Can't beat this

I know you all up north are having a warm winter, but I still don't think you can beat this! Isn't it beautiful? And this is the place where João and I dated back in 1991... nice place to go back to as we celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. Cool, huh?
We enjoyed such a fun day as we went to the Tijuca National Forest - it is the largest urban rain forest in the world. I couldn't get over the beautiful flowers on the banana trees.
We also had the fun of seeing our favourite cutie-pie dip her toes in the ocean for the first time. As it's a long drive over to the beach, she kept saying "Beach, I want the beach", which just cracked us up considering she had never even seen the beach! Aren't you jealous? You are in the cold gray rain, and we are visiting waterfalls and beaches. Everything has it's price, doesn't it? Here she is at the shopping center, still decorated for Christmas. our precious family is leaving us today to be with their family here in Brazil, but we have so enjoyed the time together.
Now it's time to get ready for the end of the year festivities! While you north americans don't much celebrate (at least in churches) the New Year, it's a big deal here. Our worship service will begin at 10PM and end some time after midnight. Then we will have a midnight supper at church. Not too much sleep to be had for us on Sunday. But it should prove to be fun, as I hear the church is full for this service. What a switch! Empty for Christmas and full for New Years. Glad to know everyone is excited to start out the New Year at church. Mom always joked that whatever you are doing as 12:01 on the first day of the new year you will be doing the rest of the year. That's a good sign, as we will all be at church! Hope you will be in communion with God that day too.
(Couldn't resist one last image to show you what you are missing by not being in Brazil to celebrate Christmas and New Years!)