Let the countdown begin!

Hannah loves the Festa because she likes to dance when the band plays. She also loves the rides!

These pictures are of the the church grounds, just to give you an idea of how crowded it can be. These are taken from the back porch to show you that we have great access to the event. (These pictures are from last year)

We are off to Grandma Jean's house in 9 days. We go to this small town in Massachusettes every labor day weekend. That is where Josh's side of the family is from. They are blessed to have Portuguese heritage. Josh's Grandfather (Grandpa Jessie) who is now deceased was from Portugal. His family immigrated here 75 years ago. They got off the ship and settled right there in that small portuguese community and never moved once. He owned and ran a TV/repair shop. His basement is full of old TV equipment and invoices from th 60's. Its pretty incredible that he was able to move here to America and live the dream. He married his neighborhood sweetheart..and had 4 beautiful daughters. He was an amazing man. Not many words but when he did speak he was very funny and had the BEST sense of humor! He had such an impact on my honey. He spoke to Josh in Portuguese and tried to keep the culture in him. Josh really embraces that side of his heritage. Grandma Jean is so cute we call her "peppy" because once she was pulled over for speeding and she told the police officer its because her car is so peppy. She is such a fun, warm, loving, and hillarious woman.

We go up once a year for the FESTA. Its a Portuguese fesival that ( Ibeleive , not totally sure)is based on a religious experience. In Portugal, in the early 1900's, they say 3 little children saw Mary and that was a miracle. So the celebration is in honor of that event. Its held on the church grounds of a church called "Our Lady of Fatima". The church grounds are right behind Josh's Grandparents house. The festival includes carnival rides, Portuguese music "Live", great authentic food, and you feel like your in another country because everyone speaks Portuguese. All announcements and even the outdoor mass is all spoken in Portuguese.

Its a really amazing place and I feel so lucky to be apart of this family. Its essentially a family reunion because everyone comes. As far as California, Oregon, and us in Virginia. Its nice to embrace your roots and feel apart of a community like that. We look forward to it like it was Christmas. We can hardly wait. Plus this will be everyone's first time meeting Marshall....very exciting!

So let the countdown begin!