~HEATHER'S HIGHLIGHTS~: ~Rapid City SD, Native American Youth camp, Mitchell SD, & wedding.~

Well, I feel like we have been "around the world in 21 days!"
{NOTE: I have been trying to finish this blog for DAYS! However, due to wifi trouble in the house we are staying in here in FL, and computer troubles I am FINALLY getting to post this!!}
Warning: You'll need a LARGE glass of sweetened iced tea with lemon, or an iced coffee as you look through ALLLL OF THESE FUN PICS!!

AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN:
June 23rd: We left HOME to head to Rapid City, SD to have a missionary service.
That night we stayed at Steve and Luann's house with sweet Sito.
June 24th: We arrived at Rapid City, SD.
Sunday June 25th: We held a mission's service in Rapid City.
Monday June 26th: We went to MT. RUSHMORE!! (Phillip and I were engaged just 10 mins. from there.)
June 27th-30th (Tuesday- Friday) The Lord helped Phillip to preach for the Native American Youth Camp at Spring Creek, SD.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR THAT NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH CAMP!!!!
Saturday July 1st: We ate lunch with Ron and Becky Patton then headed to Faith in Mitchell, SD for a missionary service.
Sunday July 2nd we had a mission service at Mitchell, SD.
Monday July 3rd: We spent this lovely day with our Dear ~~friends~~ FAMILY the Arnolds, then headed to ILL to spend 4th of July with our Dear ~~friends~~ FAMILY Steve and Luann and their family, Greg and Susanna Hobelman, and Joshua and Shanda Davis.
THIS IS THE DAY THAT ELIJAH BROKE HIS OTHER ARM! :-(
Wednesday July 5th, We hurried home to Cinci,...to wash clothes, get Mary's cast off, attend Skip and Ruth Ann's wedding rehearsal, and Phillip and I sang in their wedding on Friday 7-7-17.
On Saturday, July 8th we drove down here to Hobe Sound, FL.
We are having some family time and enjoying being with U. Scott and A. Libby and their family.
Here's some pics of our time in South Dakota, Ill, the wedding. (It's sort of a STAYCATION for we are doing lots of work while we are here.)
~On the way to South Dakota we stayed at Steve and Luann's house. They were at camp meeting, but Sito (Luann's Mommy, "Sito" is the Arabic name for "Grandma") was home and welcomed us with open arms.
Sito took us out for supper.~

~Sito and our family~

~Yummy prime rib~

~Noah and Elijah running the garbage cans home for Sito.~

~Lucky Charms...which Abigail who can't say her "L's" very well calls..."YUCKY CHARMS." :-) ~

~Love this quote that I saw in a magazine.
"Cooking is at Once Child's play and Adult Joy.
And cooking done with Care is an Act of Love."~

~Abigail called these big windmills... "spinners" (Like a Fidget Spinners.)~

~RAPID CITY, SD~

~Joy, Mary, and Abigail in Rapid City, SD.~

~Phillip giving our missionary service in Rapid City, SD.
Rapid City is where my parents and I used to shop when we lived in Oelrichs. My Daddy pastored there in Oelrichs, SD for around 4 years. ONCE A MONTH....We would drive the 75 miles to Rapid City to go shopping!!
God laid Rapid City on the hearts of our dear friends Brent and Nicki Woodard and they started a holiness church here.~

~Little Joy and Abigail.~

~Our family ran to Armadillos ice cream shop in Rapid for a quick treat.~

~On Monday evening June 26th we drove to see Mt. Rushmore with Brent and Nicki and family, and the Allegheny group that was in town.~

~Phillip and I were engaged just 10 mins. from Here.~

~Neat Mt. Rushmore~

~Mt. Rushmore and a sliver of the moon.~

~All the state flags with Mount Rushmore in between.~

~NATIVE AMERICAN YOUTH CAMP~

~Here's the flyer (or part of it) of the Native Youth Camp in Spring Creek, SD where Phillip preached.~

~Driving down the lane back to the Native Youth camp in Spring Creek, SD.~

~Nice blankets in our nice comfy rooms at the Native Youth camp.~

~Up on the hill overlooking the camp down in those trees.~

~Laura Patton cooked and did a Great job!! Everything was YUMMY!!~

~Kimberly was a counselor and this is where her, Sarah, and their girls stayed.~

~There was a good group of young people at this youth camp~

~This young man sat in front of us and his jacket was covered with skulls. :-( ~

~THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS FOR THIS INDIAN YOUTH CAMP!!! GOD REALLY HELPED Phillip as he preached. ~

~Phillip was going to guide this young man with a compass, and used this to illustrate that God is guiding His children.~

~Phillip used marshmallows was one of his illustrations and gave some to some of the little ones. Abigail was HAPPY he included her.~

~The teams playing volleyball.~

~In the afternoon they have great classes that the kids can take. This class was tie dye.

~This was an art class.~

~Laura Patton cooked and did a great job. Here I am helping her.~

~In this class the kids built 4 picnic tables for the camp.~

~There was a cooking class and they made donuts.~

~Yummy!!~

~Mary and her friends~

~Abigail with a little braid in her hair.~

~eating a snack and a devotional.~

~2 of the nice picnic tables the class built!

~Abigail and Chloe~

~The Lord's presence was very close during Brandy's testimony of how God saved her life.~

~Brandy giving her testimony.~

~It was nice to meet Kayla and Jordan Satterfield, standing to the left in the back of this picture. He is nephew of Pam Kuhn. RB used to be my principal and piano teacher. ~

~Little boys laying in the sand~

~The teams could volunteer to sing a special for more points.~

~Phillip asked for Abigail to come up front to use her for an illustration.~

~Noah sitting with his team. Jordan and Kayla were his team captains.~

~Abigail's cute little hand drawing.~

~I drew one of these hearts, and Abigail drew the other heart.~

~Noah's team serving lunch and Elijah is in line~

~This tree provided great shade and entertainment. The young men enjoyed climbing it.~

~The tie dye shirts all done~

~Noah making his tie dye shirt.~

~Sarah tie dying her shirt.~

~Sarah helping Mary tie dye her shirt.~

~Laura and I making fry bread for lunch.~

~The yummy donut recipe. But she didn't use that glaze.~

~This is the caramel icing that she (Sis. Camp) put on the donuts.~

~Mary watching Sarah do string art.~

~On Thursday they had WATER DAY!!!
Tyler and Noah on water day.~

~So they took these blue mats and put soap on them and sprayed them with water and let everyone slide on them.~

~There goes Elijah~

~There goes Jordan~

~Abigail~

~Everyone getting Wyatt...the birthday boy.~

~Wyatt and Noah~

~Kimberly throwing water on Noah~

~One of the afternoon classes was string art~

~Sarah playing volleyball~

~Abigail and Chloe~

~Noah climbing the tree~

~One afternoon we went out to Bro. Ron's father-in-law's and watched a branding of calves. It was neat, but sad. I prayed for the little calves the whole time. :-) ~

~Abigail~

~Noah helping~

~Elijah and a little friend~

~The happy calves reunited with their Mommies.~

~Beautiful South Dakota~

~It was nice that Jesus sent Noah a new friend named Tyler.~

~Abigail praising Jesus during the song service.~

~The last evening Phillip started a fire on a jelly roll pan and added things, and took away things...illustrating that when we pray and read God's Word it helps us to grow, and when we don't, our fire goes out! :-( ~

~Abigail all worn out~

~This dear Native American brother has done a lot for Jesus!!~

~And this is his sweet wife testifying!~

~After the service, it was AWARD TIME!!~

~Noah learned 74 Bible verses and won first place in the Bible Memorization.
He got a nice KJV Bible!!~

~Noah's team also got first place for the most points~

~Our Sarah met another sweet Sarah!~

~Noah's team~

~Kimberly was a counselor for some girls, but I FORGOT to get a pic of her and her girls.~

~After camp: The kids learning how to take down the flag and fold it.~

~Leaving the youth camp~

~Ron Patton stopped by to show us where his church in ST. Francis, SD USED to stand before vandals burned it down a few weeks ago. :-( ~

~We enjoyed going to Ron and Becky Pattons and having a delicious
Indian Fry bread lunch at their house. ~

~Kristin, Chloe, and Abigail~

~Mitchell, SD~

~We stayed in the girl's dorm there in Mitchell.

Dear Clarissa brought us a delightful breakfast!~

~We are sooo happy for the nice pastor and family that God has sent to SD.
Bro. Stafford.~

~Dear Sis. Nancy Bryant and I~

~What a privilege to know this dear Saint of God, Bro. Lyle Howard. He is 100 years old now. He lives in lots of pain with his back and legs. Please pray for him.~

~Our DEAR friends the Ron Arnolds had us over for a delicious Sunday dinner!~

~Abigail and Jaxsen~

~Patrick and Noah~

~On Sunday PM our family had a missions service in Mitchell, SD.~

~A cute flag Abigail "made" in Sunday school.~

~After service I was happy to meet a new friend...Susanna Hobelman.
We hit it off and felt like "sisters separated at birth."~

~My SWEET friend Ashlea. We go way back to our AZ days when her sister Julianna and Ashlea would come to our house in Phoenix as teenagers and we would go thrift store shopping together. They would stay with us at least one weekend each year. #LOVEHERTOPIECES~

~Sarah, Kimberly, and Olivia!~

~Brian set off some fireworks for us.~

~Anthony even pulled out some "Flags on poles.":-) ~

~Mary and Addisen writing in their journals.~

~The whole Arnold family~

~Sunday night after we had a delicious snack, we all gathered around the piano and sang lots of songs together!!~

~These 4 formed a quartet. Bro. Arnold sang bass, Phillip tenor, Sarah lead, and Kimberly alto.~

~Abigail "playing the piano" with Sis. Arnold.~

~Monday morning (while we waited for our truck to get fixed) we ran to some thrift stores. :-)
Photo credit: Anthony Arnold. ~

~As we were driving down the road we passed a store and Clarissa and Ashlea got so excited! That store was not supposed to be open, but it was. So, they stopped and asked the owner if we could come in. She had just stopped at her shop to take in a couple pieces of furniture that she was going to re-do, but graciously let us shop there. :-)
This little sign was true.~

~Then Clarissa and Ashlea took us to a CUTE cupcake shop.~

~Clarissa treated us to some yummy cupcakes~
We were happy that our truck needed worked on, so we could have these
fun hours with these ladies!! (and their families)~

~Fun pics that Antony A. shared with us.~

~Anthony and Abigail~

~Abigail, Addisen, and Mary.~

~Jaxsen and Abigail~
#puresummer #barefootcuties

~Addisen and Mary~

~Ashlea and I~

~Bro. Arnold and the kids.~

~Our truck finally got fixed at 5:00 P.M. on July 3rd.
So, We left Mitchell to drive to Steve and Luann's house at 7:00 P.M. and arrived at their house at
4:46 A.M.
on the 4th of July!!
Exhausted!!~

~OUR FOURTH OF JULY!~

~This was a yummy gluten free cake that Luann had made. It didn't want to stay together, so we used meat thermometers to hold it together. :-) ~

~Greg and Susanna H., Joshua and Shanda D., Steve, Luann, Matt, and Bethany, Sito and our family enjoyed spending the 4th together at Steve and Luann's.~

~Yummy~

~Luann's yummy chicken wings~

~Sarah, Bethany, and Kimberly~

~Levi and Elijah...twins separated at birth.~

~Susanna, Shanda, Heather, and Luann~

~Sito and Abigail~

~Everyone was making fun of my dessert plate. :-) ~

~Abigail licking her ice cream bowl.~

~Steve hooked up the trailer so we could ride down and the fire works.~

~All on the trailer~

~Elijah and Mary with sprinklers~

~Abigail with her sparkler~

~We really enjoyed the fireworks put on by the local neighborhood.~

~On the trailer ride back to the house after the fireworks~

~Abigail wearing her Daddy's boots.~

~Abigail hugs Benia ~

~Brittany signing Mary's cast.~

Joshua and Shanda's children and Mary and Abigail~

~On July 4th Elijah was on a hover board for no more than 5 mins.
I ran into the house to get my phone
to take a pic of Noah and Elijah on the hover boards!
By the time I came back outside...
ELIJAH WAS CRUMPLED ON THE GROUND WEEPING!!!
The result: HE BROKE HIS OTHER ARM!!! :-(

~On Wednesday, July 5th, we drove back to our house in Cinci.
On the way, Elijah and Mary and I sat in the back seat and did school work.
#travelingforJesushasputusatadbehind
Elijah wrote this in his English PACE.
(Well, since he broke his right arm, I was writing for him as he dictated.)
"Dear Supervisor, (Daddy)
Thank you for being my Dad. Thank you for driving on this one billion day trip. :-)
Thank you for loving my cute face. :-) Elijah

~Dear Mother, Thank you for being my Mother. You are cute.
Thank you for making homemade bread and cookies.
Thank you for loving my cute face. Elijah~

~Just a few miles from HOME,
ELIJAH FINISHED 2nd GRADE
AND MARY FINISHED 1st GRADE!
PRAISE THE LORD!!!

~HOME~
~During the 2 days we were HOME,
we got to enjoy the eggs our chickens had started laying while we were gone.~

~Mary got her cast off.~

~Phillip and I attended the rehearsal of Skip and Ruth Ann.~

~Cute decor that Connie did.
Love the crates and barrels!~

~Mary and Abigail hugging in their sleep~

~A yummy fruit dip that I ate at Skip and Ruth's rehearsal.
Skip's Mom shared her recipe.
One 8 oz. cream cheese
One small coolwhip
1/2 cup white sugar
beat all together, and serve.
DELICIOUS!
3 Tablespoons strawberry jam

~Joy helped entertain Abigail during Skip and Ruth's wedding.~

~The groomsmen all wore guns on their sides and carried hats.~

~The Kennedy twins were so cute.~

~Ruth made a beautiful bride~

~Phillip and I were asked to sing 2 songs in their wedding.
Matt Barnett did a beautiful played for us.
The songs they chose for us to sing had good words.
"Two becoming One"
"For Always"