Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.

Amanda Hass ( Mikes sister and one of Sara's best friend


Brad and Bela

Four Sibblings






Like Mother like Daughter

The Apple did not fall far from the tree. My Sara is my right arm



I can’t believe that it has been soooo long since I last took the time to blog, but when we work for about 21 hours a day 4 days a week, it becomes very hard to stop, smell the roses and take some time to do things that in fact we like and consider relaxation time…. Things that brings us some enjoyment in life… and believe it or not, I DO like to blog. With that said, let me try to catch up on all the events I haven’t written about.

In the Santos household, there’s three favorite Holidays…. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Halloween … And minus Halloween, I have not posted any of the super duper cool events that we lived as a family during November until now. We were born in Portugal, but neither one of can imagine if one day we’ll return to any European Country, or decide to move to another continent with completely different traditions… we have no clue how we could live without our Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas Traditions… We take so much pride in what Thanksgiving represent, and we always share with each other or any one that is invited to spend this amazing Holiday with us, the meaning of such an amazing celebration.

Unlike some holidays, such as New Year's Eve, the Fourth of July and Halloween, when people traditionally go out somewhere to celebrate, Thanksgiving is most commonly celebrated at home, with family and friends. This is one of the things I like best about Thanksgiving—I get to share wonderful traditions and relaxed times with my family.

These Thanksgiving Traditions and Trivia include common traditions and little knows trivia about the Thanksgiving Day holiday. They are presented to enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of Thanksgiving. Consider sharing these ideas, stories and trivia with your friends and family on Thanksgiving Day. We had the honor of having some of my daughters friends came and spend some time with us during the evening. A LONG time ago, when Darin was a important person in my life, he taught our family to play RISK, so it became a tradition to always play RISK at Thanksgiving night and even that Darin is no longer a part of my life and even that Carlos passed away, my children and I carried on the tradition, so we had their friends come over to play Risk with us... Ron won... and I as always keep my Western Europe all mine lol. We have many traditions on our Thanksgiving, Sara and I spend some time in the kitchen doing something that both of us LOVE to do... COOKING, our baby Jessica spent much time with us doing what she loves to do the most... asking "When will the food be ready, I am starving lol" . The day after Christmas Sara and I like to go check the black Friday, not much to buy anything, but more to have a blast watching people forgetting what manners are and lose complete control over it, but I got a Twilight Blanket with my Edward face, so it sure was worth it...

Many important people throughout our history described and had many insightful quotes about Thanksgiving…and I felt compelled to share with you, my friends and family some of the quotes that touched me so much.

Some of our friends:

Mike Hass, he was our Jessica's 1st Kiss...and I didn't have a gun handy ...

"Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds."
- Theodore Roosevelt

"Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow."
- Edward Sandford Martin

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, ~Meister Eckhart

So once in every year we appreciate the day off and time to relax.Upon a day apart, To praise the Lord with feast and song In thankfulness of heart.

~Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them and NOT leave out the gratitude. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

And the end of our Thanksgiving ended with us in Sara and Jessica's room watching a movie...As you can see I had taken my shower and cannot even remember the movie... I was spent...so exhausted... but so happy and fulfilled, after all I did spend my Thanksgiving with my girls and some sweet friends came over to play a game that is now their tradition as well, we talk about things that we are grateful for...

Nite, Nite