Re-Entry Part 3. . .

We went to church last Sunday. There were so many people there. The music was loud and unfamiliar, but it was good and strange to see people worshipping. We haven't been in church regularly since we left Ottumwa. We visited a few churches in Horizontina, but it just hasn't been a part of our lives for three years. I wanted Emma to go to Sunday school because I knew she'd love it. Before we went to the classroom, I took her to the bathroom. I went into one stall and told her to go into the other. From where I was, I heard her start to cry. She said she didn't want to sit on the toilet because she was afraid it was going to flush on its own. Maybe lots of kids are afraid of those automatic toilets, but Emma has only seen them in the airport and they scare her. She's not used to fancy-shmancy toilets like that. It was yet another realization that we're back and we have a lot of catching up to do. (By the way, the toilet wasn't an automatic one and she sat on it and got over her fear. . . at least for the time being). I didn't realize how timid Emma would be to enter the Sunday school classroom. She clung to my hand and said she wasn't going to go in if I wasn't with her. I really want to be sensitive to her. Everything about this country is new to her. As familiar as it is to Kevin and me, it's not to her. She doesn't remember anything about living in Ottumwa. The "United States" to her means "Grandma and Grandpa" and English-speaking people. So, in trying to be sensitive to her, I entered with her. We went toward the end of the service, so we weren't there very long, but it was good to test the waters. After a few minutes of staring at the other kids and hiding behind me, Emma decided that coloring looked fun and she went to sit at the table full of boys. When we left, she said goodbye to the teacher and acted like she liked it. I was thankful. We rejoined Kevin and his parents and ran into some old friends from Ottumwa who now live in the Quad Cities. First we saw the Whiteheads and chatted with them for a bit. Then we saw Halupniks, who have been gone from Ottumwa for several years. Finally, we saw Emily, who is the daughter of a couple we were in Bible study with during our first year of marriage. Emily actually bought our car from us when we left the U.S. I was a youth sponsor for the youth group when Emily was in junior high. There was something sweet about running into familiar people and I felt myself wanting to talk to them all day. In general, I felt really overwhelmed at church. It was so familiar, yet so strange. I long for familiarity, but I know so much is going to be different from now on. I have to find a new normal for me and for our family and that's going to look very different than what was normal three years ago.

When Kevin's parents came, they brought my wedding ring with them. I haven't worn it since April 2009. We were told not to wear diamonds in Brazil as they attract attention. We in America have so much and wedding rings are just another thing that sets us apart. Never once did I see a Brazilian woman with a diamond on her wedding ring. It was always a simple gold band. I had Kevin's parents put my ring in their safe deposit box. I didn't forget about it, but I forgot what it's like to wear something other than a flat band. I loved my simple flat band, but it feels so good to wear the ring Kevin gave me when he proposed over ten years ago!

Except for a large bottle of water for the trip to Kansas, I haven't paid for water since we arrived in the U.S. That feels so good! Even at restaurants in Brazil, we had to pay for clean water. We bought 20-liter bottles every few days to keep in our house and apartment. I have loved being able to turn on the faucet and drink the cool water, unafraid of the bacteria that could give me intestinal issues. It's so nice to have water brought to our table at the restaurants. . . and we don't have to pay for it at the end of the meal!!

I've been eating seedless grapes, blueberries and strawberries every day since we arrived. Maybe three times total, I found blueberries in Brazil. The strawberries were good, but they were only around during strawberry season and they would get rotten really fast. I found seedless grapes one time. I love being able to pop the grapes in my mouth now and not having to worry about spitting out five or six giant seeds! On the flipside, I really miss the Brazilian mango and pineapple! I miss walking to the fruiteira next to our building to get fresh fruit every other day. All the fruits and veggies seem so much more clean here. Even the display of the produce is beautiful. Oftentimes I had to dig through several apples to find a few good ones. I'm amazed at how seldom I find a bad piece of fruit here!

Well, we bought a house and we bought a van last week. I still feel like I'm homeless and I feel like I'm driving a rental or my sister's van. There are so many buttons and options in the van. The doors open and close at the touch of a button. It has cruise control. . . something I haven't used since I sold my car three years ago!! Cruise control - I keep forgetting to use it because I forget that I have it! The mini-van feels like a small bus compared to our Zafira. It's so roomy and big inside! I can almost stand up to move from the front seat to the back seat! It's comfortable and rides so smoothly. I'm sure that has as much to do with the van as it does the lack of potholes on the highways!
When we were driving to Kansas, we decided to stop and eat lunch in Des Moines. There are so many options that it was hard for me to decide where to go. As frustrating as it was to only have a few places to eat in Horizontina, it made the decision-making process so much easier! I find myself getting overwhelmed by the choices here.
We stopped for gas in Kansas City. I had to remember how to gas up a vehicle. In Brazil, I pulled up, sat in my car and told the guys how much to put in, and then paid for the gas. It was wonderful:) I know, it's not a difficult thing to do; I'm just not used to it. I mentally checked out while driving down the interstate. It's such a mindless task. The roads in Brazil are so dangerous that you can't check out or you'll end up in an accident! A few months ago, we were driving home at night and I almost ran into the back of a car that was pulled over on the road. Half the car was in the road and half was on the shoulder. No lights. No warning. I about jumped out of my seat. Driving here just feels so much safer.
Little Miss Adri is not a huge fan of her carseat. She cried for about 30 minutes before she fell asleep and then only slept for about 45 minutes. Then she cried for another 40 minutes. I so badly wanted to take her out, but I'm sure doing that just one time will not help her get used to it! I realized that she hasn't had much of a need to get used to her carseat. We walked most places in Horizontina or we drove short distances. I used the Moby a lot because I walked to and from Emma's school and to many other places. I haven't used the Moby since we left the airport almost two weeks ago! I imagine Adri will get more used to her carseat and less used to the Moby. I can only hope, right??
Emma has been doing well. I figured these first few weeks would be easy for her because she's getting full-time attention from her grandparents. She's having a blast with them and she's only mentioned Brazil when I ask her about it. She said she misses Riley and Ethan, the two American classmates she had, but she hasn't said anything else about school or living there. I wonder if she really understands that we're not going back. I wonder if she really cares. She ate corn on the cob for the first time a few nights ago. She ate it like a pro, like she's had it every summer since she had teeth! It was her first time, though, and I took a picture. Speaking of firsts, Robert and Marcy took her to McDonald's when we were in the Quad Cities. Five years old and she finally got to experience the Golden Arches!! Can't say I'm all that disappointed:)
I've been eating tons of salads lately. I love that the lettuce is already cut up. One of my pet peeves about the food in Brazil is that the lettuce was always served as a whole leaf. Never cut up! It took up so much space on my plate and then I had to waste time cutting it into smaller pieces. I never cut the pieces small enough so I always made a mess around my mouth! Seriously, it was annoying. I've loved the cut-up lettuce at the restaurants. It's awesome!
I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my husband. He flies into Wichita on Tuesday. We'll be here for a few more days after that and then head back to Iowa. We'll be in temporary living until our sea shipment arrives from Brazil. I'm looking forward to making our new house a home. I'm looking forward to a lot. I don't particularly enjoy the transition phase, so I'd love for people to pray for me over the next few months. I'll try to keep updating you on what it's like to be back. Overall, it's so great. I just feel weird. Wish I could explain it better, but I just don't feel totally normal. I'm sure that it's normal to not feel normal, but that doesn't help sometimes. One day at a time. . . thanks for sharing in this journey with us!!