~Our trip to Uruguay...part 1~

[Explanation:  It's expected that when a non-citizen visits Argentina that they have a ticket to GO OUT of that country within 90 days.  =)  So, we had purchased our tickets to Uruguay before even coming to Argentina.  This trip renews Argentine 90 day visas.]
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~I told you earlier that I would tell you what we did on "Black Friday"...the Friday after Thanksgiving.  Before we moved to Argentina, our children were SO EXCITED thinking that we we would have an ocean in our city of Buenos Aires!  Then, a few days after we moved to Arg. they were "devastated" to find out that it wasn't actually the "ocean" that bordered Buenos Aires, but a rather L.A.R.G.E. River called "Plata River" which mixes with the ocean!  (In that part of Buenos Aires...they don't allow people to swim in the river. =( )   It's the second biggest river in South America...#1 being the Amazon.  (Whew!  I hope my brothers and Daddy read this...I'm amazing myself with all my Knowledge.  HA! =)  But, we did find out that there was a park beside the river, so on the Friday after Thanksgiving we took our kids to see the river and play at the park.  Though they were SAD that they can't swim here in our city...they were happy with the park there and we had a fun day!
(Can you find Waldo Elijah?  YES, I KNOW where Elijah is in this picture!!! Our Elijah is always a flurry of Activity...so he does need YOUR extra prayers. =)~

~So, all that background info to say that our LARGE boat ride that lasted 3 hours was to cross the Plata River! (And then we had a 2 1/2 hour bus ride after that, which still followed that same river!  It's HUGE!)
After celebrating Sarah's birthday on Monday, Dec. 5th, and packing LATE, and getting LITTLE sleep that night, the Lord helped us to make it to our boat on time Tuesday morning, Dec. 6th.  =) On the boat we were able to get some tables with a nice view out the window where we ate breakfast that we brought along with us (Knowing that the food on the boat would probably be pricey.)
Here's the kids at their table!
(With an Elijah who thinks now-a-days he has to SLAM his eyes shut for. every. picture. =) ~

~And us at ours.  Our boat was the cheapest boat to Uruguay that there is, but it was still very nice.  It's 6 stories high and has a restaurant, a store, an elevator, etc.~

~It's hard to see but behind Noah, Sarah, and Elijah in the port...is another large boat similar to the boat we were riding on.~

~Here's a better picture of the other boat.~

~This very EXHAUSTED Mother was DELIGHTED when not too long after we got on the boat Mary went to sleep.  So, I went and got a MUCH-NEEDED nap in the comfortable airplane type seats! =)~

~Some fun sailboats we passed as we were leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina.~

~Our 3 younger kids looking out the window.~

~Kimberly and I.~

~Phillip took our children upstairs on the deck...and it was quite WINDY as you can see.~

~Mary and Mommy on the deck.~

~A fun lighthouse picture that Kimberly snapped.~

~Once our boat docked, then we had a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Montevideo, Uruguay.  We had run out of water and I was SO THIRSTY!  It seemed like a VERY LONG 2 1/2 hours without water to drink...what will eternity be like in the bad place?
This is a picture of our first meal once we got to Montevideo.  This is a very typical meal that I had wanted to try ever since Phillip had eaten it when he visited Uruguay in 2010.  A piece of lamb or beef covered with ham, cheese, bacon, a fried egg, red peppers, and an olive...and it comes along with that big salad, fries, and a type of Russian salad.~

~Our family eating.~

~Then we walked around and took our kids to this park.~

~The next day...our only FULL day in Montevideo...we were getting ready to take our kids to see what we thought was the ocean (but found out it is STILL THE SAME HUGE PLATA RIVER =)...when we heard a BLOODCURDLING scream.  Phillip ran out of our hotel room to find out where it was coming from and met Noah carrying a bleeding Elijah.  Elijah had crashed into a coffee table..KILLING his ear!!  Poor little one, I know it had to have H.U.R.T SO BADLY!!!  It made me want to cry looking at it!
This picture is much later after he had calmed down some and everything was patched up.  =)
We thank the Lord that it was not worse!!
So, after it was all cleaned up, Elijah fell asleep...thus we didn't go to the river until about 3 hours later!~

~After he woke up we got some lunch items and walked to the river and ate lunch.~

~Then we let our kids "dip their toes-ies" (and more) in the water. =)~

~Elijah and Phillip (with our other 3 in the background).  Phillip was trying to build a sand castle near the shore...just to keep Elijah from going out into the deeper water and getting his head / ear wet.
(But...for a little boy who LOVES water...it was nearly an I.M.P.O.S.S.I.B.L.E. task!=)~

~Mommy and Baby Mary...before she crawled out of the stroller and found the fun wet sand...~

~She LOVED the wet sand and water!~

Stay tuned...Part 2 coming soon! =)

~Fun Food Friday...Nutella Hot Chocolate~

Have yourself a Merry ...Cup of Cocoa! =)
The other day I found this recipe and we tried it and really enjoyed it.  Since we were making enough for our whole family...we did half water and half milk and it was good.  I thought it was going to be ICKY sweet...but it was delightful!  

~Nutella Hot Chocolate~
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe.com
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons Nutella
Whisk milk and nutella in a saucepan over medium heat until combined and frothy. Serve with whipped cream or marshmallows.
(This recipe is one serving. You can easily double, triple, quadruple the recipe depending on how many servings you want to make)
And as always...Enjoy!
We had a nice trip to Uruguay...getting back LATE last night.  Jesus was with us.  Thank you for your prayers!  I'll post about our trip later!

~Sarah's HAPPY Birthday~

It is time for us to leave Argentina to renew our tourist visas for here.  We leave early this morning to take a 2 hour boat ride to the small country of Uruguay. We'll be coming back near the weekend, Lord willing.  Please pray for us.  Thank you!
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Sarah had a wonderful birthday...Thank you for all your sweet comments! =) I have a few LOTS of pics to post really quickly before we leave for Uruguay.  Enjoy!
I wanted a cake stand, so we made one.  We took this plate, and this bottle and...~

 ~Hot glued them together.  (I would recommend a wider base, but this is the only thing we could find.)~

 ~Sarah (with her silly brothers) opening up one of her gifts.~

 ~Sarah Strawberry Shortcake cake that Jesus helped us to make. =)~

 ~Sarah loved her cake!~

 ~We used a strawberry to hold a place card at each place setting.=)~

 ~At first we were having trouble finding Strawberry Shortcake things for her party, but Jesus helped us to find a store that had a lot of things.  =) ~

 ~Sweet Sarah and her table~

 ~One of the gifts she received was a neat Strawberry Shortcake booklet from Kimberly that had this poster in it...so we had her open it early in the day so we could use it to decorate with. =)~

 ~Sarah was HAPPY with her gifts.~

 ~A "My Little Pony" that "bakes"...with a lot of fun things to make cakes, cookies, pies, etc.  When Sarah showed me this in the store earlier, I knew I wanted to get it for her.  (I wonder who Sarah takes after? =)

 ~Opening her gifts.~

 ~Sarah came up with the idea to make lemonade and make strawberry ice cubes...so that's what we did and it was delicious.~

 ~Getting ready to eat yummy Skyline Chili!~

 ~Daddy (and the rest of us) praying a special birthday blessing over Sarah.~

 ~Another one of Sarah's requested gifts.  A baby with a bathtub that plays music, lights up and sprays water. =)~

 ~Then, after eating her birthday supper we all started packing for our trip to Uruguay.  But I soon discovered...that WHILE I WAS BUSY PACKING...a certain busy 3 year old was in my kitchen making his own version of "Strawberry Shortcake"...using vitamins, onions, bananas, honey, water, and nearly all of my red sugar to make Christmas goodies!  (`~`)
I had to take his picture with it...for He was SO HAPPY with his "CAKE"! =]~

 ~And then a few seconds later, I heard it HIT THE FLOOR!  HELP!  So, I whisked him off to the bathtub and cleaned up the mess...then went back to packing!  Life is never dull around our house! =)~

 ~Sarah and her cake.  It was late at night, and we had A LOT on our minds...so we COMPLETELY FORGOT to put her candle on her cake! =(~

 Sarah had a special day...and now I am off to finish packing and get out the door so we can get to our boat on time.  Thank you for your prayers that all will go smoothly with our trip!

~Sarah...our birthday girl!~

Back around Christmas 2000 God sent a special bundle to our home.  Kimberly (who was nearly 3 years old), and Daddy and Mommy were THRILLED to have little Sarah join us! =)  Sarah is a very caring girl who LOVES to help and is always trying to do things to make others happy!  Often I come back into my room to make our bed (after Mary has awakened and is out of my bed since she has no bed of her own here Argentina =) and my bed is already made up.  And I know that my Sarah has been at it again...being her SWEET self! =) 
~Sarah loves Strawberry Shortcake and her dolls!  I love it that our Sarah still loves to be girly! =)~

~Sarah (like all of us do) LOVES her baby sister Mary, so I threw her into some of her pictures. =)
In this picture Mary was trying to lay exactly like Sarah...it was too cute!~

~Sarah in her Strawberry Shortcake night gown, with her Bitty Baby in her matching Strawberry Shortcake night gown (THANK YOU, SHIRKS!!!) with a baby Mary on her back!~

 ~Sister time =)~

 ~Sweet smiles~

 ~Mary wearing her Strawberry Shortcake jumper (from the Shirks as well. =)~

Sarah is our HAPPY girl who LOVES parties, decorations, and life in general.  It doesn't take much to make Sarah smile! =)  Sarah loves Jesus with her whole heart!
How we thank Jesus for sending Sarah into our home and lives!!!
~Sarah coloring in her fun Strawberry Shortcake coloring book given to her by her DEAR Colombian friend Gaby!~

~Sarah has added a lot of special-ness to our family.  She and her big sister Kimberly are close as well.  They have a great time being crazy and laughing together! =)~

~Sarah, we hope that your day is VERY SpEcIaL...we are GLAD you are our Girl!~

~Fun Food Friday...Pumpkin Pie Latte~

Move over Starbucks!  This easy recipe brings the yummy goodness right from your own kitchen to your table in just a few minutes.  Our family loved this recipe!  It was Delicious!

 

~Pumpkin Pie Latte~
Taste of Home
Recipe 2 Servings Prep/Total Time: 15 min.
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup hot brewed Easy Espresso (or I just used reg. coffee we had made)
Whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice and ground nutmeg, optional
Directions In a small saucepan, combine the milk, pumpkin and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla and pie spice. Transfer to a blender; cover and process for 15 seconds or until foamy. Pour into two mugs; add espresso. Garnish with whipped cream and spices if desired. Yield: 2 servings. Recipes with Base Mix: Easy Espresso

Like I mentioned above I just used reg. coffee we had made and then poured it in the cups with the pumpkin pie mixture, gave it a stir, topped it with whipped cream, and spices...and Viola we had a YUMMY breakfast drink! =)
And as Always...Enjoy!

As I told you in my last post, Sarah tells about the Christmas tree that Jesus sent to her HERE!