~Our 3rd and 4th of July~

We have been running so fast that I hardly know where to begin. So, I'll just post about our Sunday and our 4th of July, and then later post other posts of what we have been doing. =) We can hardly believe that Melanie leaves in just 2 days. We are thinking of hiding her ticket and writing to her parents and telling her that we are adopting her into our family. =) She is a sweetheart and we are really going to MISS her...but we know that she is ready to be back with her sweet family!
~Sunday, July 3rd, Kimberly, Melanie, Heather, and Jimmy, Sarah, Gaby, and Farly singing God's praises. God's DEAR presence settled down so sweetly while the congregation was singing the hymns.~

~Melanie taught Sunday school.~

~At the end of S.S. she passed out gifts that she had purchased in the USA for the kids.  The look on Adrian's face as he receives his 2 cars...is priceless. =)  Thank you, Melanie, for all you have done for our church kids!~

~Saturday we were going to buy tamales to eat for lunch on Sunday since we had to RUN most of the day on Saturday...but we couldn't find the kind of tamales we wanted.  So, we settled for a very RELAXED dinner of tostadas for our Sunday dinner, then took a very needed long nap. (I was soooo TIRED from all our running that I completely forgot to use my blue and white floral plates for our "Third of July" table.  So, instead I grabbed the green ones...which makes it look like Christmas. =)~

~Kimberly, Melanie, and I made this fun red, white, and blue trifle.  It was worth the effort...it was pretty...but better yet...it was DELICIOUS! =)~

~Then on Monday, July 4th, we had a picnic in the National park and we invited Jimmy, Farly, Natalie, and Gaby, and Farly's sister Judy, Raul, and their 3 sons.  Melanie, the kids, and I had fun making our 4th of July centerpiece...Choc. covered strawberries...with red, white, and blue sprinkles.  (Thank you, Laura, for the fun Patriotic sprinkles you gave me! =)~

~We love this park for this is where we took both Sarah and Noah's kindergarten graduation pics...and because it has LOTS of nice playgrounds for the kids to play on.  This was the first time that Baby Mary had ever been in a swing at a park, and she LOVED it!~

~When we got to the park it was sprinkling.  Phillip and Jimmy were going to walk to meet Raul, Judy and family and Farly was going to lone them her umbrella...until Phillip realized that it might just be better for them to walk in the rain...rather than 2 men under a pink umbrella. So, after I snapped this picture...they left without the umbrella. =)~

~"Aunt Farly" is a big help with Baby Mary. =)  We served Exotic chicken salad sandwiches (with toasted almonds and grapes), Macaroni salad, all kinds of chips, Pop and juice, cookies that Jimmy and Farly brought, Choc. Chip/M&M cookies that Melanie mixed up for me, apples, and tuna and crackers. Jimmy and Farly brought juice, lots of chips, and choc. cookies!~

~Raul and his family brought 3 soccer balls...which were a big hit!~

~At first it was sprinkling and CHILLY...then we all prayed and God took away the rain, sent out the beautiful sun, and gave us an absolutely gorgeous day! (Thank you, Dear Jesus!) ~

~The young people eating.~

~Kimberly and Natalie.~

~Gaby and Sarah with their "coconut sand cake!" =)~

~The sand was a BIG attraction to both big and small. =)~

~Us ladies visiting.~

~Us ladies trying to keep a soccer ball in the air. (I think it rolled down the hill more often than it was in the air...but we had fun anyways. =)~

~Enjoying the shade after the VERY WARM sun came out. =)~

~A partially buried Noah.~

~A buried Sarah with Gaby, and two other girls they met at the park.~

~It was sad...Elijah had watched the other kids getting buried, then all the kids ran to play somewhere else and I saw him trying to bury himself.  =(  So, Phillip came and helped bury him. =D~

~Elijah wandered over to the table and saw some remaining yummy choc. covered strawberries...and decided to help himself. =)~

~Sarah and Mary sporting their red, white, and blue. =)~

~Us adults eating lunch.~

~Leaving the park after a very fun day together!!~

~We walked several blocks to this bus terminal and here we are waiting for the crowded bus to come to take us home.~

Today, we have to run to the north to work on our Colombian visas again.  Please pray that God's will will be done!  Thank you!~