~Happy Anniversary Daddy and Moma!!~

Thank you for your sweet comments about the Lord providing a house for our family. Like some have mentioned, it does need a lot of work! We will probably be working on it for several days/weeks before we can move into it. PLEASE PRAY that we can get it live-able and get settled in our house in the short time we will have before our baby is due. THANKS!!
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Congratulations to my Daddy, and Moma on their 49th Wedding Anniversary!!! YEA!! Wow! That is a long time to stay faithful in this day and age where couples change mates like they do shoes. Thank you, Daddy and Moma for staying faithful to God and to each other! Thank you for staying in LOVE and being such a great example to us kids! All the pats, hugs and kisses that we saw through the years, made us want to find a good mate and do the same. =) (I'm thrilled with the mate that God has given to me. =D) We love you both tons and hope that your day is very SPECIAL!
~This picture was taken in the airport as we said goodbye last January.~

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~A few weeks ago, I was THRILLED to find spray whipped topping in a store here. I've never seen it here before. I was able to get light whipped topping, so baby and I can enjoy an occasional treat in our coffee too. The price looks a little on the high side, because it is in pesos. I didn't pay 8 thousand dollars for it, I promise. =D That price equals about $4.50.~
~What a yummy combo!! Coffee, whipped topping, and one of my cappuccino muffins. =)~
My brother-in-law Daryl arrived Monday night to teach another block of classes here in Colombia. We thank the Lord that he arrived safely! These classes are on the Godly Home! Please pray for Daryl as he teaches (and for Phillip as he translates). We are asking God to make these classes a blessings to our people and to their Homes. A church body is made up of individual homes. If God isn't #One and working in each of our homes, then a lot of times our churches aren't what they should be either. May God help us each one and our homes to be what He wants us/them to be! =)

~Our HUGE answer to prayer!~

Our God is an awesome God! I love it that He CARES about what we care about. For 2 years we have been praying and feeling like it was God’s timing to get a house in the USA. But at the same time we did NOT want to go into debt. Each time we are in the USA we feel badly inconveniencing family and friends by staying with them for long periods of time with our family of 6…soon to be 7. We were asking God that when He wanted us to have a house, He would just DROP ONE in our laps. God has worked a miracle…and we are now the owners of a home – debt free. This will help us to be able to continue missionary work and give of our resources to God’s work. Our family is very excited about having our own place to “hang our hats” when we are stateside, even though our house is a fixer-upper. God surprised us with this baby, and at the same time gave us our home. =) He knew that we would have to have some place to stay while we are back home having the baby. Another neat thing that God did was he provided a house that is kitty-corner from my sister Laura and her family's house, so when we are on the mission field they can keep an eye on it for us. We praise God for providing for our needs!!!!! =)

~Our Father's Day~

~Phillip and the kids the night he was leaving to go to the airport to fly to Argentina, June 14th, 2010!~
~Phillip and I before he left.~
Thank the Lord God brought Phillip safely back to us on Tuesday June 22nd, 2010! God helped in Argentina and gave him some good contacts. He even preached in a church in Argentina on Sunday night. =)
~Since he wasn't here on Father's day, we celebrated yesterday after he got home. Phillip took this picture of us on Tuesday, June 22nd, as we were finishing the salad for our Father's day meal for him.~
~We decided to use a "TIE" theme. We tied all of our cloth napkins into TIES, and Kimberly and I made a TIE cake.~
~Here's a close-up picture of our TIE cake. We used the left over yellow and black icing from Noah's bus cake last week. =) The little "dots" are mini choc. chips. We were nearly "fit to be TIED" while putting this icing on the cake...but God helped us. =D~
~Kimberly and Sarah hung balloons that said, "Happy Father's Day." Every other balloon had a TIE drawn on it. The girls felt "all TIED up in knots" by the time they tied all of these balloons, and then tied them to this string. =)~
~Phillip LOVES my apple pie, so I made him one for Father's day. We put a TIE on top of the pie and used raisins for the "pocka dots."
~Here's a close-up of our TIE napkins and Kimberly made TIE place cards.~
~Kimberly made the cute little "shirt and TIE" gift bag on the left. And she made the TIE card beside it too.~
~Sarah made this funny card by using a real picture of Phillip's head and then drawing a suit and TIE for him. We thought it was hilarious.~
~Phillip fixin' to enjoy his apple pie ala mode. We were really happy with how the Lord helped us to "TIE everything together." =)~
We are very HAPPY to have Phillip home! Thank you for your prayers for him and for us.

~Happy Father's Day~

~36 years ago God gave me a nice Daddy. =) (I guess it was more like God gave Daddy...me... but hey, you know what I mean. =) This man is one of the most studied men I know. He doesn't waste a minute. He is always reading and studying his Bible and learning more about God's Word. My Daddy is very educated and LOVES books!! (I married a man just like him. =)
When I was growing up one thing that drove me crazy was asking Daddy a question. If I asked a question about History, we had to go to the encyclopedia and look up the answer. If I asked a question about a map, we had to go and get the globe. If I asked how to spell a word or what it meant, we had to go and get the dictionary. But...I learned a lot during those years. The main thing I learned was to ASK MOMA...she'd give me the quick answer I wanted. HA!!!! =D Daddy, I love you TONS and I thank you for being so wise, so educated, and loving Jesus and your family sooo much. Thank you for always being there when I need you. Thank you for your prayers for our family! Thank you for loving my Phillip as your son! I hope that you have a wonderful Father's day! xoxoxo
~Gramp reading 3 of his 17 grandkids a story.~

~In 1995 God gave me another nice Daddy. This is the Daddy of my sweetheart Phillip. Back in 1991 I came to visit God's Bible School and one of my GBS friends and I were looking for a place to sit during lunch. All of the sudden she said, "Let's sit with our new maintenance man and his wife...they are so sweet." That new maintenance man and wife ended up being who I now call "Dad and Mom Dickinson." So, when I came to school in the Fall of 1992 I felt like I knew Dad and would always greet him when I saw him out on campus. He later teased me that I KNEW that he had a son my age who was interested in and was watching me. BUT I DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE! =D I knew he had a younger son, for Michael and I worked together in the kitchen. I'll be FOREVER GRATEFUL that I learned that he did have a son my age!!! =) Dad is one of the most intellegent men I know when he comes to fixing anything...and I mean ANYTHING! I don't know much he can't do. God has really given him a talent. When he was 8 or 9 years old he took the engine out of his family car, fixed it and put it back in. =D Dad, I love you. Thank you for accepting me as your daughter! Have a super Father's day!
~Grandpa and Grandma with 6 of their 7 grandchildren. (The other one is still in my tummy.=)

~In 1998 God gave Phillip and I a baby. We were soooo happy with our first little baby girl, Kimberly. Since then, God has BLESSED our home with Sarah, Noah, Elijah and baby! =)
Phillip, you are a wonderful Daddy! You love your children more than life itself. Thank you for every diaper you have changed, haircut you have given, outfit you have put on, hug you have given, and prayer you have prayed!

~Our Daddy~
Boys are made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.
Our Daddy is made of saws, hammers, and nails.
Reading and studying God's Holy Word each day.
And looking to Jesus for guidance along the way.

Fasting and praying that His children make it to Heaven.
(Kimberly, Sarah, Elijah, baby, and Noah Evan. =)
Taking time to read the kids a bed time story.
Bending down to kiss a hurt knee that's gory.

Always loving his children and showing them that he cares.
Being faithful to read the Bible and have family prayers.
Spending family days together and having a great time.
Being the BEST Daddy in the world...as indicated in this ryhme. =)
~Heather, June 19th, 2010!~

Phillip...Kimberly, Sarah, Noah, Elijah, baby and I love you bunches! We MISS you while you are in Argentina! We hope that you have a very special Father's day there where you are. Hurry home to us on Tuesday and we'll treat you special! =) xoxoxo!!
~My sweetheart! Taken in Colombia!~

~Our Fun Family Day~

--Thank you for your sweet comments on Noah's graduation. The Lord and my family REALLY helped me to get it all done. =)
--Thank you also for praying for Phillip while he is in Argentina and the kids and I here. Phillip is doing ok, though at times he feels overwhelmed being in a city of 12 million souls, wondering how little ole' us can make a difference. But then he remembers that the same God that is calling us there, will be faithful to guide us to the souls that he wants us to touch. =) He is finding the culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina much more European rather than like Colombia or Costa Rica.
--The Lord is helping me get lots of 2009 pictures scrapbooked, which was my goal while Phillip was gone. And the girls are working faithfully on their schoolwork. Kimberly completed one of her goals, and Sarah finished Math for the whole year! Now, she just has to focus on the other 4 subjects. =) She is hoping to be done before June 28th.
~The other day we had a nice family day. Phillip and the boys went to a bakery and went "out for coffee". =) Here they are before we parted ways.~
~The girls and I walked another block or two down the road and had a "ladies day out" in a litle fancy shop. We each got a dessert and a fun coffee to drink. When Phillip and the boys arrived I winked at Phillip and asked him if he had had a nice "man to man talk and time out with the boys." =D~
~Then we crossed the street and let the kids play at the park.~

~We had brought this huge garbage bag of our bedspread and clothes to drop off at the dry cleaners. (Due to our leaking roof and humidity in our closets, etc.) Our luck, they were closed for the day. =( So we ended up carrying that bag with us everywhere we went. Here Phillip and Elijah are using it as a pillow. =)~
~And Elijah enjoyed sitting on top of it in the stroller.~
After the park, I got to pick up my 2009 pictures from the store, went home and organized them, and the next day I got to start scrapbooking them. My dear director's wife Sis. Becker and her sister-in-law Mrs. Joan went shopping together last year and got me some ADORABLE pages, stickers, ribbons, stamps, etc. which I'm loving using to brighten up my scrapbook pages.
Fun, Fun, Fun! =)
Now...I'm heading to start scrapbooking again. I'm hoping to finish through Aug. 3rd, 2009 before Phillip gets home next Tuesday. (Our family left for the USA on Aug. 4th, 2009.)
~Adios! =)~

~Our Noah's Kindergarten Graduation~

Thank you for your prayers, the Lord gave us a beautiful graduation for Noah.
~I made several loaves of banana bread to give one to each family that attended Noah's graduation. I lacked putting the last 2 loaves in the oven, and was coming back to get them, when THIS IS WHAT I FOUND!! Elijah got curious and tipped one pan over onto himself and all over the floor. It's a good thing that the Lord made him cute. HA! =)~~When we went to the mission field I couldn't bring a lot of things with me. But, I did bring 3 Taste of Home cookbooks which my kids really enjoy looking at and I have used several times. In the back of one is a cake in the shape of a bus. Noah has looked at that cake for years and begged me to make it. So, I told him that I was going to make it for his kindergarten graduation. Here I am frosting the yellow school bus cake.~
~Sarah made this cute little bus and stop light out of sticky sticks.~
~I took what we had trimmed off of the bus cake, and made this little cake, in case I needed more cake to serve to our guests.~
~Here is the table and the finished bus cake. We used a school theme.~
~Noah was VERY happy with how the school bus cake turned out! =)~



~Noah and Elijah looking at the bus cake.~
~Our little Noah. I was trying to decide if I wanted to invite the whole church, and where we would have everyone sit in our apartment, and how to feed them all, etc. when Noah begged me not to invite many people for he would be embarrassed. =) So, we just invited a few friends.~
~While I played "Pomp and Circumstance" Noah marched down the stairs and into our home.~
~Our guests.~
~More guests.~~Phillip made the cutest little programs that Noah passed out. (I'm sad that I forgot to take a picture of them.) They had his picture on the front and said, "Thank you for coming to my graduation." (only in Spanish) and Noah signed his name on the bottom. Inside was the program for the graduation. Here Noah is quoting Psalm 100.~
~Here Noah and Sarah are singing a song about God loving a cheerful giver in Spanish. (That you should give until it makes you laugh.) And throughout the song it says, "Ha, Ha, Ha!" So, we taught Elijah the, "Ha, Ha, Ha" part and he sang that throughout the song. It was cute. When they got done Elijah clapped really big and said, "YAY!!!" =)~
~Kimberly arranged a really cute arrangement of "Jesus Loves Even Me" on her violin and played it during the graduation. Our family also sang "House Hold of Faith" (in Spanish), but I forgot to have someone take our picture.~
~Daddy giving a little talk about homeschooling and a little devotional from Proverbs.~
~Phillip presenting with Noah his diploma.~
~Pastor Jimmy praying for Noah.~
~Our family. Congratulations, Noah, we're soooo glad that Jesus gave you to us!!~
~I served Roast and gravy, sour cream potatoes, broccoli/cauliflower/raisin salad, and I made 7 loaves of French bread and served those with butter and jam. Here Bro. Jimmy is showing you that this is his 4th helping. =)~
~A few weeks ago, as we were leaving to go somewhere, one of the kids accidently shut our front door not realizing that we didn't have our keys. Phillip went to a lock smith and asked how much it would cost to cut into the lock and he said it would be cheaper to just break the glass. So, Phillip broke the glass with a hammer. A day or two later he went to a store and ordered another piece of glass to fit in the door. (He paid a percentage down.) When he came back from Cartagena he went to pick up the glass and they didn't know anything about him ordering the glass nor paying anything down. UGH! So, after MANY trips to that store to keep asking about it, we got the glass late Friday night. But, with all the rest of the things we had to do before the graduation, we didn't get it put into the door. When Bro. Jaime (Jimmy's Dad) saw the glass he told us that after the graduation he could fix it for us. He has a lot of experience with working with glass. So, he was a BIG HELP in taking out the broken glass and attaching the new glass. Muchimas Gracias, Hermano Jaime!!~

~Noah thought it was "Feliz Navidad" with all of the gifts he got for His graduation. =)~
~Look at his cute puppy dog house shoes that Bro. Jaime and Sis. Sofia got him. =)
~Sarah saw this neat wooden motorcycle and suggested that we get it for Noah for his graduation.~
~Elijah playing with the animals Noah got. He calls them "Dragons!"~
~The neat semi carrying 2 jeeps from Bro. Jimmy, Sis. Farly, and Lady and Gaby.~
Please pray!! Phillip leaves tomorrow to fly to Argentina to "scout out the land". So far we know no one there. He felt he should go and check it out although we won't be able to go to Argentina for a few more months. God gave him a great price on his ticket. Please pray the God will guide him as to what parts to go to and will lead him to the souls that are hungry for God and for Holiness. And please pray for the kids and I here. Thank you!!