending time in, but since it was on our way from Florence to Cinque Terre, we decided to spend 3 hours there.  We hopped off the train in Pisa and on to a bus across the street from the train station, which conveniently dropped us off at the plaza right in front of the Tower.  And oh, what a Tower it is!  To avoid being asked the question "Didn't you take a photo trying to hold up the Tower?", and also to avoid putting my pasty white legs on the blog any more than necessary (it was about 95ºF the first 5 days of our trip!), I am posting a photo of Luis Miguel holding up the tower with his brute strength, all concentrated into the tips of his moussed hair.  Be jealous, ladies. Be very jealous.

[PS- Happy wedding day to my dear, dear friend Anna (Meyer) Foley!]

week 28.

Sunday, July 8th
Choosing clothes for vacation!  This habitual over-packer is trying to have a minimalist approach like her simplistic husband.... and that's not an easy feat!

Monday, July 9th
Kim: Hey Love, do you want to try out my new gummy fruit snack recipe that I found on Pinterest?

Luis: (silence)

Kim: (gets fruit snacks, takes them out of molds, tastes one) Mmm... try them! Want to try them? They're good!

Luis: (takes a bite; silence)

Kim: They are awesome! Tell me they're awesome! 

Luis: They are strange.

[The end].

Update: They are, in fact, strange. They taste like really really tough Jello jigglers. That didn't stop me from eating them, but when after eating 5 or 6, you realize you have eaten more than half of an entire pack of Jello gelatin, you rethink your decision...

Tuesday, July 10th
Break time with our volunteer event planning team... The cafe across the street had what looked like real American doughnuts, so my colleague Carina and I decided to split one.   Verdict: tasted pretty authentically American, but the consistency was pretty dry.  I'd be willing to try again though!  Reminded me of Saturday morning doughnuts with my dad in Milwaukee!  :)

Wednesday, July 11th
My super-thoughtful grandma, knowing how much I love Norman Rockwell, saw this cute reusable shopping bag and mailed it to me!  One side has one of Rockwell's famous baseball prints, and this side is a simple still life, which my grandma said "reminded her of Italy", so I should "take it on my trip in case we go shopping."  Love her!

Thursday, July 12th
As I have mentioned in other posts, a bit part of my job is working with European volunteers in a 6 month project through the program "European Voluntary Service" (EVS).  One of the parts of the project this year was to create an event that showcased the project and APCC at the same time.  We brought in 5ª Punkada, a band comprised of our disabled clients, a group of singers performing traditional Portuguese music, and a theater group.  Our volunteers hosted the show, created a video, and displayed a photo exhibition.  It was fabulous, as you can see in the "after" photo with some of our team that made the show possible!

Friday, July 15th
I think I will have to mark today on my calendar as the day when I made the most embarrassing cultural faux pas to date!  I will try to summarize concisely.  I have been having a recurring eye infection and decided to go to a well recommended doctor at a surgical center just outside of Coimbra.  Since apparently the 12.30 appt time they told me on the phone was really 12.20 (no way I messed that one up because of the Portuguese... "vinte" [20] and "e meia" [30] don't sound anything alike!), they let another client go ahead of me, so I knew I would have to wait.  I decided that using the restroom was a good idea since you never really know how long you have to wait at the doctor's office. Upon entering the restroom, I found myself in a small area with a sink and two more doors.  It is pretty common in Portugal that small restrooms like this have their own "rooms" (normal size stalls, just completely closed in) instead of stalls connected to the others with open tops and bottoms.  These rooms have doors that close completely, and since no light comes from the open top, they often have their own light switch.  Light switches in Portugal are often outside the door, but since I didn't see anything outside this door, I went in and looked on the wall inside. Nada. Glancing around, I noticed a cord hanging from the ceiling.  Now, I'm not sure if it's my American culture or if it's a universal rule, but in the dark, if you see a cord with a little ball on the end hanging from the ceiling, it is probably for a light bulb, right? Right. Or so I thought. After pulling it and not seeing anything happen, I exited the stall, just to see in front of me (which was to my back, next to the entrance, when I came in), another cord identical to this one, but it was only then that I noticed a small red sign next to the cord that said "Pull only in case of emergency". Though I didn't hear an alarm, I panicked and ran from the stall to the front desk around the corner, and very quickly explained to the nurse (who was already exiting her desk and telling someone else that there is an alarm going off) that there was not, in fact, an emergency, and that I had pulled the cord thinking it was a light.  She smiled and understood, but insisted on going back into the bathroom "just to make sure everything was ok", and then showed me that the light switch was actually directly beneath the paper towel holder (clearly designed by an engineer who loves his symmetry), and after turning it on, I could obviously see the emergency sign next to the cord in the stall.  I didn't notice the sign inside the bathroom earlier because... (wait for it...) there was no light on inside of there!!!  This post deserved two photos, because there was no way to show both the switch and the cord in the same photo.  You can't see the switch behind all those paper towels though, can you?  Yeah... I couldn't either.

Saturday, July 14th
Another note about EVS: Back in April, at a dinner hosted at our volunteers' apartment, Christian, from Germany, let us taste some of his dad's homemade raspberry jam that he brought from home before the project started.  Luis happened to love the jam as well... so much, in fact, that it prompted Christian to ask his dad to send a small jar when his brother came to visit this week.  Happy belated birthday to Luis, and happy dinner to me... peanut butter toast with German raspberry jelly on top!

Saturday, July 14th
Trying it out... though my Better Half will be the one carrying it!  We are using this instead of a suitcase because we have various train transfers that will make wheel-able luggage difficult to manage, not to mention a mere 3 hour stop in Pisa (including a train station stop, bus transfer, short walk to the Tower, short walk back, bus trip, then train trip!) which has unknown-to-us terrain.  We are hoping it's the right choice!

week 27.

Sunday, July 1st
After two failed attempts at making banana bread, I think I may give up and let the oven win. Not sure why I can make pumpkin bars, cakes, cobblers, etc, and bread just won't finish in the middle.  Maybe because the pan is too deep? This was in the oven 40 minutes longer than recommended, and even after covering the top, both that and the bottom were black, but it wasn't done in the middle, as perhaps you can see in this photo.  I tried a new recipe and was so excited to taste it... bummer.

Monday, July 2nd
Ran an errand downtown during the day today and loved these charming old flags that were hanging out of a second story window, above a little mom-and-pop shop.  Their obvious age makes me wonder who they belonged to, where they have flown, and how old they really are...

Tuesday, July 3rd
As mentioned in one of my recent posts, we have been confused and bewildered by the amount of taxes we occasionally have to pay to receive a package sent from America, never knowing if it was randomly searched, searched for a reason, randomly taxed, taxed for a reason, etc. Sometimes we get letters saying we need to respond and prove something-or-other like the reason we are receiving it, a declaration of honor saying we won't sell it, and the like. We never know why sometimes we have to pay, and have heard we can avoid this by asking senders to take off tags, put things in plastic bags instead of original packaging, and send flat rate boxes that have the USPS logo on them.  After a long-awaited Christmas box finally arrived from my brother (he's busy... it's not that the mail had to travel for 6 months), via my mother, we were very disappointed that we were taxed a LOT and had to pay more than we had ever paid to receive it or else they would send it back. After being informed that we would really enjoy the presents, and after really wanting some other things inside that I had shipped to my brother from Amazon, we bit the bullet and just paid it.  I must confess that it was surely worth it!  You can see the abundance of goodies here, a few American items sent from our wish lists sent by Kyle and his girlfriend Kelly, a few fun things my mom threw in, and two small electronic items which made the super high taxes all worth it.  Can you find the two iPhones in the photo??

Yes, we now have iPhones, and we need someone to come over on a vacation and teach us how to use them! Free Portugal tours in exchange for iPhone tutorials!  We are so thankful for our family and their generosity to us!  (PS - if any of you Americans in Portugal want the details of why you get taxed, when boxes will get searched, etc,  I can give you all the info because I got the low down from Alfândega!)

Wednesday, July 4th
Happy birthday, America!  My mom sent me these Christmas ornaments a few years ago and I decided they were better used to decorate our front door for the 4th!  We slept in today, as we are off for Coimbra's city day, and it felt great!  Obviously the Lord knew what He was doing when He moved me to a place that has a city-wide holiday on my country's birthday, and as long as I live in this city, I will be able to celebrate America with a day off!  :)

Thursday, July 5th
For being the patience that balances my impatience, for being the calm to my crazy, for putting the sun in my clouds, for bringing simplicity to my complexity... for all these things and easily 1 million more, I am thankful for you, Luis Miguel Almeida! Happy birthday to my one true love, who is making all my dreams come true... Here's to your best year yet! I adore you!

Friday, July 6th

The birthday celebration continues at lunch with our wheelchair soccer team... I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard with a group of friends!  What a privilege it is that even thousands of miles away from my home community, I can still work with such an amazing group of people who are changing lives through this fabulous sport!  So blessed!

Saturday, July 7th

Rather than lots of presents or a trip away for the weekend, Luis Miguel preferred a dinner with his nearest and dearest friends, the 4 that he grew up with and who remain his best friends to this day. Luis's parents graciously offered to host it at their house and prepare a lot of the Portuguese food (not exactly my forte quite yet!), including his favorite dessert, "Sweet Rice", pictured below, which was a huge help! I thought I would add a little American flair to the party with some discussion questions to provoke fun story-telling about the birthday boy himself. I was a bit nervous about this part, because not every Portuguese person is a fan of all the board games and themed parties that Americans love so much, so I took a risk.  It could either result in total silence or lots of laughs, and thankfully, it was the latter!  I put folded little pieces of paper in a bowl in the middle of the table and without saying anything, they immediately sparked interest!  The result was 3 fabulous hours of more laughs than I have ever heard come from this group!  It was a sweet time with old friends and I heard of a lot of old funny stories about Luis that I had never known before, including one where he and his friends put a small lizard into the binding of the teacher's attendance book on the podium in the front of the room in elementary school!  Priceless!

week 26.

Can you believe it?  Week 26... we are halfway through the year!  As of Sunday, we are closer to Christmas 2012 than we were to Christmas 2011!  :)

Sunday, June 24th
After having one of these frames blank with the cardboard backing showing through for 6 months, I decided to finish my project of filling it!  I gave up on my idea to cut hearts out of maps, highlighting a city that we love in each, (inspired by this idea via Apartment Therapy), I dug out an old magazine clipping that I had saved forever ago and framed it!  Funny story: I saved the entire magazine so I wouldn't accidentally wrinkle the page after ripping it out and most likely putting it on 10 different surfaces before actually filing or framing it.  After leaving that magazine in the trunk of our car, it got soaked after a rainstorm leaked water into the exact spot where it was.  Thankfully, somehow that page didn't get wet and I salvaged it!  If you look closely, you can see that Luis and I are clinking our champagne glasses while sitting on top of our suitcases, obviously celebrating the fact that we are world travelers. Cheers!

Monday, June 25th
Girl on a moto!  I love it!

Tuesday, June 26th
This is our freezer, just in case you were curious what it looks like.  At first I was annoyed that the drawers made it hard to find things and kind of frustrating to use, but I have since fallen in love with them and think it is a fabulous system. It fits SO many things! (In case you're wondering how big it is, it is just a bit narrower than a standard freezer, but the same height as my washing machine, which you can see just next to it).

Wednesday, June 27th
Seriously, this is like the 3rd deodorant that I'm trying here in Portugal and I sincerely hope that it works.  "Designed for athletes", so that should say something about its reliability, right?  Hope so!  Fun fact: It is rare to find stick deodorant in Portugal.  Most everthing is rollerball.  Am I the only one who feels like it's just sticky for an unreasonably long time after you put it on??  On a sweeter note, anyone care to guess who that adorable little boy is framed in the background?  :)

Update: After doing my best to adapt to the norm and use roll-on deodorant, I have decided that the varied selection and/or low price is just not worth it. I just detest it! Found a regular stick that suits me well enough for now, but I think I know what I will be bringing back from the States the next time we visit!

Thursday, June 28th
If you don't come to Portugal to visit us, you could probably just come for the fresh bread and still leave happy...

Friday, June 29th
I am almost getting choked up writing this, but I descovered something sad recently: a second-hand clothing store existed while I was living in Portugal and I didn't know about it. Worse, two weeks after I found out that it existed and tried to visit (only to find it dark and closed on a Saturday), I found out that it was closing for good!  Like... for forever. Today or tomorrow.  So we rush over there at 6.45 pm (I remembered that they closed at 7.00 most days) and arrived to find an empty store. Completely empty.  Not even one piece of clothing, nor a shelf of a rack. Heartbreaking. (Apparently I was so out of sorts that I couldn't even manage to take the photo straight!)

Saturday, June 30th
I love fresh pineapple, especially in summer!  Do you know how to buy a great pineapple that's sweet and ready to eat now?  The sweet ladies in the Continente produce section taught us the other day. (In Portugal, there is staff in the produce section because you have to weigh and price your fruits and veggies before you go to the register). The pineapple that's ready to eat will have yellow skin on the bottom, and it will be gradually yellow-ish up until about the middle. Yellow all the way to the top will be overly acidic, or too ripe.l Green more than 50% means it's not quite ripe to be eaten that day.  We have since consumed this entire container, and now I want more! Yum!