Yummm...I think that would be right!

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new.However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like.You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation.You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofcoffeegirlareyouquiz/">What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

'Tis the Season...for Christmas Programs and Parties!

Another thing I love, love, love about the U.S. is all the Christmas music! Since I have children in EVERY SECTION of the school, I get to go to ALL of the Christmas programs... Last night was Elementary/Preschool night. You know, I really only SAW three children...my own! They were so cute, and Seth was handsome (not cute! except to me...sshhh, it's a secret). Seth participated in handbells and choir, and he did excellent! I took pictures but they aren't too good, so they won't be posted here. Aaron had a leetle problem before we went, so I was a little out of sorts...but I really enjoyed it very much. I got a "morning off" today as Matt took Seth to his basketball game. It was wonderful. Tonight is our church Christmas party, for which I made cookies just now. It smells yummy around here! Tomorrow is church, which always keeps us busy and happy. My neighbor, Mary, was over this afternoon with a Christmas present...so sweet. Morgan swept her walk today as it is snowing, snowing, snowing. And I love it, love it, love it! Monday will find us at a basketball game in the afternoon and another Christmas concert...loving it! Tuesday we get to a major mall again for Christmas carolling by the 6th graders...and so it goes. I am enjoying it VERY MUCH! Merry Christmas season to all of you!

Lazy Snow Day

Something that doesn't happen to homeschoolers is "snow days". (Poor grammar, but I couldn't figure out how to write that correctly.) We found out last night, to our elation, that we would have a snow day today! We have had a huge ice storm, and it is still raining.

Our street

Fallen limb in front of our house

Isn't it spectacular?!

The kids stayed up late last night, we slept in late (glory be!), and we have just had fun today playing games and watching movies. It has been a nice change of pace. Every night this week was going to have some activity, so we have welcomed this lazy day!

Close Call

The beautiful snow has turned to ICE on the streets~NOT fun! This morning as Seth, Aaron, and I headed to Seth's ball game, I got to the end of my street UNAWARE that the street was so slick. Well, as I was going 25-30 mph, my breaks WOULD NOT stop my car. It was an anxious 15 sec. or so! I was able to maneuver the car across the street into a snow bank. We weren't hurt at all, but I was really shook up. (I'm leaning toward NOT driving like Rita, Jackie, and Liz!) I later learned that the ball game was cancelled anyway. Matt returns from Venezuela today~I'm praying that I won't be the one who has to pick him up as the weather is supposed to get worse, not better. I'm thankful for our guardian angels this morning!

Photo courtesy freefoto.com

Game Day!

Yeah! Today is Game Day...and you know what that means! Oh, maybe you don't...we have 2 basketball players and one cheerleader around here. For EJ, it means dressing up in a tie and being VERY excited and pumped!

Wow! Look at him move! heehee...me thinks I need a new camera!

Sorry...blurry again...EJ is #11

For Morgan, it means (today) dressing up in the "cow" (that's what the girls call it, I guess b/c they don't like it?!). I'll have to ask them sometime why and how they came up with that name. Anyway, I think it's cute!

Later on, despite ugly weather, I'll venture out and attend those games. It's a great time! Last week, our team beat the other in a nail-biter. There was actually a buzzer-beating 3! Wish Mom could be here...

Let it Snow!

Today it snowed and snowed and snowed! I love it (although I had to grocery shop and drive in it). That part WAS NOT fun... It was so cool to be listening to "Oh, the weather outside is frightful..." When we got home today, the kids played in the snow~they're enjoying it so much.

It was interesting to DRIVE in it (how would you like that, Jackie!?), and I can truly say that I REALLY didn't like it at all! It's supposed to do more of the same tomorrow~they call it a winter mix. I wish it would do enough to cancel school, sleep in... That would be delicious~*sigh*. Tonight we're watching "The Christmas Box", a neat Christmas movie. You would enjoy it if you watched it! It's a good evening to be snuggled under a blanket...

When It's Over

It's really time for a new post! I sit here at my desk with a picture of Venezuelan friends looking at me...I love them so much! Matt is right now in Venezuela, closing up our *life* there. What a huge chapter to close, a hard one to close. We spent 11 years, wonderful (though tense due to El Emperador) ones, there in our adopted country. It has been an emotional time for Matt, wrapping up things. He says he has felt as though his whole family died and he was sorting through their stuff. He left a week ago, had a sale, gave stuff away, etc. He is now in Caracas, with our life there pretty much behind him/us. On Sunday I was very emotional myself, knowing that he was resigning from our church there (oficially) and that my darling Venezuelans were voting again, this time for their very survival! And THEY DID IT-THEY DID IT! They beat that monster, at least a round! Morgan and I stayed up very late on Sunday night waiting for Tibisay whatever-her-name-was to come out with the announcement. (I bet SHE won't be the next VP! heehee). We were just incredulous! We jumped up and down, we were so excited! I stayed up to watch the eating of humble pie. It was great. So, you ask...where does this leave us in the future? When Matt gets back and puts that in a prayer letter, I'll let you know. Wherever I go, I will always have Venezuela very much in my heart, as part of that which makes me me. Actually, every day that passes I miss it more, not less.

My Violin and Mr. Brauninger

One of the great benefits of a Christian school here is the music program. TC has a wonderful~awesome~music staff! We are privileged to have as our violin/guitar teacher Mr. Kent Brauninger. He is so awesome and he has a great sense of humor! He is teaching Morgan and Ethan, and would you believe, he has accepted me too! We are preparing to play Christmas carols at a cool mall here close. Should be cool! Have a great week!

The GLORY of it!

Having lived in Venezuela for the past 11 years, I am absolutely glorying in the change of seasons. God is so amazing in His creation! In Venezuela, we have one season: hot (oh…I forgot to mention that in Dec.-Jan., it gets about 1 degree cooler =} ). Yesterday, as I drove home from the library (another glorious American tradition—folks, you just don’t know how good you have it!), I was delighted to see autumn leaves swirling in the brisk (there’s just no other word for it!) October-almost-November breeze! Those leaves beg to be played in, and that is just what my little ones did yesterday…won’t they love it when they get to unpile raked leaves! (When someone has the TIME to do that~this American pace has us running ragged!). Have a wonderful November 1 (All Saints Day)! Praise God for my justification before Him, making me a saint!

EJ's Poetry

Scarlet Snow

by Ethan J. Sanders

Along the well-tread path of Life we know so well,

That journey, destiny of all men;

By its side we see many sights, Time gives not to pen

The sad yet glorious lots too many to tell.

They are the resting places, berths of travelers

No more ever to walk abroad this old earth;

Many barren, forgotten, few clothed in mirth,

For so sparse are the victors of Eden’s curse.

In this view of lives lived and done

There comes a space, woeful, marked with defeat-

Gray with many years of ruin, Death’s lonely seat,

Hope long vanquished, his sad race run.

It seems to all his light gone out, never again to shine,

And despairing, we continue our dreary tour;

But, hark! there falls from the sky upon that desolate moor

Tiny snowflakes, of purest white, clearing that squalid mine.

Those pristine snowflakes, sent from heaven above,

Tinged with scarlet of preciously shed blood-

Washed in an instant that sorry lot of mud,

And faith in the Lamb rewarded in Love.

Such the cleansing, baptizing work of God-

That whilst we were sinners, hope long blown out,

The Lamb, Lion and Terror of Judah, won the bout

O’er sin, and our sorry tract washed, all to Him laud.

Psalm 51:10

I read this interesting commentary on Psalm 51:10 by Spurgeon just now in my quiet time. It is where I often am at...I need the Lord so badly!

"Let thy personal weakness, O Christian, be an argument to make thee pray earnestly to thy God for help.

Remember, David when he felt himself to be powerless, did not fold his arms or close his lips, but he hastened to the mercy seat with "renew a right spirit within me."

Be much in prayer; live much upon the Word of God; kill the lusts which have driven your LORD from you; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of sin.

The LORD has His own appointed ways; sit by the wayside and you will be ready when He passes by.

Continue in all those blessed ordinances which will foster and nourish your dying graces; and, knowing that all the power must proceed from Him, cease not to cry, "Renew a right spirit within me."

Happenings

I've semi-dropped out of blogging. I feel sad about that because I really miss all of you! I know that people don't come over here to read because I rarely post. I noticed that I'm not even on my friends' links anymore...sigh. Anyhoose...from here, these are the happenings. The kids continue to LOVE school. Today Morgan, EJ, and I started violin/guitar lessons with an awesome teacher. He's in the symphony! He's really cool...and we love his sense of humor. We found out that we are getting ready for a strings ensemble Christmas caroling thing in early December. Wow~that should be fun! We only have 22 carols to learn... Ethan continues to write poetry~he recently wrote a poem called "Scarlet Snow". I'll have to get his permission to post it! He's very gifted with words. He's in an online writing "club" called FaithWriters. He's also got his driving permit, so he's learning to drive! Oh joy... tonight I got the privilege to be his passenger... and I actually didn't whack out like I thought I might or should. My mom is still visiting here and Dad is in Mexico, due back on Friday. Last Saturday we got to go to a hayride/weiner roast at the farm of a church family. It was cool. Aaron loved the barn swings. Several of my kids didn't even eat, they were having such a good time! (Of course, they wanted to eat when they got home!) I had teacher conferences yesterday with a couple of teachers. My kids are fitting in really well in school. Aaron has problems with talking...have no idea where he got THAT from! We are privileged to have started working in a small church~kind of like a mission out of our church. Matt is the youth director and I teach the little uns. This is, of course, provisional until God shows us His perfect will; but we are very happy to be working for Him! Today we met with our missions director, and we were sharing the way God might be leading...suspense...can't tell all of YOU about it yet =)! We are excited and fearful and sad and happy and and and.... I'll let you know when I can. I am enjoying the opportunity to meet our neighbors and pray for their salvation. I've met the people across the street and caddycorner, and I am hoping they will go to church with me sometime, and above all, that they will meet my Saviour! I need to post pics on here...when I have some. I really miss all of you and I really do lurk even if I sometimes don't comment. I guess I'm more of a lurker at heart than a TRUE blogger! Speaking of the heart, the ladies Bible study at our church this year is about the heart. It is really, really good and I've been challenged to get up very early to keep up with mine. How about you? Once again, I hope to keep this up more regularly. *I guess that's not a promise...*

Moving In...Don't Know About On

It's been two weeks...guess I'm about due for a post. It's been a busy two weeks~I feel like we've been here forever! Already, there have been two field trips, a choir concert, a game and a tournament (for Miss Cheerleader)...also an all-day ladies' conference for me! Today we will be moving into our "permanent for now" house. I can't wait until that's done. Matt is moving furniture today, and I'm supposed to be getting everything else ready to leave this house (but I'm posting..lol). The kids are loving school. Seth says it's even better than X-Box. That's saying a lot! To those of you wondering what this SAHM does with her time now, well...I run around getting all the things the kids need for school. It seems like daily someone says, "BTW...I need ______ for school tomorrow. Can you get it?" So I guess I'm now the "getter". Mom and Dad will be here later this week~that will be nice! Our church here has showered us with winter clothing and furniture and food, for which we are very thankful. Tri-City is the best! Our future is still uncertain...whether it will be Venezuela or somewhere else, we know not yet. God knows though~please continue to pray.

The Rat Race...

Okay, guys, here I am! People have wondered... We left Caracas on Monday morning. It was a very "tranquilo" trip, considering we have 5 children, 2 of them under 5! We arrived in our home town around 5 p.m. We had a quiet evening with the family with whom we are staying. Then....the rat race began! That morning Matt had a meeting with our home pastor and in the afternoon we went to do some shopping for school clothes. That evening I attended a ladies meeting. I cried some about Venezuela. That next morning we had a meeting with the kids' school principal. They are all 5 attending our church school, and it is really different for Mom and them! They are really enjoying it. After the school meeting, we had lunch there, then on to school supplies and grocery shopping. Guess where?! Wallyworld, of course! That night was church. Yesterday was their first day of school, and I was over there 4 times! I felt somewhat like a chauffeur... AND I was exhausted! Morgan is on the JV cheerleading squad (right up her alley), EJ on the Bible quizzing team (right up his alley), and Seth is just having a good ole time (right up his alley)! Today hasn't been as hectic. I've only had to be the "designated driver" once. I am enjoying the quiet times, I have to admit. And I'm thrilled that the children are having a nice time in school~they deserve it after putting up with Mom all these years! I am attaching a couple pics of them on the first day of school...

Ethan and Morgan

The three oldest

You Should Paint Your Room Purple

Sophisticated and exotic, purple can also be a deeply comforting color.Your purple room will inspire you to trust yourself more and go with your intuition.Purple has also been known to facilitate healing and a feeling of protection.

Update

Hi everybody! I´m at a cyber (something very common here in Venezuela) checking my mail since our internet service was discontinued. My house is a wreck! We are mostly packing and taking clothes, but we are also making decisions about what would be sold, given away, etc. if we are unable to come back. Anthony will be staying in our house for now, so at least we don´t have to close up everything by Monday! I am contacting people about Aaron´s passport, hoping for a good word. We were at La Biblia Abierta, our first church we started in Caracas, on Sunday. It was sad thinking that we might never on this earth see them again. Thank God for heaven and a sure hope! God has been teaching me a lot about trust through all this. I don´t understand, I can´t see the future, but praise God, He does understand, He does see the future, and He is in control! We found out that we will not be able to take Tommy, our little doggy, as it costs more to get him out than what he cost us! Continue to pray for us...we still have to say goodbye to our church people, finish packing, and endless details. God bless...

Hasta Nuevo Aviso

That's how you say, "Till the next time!" in Spanish. We won't be back on here (maybe I'll get a cyber or something) until we arrive in the States and the dust settles. Pray for us...this is very hard! God bless...

Of Interest...

I don't really know when we started to talk about it. It might have been a tip we received from Rita at Jungle Hut that children were having difficulties getting Venezuelan passports. The roller-coaster ride began... At one point, we were 90% sure that we were leaving Venezuela for good, then... Are we sure about that? Then, we would hear about YET ANOTHER missionary leaving, all for good reasons; but did we have a good reason? More importantly, did we have God's peace? We admitted that we did not. However, I decided not to hang up the remaining pictures in my house, couldn't let Morgan have a dog, etc. We heard of a pastor who got a passport for his three young children! We'll try too! Time when on...and on... We hung up the pictures in my bedroom, hung up a quilt in the living room, got a dog, made more plans for the church, even the Christmas program! As I said, though, Time went on...and on... We DIDN'T get Aaron's passport, and as of the last thing we've heard, "esta delicado" (essentially, very difficult!). After MUCH, MUCH prayer and some sleeplessness (on my part~Matt could sleep through an earthquake, I think!), on Wednesday, we decided that we have to leave before Aaron's passport expires on Oct 3. So... we are leaving on October 1, but we hope not forever... We will continue to work on Aaron's passport from safer shores. Our church is very young, and it is an important factor, but Aaron must be safe. Good-bye for now, my beloved Venezuela, mi Caracas añorada!

*I wanted to link Rita, but I couldn't remember FOR THE LIFE OF ME! how to link...I must be losing brain cells!

** I remembered...my brain cells are growing back!

Freak?!

You Are 58% Non Conformist

You definitely have your freak flag out, and from time to time, you wave it.You have some pretty strong opinions, and you're not afraid to express them.

Are'>http://www.blogthings.com/areyouanonconformistquiz/">Are You a Nonconformist?

Pictures of Tommy and our Anniversary

Hi friends! Here are some pics of Tommy, our new dachshund, and our anniversary getaway. Some pics were taken yesterday (my birthday), but we won't talk about that! Suffice it to say that it's a big number and it was a good one!

Tommy! This picture captures his personality PERFECTLY!

Tommy with Morgan

Taking a snooze in the hammock!

The happy couple, married for 17 years!

A lovely meal together

Up on the Avila, Caracas

Isn't the view behind me fabulous?!

Happy, happy...

I'm thinking about changing my blog altogether (eliminating and creating a new one) because I still can't get my side bar thing to work. Let me know what you all think...

I Changed Everything on my Blog but What I Needed To!

I think my new look is funky...but it certainly wasn't what I set out to do! I CANNOT figure out how to get my side bar back to normal. Quien podra ayudarme? El Chapul...anyway! Help, help....

You're Probably Wondering...and I am Too!

Honest, people, I have no idea what happened to my blog, or how to fix it! However, since I have such a large *following* (ha, what a joke, lol!), I really don't want to change it altogether! Help! Does anyone out there know how to fix it without just getting rid of it altogether?

On to other things...I have been so busy that I just haven't had time to blog. Surely, you moms of 5 children can relate! Let's see...we got a puppy (he's adorable!), we FINALLY hung up my favorite quilt in the living room and a wall of hangings in my bedroom, I've been figuring out our school year, which starts next week. I haven't been able to get EJ's stuff ordered (he is enrolled in A Beka and uses videos) because EVERY SINGLE TIME I do, something happens. I was going to order the stuff yesterday (via phone), when I realized that you guys were celebrating Labor Day. We don't celebrate that (we celebrate EVERYTHING else, let me tell you!), so I had forgotten... Anyhoo, we travelled over here to Caracas yesterday to see my dr. (yesterday) and the dentist (all of us, today, woo hoo!), so I was at Dr. Galavis' office yesterday. As usual, people are always talking politics around here (there is evidently NOTHING else to talk about), so we (Dad went over there to sit and visit with me) got in on a~yet another~terrifying political "chat". Evidently, *disguised, of course*, there are a couple of very scary articles in the New Educational Reform, being literally railroaded through the Asamblea right now. You can read about it here. So...I don't know if I'll EVER get EJ's new stuff ordered. Anyway, we will start school "como sea" on Monday! HHH can't control EVERYTHING, for Pete's sake!

*Oops, I just realized when I linked over to my scary educational reform place, that it is in Spanish. Sorry...it's worth getting someone to translate it!

This week we are in Caracas partly to visit our doctors, and partly to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary. We will be going to an undisclosed location here in Caracas *my favorite city*, leaving our children with Granna and Grandaddy~thank you, Mom and Dad! We are looking forward to it! Next week is my ____ birthday. Sorry, people, but I'm just getting to the age where I don't want to talk about it (so, why, you ask, am I talking about it!?)....

Have a great one, and as my dear Shalom says, Stay Safe! (It's a scary world out there, especially Venezuela!)

Tommy

I know that pink and black jungle bunny will have a hard time believing this, but I have FINALLY relented and we now have an adorable dachshund (plain ole weiner dog to some) puppy! I'm sure you've guessed that his name is Tommy (last name is Hillfiger lol!). Everybody around here is having a big time with Tommy, and so far, I am enjoying him very much. Pictures will be posted at a later time!

Oh nooooo...I'm dark too!

You are most like: Black
You'>http://toysforyourblog.com/quiz/13/black.jpg"> You are bold with a dark side. You make clear lines wherever you go, though you color outside of the lines. Many people may just see the surface of you and think you are merely plain, but you have a lot of depth to you as well.
Take this quiz: http://toysforyourblog.com/quiz/13/Which_Crayola_Box_of_8_Color_Are_You.php">%20color="#00FF99">Which Crayola Box of 8 Color Are You?
Saturday, August 18, 2007 Camp! It's camp season! Seth, our third child, is returning today from camp. The two weeks previous to this, we were at camp. I love camp! I always say that I'm not going to go, and I seem to always end up there! The first week was young teens camp (12-16 yo's), and I actually didn't go to camp; but three people of our family were there. They had a great time. Morgan was on the Lions' team and EJ on the Tigers' team. EJ was the captain of his team~ a BIG job! At the end of that week, Matt actually asked if I wanted to go the next week. I considered it (for a minute or two at least!), and I decided to go...then not to go...finally, to go (because the kids all wanted to go). Anyway, it was great week! Dividing the teens by age was the best thing we've done. One of the directors, Ed (Jungle Mom's brother-in-law) The "big guns" (two other directors and a pastor) Morgan at camp as a camper for the first time! EJ and Jason (Vernoy) "Workers" at camp (yours truly and Ethan) "Swinger" at camp! (Seth) Ed being silly! Thursday, August 16, 2007 "Courageous" they call her! I am proud to have been given the Courageous Blogger Award by my good friend, Rita Vernoy from The Jungle Hut. I have no idea why; I don't feel courageous or brave (but I do feel a little weary!) I'm just hanging in here... The Courageous Blogger Award: For those bloggers who are battling or have battled with physical and mental illness, those who are survivors of abuse, poverty, or who have overcome other challenges in life. Those who serve in the military or work/volunteer in dangerous situations in order to provide a service or to help others. This award is for the strong, the brave, and the courageous. Award rules: 1) If you have received an award simply choose either the dark or light background image and save it to your files, then post it proudly on your blog! 2) Pass the award on to five other people, you can choose any of the awards from the series, you do not have to pass out the exact award you received. Choose whichever of the awards below that you'd like to give out. You can give out one of each or five of the same one, whatever you prefer. 3) You can change the size and color of awards to suit your blog, that's up to you, it's your blog, just leave the titles the same. 4) Please link back to this post so that people can read these rules and so that the meanings of the awards will not be lost. 5) If you feel that you or a friend are deserving of an award and no one has given one to you yet then email me at sayhitochristy(at)hotmail.com and tell me about your website. And the nominees are: (drum roll pleeeeze!) 1. Jackie, missionary in Paraguay, for bucking the system (maybe she's a leetle stubborn too!) and having her baby at home after a previous c-section. I admire her and her "mid-husband", Brian. They are awesome and their baby is a doll! 2. Julia, a Venezuelan university student, who isn't afraid to "tell it like it is" in "times like these." Venezuelans are the greatest! Friday, August 3, 2007 Questions Stolen from Jackie's Blog 1. Name someone who made you smile today? my whole family~I was so happy to see those who returned from camp! 2. What were you doing at 8:00 this morning? Making breakfast 3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Hugging Morgan and Seth 4. Name something that happened to you in 1992? I had my oldest son, EJ! How's that for a great year?! 5. When is your birthday? Sept. 13 6. Four words to explain why you last threw up? nefritic (spelling?) pain-the worst! 7. What color is your hairbrush? purple 8. What was the last thing you bought? snacks and stuff for camp 9. Where do you keep your money? all over! 10. What was the weather like today? Rainy~awesome! 11. Where did your last hug take place? Hugged Morgan and Seth 30 minutes ago, remember? 12. What are you excited about? my family's return from camp!, our baby church and growing Christians 13. Do you want to cut your hair? Just did it. 14. Are you over the age of 25? just a teeny bit (heehee) 15. Do you talk a lot? WAY too much! 16. Do you watch The O.C.? Haven't a clue what that is! 17. Does your screen name have an "x" in it? No 18. Do you know anyone named Kelsey? I think so. 19. Do you make up your own words? oh yeah 20. Are you ticklish?Way too 21. Are you typically a jealous person? a little, I think (to my shame!) 22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "C". Cyndy~my best girl friend! 23. Who's the last person to call you? my sister! Oh, I'm so excited to have been able to talk to her! I love her so much! 24. Do you chew on your straws? why would I do that? 25. Do you have curly hair? wavy 26. What is the next concert you're going to? Morgan's end of the year choir concert 27.Where did you go today? To the tennis court, office supply store, grocery shopping 28. What is something you say a lot? I wonder how long we'll remain in Venezuela?! 29. Have you seen the movie 'Donnie Darko'? Never heard of it. 30. Do you have to work tomorrow? I have five children~what do you think? 31. Who was the last person you said "I love you" to? Morgan and Seth 32. What should you be doing right now? Washing my face 33. Do you have a nickname? one of them is Ros (LONG story) 34. Are you a heavy sleeper? Nope. 35. What are you listening to? The dryer and a creaky fan 36. What is the best movie you've seen in the past two week? Haven't seen a REALLY good movie for at least a month! 37. Is there anyone you like right now? My family 38. When was the last time you did the dishes? This afternoon 39. Did you cry today? Got choked up reading about the Minnesota bridge collapse Thursday, August 2, 2007 Stuff and Nonsense Hi everybody! I just have not been able to get around to blogging lately. Half of my family is at teen camp, and they're having a grand time! They will be back, the LORD willing, tomorrow. (That means a lot of laundry, huh?! =) ) Seth, the babies, and I have stayed busy. Aaron has started reading this week~he's just a bit ambitious...he wants to start reading his Bible YESTERDAY! He's very much like his oldest brother!!!! Sophie is in "school" too, but she's WAY more relaxed about it. Seth is just a wee bit bored without Ethan and Morgan around. We have been trying to get everybody into doing "routines", and to Seth, they are a real BOTHER. (I think he sees the benefits, though~heehee!) The babies love the routines they drew, and it isn't usually too hard to get them in there to "read" and do them. Matt came home yesterday from camp for church last night. We thought about going back to spend the day at camp today, but I think we've decided to all go to the entire week of camp next week. (Okay, maybe I'm crazy, but I really do LOVE camp!) Anyhoo, that is just a little of what has been going on this week. I haven't posted pics in forever. Maybe I'll have some after camp next week! Have a great Friday tomorrow! Tuesday, July 24, 2007 Violins, Friends, and A Kid's Club I've had a busy day! How about you? Last evening, my sweet friend Angelica from Caracas was here. She's very special to me, having been one of the first little girls in my first Sunday School in Caracas. Now she's preparing to teach Christian music to kids and one of her dreams is to have a Christian children's orchestra. How's that for goals and dreams? Needless to say, I'm very grateful for her and proud of her! She has started a children music club back up that I used to teach when Matt and I were at the Biblia Abierta. She's been waiting to grow up enough to start it back up and she's finally done it! Back when I had the Wednesday evening Bible/music club (called 4C= Club Cristiano de Canto para Chamos), she was the piano player, just getting her start in playing. Now she's one of the main piano players at that church and she's learning violin. She was giving me tips on getting started on my violin too since my teacher wasn't the best. I can now play a little tune =)! My cup is full~it runneth over! Friday, July 20, 2007 P.E. As before mentioned in this post, I am a missionary kid. I was fortunate to grow up among several other kids, so we did have a small school. Of course, if you have a school, you have to have P.E. I remember doing any number of things for p.e. My favorite was (by far) volleyball class with Flavio. He was great. I still play volleyball today as taught by dear Flavio. Volleyball might have been my favorite but by far the most memorable was marching class. Yes, you read right...MAR.CHING.CLASS. This was taught to us by our dear Uncle Dave Surrett, an ex-marine (he never quite got over that). Now, marching is not all that bad in itself. But get a group of kids (I would guess ages 7-15) MARCHING all around the soccer field on the grounds of Lima Bible Institute and you have a laughingstock. (is there such thing as a laughingstock? oh well...you get the drift) My sister and I still get the giggles when we try to imagine WHAT must have been going through the heads of those dear Peruvian seminary students. Crazy...insane...weird. And yes, I guess we were all of the above. I can still hear Uncle Dave barking the order, "Colummmmmn Heleft!"(the he before left was actually like a grunt of some sort). And "column left" we did! It was a hilarious time, worthy of an mk's life! Thursday, July 19, 2007 Good 'Til 2012! As I mentioned in an earlier post, our family recently went to do "the cola" at the department of immigration. Mostly, things went as we had expected that day. We were done and out of there by 9 a.m. Matt went to pick up our passports today, and we have resident visas good until 2012! So...looks like at least for now, we will be staying. It gives us a little hope at least until the church can get on its feet, etc. I guess the transient visa rumor wasn't true...Tonight is Morgan's final choir concert for the year at the conservatory, so that's what we get to do this evening. Have a good one! Wednesday, July 18, 2007 My Trip to the States I *recently* returned from a 2-week trip to the States. I went along with my mom to spend time with my granny. We had a very RELAXING time. I'm not very used to relaxing, as I have 5 children! My sister and her family were in a nearby state on vacation, so they came over to see us too! That was awesome~I always LOVE seeing my sister. Her kids are so big...time flies, etc. Into the second week, I REALLY missed my family, and couldn't wait to get back here! Mom and I had a great time shopping...I must admit, I don't have problems like my good friend, JM. I have no problem picking out all the things I haven't had or even ever seen before! Trouble was that Mom and I went shopping the day after we got to the States, which meant that we got a whole lot more than we could eat in 2 weeks! Oh well... I was a little apprehensive upon returning here, due to a problem I found in my passport just before I left. No problems upon returning though~I was very excited to see my family and I don't think I want to do that again...leaving my family, that is. Here are some pictures: My sister and me My sister's family Uncle Ken, Aunt Pat, and me (not in that order, obviously!) My mom and my sister Bob, Meredith, and Allison Ben and Granna Sunday, July 15, 2007 Okay...So I'm not Really Back! #2 Ever since I got back, our family has been busy, very busy! This includes a day at the Onidex, the department that deals with visas, passports, etc. We left our house one morning at 3 a.m. to get in the line outside...interesting, to say the least! Imagine that~our family (obviously gringos...SEVEN of us to boot!) standing outside in the dark in *friendly* downtown Caracas! Now we are involved in a 5-day evangelistic campaign in our church...lots of blessing though. AND last night, Matt picked up a 5-person group from our home church in KC. So...I might not be on here very much again for a few days. I miss you guys and gals! Pictures coming soon...Tocaya! Saturday, July 14, 2007 Okay...So I'm not Really Back! Sorry, guys! As soon as I got back to Venezuela, we were (still are) in the midst of an evangelistic campaign. Things have been BUSY! Also, Matt is this very minute picking up a group from our home church who will be here for a week....So, I guess I won't really be back for a while! Waaaahhhh...I miss all of you! Saturday, July 7, 2007 I'M BAAAACK!!!! I don't have astronomical amounts of time, but I do want all of you (okay, all two of you!) to know that I'm back! If you really must know, I travelled with my mom to visit my granny for two weeks. We had some precious times together, and I also got to see two aunts, two uncles, MY SISTER!!!!! and her awesome family. There was no access to internet there, but I survived! So, to my dear blogging friend and Caraqueña, Liz, ¡ya no estás sola, amiga! Regresé a este bello país a pesar de tu ya sabes quien! See you around, everybody! Friday, June 15, 2007 Lemon Bread Andrea's Lemon Bread 1-3/4 c. flour 3/4 c. sugar 2 t. baking powder 2 t. lemon peel, finely shredded 1/2 t. salt 1 egg 3/4 c. milk 1/4 c. oil 1 T. lemon juice Mix together first 5 ingredients. In a large bowl beat egg, milk, oil, & lemon juice. Add flour mixture to egg/lemon mixture, stirring just until moistened. Turn into 2 greased 6x3x2 loaf pans or 1 large loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until done. Cool 10 min. on rack & remove from pans. Enjoy! Monday, June 11, 2007 Meal Monday Monday - b - lemon bread*; l - leftovers; s - pbj* Tuesday - b - eggs, bacon, toast*; l - chicken pot pie*; s - smashed sandwiches*, popcorn, pop Wednesday - b - coffee cake, Jackie's hot chocolate; l - baked mac and cheese*; s - quesadillas Thursday - b - creamed ham on toast, oj; l - slow cooker pork chops*; s - arepas, queso Friday - b - pancakes, c/leche; l - chili, cheese, noodles, crackers; s - broccoli/cheese soup S - b - scrambled eggs, bollitos; l - wings, rice, fried plaintains; s - chef salad Su - b - applesauce muffins--yum, yum! l - Smothered Chicken (Jackie's Version); s – blt’s *from last week Sunday, June 10, 2007 Got this at JM's, my favorite "pundit" blogger! You Are a Social Blogger! Your blog is more of a semi-private affair for your friends.It's how you keep in touch... sharing stories, jokes, and pics. What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofbloggerareyouquiz/">What Kind of Blogger Are You? Friday, June 8, 2007 Show and Tell Friday at Kelli's No, ladies, these are not buttons (even though that's what they look like in this picture!)...this is my collection of "German" plates from Colonia Tovar, Venezuela. Colonia Tovar is a little German village nestled in the mountains outside of Caracas, Venezuela. We love it there! One of the times we were up there, we purchased these (for our kitchen back then). Now they are in our piano room. Here they are in detail, from largest down to smallest.... My plates are wooden, handpainted, and hand-detailed. They are some of my favorite decorations! Don't forget to go over to Kelli's to share something you love! Subscribe to: Posts (Atom) Venezuela4me Copyright Blog Archive ►  2010 (1) ►  February (1) ►  2008 (25) ►  October (3) ►  July (1) ►  June (4) ►  May (12) ►  April (1) ►  February (3) ►  January (1) ▼  2007 (132) ▼  December (7) Yummm...I think that would be right! 'Tis the Season...for Christmas Programs and Parties! Lazy Snow Day Close Call Game Day! Let it Snow! When It's Over ►  November (2) My Violin and Mr. Brauninger The GLORY of it! ►  October (6) EJ's Poetry Psalm 51:10 Happenings Moving In...Don't Know About On The Rat Race... You Should Paint Your Room PurpleSophisticated and... ►  September (7) Update Hasta Nuevo Aviso Of Interest... Freak?! Pictures of Tommy and our Anniversary I Changed Everything on my Blog but What I Needed To! You're Probably Wondering...and I am Too! ►  August (6) Tommy Oh nooooo...I'm dark too! Camp! "Courageous" they call her! Questions Stolen from Jackie's Blog Stuff and Nonsense ►  July (7) Violins, Friends, and A Kid's Club P.E. Good 'Til 2012! My Trip to the States Okay...So I'm not Really Back! #2 Okay...So I'm not Really Back! I'M BAAAACK!!!!I don't have astronomical amounts o... ►  June (19) Lemon Bread Meal Monday Got this at JM's, my favorite "pundit" blogger! Show and Tell Friday at Kelli's ►  May (20) ►  April (21) ►  March (11) ►  February (9) ►  January (17) ►  2006 (5) ►  December (5) My Sweetie and Me Married for 17 years!