Spring was great as always, but when you combine regular warmer weather activities with wedding prep, it was way too busy. I mean, I had to take pictures of D. trying on almost 20 different tuxes!

Wedding Place Cards

Trying on tuxes

River

Walking

Kentucky Derby

Mother’s Day Flowers

Tahoe Day

Tahoe Day

We had some fun at a Monsters and Men concert, my 1 year yoga reunion, an Aces Baseball game, and a couple of toddler birthday parties. It was also my Little Sister’s first communion and, since I am now a member of a country club, we took a few golf lessons.

Spring!

Little Sister’s First Communion

Little Sister’s First Communion

Golf lessons

Golf classes

Un-birthday Party

Brazilian Friends

R.’s Bday

Comedy Show

Of Monsters and Men Concert

Aces Baseball Game

Aces Baseball Game

Fireworks

Friend’s Concert

S.’s 1st Bday

Spring!

Yoga Reunion

Easter started with a brunch at Arrowcreek Country Club, of course, but ended with our traditional Brazilian-Polish Easter dinner at home, with bacalhau (Portuguese baked cod) and Easter soup (Polish white borscht).

Polish Easter Soup

Portuguese cod fish

Easter dinner

Easter Brunch

Easter Brunch

Easter Brunch

Easter Brunch

Easter Brunch

Easter egg from Brazil

Spring was also a bittersweet time because I said goodbye to my job of 8 years as a full-time teacher at a charter school. I am so grateful I was able to help students all these years, but it is time for me to focus on a new part of my life. I enjoyed every minute of my last month at the school: my last art museum field trip, my last graduation ceremony, and my first and last music club talent show, which was a huge success.

Art Contest

Graduation

Music Club Show

Music Club Show

Music Club Show

Music Club Show

We finally had some snow this past winter! Not so much in Reno, but lots in Tahoe. We went sledding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. So much fun! The dogs had a blast.

Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Skiing

Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Skiing

Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Skiing

Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Skiing

Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Skiing

Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Skiing

Tahoe Donner Cross-Country Skiing

Post-Skiing Drink in Truckee

Snowshoeing with the dogs

Snowshoeing with the dogs

Snowshoeing with the dogs

Sledding

Sledding

Snow in Reno!

This winter we also became members of Arrowcreek Country Club. While D. was excited about playing golf, I was more excited about eating at their restaurant all the time. They have a great chef and lots of specials weekly. Every Tuesday is taco night, every Thursday is pasta night, and they have great drinks too. The best of all: they work extra hard to accommodate D.’s allergies.

Arrowcreek Wine Tasting

Dessert Night

Pasta Night

Bingo Night

Even though we ate out a lot this past winter, I also cooked at home and was especially interested in finding a good cheese substitute for D. I tried making a cheese sauce with nutritional yeast, and used different Daiya cheeses for melting. Although they were all good, they were still not real cheese 😦 Oh well, we will keep trying… I also made soups like carrot soup and Pho, and baked cookies and cakes (all gluten and dairy free!) I was even adventurous enough to try homemade French fries with our new fryer. Meanwhile, not much jogging happening 😦

Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce

Daiya Cheese and bacon-wrapped figs

Home-made carrot soup

Home-made Pho

Home-made French Fries

Lime Cake

Alpacas

Slick and Parker

“The Book of Mormon”

Basketball with my Little Sister

Science Day: two-headed snake

Winter also meant we had to make wedding decisions fast. In January we decided on a huge change of plans and started booking a destination wedding in Paris. Yes, France! It sounded like a super romantic fairy-tale wedding and both of our families agreed to go to Europe. Plus, to cap an amazing idea, we chose June 12th for our wedding date which is Brazilian Valentine’s Day. Couldn’t get any more romantic than that! But you know what was not romantic? Licking over 200 wedding invitation envelopes. Super proud of our gorgeous Wedding Paper Diva invites though: a blush lace design was so perfect! I also found a professional calligrapher in Reno for a personal touch. Finally, everything was coming together!

The invitation

The whole deal

Caligraphy

Sealing envelopes

Bridesmaids dresses

Speaking of romanticism, we celebrated Valentine’s Day at home, with a pancake and banana’s foster breakfast, and at our favorite French restaurant Beaujolais (and the wedding theme has started to permeate everything!) I also had a Galentine’s Day celebration with some friends – that’s a girls-only party the day before V-Day!

Galentine’s Day Gift

Galentine’s Day Purple Wine

Valentine’s Day Bananas Foster

Valentine’s Day breakfast

Beaujolais

Beaujolais

Beaujolais