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Category: I SPY
The First Bierwagen: making passing-by tourists happier, every Oktoberfest!
During the Brazilian October Beerfest 2016 festivities, one might find surprises anywhere… everywhere! Even crossing the city of Blumenau’s traditional street, the November XV, as you may see below…
Free beer being given by these lovely mom-and-daughter set. Old German pappa is responsible for the driving duties!
One can’t beat the uniqueness of mixed cultures! 😊
Life through photography: the sky over La Paz, Bolivia.
One of these weekends, our son spotted unique formations in sky. Husband was quick enough to get the camera and register the view through our window… The very peculiar sky over the city of La Paz, in the neighborhood of Achumani, place we’re calling home… ♥
One of these weekends, our son spotted unique formations in sky. Husband was quick enough to get the camera and register the view through our window… The very peculiar sky over the city of La Paz, in the neighborhood of Achumani, place we’re calling home… ♥
Related articles
- Travel Photography: Streets of La Paz, Bolivia (safari-photographer.com)
Ending the 20 days of a Joyful Christmas… our wishes for a very happy holiday season!
#holidays @postaday #Christmas #imagesofjoy
Our Family’s ‘Happy Holidays’ Card
Image #20: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Our Happy Holidays Card!
Last Day before Christmas! Our second to last ‘Image of Joy’!
Celebrating our “Paceña Season of Joy” [yeah, we’re loving La Paz!], we’re getting ready to wrap up the series of “20 images of joy, waiting for our White Christmas, here in La Paz, Bolivia. We haven’t gotten snow, so far, but it does not diminish the beauty and joy from these days preceding December 25th. It’s wonderful to look at the kids faces, witnessing their anticipation and excitement. As parents, we have lots to be grateful for, and we’d like to extend our wishes of a Peaceful End of the Year to many other traveling and expat families out there. Life is very intriguing on itself: sometimes very hard, other times, surprisingly easy to manage… Like so many others, we all had our highs and lows, and this holiday season is the moment to reflect upon them… Wishing you all a peaceful, joyful, holiday season!
Image #19: 20 Days of a Cold Christmas: Peace on Earth
20 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… in 20 joyful images. Only a couple of days to go!
Image #18: 20 Days of a Cold Christmas: Christmas Stories at School
Unlike last year, when we spent Christmas surrounded by the tropical Brazilian weather; this year, we may have something ‘closer to a White Christmas’, considering we’re in La Paz, and at least, we may experience some cold weather… The season’s wardrobe isn’t packed with colorful light pieces, ‘havaianas‘, and sneakers, like last December… Bring out the boots and coats! Let’s get some warm wine out and sit down by the fireplace, where the kids will get their nighttime Christmas stories…
This year, the lights have been out for a while, tree is up and twinkling, we’ve got a yard instead of an apartment veranda, but it’s a bit too cold to be out at night, which is actually, great! 😮
In order to celebrate our “non-tropical season of joy”, we’ve been sharing images that showcase how we’re seeing and enjoying this time of the year. Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! 😮
3 days away! This year, they made it to his ‘Good List’!
Image #17: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Anxiously waiting to see if they made it to Santa’s “Good List”… I guess they did! 😮
Related articles
- Song of the Day: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (bloggingtonybennett.com)
- The Year the Grinch Lost, and Santa Claus Won (reflectionsoramirroroflife.wordpress.com)
- Christmas Countdown: Top 5 Reasons We Can’t Wait for December 25th (abullseyeview.com)
4 days away! And according to our 3 Mayan Calendars… it’ll be a Happy Solstice!
Image #16: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Mayan Calendar
Backstory: Our family’s got Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, Mexican, Native American [and who knows what else!] heritage. All into the very same pot… and due to work, we’re bound to the foreign service life(style). That said, we like to ‘collect things along the way’, as we travel, as we move from country to country. And funny enough, we do not not have ONE Mayan Calendar. We have THREE… We like the pieces, and I don’t think they’re any indication of the ‘end of an Era‘- let alone, the end of this world we call home…
And right now, since we were able to get our stuff/household effects from our last post, the calendars are mounted to the wall…. Next to an Elf Stocking (!) and a ‘twinkling plant’, surrounded by tiny colorful Xmas lights. As you may see, we’re a pretty eclectic family… We believe in Christmas Morning Magic, Santa, Elves… and everyone gets along just fine, around the Mayan predictions!
Now, go over for the quick explanation from NASA… Happy Solstice! 😮
Related articles
- Mayan Apocalypse: Panic as Fears Grow the World Will End December 21 When Mayan Calendar Stops (themoderatevoice.com)
- December 21: Mayan apocalypse believer camps out at French doomsday mountain (telegraph.co.uk)
- 2012 – The end of the Mayan Calendar. Not the end of the World! (travelwithsandra.wordpress.com)
- NASA: World Will Not End Friday (fox8.com)
5 days away! Santa Claus and his wonderful stories…
Image #15: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Silently listening to Santa, while he reads a Christmas story…
Silent kids during “Breakfast with Santa? Surprising!
What wouldn’t one do to be on ‘his good list’? 😮
Related articles
- Song of the Day: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (bloggingtonybennett.com)
- The Year the Grinch Lost, and Santa Claus Won (reflectionsoramirroroflife.wordpress.com)
- St. Nicholas, Santa Claus and German Christkindl (lindermangenealogy.wordpress.com)
6 days away! Holiday greeting cards already sent!
Image #14: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Holiday Cards are on their way… What about you? 😮
7 days away! He can barely wait for another week…
Image #13: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: And this boy here sent only FOUR LETTERS TO SANTA! 😮 Hopefully, one of the 4 will make it to the North Pole with his long, long, wish list…
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
8 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… Crazy head day!
Image #12: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Up with the holiday spirit! Crazy head day for school!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
9 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… Very, very sweet greetings!
Image #11: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Sweet Season!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
10 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’. Colors from The Bolivian Folkloric Ballet of Potosi.
Image #10: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: The Ballet Folklorico de Potosi, Bolivia.
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
Related articles
12 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… not quite your regular ‘Elf on the shelf’!
Image #9: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Not quite your regular ‘Elf on the shelf’… more like ‘a non-stop climbing pre-toddler’! Climbing on the half-desk… going up the stairs… just got caught, while, quietly, trying to move on… Oh, the perks of being a mother of 3 little ones! Who needs adult supervision, anyway? 😮
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
Related articles
- What is ‘Elf on the Shelf’? (newsnet5.com)
13 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’…making my wish for 12.12.12: to witness their shared passion!
Image #8: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: My two boys on a regular Saturday morning…
While many are still sleeping in, my boys head to the soccer field at the kids’ school… The ‘older one’ is the player, but my ‘youngest boy’ has to be there to support his dad… I couldn’t be any happier when looking at their faces… That’s a good wish for this 12.12.12: I’ve got 2 girls and 2 boys, and being able to witness their happiness is priceless… Today, I’m sharing the joy these boys bring to my life, through their shared passion: sports! 😮
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
14 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’. An evergreen centerpiece as a keepsake…
There’s a bit of backstory to this branch of evergreen. It used to belong to a much larger tree, in front of the Radiation Treatment Facility here in La Paz. The tree has been trimmed to offer space for a canopy, where patients and patients-to-be would benefit from some much deserved shade, while waiting to be called into the facility. Several branches were cut down, and a few of the volunteers decided to take them home, using them as part of a unique Christmas decoration…
Image #7: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Evergreen centerpiece.
There’s a bit of backstory to this branch of evergreen. It used to belong to a much larger tree, in front of the Radiation Treatment Facility here in La Paz. The tree has been trimmed to offer space for a canopy, where patients and patients-to-be would benefit from some much deserved shade, while waiting to be called into the facility. Several branches were cut down, and a few of the volunteers decided to take them home, using them as part of a unique Christmas decoration…
Two weeks later, one of the branches still exists as my dining table centerpiece… beautiful… a keepsake of a day of work, but most importantly, reminding us about how blessed we’ve been… There’ll be no holidays at a hospital facility for our family… we’ll spend these holidays together, as a family.. we’re all healthy and grateful…
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
15 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… Driving among the clouds…
Image #6: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Literally driving among the clouds, outside the city of Nuestra Señora de La Paz… And we DID GO through this ride [or at least, the fab hubby did… all the driving!]. Here is the link for the complete Photo Essay!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Previous image here.
16 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… Joy after the hail showers!
Image #5: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Joy after the Hail Showers…
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
17 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… Making fun Science with… Snow!!!
Image #4: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Let it snow in school… if [natural] snow doesn’t fall down from the sky, the solution is… let’s make it! [nothing wrong with having fun with school-made artificial snow!]
Makes Fluffy Artificial Snow in Seconds!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
18 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… each day, an image of joy! You know you’re in Bolivia when…
20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Getting ready to enjoy the holiday season dinners, nights-out, get-togethers… That’s when you know you’re IN BOLIVIA… it’s possible to find PEPTO BISMOL [or any similar!] in a LADY’S PURSE… hummm, wonder why! 😮
Let’s enjoy the holidays!
Image #3: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Getting ready to enjoy the holiday season dinners, nights-out, get-togethers… That’s when you know you’re IN BOLIVIA… it’s possible to find PEPTO BISMOL [or any similar!] in a LADY’S PURSE… hummm, wonder why! 😮
Let’s enjoy the holidays!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
19 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… each day, an image of joy!
Image #2: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Hang on… we’re almost there… The family is ready!
In order to celebrate our “non-tropical season of joy”, we’ll continue to share images that showcase how we’re seeing and enjoying this time of the year. Today, a ‘snapshot of our family’… aren’t we the best looking family in town?! 😮
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
Image #2: 20 Days of a Joyful Christmas: Hang on… we’re almost there… The family is ready!
In order to celebrate our “non-tropical season of joy”, we’ll continue to share images that showcase how we’re seeing and enjoying this time of the year. Today, a ‘snapshot of our family’… aren’t we the best looking family in town?! 😮
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy… We’ll get a bit closer each day that goes by… Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe! Previous image here.
20 days to a ‘possible White Christmas’… in 20 joyful images.
Unlike last year, when we spent Christmas surrounded by the tropical Brazilian weather; this year, we may have something ‘closer to a White Christmas’, considering we’re in La Paz, and at least, we may experience some cold weather… The season’s wardrobe isn’t packed with colorful light pieces, ‘havaianas‘, and sneakers, like last December… Bring out the boots and coats! Let’s get some warm wine out and sit down by the fireplace, where the kids will get their nighttime Christmas stories…
Last year, we got to enjoy a nice, sunny holiday season, with Christmas lights hanging from our apartment veranda, twinkling and reminding us that December had arrived… This year, the lights are already out, tree is up and twinkling, we’ve got a yard instead of an apartment veranda, but it’s a bit too cold to be out at night, which is great! 😮
In order to celebrate our “not-tropical season of joy”, we’ll be sharing images that showcase how we’re seeing and enjoying this time of the year. Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe!
Unlike last year, when we spent Christmas surrounded by the tropical Brazilian weather; this year, we may have something ‘closer to a White Christmas’, considering we’re in La Paz, and at least, we may experience some cold weather… The season’s wardrobe isn’t packed with colorful light pieces, ‘havaianas‘, and sneakers, like last December… Bring out the boots and coats! Let’s get some warm wine out and sit down by the fireplace, where the kids will get their nighttime Christmas stories…
Last year, we got to enjoy a nice, sunny holiday season, with Christmas lights hanging from our apartment veranda, twinkling and reminding us that December had arrived… This year, the lights are already out, tree is up and twinkling, we’ve got a yard instead of an apartment veranda, but it’s a bit too cold to be out at night, which is great! 😮
In order to celebrate our “non-tropical season of joy”, we’ll be sharing images that showcase how we’re seeing and enjoying this time of the year. Are we gonna get any snow?! Who knows… maybe!
Twenty days until Christmas – through twenty images of joy…
Image #1: 20 Days of a Cold Christmas: Could she wait for Xmas to be here?!
The Emperor’s Bridge, Old Town Recife, Brazil
Images captured during one of our visits to downtown Recife – historical “Recife Antigo”… Ponte do Imperador (“Emperor’s Bridge”), an example of the several cultural footprints from the old Portuguese days in Brazil…
Communications from the past: Post Office and Wall Telephone
[Impressions] Surfing the uncertainty
“Twenty Days to Carnaval”, says the beer can!
That’s right! And who says that is a beer can… What?!
Wait… it’s a bit more than a gigantic beer can on the side of the road… it’s a traffic engineering device… hiding not one, but two traffic-monitoring camera… very clever! 😮
A very “shy” pair of cameras silently watch and monitor the street traffic…
Pumpkin patch, corn maze, hayride and pre-halloween events
Leaving our tropical city in Brazil wasn’t easy, but the possibility to enjoy a cool, real Autumn experience, was priceless!
Pumpkins, pick-your-own apples, pumpkin patch-pick in the field, pumpkin patch, already gathered from the field, corn maze, hay bale maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides… Humm, and we’re just starting! All art of our R&R time back in the East Coast (more precisely, the calming and relaxing Delaware)…
Still going: Cider mill (fresh apple cider made on the premises), prepicked produce, gift shop, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area, petting zoo… Phew! Lots to do, keeping the Little Mirandas quite busy!
[Photography] Quality time with the American Grandparents…
Snapshots from recent Fall vacation, having a great time with the grandparents back in the USA.
3rdculturechildren 