The annual John Deere Christmas party was really fun this year! The hours leading up to the party were so incredibly hot and I was debating whether or not I really even wanted to go. Thankfully, around 5pm, the sky became overcast and the humidity dropped, making the evening perfect! We headed to the Fundacao (foundation) and immediately took our places in line so Emma could play on the kids' toys. She had a great time on the trampoline, even though the girl she was jumping with was twice her size and kept skyrocketing her! She kept giggling because she couldn't stay up on her feet!
We were each given tickets for an ice cream, a beverage, and a crepe. While Emma and I waited in line, Kevin picked up three crepes - filled with chocolate and white chocolate. They were so yummy - and they made us all smile!!
Around 7pm, the park was packed. Because most people in Horizontina either work for Deere or are related to someone who works for Deere, pretty much the whole town showed up for the end-of-the-year party. I love it. We saw a few of Emma's classmates and tons of Kevin's colleagues.
We had reserved seats in the second row and that was both a blessing and a curse! I loved being so close to the stage. . . until the second band played! The first band played a few short Christmas songs before Santa arrived.
Emma loved waving at Santa and hanging out with her new friends. Any girl that is a few years older than Emma instantly becomes her friend! Emma follows other girls around and just loves to be a part of whatever they are doing.
I thought it was great that Santa was wearing safety goggles and gloves from John Deere. Safety first. He was a jolly guy and spoke a little English for Emma's benefit. So sweet.
I was amazed at the gift she received last year, but even moreso amazed at what she came home with this year! Every child of a John Deere employee received an age-appropriate gift and every employee also received a gift. I just think that's really generous. Emma got a kitchen sink/stove/dishes set on wheels. She's played with it every day since she got it!
We returned to our chairs and then the big show started! I can't remember the names of the performers, but I'm convinced the one on the right is a cousin to Dwight Yoakam. I mean, check out his pants!! I just couldn't stop staring at his jeans! How did he get into those?? I don't remember what they sang because I understood very little (and I was distracted by the pants). I really liked the music, though. Everyone was singing along, so I think these guys were well-known. Someone compared them to Brooks and Dunn, successful, but maybe not as popular as they were ten years ago. (PS - I loved B&D!!)
Enjoying the concert. . .
About half an hour into the show, Kevin and I were debating whether or not Emma was going to be deaf afterwards. She had pulled her blanket over her head and was holding her ears! As we were considering leaving, the jumbo-screen in front of us almost fell over due to the wind. I hadn't been paying attention to it, so had it fallen, it would have hit Emma and me!! A few minutes later, the curtains all around the stage were pulled down by the force of the winds. Kevin and I were both concerned for our safety (apparently nobody else seemed to mind), so we grabbed our chairs and left the party. The next night we heard they had to cancel the show early because of the high winds. We had left about fifteen minutes before they canceled it!
Being at the park that night made me smile and think about our time here. I feel like I go through so many highs and lows, times of loving it here and times of frustration and lonliness. I'm in a good place right now. I really enjoyed being with the Brazilians, celebrating with them, watching them enjoy life and each other, and also being with my daughter and my husband. I love that we're here together. That night I just looked around and tried to comprehend all that's happened in the last year and a half. I smiled. It's been good. . . not all easy, but definitely good.
