~HEATHER'S HIGHLIGHTS~: ~Elijah turns 13 & Phillip, Noah, and Elijah Kayak down to the Ohio River!~

Thank you so very much for your prayers for Phillip and Sarah as they went to minister at the Shelbyville Spanish Church last Sunday.

The Lord really helped them!

Unfortunately, I was not with them, and they didn't think to take any pictures.

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~ELIJAH TURNS 13!~

I absolutely cannot believe that my baby boy is 13! He is such a kind hearted, very giving young man. (See Kayak Story below.)

He is the most creative child I have ever seen. If he thinks of an idea, it is not long and he is busy making it, and does a great job. How we Thank the Lord for sending us our precious Elijah!

He loves Jesus very much and from a young age has carried a burden and prayed for our Nation!!!

We are so excited to see what Jesus has in store for our Elijah!

We didn't do a lot for his birthday, just invited his "twin Levi" over and they had fun playing in the creek, catching crawdads, etc.

~Guitar Recital!~

~The next Day Noah and Elijah had a Classical guitar recital.

Elijah really was bummed that he could not do something more fun on the weekend of his birthday,

but we put it off until the next weekend, because of his recital. (See Kayak Story Below.)

This is a pic of Elijah having a recital back in Argentina. So cute and little.

~Here is Elijah 2021. The Lord helped him. ~

~Here is Noah 2021. The Lord helped him. ~

~KAYAK TRIP DOWN OHIO BRUSH CREEK TO THE OHIO RIVER~

~Right before we moved out here, Elijah turned 11, and we had a surprise birthday party for him!

When people asked what he wanted for his birthday, I told them that we were raising money to help him buy a kayak, since we would have a creek nearby.

All of his friends and family gave generously, and he got almost all the money to buy his kayak!!! He was so Happy!!!

Noah bought himself a kayak as well.

For these 2 years, the boys have enjoyed kayaking together, but Daddy could not go with them.

So, several months ago, Elijah came to me and told me that he wanted to raise the $ to buy a kayak for Daddy.

You see, for Elijah's 13 birthday, he wanted to have the 3 of them, take 3 days, 2 nights, kayak down the Ohio Brush Creek to the Ohio River, and camp out each night.

But, Daddy needed a Kayak if they were going to do that.

Elijah knew that Daddy would never buy himself a kayak.

So, Elijah Grabbed a Ball Jar and started a Fund which he called, "Cinnamon" so that Daddy would not know

it was for a Kayak. :-)

The kids raised almost all the $, we found a GREAT DEAL on a kayak, ran to Tractor Supply and ordered it.

When Daddy came home that day, we surprised him by telling him that we had purchased a kayak for him for an Early Birthday gift!

HE WAS SO SURPRISED!!

So this past Thursday evening, the guys got all packed up, and the girls and I took them down and dropped them off at the Ohio Brush Creek.

We picked them back up on Saturday.

~Just before leaving our house.~

~On Ohio Brush Creek~

~Taken from the bridge on 41.~

~A little white water rafting.~

~Their first camp site.~

~They cooked their food each night and breakfast each morning.

And even though it was very warm days, the nights were still chilly.

I think they Kayaked around 25 miles.

Phillip said it was intense rowing for 25 miles, when one wasn't used to rowing. :-).

He teasingly said he thought it would have been easier to push himself 25 miles in a wheel chair,

than row for 25 miles.

But they said they had a blast and made memories

that will last a life time.

~The Littles and I...and what we did while our guys were kayaking.~

~Mary and Abigail made Breakfast.~

~The first evening, We made Fresh Mint tea, from the Mint leaves the girls picked, and played a game of Sorry on the front porch.~

~The next evening, we Took them to go Creek Stomping.~

~While I sat in a lawn chair and looked at magazines.~

~Then we went home and the girls made "Toad in the Hole" toast and eggs for us to eat...

~While we played trouble.~

~When someone gives you oranges that need used up...

You make Orange Julius. :-)

Noah juiced them using our nice handy dandy juicer we got for around $5.00 in Colombia...

~And then I used our Blender to make Orange Julius. Yum!~

~ORANGE JULIUS~

Yields: 4 glasses

6 oz. (3/4 cup) Orange Juice

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sugar (could get by with a little less)

1 1/3 cups water

Blend with 1 and 1/2 trays of Ice cubes.

(I double this for my family.

I make a double batch, and then before adding the ice, I pour half into a pitcher,

then add 1 1/2 trays of ice.

Blend and serve.

Then when I need more, I pour the 2nd batch out of the pitcher into the blender

and add another 1 1/2 trays of ice for the 2nd batch.)

~And As Always....ENJOY!!~

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~The Old Y Restaurant...

And a "Hug from Jesus and Aunt Carole."~

I took the girls to the Old Y restaurant.

While chatting with the nice waitress, named Susan, I told her that I had never eaten here before, but that I had heard a lot of great reports about it from my Uncle and Aunt.

She asked who my uncle and aunt were.

I told her that their last name was Roush.

She said, I know some Roushes.

What are their first names?

I told her Dan and Carole, but that they had moved to Tennessee years ago,

so she might not know them.

She said, I know exactly who you are talking about!

Didn't Carole pass away recently?

I said, Yes! ;-(

Then she said that her parents had worked for

U. Dan's sister Patty.

(Who I have called, "Aunt Patty," Cause Esther always did. :-)

And that she grew up playing with my cousin Esther!

SMALL WORLD!!!!

She said that Aunt Patty's husband had just left, and that Patty should come in around 11:00!

She said, "I am going to call Patty and tell her you are here!"

She did, and Aunt Patty came and we had the nicest visit!!!

When I texted Dear Uncle Dan about this, he told me that he had gone to school with Susan's Dad!

It was a HUG for me, from Jesus and Aunt Carole that day!!

~Myself and "Aunt Patty."~

~The Eckerts were in town, so we had a nice visit.~

~Warm Apple Saute, served with ice cream.~

Someone gave me a bag of apples, that had seen better days.

But, rather than tossing them to our chickens,

I decided to make this yummy dessert with them.

~WARM APPLE SAUTE, WITH ICE CREAM!!~

Serves 4. (I doubled it for my fam.)

3 Tablespoons Butter

4 large apples, cored, peeled (I left the peelings on), and sliced.

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 Tab. lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I left out)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

optional: Chopped Pecans

Preheat a skilled over medium heat. Add Butter to the skillet, and stir until melted. Add apple slices and saute them for 6-8 mins. Add brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried cranberries, and pecans and cook for 2 more minutes.

Scoop vanilla ice cream into dessert bowls and top with warm apples.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

And as Always....ENJOY!!!~