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Santos is the best city we have been to. It’s one of the oldest cities in Brazil with 532 years of age (we were there for its birthday!). This place was so awesome. Super cool beach to hang out on, lots of good running paths and free music and things to do at night. It’s also the first city in Brazil that we could safely go out after 11 with no serious warnings about how dangerous it is. This place was safe, clean, and just really beautiful. The old part of downtown is a place everyone should see. Also there were about 30 soccer games going on all night every night on the beach. It was lit up every night so they could play. We were treated so well by my parents friends Paulo and Vera (even though I broke 3 of their cups, a bowl, and a floor drain [I know... I was on fire {I just wanted to add another one of these}]). We will be back here for sure.

Rio Claro is a city of about 200,000 people that sits about 2 and a half hours west of Sao Paulo. My parents were born in this city and it is very special to me. Jackie and I have spent the past two weeks here hanging out with various relatives. There’s not really much to do here, but this city is exactly the reason why we came to Brazil in the first place. It has been two weeks of just hanging out at home with my family members. People that I have only seen once in the past 18 years. People that I care a lot about. This has honestly been one of the best weeks of my life and I’m so happy Jackie has been here with me. Here’s some stuff I’ve seen.

P.S. We went on this walk around my cousin’s college campus and picked mangoes, pomegranates, and three other delicious fruits that I had never even heard of. Jackie was loving her life that day.

We had a great day exploring Lee’s Summit with Doug and Jillian a few months back. Nick and I always go too far making fun of each other in front  of clients, and by the end of the day, Doug was getting in on the action too (I think he was mostly making fun of me though). With that being said, it was an easy day of work spent with two extremely easy going people whom we are excited to work with again coming this June when we shoot their wedding.

My wife Jackie and I left for Brazil last Thursday. We’ve been saving up for a couple of years and we’re gonna spend 3+ months getting to know the country I was born in. I couldn’t be more excited than I am right now! This week has already been a dream come true, and I wouldn’t pick anyone else to travel around with. Right away when we got here, a very close family friend, Irene (the Japanese lady in a couple photos) took us to this amazing beach in a town called Guaruja. It was so beautiful! Here are some photos from our first weekend in Brazil.

Nathan is one of the funniest people everybody has ever met. If you spend five minutes around him, you will probably end up sore from laughing. Megan is probably the strongest person I have ever met (not just because she agreed to marry Nathan). I could not do their story justice by telling it myself, so I asked Megan to do it for me…

I was 15 and very athletic when I suddenly was diagnosed with Myocarditis, which is a disease of the

heart. After a short battle in the hospital, I was out and doing better, but my heart was staying strong only

because of meds.  The short lived disease had damaged my entire left ventricle.  Seven years later in

November ’09, when I was 23 and working full time, I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  My

heart was now pumping at only 8%.  It was a roller coaster ride from there living in and out of the hospital.

My only choice (because medicines were not working) was a heart transplant.  I was able to wait at home

for a while, but even that was hard when my daily activities consisted of lying on a couch or throwing up. I

was around 87 pounds and when I couldn’t walk anymore, I had to go back to the hospital.  Doctor’s said

my heart could stop any moment and the only thing it will allow me to do is sleep.  I slept and slept as

they ran tests and performed surgeries by inputting devices to double my blood flow.  My other organs

were beginning to shut down because of lack of blood flow, so they performed my first open heart surgery

and placed me on a LVAD machine.  This machine is a life support device that completely takes control of

the left ventricle so my heart didn’t have to do the work. I lived on it for longer than they originally said and

then my body started giving up again. It was April 17, when I developed pneumonia and my doctor said

“She is too sick to receive a heart transplant, or any surgery for that matter.  We’ve waited too long”.

Thankfully my family didn’t deem that as a death sentence, but an opportunity to pray.  I was placed back

on a breathing mask that forced air into my lungs.  I could not speak, because it would exert too much

energy.  A while later, my counts were looking better and I was feeling better.  Later that evening my

cardiologist came in and announced, “We have a heart if you choose to accept it?”  On April 18th (and my

momma’s birthday!) they performed the very successful surgery! I never thought I would be marrying

someone just a year and half later.  Someone I didn’t even know until after the surgery.  I am blessed and

so thankful!