A Bunch of Random Pictures from Brazil

Here are just a few random pictures from my most recent visit to Fortaleza.  With my week long trip to the Amazon I ended up with a little less than two weeks in Fortaleza and since the dates of the Mission Presidents' Seminar got changed from its usual October date to March, my parents had to leave for São Paulo yesterday.  So I really only got about a week and a half with them...and it went too fast because my parents had a lot going on.  It was busy but fun.  Oh, and I didn't get any of these pictures pre-approved by my dad, as he usually makes me do, but I wanted to get this post done now.  Sorry dad.  I think you look good in them all though, or I wouldn't post them.  

This was, and I quote, "the best day of my life" according to my dad.  He had just finished a stressful mission tour the night before, and it was Saturday, my parents' supposed P-day.  He had sunflower seeds that I smuggled in, those yucky chalky Valentine's candies he loves, and some new John Wayne movies. Yippie yi yo!

My dad with a cute little kid who was all decked out for church.  I think in my dad's mind my little almost two month old nephew Mitch is about this little kid's age and size.  Because, in my dad's mind, he and Mitch are already building forts, riding the tractor and going on 4-wheeler rides.  I can't tell you how many times I heard "Do you think Mitch would like that...should we get Mitch one of these?" etc.  Poor kid has no idea what he's in for with all of us baby starved adults.  Maybe it is a good thing that Mitch will be one and a half years old when my parents get home...at least he'll be closer to the size that my dad already imagines him to be.  

Just some pictures of the missionaries and my dad at the office.

This picture looks staged, but really was not.  The missionaries really were reading a scripture unlike those pre-mission pictures people get taken with them holding an open set of scriptures like they're reading...yeah right!

My favorite view of Fortaleza from the mission office. 

The corner of the site for the Fortaleza Temple.  Right now it has a billboard on it that I think says, "Drive, don't drink" or something like that.  What a good billboard to be occupying the temple site.  

My parents at the temple site.  

The temple's future back yard and my parents.  

The temple's front yard.  I don't think the site of the temple has been announced yet, but I doubt any of you are going to rush down to Fortaleza and buy up the surrounding real estate, so I'm not worried about posting these pictures.  Besides, nobody told me to keep it a secret, and you have to tell me if you want me to keep things a secret, and even then, sometimes I slip.  

My mom, getting dinner ready for eight missionaries who were finishing their missions.

One of the Elders doesn't like salad, so this is what he got in his salad bowl...my mom does her best to cater to everybody's tastes.  

The next day 23 new missionaries arrived...add in us and the five office Elders and it was quite the crowd.  

The office Elders had to take a lot of pictures of the arriving group.  I guess they are used to it.  

And lastly, a random picture of my mom holding a notepad with a piece of her half chewed gum on it.  My mom (as well as some other members of our family) have always been guilty of leaving partially chewed gum around because, and I quote, "the gum was still good."  I just think it's funny that my mom still does it here...now that she has Irene the housekeeper around who probably finds the little saved pieces of gum and wonders what the heck is up with our family...especially after Lee made little sheep poops out of Tootsie Rolls that he piled under the sheep in my mom's nativity set when we all visited for Christmas and Irene found them.  Crazy Americans!