~Our Sunday~

Friends are amazing pieces in the puzzle of one's life.    ~Heather

Time after time Phillip and I have felt the LOVE and Friendship of our big circle of friends and we feel sooo BLESSED! As you know I'm a People person...so that is one reason I LOVE my blog.  It's a place where I can sit down and share my heart with y'all.   I get excited when it's time to post another post. =)  As you know I love to have company over...but that's sort of hard when we have just moved to a new country.  So, y'all are my "company". =)
The comments that y'all...my family and friends leave on my blog...help my heart sooooo MUCH!  Like Stephanie put it they are "fuel to my soul".   =)  It's like I get to sit down for a chat with each of you.  =)
Thanks bunches!
This past Sunday we went and visited a church that Phillip went to when he came to visit Argentina back in 2010.  They remembered him and were happy to have us in their service.
~Phillip, the pastor and his wife, and Heather~

~We had to take 2 buses to get home.  Here's half of us on the bus...~

~And here's the other half. =) (Noah's doing a funny face for his cousin Bryan =).~

~Then we had to walk about 10 blocks from where the bus dropped us off to get home.  We had to cross this train track and the kids were ExCiTeD when they heard a train coming, so of course we had to stop and watch it to go by! =)~

Thank you for your prayers. I'm feeling a tad better.                                                 

~Prayers Needed~

I'm not usually an "Eeyore" (Eeyore is an unbelievably loveable donkey who is dismally gloomy for almost eternity =) but I'm needing your prayers! It's spring in Argentina and every bloomin' thing here has my allergies going CrAzy! My eyes are so swollen and blood shot and are itching me to death and I'm sneezing a lot!
I'm also fighting a serious infection.  Up until today I was told there was no medicine I could take since I'm a nursing mother.   But, today I was able to get some Benadryl, and am PRAYING it helps me kick this!
If I cross your mind, could please breathe a prayer for me that Jesus will give me a special touch.  It's hard for our home to keep going without Mommy.  I've trained my girls so that they could run our house...but I hate for them to quit their schoolwork to help me.  Thanks for your prayers...I'm hoping to report that I'm as "good as new" soon.  =)

~Our Thirty Things for which we are Thankful~

Since November has 30 days...we made a list of 30 things for which we are thankful.  It was rather HARD to narrow it down...since God is SO GOOD to our family!
1. Jesus dying on the cross for our sins
2. The Bible...God's "Love Letter" to His children
3. Our Holiness Heritage
4. God's presence in Our lives
5. For my Sweetheart!  He's the BEST!! =) [He spoils LOVES me!=)]
6. For our dear Kimberly...she's my right hand lady.  She's so FUN to be around. She has a contagious laugh that she's had since she was tiny. =)
7. For our sweet Sarah.  She's a huge help too.  She's always looking around to see how/who she can help.
8. For our precious Noah.  Just a faithful quiet boy who LOVES to play cars...and still gives Mommy hugs!
9. For our adorable Elijah.  He will always be our "baby boy" and makes us laugh a lot.
10. For our surprise little Mary.  Jesus knew that she would bring a lot of joy to our lives!  She's so ornery and makes us laugh too!
11. Phillip is Thankful for ~ME~ his Wife =) and Our kids are thankful for their Mommy.
12. For Mommy's homemade goodies and good food to eat!
13. For Good health
14. For this nice breezy apt. to live in here in Argentina that Jesus provided for us RIGHT ON TIME!
15. For Kimberly's violin
~Elijah looking at my fresh strawberry pie with white chocolate...and a bucket of yummy ice cream. ALMOST more temptation than a little boy can handle. =)~

16. God's constant provisions for our family
17. For our PRECIOUS Family / Friends in the USA
18. For our PRECIOUS Friends in Colombia
19. That we get to live close to an Ocean here in Argentina
20. For our dog Bridget
21. Sarah is thankful for her family, and friends, her Bitty Baby, and toys.
22. Sarah is grateful that she got baptized.
23. I'm Thankful for our camera.  It's not very fancy, but Jesus helps us to take nice pics with it! =)
24. Noah is Thankful that he has a birthday each year.
25. For Sunshine
26. For my birthday pillows, another neat thing I hope to post about soon, =) and for a HUGE answer to prayer that Jesus just did for our family!
27. For each time that Jesus touches little Elijah and he gets better! (when he gets a cold it normally goes right into asthma problems. If you've never seen a little child gasping for breath...it's beyond description!)
28. For Elijah's toys.
29. For Christmas...the celebration of Jesus' birth.
30. For my blog...and all y'all...my faithful readers, pray-ers, and commenters. =)

~Fun Food Friday...Apple Dumplings~

~Seek the Lord and His Strength, seek His face continually. I Chron. 16:11~
 I received this recipe in my inbox from my daily Taste Of Home recipe that comes my way.  I tried it and it was yummy!  It was fun making the "dumplings"...it was even  "fun-er" to eat them. = )

~Apple Dumplings~
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
2 cups chopped peeled tart apples (about 5 medium)
For the syrup on top: 
2 cups packed brown sugar
I added some cinnamon and it was yummy! [ I didn't have any brown sugar at the time so my "syrup" is lighter.]
1 cup water (I would probably use less water next time.)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
Vanilla ice cream or Coolwhip
Directions In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 12-in. x 18-in. rectangle. Cut into six squares. Place 1/3 cup chopped apples in the center of each square. Brush edges of dough with water; fold up corners to center and pinch to seal. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water and butter; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Pour over dumplings. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until apples are tender. Serve warm with ice cream. Yield: 6 servings.
And As Always...ENJOY!
 

~The making of my Birthday Cake~

 My birthday was on a Sunday.  Elijah had been struggling with a cold/asthma and had been really SICK, so I stayed home from church with Mary and Elijah on my birthday.  (And with Noah, for he only owns tennis shoes right now...until we can find a store to buy him some dressier shoes.=)
On Sunday, Phillip took Kimberly and Sarah and went to find a church (with the word "holiness" in the title)... that Eric Kuhn had found on the internet and had sent us the address.
Bless their hearts, Phillip, Kimberly, and Sarah came back after finding that there was NO church at that address (it must have moved or something).  [Phillip had tried to call the phone number the night before and got no answer either!]
Then they tried to go to 3 other churches.  One was just closed with no hours, no explanation as to why it was closed.  The other 2 only have night services!  =(
So, they came back home after being gone for 2 or more hours looking for a church.
Thank you for your continued prayers that God will guide us.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
After they got home... we had a lovely birthday meal and family time together!  
For MONTHS or maybe even years I have wanted to make a cake using Fondant.  But, when I asked a store in Colombia (that makes those kinds of cakes) where I could buy fondant, I was told that I would have to make it!  I had looked on-line and had found a recipe, but for some reason in the midst of cleaning, organizing, sorting, packing, and helping to move our family of 7 to another country...I hadn't been able to try that fondant recipe yet. =)
Before my birthday, I had gone on-line and had looked at fall birthday cakes trying to decide what I wanted to make for my birthday.  I had seen one that was fondant and thought..."Oh, I'd LOVE to make a fondant cake for my birthday...but I don't even have a mixer so can't!"
On Saturday afternoon before my birthday, I went to a store to get some paper doilies (for I don't have a tray to put a cake on...so was planning to use a round piece of styro-foam that came with a store brand pizza we bought, as my tray =)...and while in that store I FOUND FONDANT FOR SALE!
I nearly SQUEALED. WITH. JOY.  right there in that store! =) =) =)
So, I bought some and came home and had a BLAST making my fondant cake.  (I didn't have time to figure out where or what kind of food coloring to use with it, so just made a white cake this time.  "Color fondant" will be for our next cake project! =)  I thought it SO SPECIAL that Jesus had seen the desires of my heart and had given me fondant to make my birthday cake!  =)
~With the paper doilies under it, my cake sort of looks like it was a "Hat Cake" but it was just a round cake!
We cut out little fall leaves and little acorns and put them on top and around the side of my cake.  We used melted choc. to make my "H" for ~Heather~ and on the one acorn.  We had planned to use more melted chocolate on my cake for some more color, but the choc. was WAY too runny, and it was late on Saturday night and we were tired, so we didn't.~

~Fondant is soooo FUN to work with.  It's addicting!  =) Kimberly and I had a BLAST making my birthday cake.~

~ Before we left Colombia, I had told my family that it would be nice if I could have some WHITE PLATES to use when we got to Argentina, for white plates go with any color of table decorations and with any festive table (ie; Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, etc.)!
Wouldn't you know...Jesus "must have heard me" for there are WHITE PLATES in our apt! YEA! =)
Here's My Birthday table.~

~My Birthday cake in the center of the table.~

~I have no round cake pans...only have one PIE plate that is round.  So, to make 2 round layers for my cake...I baked one half of my cake in the pie plate, flipped that out, then baked another layer in the pie plate. So, it was late on Saturday evening by the time both layers were baked and cooled and we could start decorating it. =)  We spread a thin layer of caramel (dulce de leche)  in between the 2 layers, jam on top of my cake, and caramel all around the edges underneath the fondant.  And then I served each slice with fresh strawberries over it!  Yummy! 
So, as you can see...I had a very Happy Birthday!  Thanks for all the fun comments y'all have left me! =)~

~My birthday pillows...an answer to my prayers! =)~

Before we left the USA to become missionaries, our master bedroom was always Victorian...using lots of white. But since then, I never could find the right "Victorian type" comforter/things for our bedroom. I've adapted fine, and enjoy the decor that God has given us for our Colombian bedroom. However, when we got to this apt. here in Argentina, and I saw the white bedspread...it made my heart want to have some Victorian touches again! Knowing that my birthday was coming up and that my DEAR in-laws always send me money for my birthday, I started dreaming that I could purchase some fun pillows to go on our bed.  (For after all, I could un-stuff those pillows...and pack the pillowcases in my suitcase in March! =)  But, then when I started looking around...the pillows I was seeing for sale were $40.00 to $80.00 PER PILLOW!  UGH!  So, I began to PRAY that God would guide me to some pretty pillows for cheaper.   (MANY THANKS to those of you who helped me pray...you know who you are ! =)

Isn't it great that our God...who is running this big universe, answering VERY IMPORTANT prayers, Meeting Great financial needs, helping a sad person's heart in a special way, touching a sick body, etc....isn't too busy to answer our "little prayer requests"?!  I LOVE that about our Heavenly Father!  =)

So, long story short...after walking LOTS and praying L.O.T.S. I was able to find some pretty pillows for LOTS cheaper...and I'm Happy with our bedroom. (Phillip thinks it's beautiful too!)
~My "birthday month" actually started 6 days before my birthday.  That is when the Lord helped me to find a pillow for $5.00 and another one for $10.00!  I was sooooo HAPPY!  Then, while walking the mile home we met a man selling these fresh white Jasmine flowers for CHEAP.  Phillip bought us a bunch...and They MAKE OUR ROOM SMELL DELIGHTFUL! =)

~At the Adorable Victorian store "Miracles" where ones' heart just STOPS and DROOLS =)...is where the pillows were SO expensive!  But, Phillip bought me this adorable frame and antique tea cup and saucer for my birthday from there. =)~

~My pretty pillows that Jesus sent me! (The lighter beige pillow belongs to this apt. and I just tied the ribbons around it.=)
(You can click on pic to make it a tad bigger!)~

“Tis the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”

~Laura Ingalls Wilder~

~This is the pillow I got for only $5.00! =)~

~There are no "Hobby Lobby's" around the corner from me...and no material stores near-by either, so I "took what I had" and that was a white kitchen tea towel and cut it into 2 pieces...and hand-sewed 2 simple little pillows.  I had planned to use mother pearl buttons on one to make our initial "D"...but the only button shop near me sells buttons that she must have cut off of clothes from the 1960s...from a missionary barrel.  They are Dirty and Dusty and she's charging ONE DOLLAR per button!  =[
So, then I decided I would embroidery our initial...but the only embroidery thread she sold would have made initials on 500 Pillows!!...and she didn't sell any less. ={
So, I came back home...dug around and found 5 buttons that were running around in the bottom of my small sewing bag and used those on my little pillow. =)~

~A little closer view.  As Aunt Nesi just commented on this post...
"can't get much 'cuter than a button!' "~

~These little white cube seats at the end of our bed had been in the living room, and I thought  they'd add a fun touch, so took them to our bedroom. =)~

~When one uses suitcases to take everything to move to another country...once they've unpacked...WHERE do they put the suitcases?  ( They won't fit under the beds, and the closets are needed for clothes!)
So, I stacked up our suitcases, and then used mine at the top for a "night stand."  =D~

~Fun!~

~Here's my other pillow that I made.  I used the LITTLE BIT of scraps left over from cutting my tea towel into 2 pieces...and made a little flower...and found one more button to use for the center! =)~

 ~A close up of a couple more of my cute pillows.~ 

 ~Isn't God Good?...ALL THE TIME!!~

~My sweetheart surprised me and brought me these beautiful roses home on Saturday before my birthday on Sunday!  They weren't quite as cheap as Colombia's...but they were still a great price!~

Next up...in my birthday month =)...I'll post pics of my birthday cake!

~It's a Girl...

...That's the news that my parents received on the day that I was born. (Sorry, couldn't resist. ;-) 
It's my birthday (tomorrow), so we had fun taking some pics around our neighborhood, to show you some more of the culture here in Buenos Aries, Argentina.
(Thank you, Sweetheart, for my fun dressy coat that you bought me in Colombia!=)

~In the area where we live there seems to be one of these neat restaurants on every other corner.  They put out tables, chairs, table clothes, and make everything look so neat.  We haven't eaten here yet (we had planned to have something hot to drink but it was sprinkling so they were taking the tables in), but they let me take some pictures.~

  ~There are some really neat bicycles here. (On the day we were moving in, this one was outside the apt. below us.  I got permission to take my picture with it...and placed some crusty bread in the basket. =)~

~We saw this fun car. It has the name of the restaurant [behind me] painted on it.~

~(These pics are for Dad D....we thought you'd like the car.=)~

~Most people take "train pictures" in the country...but God hasn't called us to live / minister in the country...so I took some with the city in the background. =)~

~I'll never forget when Phillip told me (while we were still courting) that he felt called to work in BIG cities.  Sure enough...We started out in Cincinnati, Ohio, then to Phoenix, AZ, then to Bogota, Colombia, and now in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  [Every city keeps getting bigger!=]

~Now, we had to take these pictures fast...for as you can see to your LEFT...while we were taking them a train came!  These are passenger trains that are used similar to subways here...and they come by every 10 mins. or so!!!  Elijah and, Sarah, and Noah L.O.V.E. to watch the trains and CANNOT WAIT to ride one!!~

~There are lots of NEAT old buildings here, lots of vines growing up the sides, lots of neat doors, etc.~

~This is an ADORABLE Victorian shop near us called "Milagros" (Miracles).  There is a very good artist there that paints neat roses on lots of things!  She painted the big ole gates going into their property and that Volkswagon car behind me too.~

~Me....with A Certain, Amazing, Handsome Man that "happened to walk by" while I was taking my pictures.  ;-)
[Actually, he was the man TAKING my pics...except Sarah took these last 2, and I thought she did great! =] ~

I'm so GLAD that this is just the Beginning of my "BIRTHDAY MONTH!"  =)

~Fun Food Friday...Cheddar Mashed Cauliflower~

Thank you for each of your sweet comments and your prayers!  Well, I've been dying to blog, but have been kept busy with an assortment of things. (I'll post about some of those things later!=)  Oh, how I wish that I had some of my beautiful fall decor with me [that I got at Hobby Lobby for 80% off]...but alas that is in our house in the USA.  So, I decided to add some fun touches to my real pumpkin and butternut squash.   [Am I calling it the right name?  This yummy squash is my source of "pumpkin" for making all of my Fall recipes both in Colombia and here in Argentina. =) ]
~Here's the BEFORE pic......... ~

~And Here's the AFTER pic.  =).~

~Thank the Lord that I brought these Fall ribbons with me...and I hot glued them onto the pumpkin. (Obviously I can't get a fake pumpkin here, so used the real one that Jesus helped me to find. After I bought this one, I 've not seen anymore pumpkins like this here in Argentina!)~

~Then my wonderful sweetheart who is an artist did some calligraphy on the butternut squash for me.  Thank you, Phillip, you are the best!=)~

 ~I'm happy with my "new" fall decor.~

I wanted to share a recipe with you.  I made it for our Sunday dinner and it was yummy.  I've eaten cauliflower with cheese all of my life, but it's hard to get the cheese to stay on every piece.  But this way makes it easier to get cheese in every bite!
~Cheddar Mashed Cauliflower~ ]
Cook 3 med. heads of cauliflower broken into florets in 1" of boiling water until tender.
Drain.
Mash with 1/3 cup milk, 1 Tab. of minced fresh rosemary {which I didn't have}, and 1/2 teas. salt.
Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Serves 6.  (our Sunday dinner of a fresh green salad, cooked carrots, baked chicken, Cheddar Mashed Cauliflower, and my fresh homemade bread. =)~
And as always...ENJOY!