a day in the life of a missionary wife

Pinwheels and Petals

2012-02-10T07:40:00.007-05:00

Baby #6 is due in about 9 weeks! yay! I love to make my quilts for my babies! But, since we love the surprise of finding out if we're having a boy or girl, I love making a girl quilt and a boy quilt to have ready. If you remember before Miss Callie Grace was born, I made this quilt entitled Sweet Dreams. So, I have the baby boy quilt ready, but I needed another girl quilt! So, introducing, Pinwheels and Petals! While in Florida a friend of mine gave me a huge amount of yellow buttery/bright gingham. (Thanks, Mrs. Paulene!) I loved the yellowy color and to me it screamed, BABY GIRL! So, my sweet Mom let me raid her stash to find the perfect fabric to go with my gingham. She even had the perfect soft-flannel for the backing! Thanks, Mom/Grandma! When I got back to Saint Barths I rounded out the fabric with a few more pinks and yellow I had here.

I knew I wanted to have a nice big appliqued flower somewhere on it. Tay, do you recognize the fabric? I think it's leftover from Chloe's baby quilt!

Here's the back. It's sooooo soft!

I knew I wanted to do a pinwheel quilt this year. I love em'! Then, I thought about combining my two goals of ~baby girl quilt and pinwheel quilt. I love the combo!

I love how this quilt turned out! Definitely homemade, though. I want to work on my binding (it's getting better, but Mom is going to give me a "live" tutorial when we get to Florida!) and I want to work on lining up my corners and points better. I'm definitely not a perfectionist, so this isn't driving me crazy like it would some people, but I do want to get better! Well, gotta run and work on my next project! Happy Quilting!

Heart of the Matter-Seeking Christ Part 2

2012-02-09T12:43:00.002-05:00

I’ve been praying and asking the Lord to show me how to seek Him in my everyday life. I want that blessing of a rejoicing heart! As I’ve prayed the Lord gave me a thought. Do remember when you first met your husband to be? I remember meeting Patrick and being fascinated with him. He was so fun and kind and caring. Each time I was with him I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to know his likes, his dislikes, what he enjoyed doing and what annoyed him. As we grew closer and closer, I wanted to be the one he enjoyed being with!

I realized this week that we are the bride of Christ and as we desire to seek Him more and more, we have the similar feelings as one seeking out their husband-to-be. We should want to know more about this kind and caring Saviour that loves us. As I thought on this, I realized how amazing Christ is. Just think of His names: Wonderful, Our Sure Foundation, The Great Shepherd... If you’re like me you tend to think of the names of Christ in the past. For instance, I remember when He was my Great Physician (when there was a time I was sick). I remember when He was my comforter (at a time I was battling difficulties). It’s so good for us to remember! But, what about today? He wants to be our God on a daily, regular basis!

So, here’s what I did. I’ll give you a couple of my examples, but it’s best to come up with your own. I wrote down the names of Christ found in the Bible. (I love our Power Bible CD program for our computer!) I picked out the ones I wanted to focus on. Then, I asked the Lord to show Himself real to me on a daily basis using these names.

Here are a couple of the names of Christ that I picked out:

He is “The Bread of Life.” (John 6:33, 35, and 48) I love to make bread! When I first got married I knew I wanted to be a baker of bread. Poor Patrick has endured many flat, non-risen, too sweet, too salty, too bland, just plain yucky loaves of bread! But, as I’ve practiced and read many cook books, I’ve learned to make a loaf that my family loves. They can smell it in the oven and are ready to butter it and dig in! It’s funny though, after all the work of bread making, we eat up the two loaves in just minutes. Then, the next day they want more! We’re never really satisfied with the bread from yesterday, we want it daily! Christ is the Bread of Life! He is a satisfying Bread and if we eat of this bread we will never hunger again! Wow! It is amazing to think that all of my needs and cares are satisfied daily when I partake of Christ, my Bread of Life!

He is ”The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) Turmoil…some days just feel like I never get started right and they just go in turmoil! Now, it’s nothing serious, but you know Mommy life! My potty training boy wakes up with an accident. So, your day is started with showering him, then a washing of his plastic sheet, and sheet set. Next it’s “hurry and get breakfast going so the older ones can start school”, but wait… we don’t have any milk? Okay, how can I make biscuits without milk…and flour? Sweet hubby runs to store for bread…not really how he wanted to start his day. Then, baby girl decides to try and make breakfast herself since she is starving and manages to pour the whole box of Apple Juice on your freshly mopped floors. You quickly wipe it up along with the chocolate milk that was spilled in the next room. As your husband walks in with the bread from the store (and sticks to the floor with each step because you missed a spot with the juice) he asks, “Why are you still in your jammies?” Ever have a morning like that? Some days can be a little rough from the get-go! But one the names that I need to remember is that Christ wants to be my Prince of Peace. Sweet peace, it’s what every Momma needs! Focusing on this name of Christ, taking a deep breath, and remembering everything He suffered for me, helps me to put my “turmoil” into perspective. Once I’ve put things into perspective, then I am able to laugh at everything that has happened in the first 10 minutes of my day. This can help me to have peace. Thank you Lord for wanting to give me that!

He is “The Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 16:22) When I see the first light of day coming over the mountain and it gets brighter and brighter and brings with it the excitement of a new day, I can remember, He is The Bright and Morning Star! Each morning is fresh and new with no mistakes!

He is “My Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6) When I need help and direction, He wants to be the one to guide me! He has even told me to “cast my cares upon Him!”

He is “The Friend of Sinners” (Matt. 11:19) When I fail Him yet again, He continues to be my friend!

Remember the promise from the Lord that if we seek Him we will find Him. Go about your daily tasks looking and seeking for Christ. We will find that He is there with us the entire day!

A Valentine's Idea

2012-02-07T08:49:00.002-05:00

I have loved getting to "meet" other missionary wives through blogland. They've been such an encouragement and inspiration to this newbie!
My friend, Maria, at Raising 4 Princesses has a great blog! She has a feature called T'Time where she encourages others to take time for their children and husbands. She asked if I would be a guest blogger for her special Valentines Series. Awww! How sweet of her to ask me! I wrote about having a special Candlelight Dinner with your special man. (Something that is on our schedule for Feb. 14th!)
Check out Maria's blog, you'll love it, I promise!

A Delicious Family Fun Night!

2012-02-06T07:11:00.003-05:00

When we talked about our family fun night earlier in the week, Josh mentioned he would love it if we could make corndogs! MMMM, that's one of those foods that if you haven't had in a while, it sounds sooo good! (We can't get them here) So, I looked up on allrecipes (love that site!) and found a great recipe. They turned out great! We decided to make them as corndog bites instead of on sticks. Oh la la!
As Patrick was frying them up, he told me he wanted to play a couple of tricks on Josh. Usually when we try new foods on FFN, we all have our first taste together. So, in Josh's corndog there wasn't a dog! He took a bite, stared at his corn dog and said, "Well, it's good, but mine doesn't have a hot dog in it." Ha! Then, we filled one of his with chopped up green olives. (Not his favorite) He took one big bite, stared at his corndog again, and then made the most horrible sound while running to the trash can. Ha! Don't worry, after he recovered he ate plenty of corndogs until he was stuffed!

Whatcha Readin'?

2012-02-03T12:02:00.006-05:00

My blogging/missionary friend Susan in Vancouver posted that she is joining another blogger in a challenge to read some books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was excited when I saw this! I've only read here and there of the Little House series (Love love love the shows, though!), but my Beth just finished the whole series and said that I just had to read them. So, when I saw her post I thought, I'll join, too!
I'm defnitely in the stage of my pregnancy where it's time to put my feet up a little more. My calves are starting to swell some, just like when I was expecting Callie. (not a pretty sight!) So, I thought I'd share with you exactly what I'm reading. Then, I'll do a Book Review! (this is something I've wanted to add to my blog for a while!) So, here's what's on my nightstand!

First off, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Book, Little House in the Big Woods. I'm actually wanting to read the first 3 this series this month. Here's a link to the challenge I'm joining, in case you want to join, too!

My next book is one I bought for my girls for Christmas. It's by Elizabeth George titled, A Young Woman After God's Own Heart. I read her book for woman and loved it, so when I spotted this book in St. Martin, I thought it would be a perfect book to do with my girls a chapter at a time. Our goal is to have Thursday discussion times. Next is Romance in Marriage, Keeping the Flame Alive by Bob and JoBeth Hooker. I've already read parts of this about 3 years ago, but I want to reread those parts and finish it. From what I've read this is an excellent book! The Hookers are the cutest couple! (I also love their daughters CD, it's one of our favorites!) As a side note, this is definitely a book for married eyes only. This is another book I picked up in St. Martin called Draw Close by the Harley's. He is the author of His Needs, Her Needs and I love that book! I bought this for Patrick and I to do as a devotional together...so far we've done chapter one.

And then I want to reread Child Wise. It's been a while since I read it! I love the "On Becoming" series by the Ezzo/Bucknam team. BabyWise was given to me at my shower when I was expecting Joshua. It has so many good points. It's definitely one of those books you probably won't do all that it says, and you may not agree with every point, but there are so many excellent principles for raising your children.

So, that's what is on my nightstand for the month. How about you? I would love to know what you're reading!

The Heart of the Matter Study for February

2012-02-01T20:00:00.003-05:00

How did last month go? Did you focus on keeping your heart dwelling on the right things? It was a great study for me and the Lord was so faithful to keep reminding my heart to dwell on things pleasing to Him! I know He had His work cut out for Him!

If you missed January’s Heart of the Matter Posts, you can click here

I’m really looking forward to this month and moving on to a different word concerning our hearts. I’ve prayed and asked the Lord what He would have me to work on next. Before I share with you the word for the month, I want you to think back with me.
Think of when you were about 4 years old. If you were anything like me you loved to play! Especially the game Hide-and-Go Seek! It was one of my favorites! I loved to be the hider, but I really loved to be the seeker! As I counted I would get so excited over the anticipation of finding my sisters! I would count quicker and quicker, ready to seek and not count! Then, I would holler, “Ready or not, here I come!” I would giggle as I would search in every corner and spot I could think of. I would run through the yard trying my very hardest to find everyone! I loved that game! As I read these verses in the Bible: “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with your whole heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13), and “…let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.” (Psalm 105:3) my mind thought back to those times of Hide-and-Go Seek.

Have you figured out the word for this month? It’s SEEK. I looked up the seek/heart combo in the Bible and you can find them together in 21 verses! I want to have a heart that truly seeks after Christ and the things that He would have me to seek for! To Seek means to search out, strive after, ask, beg, desire, and to follow in pursuit.

So, here’s my question….How’s your heart doing when it comes to seeking Christ? Do you have a daily time of reading God’s Word and praying to Him? Are you faithful to have your devotions every morning, but then tend to forget about seeking God the rest of the day? Do you view your quiet time as a way to just check off one more thing off your list? I can be guilty of all of those things some days!

As I read God’s Word, I realize I need to have a heart seeking after Christ. We have His promise that if we seek for Him, we will find Him! Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.” We also have the promise that our heart will rejoice when it seeks Christ. “Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD” (I Chronicles 16:10) Who doesn’t want their heart to rejoice!? That’s an amazing promise!

So, we all know we’re supposed to seek Christ every day, right? Why can it sometimes be a struggle for us? I’ve thought of a few practical suggestions to help us this month to truly seek Christ with all of our heart.

1. Make it a Priority. Easier to type, I know! But, this is so vital in our Christian Walk! Make sure your time with the Lord happens. Don’t let other stuff come before Christ. Now, I know as a busy wife and mother there are times when your husband or children need you. Of course, the Lord doesn’t want us to put them off, they are our priority, too! But, if we’re honest with ourselves, we really do have more time in our day than we realize. If we were to make a chart of our minutes spent yesterday, I wonder how much time we would put down that we were seeking Christ, and how much time was spent on the computer/facebook/blog-hopping/pinterest (computers can be time robbers for sure!) or how much time was spent doing a hobby or craft or spent chatting on the phone, or texting? Let’s face it….we all have things in our life that probably get more time than they should. These things aren’t necessarily bad, we just need to make seeking Christ our priority and put the rest in its proper order.

2. Prepare. In the book of Ezra, Ezra talks about preparing his heart to seek Christ. With a busy day always looming over us, it’s easy to get “swept away” in all the things we have to do. If we don’t prepare to have that time alone with the Lord, it won’t happen! Here are some preparations you can make:
~If you’re like me, when the house is a wreck I can’t really concentrate on anything else! Before bed every night spend 3 quick minutes going around the house in lightning speed. Pick up the things that are most noticeable. (I like to have my kids pick up & put away 10 things that are not in their place before they go to bed.) In the morning it will be easier to have a quiet time with the Lord when a messy house isn’t calling for our attention.
~Have the coffee pot all ready to go, all you have to do is push the green button in the morning. I love to drink my coffee while reading God’s Word!
~Have your Bible and prayer list sitting at your special spot waiting for you in the morning. Going around looking for it gives up precious minutes that you could be spending with the Lord! ~Remind your hubby and older children that if they get up early to try and be extra quiet to keep the little ones asleep (I always try to get up earlier than the babies to make sure I have some quiet time.)

3. Plan. For me, my quiet times are best spent if I have them before anyone else is up, especially the children. I can truly tackle my day with God’s blessing when I start my day with Him. I use this time to ask for His guidance and help in the decisions to be made that day, and the influence I will have on my family. I need that time! It’s a great study to see what God’s Word has to say about seeking Him early. For me, this means my alarm goes off at 5:45am. Whew! I’m not a morning person, so it can be difficult! But, the more I do it, the easier it becomes. I’ve gotten to where I like to be there when the sun starts to rise. I like to hear the roosters waking up with me, and I love my quiet time. Does it always happen? Sadly, no. This morning in fact, I thought I hit the snooze, when actually I hit the stop button. I slept in and had a total of 15 seconds alone with the Lord when my little Silas came in ready for his chocolate milk and hug. Does this mean it’s a day that goes by and I can’t seek the Lord? No. Then, it’s time for plan B! I can read my Bible to my kiddos. I watch my Proverbs DVD while folding clothes, or listen to my Bible on CD while doing the dishes. Then, naptime becomes my quiet time. If I make it my priority, it will happen! We just have to be creative in a world full of duties and interruptions.

Are you ready to go to the next level of seeking Christ? I know I am, and need to! I don’t want to just seek Christ during my quiet time, but throughout the day. I’m praying for the Lord to show me how to do this, and He’s so good and already answering. Next week I’ll share with you some ideas about seeking the Lord throughout your day!

Great Toddler Craft!

2012-01-31T13:45:00.006-05:00

I know this will make some of my northern friends just a little jealous, but I thought I'd go ahead and post anyway! :o)
Silas, Callie and I made some bird feeders to attract more birds to our yard. They've been gone for quite a while and have finally returned about a month ago. I love the sounds of singing birds in our yard! So, here's what we did..... First I took a few oranges, cut them in half and squeezed out the juice. (Don't you just love fresh squeezed orange juice!?)

Then, I took our hole punch and punched two holes across from each other.

Then, I begged Beth for some of her embroidery floss and threaded it through the holes. I made it pretty long so the bird feeders would hang pretty low on the tree. (High enough for Silas and Callie not to grab them, but low enough for them to see them)

Then, came the fun part! We went outside and S & C filled the oranges with birdseed using spoons. (Callie tried to eat most of her birdseed, silly girl!)

Brenna helped us hang our oranges from our trees. I picked places where the kiddos could see the feeders when they glance out the window.

After that it was time to wait. We called for birds and asked them where they were. We told them all about the great snack they had waiting for them in the oranges!

Fearing the birds wouldn't come....I started to pray! Lord, please bring the birds! Sure enough, within 3 minutes we had some birds come to enjoy their snack! yay!

It was a great way to welcome the birds back to the Gimenez yard!

Family Fun Night Restaurant Style

2012-01-29T14:58:00.009-05:00

At the beginning of last week Patrick and I told the kids we had planned an exciting Family Fun Night for Friday, but it would be a surprise. (Usually we plan it together) This killed Brenna especially! She asked for so many hints! We decided we would surprise them with going out to a special restaurant in our living room. We've done this before and we all have such a great time! Patrick was their greeter and spoke to them in frenglish (english and french). He really had them giggling!

They actually had choices on their menus this time! But, we tried to steer them in the direction of what we were actually making! For instance, for the appetizer they could choose either 1. Caviar a la St. Barths-a fine shark caviar drizzled with raw eggs, served with crackers. or 2. Parmesian Garlic Mussels- a hearty portion of our finest French mussels sauteed in our rich butter and garlic sauce, served with our homemade Sauce de Tartar and Sauce de Cocktail. They chose the mussels! Notice how Brenna is sniffing the dish and it looks like Beth is making the Catholic sign over her chest! (She isn't, though!)

Then, after serving the bread and salad, we turned on an old Western for them. They love them and giggle (I find them quite silly, but I'm glad they enjoy something good to watch on the TV!) (So thankful for internet where you can find stuff like that for free to watch!)

For the main course they chose the Seared Garlic and Butter Beef Tips. It was soooo good! (I ate what Brenna requested I put in a Doggy Bag for her leftovers :o)

Then, they chose the Mint Ice Cream for dessert. Patrick topped each off with one of his Candies from Christmas. They were so sweet when they saw it and said, "But, Dad! These are your Christmas Candies!) (Soooo sweet of them!)
It was a great great great Family Fun Night. Our kids are amazing and really help us here in the ministry. They are ready at all times to do whatever we need and they have truly made our family a team! I'm thankful for a special night that Patrick and I could "serve" them for a change. What special kiddos the Lord has blessed me with!

Such Sweeties!

2012-01-28T09:21:00.003-05:00

For Christmas my super sweet Mother-in-law gave Patrick and I some money to go out just the two of us to eat at a restaurant. Did you hear that? A real restaurant!!! Restaurants here are super expensive, so they definitely aren't in our monthly budget. My parents took us out while they were here. So, this was the second time for us to experience a Chic St. Barths restaurant. We looked and pondered trying to decide which one to go to. Then, we walked past Eddy's one day. It's in downtown Gustavia. The atmosphere looked wonderful, so we knew it was the place for us. The night finally arrived and Patrick and I enjoyed strolling on the docks downtown, window shopping, and then eating at Eddy's. The food was soooo amazing. And we sat outside in a garden like, candlelit atmospere. Talk about romantic! Then, we came home to this.... Our sweet older three are so good to us! They watched Silas and Callie while we went out. Then put them to bed. Then, Josh had an idea and he and the girls went with it! They put a cute sign on our bed that they all signed. They had candles all over our bedroom, and music playing. Then, they showed us the closet that usually holds shoes, my dresser of clothes and some of our hanging things. Josh had moved all that out and put the TV in there with the computer hooked up to it so we could watch a movie together. (We've found a site that has cute romantic comedies from the 30's and 40's, Perfect for date night!)

They had also made us some fruit tea in our "date night" cups.

How thoughtful my kiddos are! They knew Momma and Daddy needed some time alone. They sure are such sweeties!

2nd Finish for 2012!

2012-01-27T10:04:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited to have a second quilt finished for this year! Yay! I've been so motivated (I know little Gimenez will be here soon and time for quilting will stop for a while) and I've gotten so much done lately! I made this quilt for Patrick's Grandma, Mama, for her birthday. Mom gave me the idea for the pattern because it comes together so quickly. She's made it a couple of times and they all turn out so beautiful! So, I tried it and I loved it!

Such sweet helpers to help me take a photo shoot of the quilt!

The name I chose for this quilt is quite simple. "Bonne Anniversaire Mama" Which means Happy Birthday in French!

I'm super duper excited about my next quilt! Brenna and I just finished designing it on graph paper and I have the stack of fabric next to my sewing machine just waiting to be cut!

The Heart of the Matter ~My "Dwell" Project

2012-01-25T20:44:00.004-05:00

So, did you make a craft or do a project to help your heart remember to dwell on things of the Lord? I did, and as usual, the Lord was teaching me something along the way.

I decided to a make a mug rug. They were very popular with quilt bloggers last year and I loved looking at all of them! (Mug Rugs are basically mini placemats used to put your morning coffee or tea on.) So, I decided I would jump on the bandwagon and make a Mug Rug that says “dwell.” I picked some of my favorite colors, cut out the word dwell and sewed it to my cute patch of fabric. Then, I sewed all the little squares together, sandwiched them with some heat-resistant batting, and sewed on the binding….my project was going along so good! Then it was time to trim the threads. I snipped, snipped, snipped, then OH NO! I snipped too far and cut part of the mug rug. I couldn’t believe it! I created something and worked hard at it. I had good intentions, but then I carelessly messed it up. How could this happen? Then, I felt the Lord gently tap me on the shoulder. How was I going to handle this small teensy problem that came up? I looked at my options. I could: 1.Cry 2. Complain to Patrick and cry on his shoulder 3.Do my best to fix it. I decided I would fix it, and it would still be usable. I sewed up my mistake. You can still see it, but it is still a mug rug, and I had a great time making it. When I use it in the morning I have learned not to focus on the mistake anymore.

Isn’t that just like us and our “heart problems”? We have good intentions. We’re going along good in our day, so excited about how things are going, then “OH NO”! Before we know it, our heart starts to dwell on something it shouldn’t. Our dwelling heart then affects how we treat our family, and before we know it, we’re a grump! How did this happen? We were going to do so good today! We have some options when this happens. We can: 1.Cry 2.Complain to someone else. 3.We could do our best to make it right. Choose option 3! We can go to the Lord and ask Him to forgive us for not keeping our heart under control. We can then go to the people that our grumpy heart affected. Don’t be afraid to ask your children to forgive you! (In fact, they will learn the “heart” of forgiveness by your example.) Then, commit to try again. Our flesh surely is weak and if we aren’t careful our mess-ups will make us feel like we can never be the woman God wants us to be. I encourage you to just keep trying. Take one day at a time. Purpose in your heart to not dwell on all of the mistakes you’ve made, but to dwell on working to be that “Virtuous Woman”.

I'm looking forward to next month as we focus on another word God uses concerning our heart!

28 Weeks

2012-01-24T12:44:00.002-05:00

We are officially 28 weeks pregnant! Yikes! I'm starting to feel pretty huge and thinking, "How can I possibly go 12 more weeks!" (My due date is April 17th) I have my mile long list of all the things I want to complete before I leave for Florida March 19th. Plus adding on several trips to St. Martin to do the never ending process of registering my Visa. I'm one busy girl right now! So, I'm pushing aside thoughts of being uncomfortable (trying to) and enjoying feeling all of the kicks from my sweet little one. March 19th will be here before I know it. And starting on that date Mom and Dad will take care of me and I'll relax! :o)

Look what I found at the store!

2012-01-23T11:09:00.003-05:00

For the most part we have acclimated pretty well to the food here. We like it! I've learned some new ways to cook things (like making my own cream of chicken soup, and baking lots of bread for PBJ's) and have added some West Indies flare to my cooking, too. But, it's still easy to miss some of the things I don't always get here. So, I was very, very excited and thrilled when I saw these two in the store!!!

I've been looking for Hamburger Dill Chips for about 3 months. (I saw a recipe of Paula Deen's for Fried Pickles that I was dying to try!) When I saw these I grabbed them! Then, I found my absolute, all-time, most favorite chips in all the world...Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream!!! Oh la la! I went home with these two wonders and we had some good subs for lunch (on french bread, mmmmm) with real pickles on top and the perfect chip on the side. It was fabulous!

A Night in the Life.....

2012-01-21T12:36:00.003-05:00

I realized the other day that I might not be staying quite true to the title of my blog. How often do I show you a true day in my life? As with many families, and especially people in full-time ministry, you never know what a day will hold! Often my plans and endless lists are pushed aside for some "real life". Know what I mean? So, I thought I would post one of our evenings. Nothing too spectacular, so you've been forewarned! :o) This is a few nights ago around 7:45pm. Dinner and dishes are done. No specific plans for the evening.

This evening found Elisabeth working late at the table on Math. OOOOHHH, Math! She needed Daddy's help, so he was there with her. Then, Brenna couldn't quite understand how to complete her Art Test. She's learning shading and what light does to objects. She's doing very well but couldn't quite get the shading from the sun right. So, sweet Daddy jumped in and helped her as well.

My Josh just abouts always has school done by 2. He works very quick and his grades are good! Yay! I'm so proud of my 15 year old that absolutely loves his baby brother and sister. He says Callie is the prettiest girl on the island! (I'm hoping he'll think that for a few more years! :o) So, on this night there was lots of giggling and running while the three of them played Hide and Go Seek. Silas and Callie don't exactly "get" the game yet. Whether they are the hiders or the seekers they are always counting and hiding. They love it!

Well, for me? It was laundry time! Folding laundry isn't exactly my favorite chore to do. But, on this night I was very thankful to do it for a couple of reasons.

1. I finally had some dry laundry to fold! We haven't had lots of rain lately, but I can't seem to time hanging my laundry out at the right time. It usually gets wet.

2. With my Anne of Green Gables CD, my hubby's manly-yet-fatherly voice, and my sweet childrens laughter all in the background. It made for a wonderful memory of normal life.

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me!

Back to our Family Fun Nights!

2012-01-20T11:23:00.005-05:00

It's been easy for us to overlook our Family Fun Nights for the past couple of months. We enjoy them so much, but we've put it off too long. Time to get back into the swing of things! We love planning and preparing for them! We usually have them on Friday nights. It's a great way to end the schoolweek! We always have a special dessert that we usually vote on early in the week. We always have Coke. Then, we finish off the night with a special game, activity, or movie. And one more requirement....we always have fun! :o)

We started off with a game of Hide and Seek. Can you see Brenna and Callie?

Can you spot Elisabeth and Silas?

Patrick is a little competitive. I think that him and Josh were hiding the longest!

For our special dessert we tried a new recipe. It was a Hawaiin Pie that has Coconut and Chocolate. I won't give you the recipe. It tasted good, but the texture of the coconut layer was sort of, well, it was like snot!

Then, we finished our night with several rounds of Mexican Train. Patrick received this game for Christmas. It was hard to get into at first, but now I'm hooked! Should I say who won? Well, it was supposed to be me! I was whooping them all the whole game, but somehow Brenna snuck ahead at the very end.

I love our family fun nights and we're all looking forward to the next one (which is tonight. I'm a little behind on my posting!)

Heart of the Matter ~ Dwelling On Your Children!

2012-01-18T17:45:00.004-05:00

How would you describe the state of your heart when you think of your children? What does your heart dwell on? When I think of Joshua Patrick, Elisabeth Kristine, Brenna Shay, Silas Boone, Callie Grace and our precious new baby on the way, my heart is overwhelmed. I usually think of the humongous, gigantic task ahead of me. What a responsibility! I think of their physical health, “Why doesn’t Callie ever eat breakfast? Is Joshua losing weight? Silas is too picky…I need to work on that” and on and on. Then, there is the spiritual. “Are they having faithful devotions? Or are they daydreaming? Do they have a heart for God?” Then, you throw homeschooling into the mix and I am overwhelmed! “Are they learning enough? Are they going to be done at a good time?” I could write for hours on what my heart is overwhelmed about with all of the physical and spiritual responsibilities of being a Momma!

Yes, all of this is necessary to think about, of course! But, as I’ve prayed this week for the Lord to show me how He’d have me to change what my heart dwells upon concerning my children, I realize my heart is usually worrying and overwhelmed. That’s not how the Lord would have my heart to be. When I’m overwhelmed and worrying, I’m not the Momma that my kiddos need me to be. Yes, there are many tasks at hand, but if we are not careful we dwell on all the problems that need to be fixed. The Lord doesn’t want me to dwell on all of these things and especially on things that are out of my control!

When was the last time that I just dwelled on the fact that God let me be a momma? Thank you Lord for my children! Look at that sweet face sitting across the breakfast table from you and don’t be overwhelmed by all the stuff you must teach them. Look at what they have learned and look at the great opportunity that God has given you. You are the one that gets to spend time with your children teaching them! Look at their sparkling eyes and be thankful for their health. Look at the strengths of their personalities.

There is someone in the Bible that also struggled with his heart being overwhelmed. It was David! There are some Psalms in particular that I have marked that are a place to go to when I feel overwhelmed. You should read them! I love to see the “real” side of great Christian heroes and I realize that they had similar struggles that I deal with today. In Psalm 61 verse 2, David tells of his heart being overwhelmed. He tells of his desire to abide (or dwell) with Christ. I love his words at the end of his Psalm! He gives the remedy to an overwhelmed heart. He says, “So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.” How true! When we don’t dwell on how good God has been to us, especially concerning our children, we can’t perform the daily tasks at hand. In Psalm 143: 4 David says, “Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within” Wow! That feels like a description of my heart sometimes! Then, he asks God in verse 8, “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust.”

So how are some ways we can help our heart to dwell on God’s lovingkindess concerning our children? How can we help our hearts to not be overwhelmed in this important task of training up our children? I have a couple of ideas:

1. Give our children to the Lord. Oh how easy that is to write, but how hard it is for us to do! Do you ever think of Hannah and wonder how she could possibly give Samuel back to the Lord? But, that’s what God wants for us to do! Now, He doesn’t exactly want us to pack their bags and have them go live in the church with the preacher! But, God does want us to remember that our children are His. They are just on loan to us for a bit. Dwell on the fact that God loves them even more than we do, and their lives are in His hands.

2. Dwell on the good things about your children. Let your heart look for the good and wonderful things about each of your kiddos. Remember the verse you were going to put in a visible place for you to see and dwell on every day? What about making a list of 3 things about each of your children that you can praise the Lord for? Praise the Lord for their wonderful friendly personality, or for their diligence to read their Bible, or for them improving in a difficult subject at school. (This applies from babies to grown children as well.) Put this list in a visible place for you to see. Dwell on it and smile. Let your kiddos see it too! How encouraging it would be for them to see that their Momma sees their strong points! We are very quick to notice when things don’t get done like chores and homework. (Not that we should overlook or disregard these things.) But, we should dwell twice as much on the positive things than we do pointing out the negative things not getting done. 3. When your heart starts to get overwhelmed and dwells on the things your child is struggling with, grab your prayer journal and jot it down. Then, faithfully bring it to the Lord and watch Him work. So often we keep all of our worries inside. We’re forgetting to give it to the Lord. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (I Peter 5:7) God doesn’t want us dwelling on all of our worries and problems, that’s His job. Ask Him for answers from His Word on what your role is in this situation. Is this a discipline matter? Are there some creative nutritional ideas you can put into practice concerning your picky-eater? Do you need to lighten your schedule and give your sweet child some extra time and attention? Am I expecting too much from them? Ask the Lord! He will give you the answers!

So, dear Mother, I encourage you to work on this with me. Get your heart in order and dwell on the things that are of “good report” concerning your children. Praise the name of the Lord for giving you these precious little ones!

Scrappy Dots

2012-01-16T10:07:00.009-05:00

About a year and a half ago I saw a magazine article with a quilt hanging in the background. The quilt was very scrappy and simply had dots all over it. I loved it! I thought about it for a while, then decided I had to try and recreate it! So, my mind began coming up with ideas and looking through my scraps. I began cutting and dreaming of having that quilt. I knew that my first goal of 2012 would have to be to finish (or should I say start :o) this quilt! So, I introduce to you, Scrappy Dots!

I'm excited about how this quilt turned out. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it! It might be Callie's big girl quilt when she gets a new bed, but I'm not sure! I loved the process of cutting up my scraps and using many different colors!Even as I look at the pictures I sort of giggle. It is different!

I decided to try and do the most quilting on this quilt that I've ever done. I did diagonal lines about and inch apart all throughout. It did take a while, but I love the crinkly effect! I also chose to use no batting since we live in the tropics! I just used a light flannel for the back. It is so soft!

And here's my label. No quilt is done without one!

My first finish of 2012! I'm already on my next project. I cut all of it last night. But, this one has a deadline since it's a gift, so I need to get busy!

My Sweet Man is 37!

2012-01-15T13:35:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to my dearest! Patrick turned 37 on Saturday and we had a great day of celebrating. It's amazing how our goals for birthdays have sort of changed. Our kiddos love to plan lots of fun things to do. Now, for our birthdays, Patrick and I enjoy not planning much and just take the day relaxing and doing whatever. We woke up a little later than normal (which was wonderful!) and started the day with a Big Big Breakfast (Eggs, Toast, Hashbrowns, and Bacon) and then gifts. Josh, Beth, and Brenna had each saved some money to buy them a special gift. I love the looks of anticipation as they watch the excitement!

I have to say, I have the most wonderful and understanding husband. I asked him what would he like for his birthday. Cake? Pie? Another dessert? He said he wanted my Chocolate Pie. Unfortunately I couldn't find unsweetened chocolate anywhere on the island. Or wrapping paper. Or Beef Consomme for his French Onion Soup.....needless to say, I was in tears. My sweetie was so understanding and quickly had an alternative to the pie. The girls made their cake! Soooo delicious! And he was okay without the Soup, but praise the Lord the next day I found it! And he said he didn't have to have his gifts wrapped. That's where I thought it was simply unacceptable! Mom gave me some good backup ideas (wrap in a blanket and tie a ribbon around it) but, then, the Lord provided brown paper. I found it in the pantry. I have NO IDEA where it came from! I'm so thankful my husband had gifts to unwrap!
It was a great, relaxing day!

I love you Patrick!

Extra Celebration

2012-01-13T14:42:00.005-05:00

My Silas has been blessed to have lots of celebrations for his birthday! Patrick's Aunt and Uncle, (Mariane and Georges) came over and brought Silas a Galette des Rois (A King Cake for Three Kings Day.) It was amazing! Inside the King cake there is a special prize hidden. Callie Grace was the lucky winner!

Then, on Sunday, Mama brought her gift to Silas. He was so excited to have another one to open!

He was very very excited when he saw all of the cowboy gear! How blessed my boy is!

Matter of the Heart - Dwelling on your husband!

2012-01-10T20:05:00.004-05:00

Patrick and I have been married 17 years. Wow! I can’t believe it’s been that long! We have sadly noticed a trend in lives of married couples that have invested 15+ years to their marriage….the trend of separation and then divorce. I’m not talking about people that aren’t Christians. I’m talking about people that are actively serving in their local church, people that are soul-winners, and people that you think, “I want my marriage to be like theirs.” Then, all of a sudden, you hear that they have separated. Sadly, I’m noticing it’s usually the woman who has left. Why?... after 15+ years of your life devoted to this person. Why?

In the majority of the couples that we know personally or have heard of, the answer is usually the same. The wife can’t exactly mention one particular reason….they name 15 or 20. Things that 15 years ago, they never would have dreamed of leaving their soul-mate and best friend for. In many cases it is trivial or silly things that their husband has done (in some cases it can be serious). However, the wife holds it all in and doesn’t communicate how she’s feeling. Then there begins to be hurt feelings involved. She thinks, “How could he do this to me?” (We tend to get offended quite easily, don’t we?) “Doesn’t he know he’s let me down?” “Can’t he tell that I’m hurting?” She dwells and dwells and dwells on the faults of her husband and when she does this, it gets easier and easier to see more and more faults. It’s a snowball effect. She thinks, “Surely it is him that has changed!” The smallest things that used to only aggravate her are now things that she can’t possibly live with. These little things like: socks on the floor, football on Saturdays, and bodily functions, you name it, become big things. They are now ‘I-don’t-think-I-can- live-with-this’ offenses. Where did all this begin?...In the heart. A wife becomes hurt, holds it all in, then dwells on it. She chooses not to get over it and the rest is tragic.

I know it’s easy to dwell on the negative. When Patrick and I were first married, it was definitely an adjustment time. We had a wonderful first year together, but it was also trying as well. I didn’t have any brothers (only sisters) growing up and Patrick was pretty much raised as an only child, so to say it took some adjustment is an understatement. I remember being shocked at all the stuff he would leave out! And then he would have the nerve to point out my messiness, too! To look back now makes me laugh! I remember thinking one day that I was going to keep a list of all the stuff that he did wrong that week and then present it to him. I was going to show him! But after writing down the 2nd thing on my list, I was so convicted about doing this that I knew I couldn’t go through with it. I’m so thankful I didn’t.

As I’ve been thinking on this thought this week, I decided to do a little test. I talked with and emailed several ladies that have successful marriages. These are marriages that have lasted for 34 or more years. Some are almost double that amount! I asked these sweet ladies to simply tell me 3 things about their husband. I did not say, “Please tell me about all of his sweet wonderful attributes.” I simply asked for 3 things off of the top of their head that would be totally confidential. The responses I received were amazing. Some brought giggles (Like the lady who almost gave me too much information! She and her husband are still very romantic! ;O) and some were so touching they brought me to tears. I heard of hard-working husbands, of husbands that are devoted to their families and of husbands that stayed with their wife through relationship altering health problems. I heard of husbands that shared their hobbies with their wife and of husbands that were truly their best friends. Now, I have a question for you. Did these ladies just happen to marry perfect men? No, definitely not. These men are normal regular guys that have just as many faults as others. So, why didn’t the wife mention anything negative? I truly believe these ladies have chosen to dwell on the good qualities of their husbands. They have chosen to think on the things that are “of good report and virtue.” What an example to us!

A great verse to really “dwell” on is Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.

So, how can we do this with our husbands? I have three ideas that can help us.

1. Yesterday-When is the last time you thought about when you met your husband, the day you were married, your wedding night ;o) Now, this is not the time to go and dwell on all the faults and disappointments from your yesterdays. Think on the things that first attracted you to your man. Think of how he looked at you and the sweet things he said in your ear. Dwell on those thoughts for a bit.

2. Today-Secretly make a list. Watch your husband with the intent to fill up your paper with things about him that are good and right. Look at his appearance and dwell on how handsome your man is. Look at how he goes to work and provides for you and the children. Look for big things he does, as well as the teensy things that you normally don’t notice. Dwell on how good your husband is and when you notice a negative thing, just throw it out and don’t give it a moment’s thought.

3. Tomorrow-I don’t know about you, but to me older couples are some of the sweetest people to watch. I remember being at Disney World when I was a young teenager. My Pap-paw and Mam-maw were walking in front of all of us and we caught them holding hands. It was so sweet to see this sign of affection that they were enjoying one another’s company. That thought has been with me and it’s a goal I want in my life. Think of tomorrow and look forward to growing old with your man. Think ahead (or look now :o) at his graying head and smile wrinkles, and look forward to “getting” to be the lady who gets to experience it all.

We can have successful marriages that are pleasing to the Lord as well pleasing to us! It first starts in your heart. Dwell on all the great things about your husband!

Creamy Mac and Cheese

2012-01-09T16:27:00.005-05:00

We tried a great recipe for Mac and Cheese the other night, so I just had to share!
I found it here on allrecipes.com
1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 ounces processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta), cubed
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
Directions
Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add the cheeses, stirring until cheese is melted. Drain macaroni.
Transfer macaroni to a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni; mix well. Melt the remaining butter; add the bread crumbs. Sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until heated through and topping is golden brown

24 Weeks

2012-01-07T08:13:00.003-05:00

Yes, we are 24 weeks. Can you believe how fast time has flown? I feel like we're on fast forward! We had a great time at our "treasure beach" (Grand Fond) and my sweet girlies, Elisabeth and Brenna said if they had to sit through a photo shoot, then I did, too. So, I had my picture taken bunches by them and it was fun!
So, how's the pregnancy going? Great! They say every pregnancy and baby is different....well, that's for sure! I'm feeling bigger with this one. A little more achey and tired. Does my age have anything to do with it? :o) But, overall it's been wonderful. I LOVE being pregnant! I LOVE feeling my precious wiggly baby move around. God is so good!
Patrick posted a detailed update on our family blog about our plans for delivery. You can find it here. Please pray that Patrick will be there for the birth. I'm not worrying....well, trying not to. But, please pray for the Lord to have control of this!

Happy 3rd Birthday Silas Boone!

2012-01-06T14:11:00.005-05:00

We have had a great day celebrating Silas's 3rd birthday! We started off the morning in traditional Gimenez fashion....with gifts! He was so excited to open them and was thrilled when he opened a huge stuffed Clifford.

Then, he opened the book! Can you see by the look on his face how excited he is? Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

He's had so much fun playing with all of his gifts. Patrick and I bought him this rug to play with his cars on. He loves it....and I think his brother and sisters do too!

Then, I made some homemade donuts for breakfast.

You have to start breakfast morning with lots of sugar, right?

The truth is, I don't think he knows what a donut is! The only ones we've had here was from the bakery when my parents were visiting. They were just a tad old. Well, more than a tad, they were rock hard! Remember those, Dad?

Then, after lunch it was time for cake. Silas had been looking forward to cake all day, but when he saw the dinosaurs Beth and Brenna put all over the cake they made him, he wanted to play instead!

Little Miss Callie wasn't in the mood to play, she was ready to eat!

Happy Birthday, my Silas Boone! I can't believe you're already 3! You're such a smart and sweet boy. This morning you came and laid down with me. It was such a sweet moment. Here's our conversation:

Silas: This is my Mommy (with a cuddly hug)
Me: And this is my Silas (hug back and cherish this sweet moment)
Me: I sure do love my boy.
Silas: And I love my children!

Can you tell he listens and memorizes everything I say! It's a scary thought! Oh how I want to raise this boy for the Lord! I sure do love my boy.

Heart of the Matter... "Dwell"

2012-01-04T13:35:00.003-05:00

I don’t know about you, but my mind is a battleground. There is usually a war raging! Sometimes I’m praising the Lord and thinking about His goodness to me, other times I’m reflecting on how good I am and how horrible others are. Lots of pride going on in this battle! I battle thoughts of hurtful feelings towards others, past wrongs that I want to dwell on, potential disputes that I may have with someone…how silly and what a waste of my time! When I’m “dwelling” on the things the Lord would have me to, He gives me joy in my heart. That joy travels to my face and I find myself smiling and encouraging my husband, my children, and others. I go to bed at night thinking of the wonderful day the Lord has given me! But, when I dwell on the negative and wrong, it likewise travels to my countenance. I’m short with my husband, snappy at the kids, and others? Well, they just don’t have a chance! I go to bed frustrated, feeling like I didn’t complete anything, and feeling like a failure.

When do these times of battle come? Not necessarily when I don’t have anything to do. (Does that ever happen when you’re a wife and mother anyway? :o) It happens at times when my heart and mind are free, even if my hands are busy. Times like washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, ironing, sewing, driving….etc. These are times when I could be dwelling in the goodness of the Lord and in His promises, but, instead, I sometimes dwell on negativity.

Psalms 15:1,2 “Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh truth in his heart.” Who doesn’t want to dwell with the Lord? What does it exactly mean to dwell? The Hebrew word is actually “shakan” and it means to abide, continue and rest. Dwelling is actually a process throughout the day. Notice the definition: you abide in it in the morning, continue on it throughout the day and by evening you will be resting upon it. Our problem is that we start the day being positive, then we go negative, then positive again. We're not truly dwelling and continuing in the state of heart that God wants us to be. Here's an example of a heart dwelling on God's Word. As you have your morning devotions the Lord gives you a thought. It may be a verse you’ve read a hundred times, but for some reason this small thought just “sticks out at you.” So, you take that thought and think about it. You “mull” it over in your head. You think about how it applies to you today. Then, you continue to think on it. While you’re washing the breakfast dishes you think of a hymn that goes with the thought and you softly hum thinking about it. You dwell on it some more as you have a quiet moment when the kids are down for their nap. At the dinner table you talk about it to your family. By the days end, you are “resting” on this sweet thought that the Lord gave you over 16 hours ago. That’s what it means to dwell! What is my heart really dwelling and resting on throughout the day? I like the results I receive from my heart when it dwells on the truth. It makes my whole attitude and perspective the way God would have it to be. I want to purpose in my heart to dwell on God’s goodness.

How are some practical ways I can do this? Here are some ideas:

-Music softly in the background encourages us to sing God’s praises throughout the day. This isn’t always possible in a homeschool environment, but when the kids aren’t schooling I love to have music playing that causes me to dwell on how good God is!

-Put scripture in places where you will see it and read it and even memorize it. Put it in places where your mind is likely to have a battle. What about above the sink? On the countertop? In the bathroom mirror? A few great ones for this month are Psalm 16:9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.” Psalm 140:13 “Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.” Ephesians 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and ground in love,”

-Make it a habit (and ask the Lord to truly help you with this) that everytime you begin to think of someone in a negative way that you will stop and pray for that person. Don’t pray for God to “put them in their place” (Do you ever pray in a negative way like me?) but, pray for that person in a Godly, brotherly love type of way. Then, think about their good things.

-Make something that simply has the word “Dwell.” Put it someplace where you will see it and it will be a reminder of your intent to dwell on what is good and acceptable in the sight of God. You could even have your sweet kiddos help you make a small sign for the fridge or wall. Explain to them that this means Momma is going to be thinking more about how good Jesus is throughout the day. It will be catching! I have an idea of what my creation will be and hopefully I’ll be able to work on it today! (Hmmm, I wonder if it involves a little quilting? :o)

Join with me and purpose to have your heart dwell and rest on things that will be pleasing to the Lord!

Next week I’m going to be focusing on what my heart dwells on concerning my husband!

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The Heart of the Matter

2012-01-03T13:38:00.000-05:00

As I look back on this past year, I think of the strugglesI’ve had, struggles I’ve asked God to help me with. Things are brought to my mind such as my tongue,attitude towards my husband and children, contentment, not so sweet responses,lack of diligence in areas of my home, submission, trusting my husband’sdecisions, worldly desires, patience in training my children, my expectations….I could go on and on. But, each time as I prayed for the Lord toforgive me, and then help me, I kept finding He would point me to verses aboutmy heart. Verses like Proverbs 4:23“Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”Deuteronomy 4:39 “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, andupon the earth beneath: there is noneelse.” And Deuteronomy 8:2 “And thoushalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years inthe wilderness to humble thee, and toprove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep hiscommandments, or no.” These versesseemed to jump out at me!

When I prayed andasked the Lord to help me in the area of diligence, for instance, He would leadme to the heart. Then, I would prayabout another problem, such assubmission, and the Lord would again lead me to the heart. As I struggled with what I thought were noanswers to my problems, I realized a common theme. I have a heart problem. Irealized as I reread these verses on the heart that they are full of actionwords. Words like Keep, Dwell, Consider,Do, Know, Learn, Fear, and many more! Truly out of the heart are the issues of life! There are so many things my heart struggleswith! There are so many areas I need towork on and give to the Lord.

This year I want to take one of these action words a monthand focus on it. I want to study it andapply it to my life practically. I wantto apply them to the three main areas of my life: my spiritual walk, myrelationship with my husband, and my relationship with my children. I want to grow closer to the Lord and seeresults! To do this, I must focus andwork on my heart.

Would you like to join me in this study?
Tomorrow I will post on our word for January. It's one I really need! And maybe you do too.

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Mom, can we make some cookies?

2012-01-02T14:31:00.000-05:00

The other day I found a few bags of Chocolate Chips in the store. I was excited! I bought a few knowing they would never be wasted in our house! Josh discovered them last night and asked sweetly, "Mom, Can I make some chocolate chip cookies?" Oh wow! Is there any other response to that question than yes? Brenna quickly offered to help and we were soon smelling something delicious coming from the kitchen. What I didn't expect was for them to look like this...

Blue? Are you serious? Well, I do love their creativity and they tasted AMAZING!

2011 in Review

2011-12-30T12:41:00.010-05:00

2011, What a year! Here's a quick "Year in Review"

January is the month my baby boy turned 2! We had a great cowboy party with a Western Village for the kids to play in. And... ...Callie and I were able to take a quick trip to Michigan to spend some quality time with my Mam-maw and Aunt Robin. It was a fabulous trip, and super cold, too!

February took Patrick and his Mom to St. Barths to try and find us a place to live and to start preparing things for our move.

March was a month full of meetings, trying to raise the rest of our support. It was also my Elisabeth's 13th birthday! And... ....we tried to squeeze in as much extra time with our family as possible!

April was a super super busy month! Our home church, Winkler Road Baptist Church, had our sending service. It was a pretty emotional time for our family, that's for sure! Here's a picture of my sweet 3 sisters and their families singing, "Bury my Heart" at our send-off service. And... ...it was also a month for packing, packing, and more packing!

May was a life changer month. This is the month we moved to St. Barthelemy. This was a day I thought would never come! My family came to drop us off at the airport. It was so hard to say good-bye! And...

...it was also Callie Grace's one year birthday! Wow! Time has flown!

June brought another birthday...my Josh turned 15! And...

...it was a month of settling in and enjoying the island of St. Barths! And...

...a shipment of our stuff really helps! :o) In July Brenna Shay turned 12! Of course we had to spend the day snorkeling!

In August we had a special surprise! Marc (Patrick's brother) came for a visit and to work for his Aunt and Uncle. It was a blessing to have him around!

September was time for some new 5 kiddo pics. It sure is hard to get that perfect one! And...

It was time for school to begin! Josh is now in 10th grade, Elisabeth in 8th and Brenna in 7th.

October was a very exciting month... My parents came to visit and we had an amazing and fun-filled week! When it was time for them to leave, I had to go back to Florida with them to renew my passport and file for my Visa. At the beginning of November there was a lot of uncertainties. Elisabeth, Silas, Callie and I were still in Florida awaiting my passport and Visa. We ran into some problems with the Consolate in Chicago for the girls paperwork. Even though we were having a great time in Florida, it was a time of testing for us to be away from Patrick, Josh and Brenna for so long. We prayed for the Lord to work all things out and let us be home for Thanksgiving. He answered our prayers and we made it home 3 days before!

December...Whew! What a busy month, and we're still recovering! We went caroling and made cookies, and decorated our tree and had a fabulous Christmas! We were excited to have a total (including our family) of 11 in services on Christmas Day!

As I look back on 2011, I see how good God has been to us! I look forward to see Him work in 2012!

ReUsable Shopping Bags

2011-12-29T15:52:00.005-05:00

I had a great time doing some sewing before Christmas! I came up with the idea to recover/redo some shopping bags and it worked out very well! Here, they do not give you shopping bags when you go to the grocery store (I'm still having a hard time breaking down and buying bathroom size trash bags!), so we buy the reusable kind. Who wouldn't want a personalized bag for shopping? :o)
I bought the largest size bag that they have here. I cut it into three basic pieces. 2 pieces are the sides and one is the bottom. I trimmed up the sides so they had the same width as the bottom piece.

Then, I cut fabric to fit on each piece. For the sides, I put a different colored strip on the top, just to make it a little different. (As I made more, I varied this pattern up for fun!) I also cut two strips for the handles. (I won't give you the measurements on those, because for every bag I made I changed it. I couldn't decide how long and how wide I liked it!)

For the handles I ironed each piece to the middle, then folded the whole thing in half. Then, I stitched it down. For every bag, I tried a new fun stitch on my machine. I loved this part!

Then, I sewed the cut up bag to the fabric. First, I ironed down 1/2 inch on the top so to make a little neater finish and not have a raw edge. I also tried to do varied lines, almost quilting style. I also sewed on the handle. First, I tucked it under the piece that is folded over the bag....

...then, folded it back up, so to try and secure the handle down really well.

You should now have 3 basic sections. Sew a side to one side of the bottom. (right sides together)

Then, add the other side to the other side of the bottom piece.

Then, put right sides together and sew up the sides!

To make the box bottom, I folded down the center bottom of the bag until it was a point. Then, I measured and drew 2 1/2 inches from the point, sewed down the line, then cut.

Turn right side out and you're finished! I ended up making 8 in all and had a great time doing it! I am definitely not an expert at sewing. (My Mom taught me this week one of the basics, that I really should have known!)

This was one of my first bag projects! But, I'm excited about how they turned out.

Different, but Merry

2011-12-28T11:47:00.002-05:00

So, my last post was about our "Very Merry Christmas" It truly was wonderful! But, celebrating a holiday for the first time in a new place can be a little different. Different isn't always bad, though. These were good "differents!" I thought I would share just a few. I love to bake lots and lots during the holidays. This time it was hard to find everything that I usually have so easily at hand. I couldn't find mint extract, but I posted that in my cookie post. I couldn't find chocolate chips...that's okay, candy bars work great! No cream of mushroom soup, or cream of chicken. But, I did find Cream of Asparagus. I sort of thought "yuk" when I saw it, but when we tried it, it was actually quite nice and worked well for our Christmas Casseroles. The only chocolate covered cherries were super expensive! I'm used to buying the Walmart 96 cent pack! No eggnog either :o( No candy canes (except for colored ones), No Christmas tree lots.
BUT...they do have some really cool things here for Christmas. They have lots and lots of chocolate! I mean HUGE boxes full of all kinds of Chocolate! Now that's good! The Super-Mega Yachts that they have come in are so fun to go and watch. They are soooo shiney! Downtown was all lit up and super busy with tourists. It definitely gave it a "festive air!"
The traditional desserts here are definitely different. Two of Patrick's Aunt made us the Pudding that is very well loved here around Christmas. It's a very long and tedious process. You add White Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin, raisins, and I'm not sure what else. It was good. The above picture is one way of cooking the pudding. It was inside of this Sea Grape leaf and then tied with string. The below picture is the one baked in the oven.

We also felt very french when we sampled Smoked Salmon on toast with fresh Lime. Also, it's really big around here to have Duck Liver Mousse served over little breads. I really liked that! And you know iron is good for a pregnant girl! :o)

So, even though it was different, it was really great! We felt french and very islandy! The cool thing about St. Barths is that it is soooo french European, but very Caribbean at the same time! I love the place God has called us to!

A Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-27T18:47:00.010-05:00

We had such a great Christmas and made so many fun memories! Here is a quick run-down of our day. We decided to do things a little differently this year since Christmas was on a Sunday. On Christmas Eve we opened our stockings, then revealed what our stocking gift for Jesus was last year. After that we gave our new gifts to Him and had a good time of prayer.

Christmas morning we finished our preparations for Sunday Services. There wasn't a whole lot to be done...we tried to get it done the day before.
Our services were great! We sang Christmas songs together, read the account of Jesus birth out of Luke chapter 2, then Patrick preached a great message on the importance of "receiving" Christ. Brenna also played a special on the piano and did a great job!

This picture shows the benefits of starting a church in your home :o) and of living on a tropical island!

After our services we exchanged some gifts. We are so thankful for Patrick's Grandma (Mama) who faithfully comes every Sunday!

We enjoyed a meal together of Ham, Potato Casserole, Green Beans and a Salad. For dessert Josh made a Snickerdoodle cake and Brenna made a Frosty Pumpkin Dessert.

Here's our group shot. We had four sweet ladies come. If you count our 7 that gave us 11! Yay!

After our services were finished, it was time for our family time to open gifts. It was a little strange not opening gifts first thing in the morning, but we knew it would be easier this way, this year. Josh is so funny and insisted that we really should be in our PJs!

God blessed us with so many wonderful gifts! Too many! It was a great day and we are so thankful for Jesus birth. Just think, He came to earth to die for us. He loves us so much!

Merry Christmas!

From our Home to Yours.....

2011-12-24T07:19:00.000-05:00

Cookies and Caroling

2011-12-23T07:09:00.004-05:00

What a fun Christmas this has been! Patrick had been praying about how to reach out to as many people as possible during this time. We just had some new flyers printed up inviting everyone to our Sunday services and we thought it would be a perfect time to pass them out. So, he decided we would go Christmas Caroling American Style! It was great! We practiced and prepared two songs to sing in French. The first was "Hark the Harold Angels Sing." We worked hard at learning the harmony and I'm very excited about how it turned out. Then, we sang the ever popular French Christmas song, "Il Est Nè Le Divin Enfant." We then made up goodie bags with our brochure, a gospel tract, French John and Romans, and a Christmas potholder that Elisabeth and Brenna had made. For some bags we put in a batch of our Christmas cookies or some Banana Bread.

I posted on Facebook not too long ago asking for ideas of what to do if you can't find Mint Extract. We needed it for our peppermint pinwheels! I got some great responses like, "Candy Canes" (Only candy canes we could find were pink and I think it was cotton candy flavor), "Peppermint Patties or candies" (not available here) "Food grade Peppermint Oil" (mine that I had in the medicine cabinet wasn't food grade) So, we were sort of stuck until Josh and I found Mint Syrup! We tried it and it basically ruined our whole pinwheel concept. The flavor just wasn't strong enough and it was too much liquid for our cookie dough. So....we just improvised and made cut-out star cookies, Elves Snickerdoodles and Fudge. Gotta have the fudge, right?

We really had a great time going Caroling. Everyone was so kind! One sweet family said that they've only seen this on American Movies. Visiting here is definitely different than in the states. When you go to someone's house to sing for them, you are always invited to visit for a while and offered something to drink and eat. One place we were even fed dinner, though we were unexpected! :o) One family put some chips on a plate for us to munch on while we visited. Silas started chowing down and said rather loudly, "This is my lunch!" How embarrassing! He had been fed lunch 3 hours earlier! I'm glad this family only spoke french! Josh said when we go visiting in the states we will definitely experience some reverse culture shock! Please pray with us that we will see people come to know the Lord as a result of our Caroling Fun!

A Simple One

2011-12-22T07:02:00.002-05:00

I think the traditions that I remember the most as a child, and the ones my kiddos remember, too, are the simple ones. The let's-just-be-together ones.

A few Christmas's ago I bought a book filled with Christmas stories like "Twas the Night before Christmas" "The Nutcracker" and "The Drummer Boy." I think there are over 30 of them in there! When I bought the book we started the tradition of reading one (or several!) of the stories by the lit up tree, with lots of candle light, and homemade cocoa. It's such a sweet quiet time and I love it! We usually do this several times through the season.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

2011-12-21T20:18:00.004-05:00

We tried this recipe from Allrecipes for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins. They were fabulous and everybody loved them! I thought I would share! Here's the link!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/detail.aspx

Needing a Date

2011-12-19T21:03:00.002-05:00

Don't you find that Christmas season can just be so super busy, that you don't have as much time with your sweet man? Patrick and I felt that way, so we knew it was time for a date! Remember that gorgeous spot that me and the kiddos hiked up to? I knew right away it would be a perfect romantic spot! We went to the top with two backpacks in hand. One with a blanket and fried chicken. The other with potato salad, two pepsis and chocolate cake. Perfect picnic food!

It was the perfect time to see the sunset....well, maybe the clouds did cover the sun, but it was a perfect, cheap date. And we needed time alone so much!

This is definitely something we need to do more often! I love date night. So, for a sneak peak :o) one of my goals for the new year is to make sure dates happen! They don't have to be expensive (this one was free!), they just need to be time together, just me and my man.

A Special Visitor

2011-12-18T20:52:00.003-05:00

Last week for our services we had a special person "attend".....it was Patrick's Mom, Denise! Patrick asked her if this once she would be able to join us via Skype for our Sunday services. Everyone was excited to see her. We are very blessed to have been called to a place that we have family here. Not all missionaries have that benefit. St. Barths is the island Denise was born on, so she has lots of family here and lots of memories. The sweet lady in the middle seat, wearing red, is Denise's Mom (Patrick's Grandmother.) She was especially excited to see her daughter and to have services together! After services we enjoyed our meal of Creamy Chicken over rice, Broccoli/Cauliflower Salad, Iced Tea and Jello Poke Cake. Denise ate with us and made herself a ham sandwich and a nice glass of coke with lots of ice. (I think Brenna and I were sort of coveting her Coke!) It was fun to have her eat with us! (For now our three faithful ladies sit around the table with Patrick, Silas, Callie and I. Josh, Elisabeth and Brenna all eat their lunch in the living room.)

Then, after lunch Denise gave everyone a tour of her home. Mama (that's what we call Patrick's Grandma) has never seen Denise's new house.

It was a great day! Praise the Lord for modern technology!

A Yummy Christmasy Salad

2011-12-17T12:55:00.003-05:00

I made this super delicious salad last week. Even my not-so-crazy-about-salads husband and son loved it! That says a lot! :o) It was so good and crunchy and so pretty, too! It's definitely going to adorn our table on Christmas day! So, here's the recipe:

Oh-So-Good Salad

Lettuce-not sure exactly how much, but I tore 1/2 a head of iceberg, then 1/2 green leaf lettuce onto a pretty tray

Top with-
1 cubed Red Apple, and 1 cubed Green Apple
1/2 cup Golden Raisins
3/4 cup Walnut halves

Then, pour dressing over top
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. mayo
1 tsp. mustard (prepared)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Voila! Super good!

A Good Break

2011-12-14T12:13:00.013-05:00

December has been super busy so far...especially for my older 3! After looking at our schooling, we decided we needed to hit school a little harder. You see we have this special little someone coming in April! :o) We've also been busy practicing our Christmas Carols and making gifts for when we go. Also they're doing all of the normal things that their sweet Momma (or as Brenna says, lovingly of course,"The Slave Task Master") makes them do. (chores, piano practice, violin practice, etc. etc.) We decided they needed to get out and get active for a bit. There is a hill downtown that we've been wanting to climb. So, what better time than after school? It was just Josh, Beth, Brenna and I. As we climbed the steps, I noticed Beth running circles around me. I think I'm a little out of shape!

At the top the view is amazing! On one side you can see the mountains and Shell Beach. Ohhhh, I love that beach! You can also see some smaller sailboats anchored out with their owners swimmng and snorkeling around them. On another side you can see the gorgeous harbor. The huge Yachts have started to arrive for Christmas and they are unbelievable! Then, on another side you can catch the sunset. It was amazing, marvelous....I love sunsets, they really are indescribable!

Okay, before you look at this next picture, I want you to click here

and scroll down to picture #14. Does my Josh look like my Dad or what?

I love my time with my kiddos! And it was just the thing they needed. (and me too.)

Josh's Ministry

2011-12-12T18:07:00.007-05:00

My Joshua has developed his own way to participate in our Sunday Services. I'm so proud of him! Every week he has something to report on...whether it be information on a Bible character, Missionaries in other countries or the truth about cults with Bible verses to back it up. He prepares a power point to go with it with lots of great photos. The really great thing is that he has to do all of this in french which is really helping him in that area! For the month of December he has been doing things with more of a Christmas theme. Last Sunday he did "The History of the Candy Cane." It was great as the ladies realized why this candy was made in the first place and how the maker wanted to draw others to Christ. We all enjoyed eating the candy during the presentation, too! Brenna looked at me and said, "Finally I'm allowed to eat candy in church!"

Our Sunday morning services have been going very well. We have 3 faithful ladies that come every week and we enjoy being with them so much. We're still earnestly praying for more people to come. Last week Patrick designed some brochure like flyers that we had printed up and sent to us. They look great! We ordered 1,000 and are ready to pass out every single one! Please pray for us to have an impact on the people of St. Barthelemy. Please pray with us for a bigger vehicle, we know we could build a big van ministry here. Also, pray that the Lord will allow us to be able to rent a building soon with lots of people to fill it up! We need a place in a good location, but also need the Lord to provide the funds, too. He is able! We're so excited about seeing a church being planted here in St. Barths!

Harvesting our Christmas Peas

2011-12-10T13:03:00.005-05:00

Patrick and I were very excited to see that our peas are ready! We've been blessed to have so many gorgeous plants in our yard that our landlord had planted. We don't exactly have the greenest of thumbs, but our yard seems to be thriving! When our landlord showed us that we have pea plants, I thought I would end up killing them for sure! But, one thing about the plants that are planted here, is that they are very hardy. They make it with the sunshine and water that they get, and I don't have to do a thing! Yay! The peas are actually a type of pigeon pea, but we've heard people refer to them as Christmas peas because that's usually when they are ready.

My sweet farmer-at-heart picked the peas (I started to help, then decided to grab the camera instead! :o), then shelled them (this took a while!) then looked up a recipe for Bahamian pigeon peas and rice. It was very good! And I feel like such an islander!

Being German for the Day

2011-12-09T11:53:00.007-05:00

When my sister, Tabitha, was studying German in school, she came home one day and told my Mom that on December 6th German children set there shoes outside of their door and in the morning they find gifts! That night she set out her shoes. Mom hurried and put in a gift, and a tradition was born! My Mom has been so sweet to keep up with that tradition and still sends us "December 6th" gifts! Yay for gifts! :o)
Silas and Callie are definitely new to unwrapping. They haven't had the years of practice like my other kiddos! Silas became a little impatient with Miss Callie Grace taking so long, so he decided to help. That didn't go over all that great with her...Christmas morning is going to be interesting! :o) Mom and Dad, we loved our gifts! How exciting to be able to open one early! And you remember every one of us, how sweet! Even me and Patrick! That night we played Josh's game he received "Angry Birds", but I'll talk about that in another post! :o)

Silas and Callie enjoyed their Coloring mat. I love that the crayon erases and you can start all over again. Genius!

I decided to get in the "German Christmas" mood and make some German Stollen bread. It didn't exactly go over too well. The kids took one bite and not another. Patrick and I ate it, but didn't love it. We're just not fruitcake type of people. Maybe next year I'll try a different German recipe.

A New Tree Skirt

2011-12-07T13:08:00.005-05:00

I am so very excited about my new tree skirt! We have always used the Walmart special tree skirt that costs $4.99 and looks like snow. It usually last 2-3 years, or 4 if you stretch it. Well, after buying about 5 of those during our marriage, I decided I wanted a real one! I scoured some blogs and came up with a plan I would like. I had been given some really nice quality sheets with embossed stripes in them. It was perfect for the skirt!I learned how to cut the it into a good circle from Sew Many Ways. Then, I learned how to cut it into an official tree skirt shape from Make it and Love it. Then, I learned how to make bias tape binding from Sewtropolis. I loved this process! I was a little skeptical and thought for sure I would have some bumps and ripples in the binding, but it worked wonderfully and laid down so well! I decided to applique some random sized trees. The part that was the most time consuming was sewing around all those trees!

I'm so excited about how it turned out and I think it will be something we'll use in years to come.

Decking the Halls

2011-12-06T09:06:00.009-05:00

We love decorating for Christmas and we kept our tradition of decorating on Thanksgiving Evening. After putting together our artificial tree (it was different trying to put all the branches in the right color!), Brenna sweetly led Callie over to "introduce" her to our tree and try and talk her into not tearing it to pieces! I'm not sure if the talk worked, but she was very excited about our tree!

Silas loved seeing all of the ornaments and lights!

Joshua is really into all of our traditions and knows them by heart. He's keeping us on schedule!

Next year, Beth wants us to do more of a color cooridinated tree. We shall see! She's definitely growing up!

Can you tell Patrick really loves decorating for Christmas!

Brenna hangs all of the ornaments with care and loves to look at the dates on the back.

It's always our tradition for me to put the star on top of the tree. It's something my Dad started when I was little. Being #3 really does have its perks! :o)

I've always wanted a nice manger scene. I have a small plastic one with one inch figures that the kids love to play with. I like to have some decorations that they can touch and we can help them learn the true meaning of Christmas. But....I've always wanted one of those super nice ones that are only to look at. Well, my sweet Momma heard that I wanted a Nativity Scene and gave me one of hers before we left for St. Barths. So, this gorgeous set floated on a boat from the states to arrive here! And I LOVE it! I have it high on a shelf so as to not tempt my little ones, and I love it! Thanks Mom!

And our stockings! They aren't exactly hung by the chimney! :o) Patrick came up with a way for us to hang them in the entrance to the kitchen. I love it! Even our sweet baby-yet-to-come has a stocking!

Last year we started a tradition of having a stocking for Jesus. On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day (we're still talking about which would be best) we're going to reveal our gifts that we gave to Christ last year, then we'll make new commitments for him for this coming year, which will be our "gift" to Him!

All done! I love our Christmas trees and each year I think it's my favorite!

Did you notice our tree skirt? I'm going to post on it next time!

21 Weeks

2011-12-04T22:52:00.004-05:00

Today we are 21 weeks along in our pregnancy. That's over half way! I am getting so excited to meet this active little one. This baby is really starting to move and kick. I love to see my belly all of a sudden move from movement of my growing baby.

We are beginning now to keep our eye out for airplane tickets for our family. I met with our midwife while in Florida, and she really thinks it would be best if I'm back by 36 weeks (that's March 19th). We had to make a decision about where to have our baby. It is not legal to give birth here in St. Barths. They say they just don't have the proper faciliteis for labor and delivery. Basically our two choices are:

1. Have baby in St. Martin. This would mean leaving ahead of time and finding a hotel that is large enough for our family or have two rooms. Then, wait for me to go into labor and have the baby at the hospital in St. Martin.

2. Have baby in Florida. This would mean still leaving ahead of time, but no hotel and good cooking provided by my sweet family!

We prayed and decided the Lord would have us to go with option 2. This will save us a lot of money also. Yes, we will have the price of airline tickets, but after paying for two hotel rooms for that long, plus meals, it's much cheaper in Florida! Plus, I really like to have my babies at home. If the Lord allows, and things progress smoothly, we will have the baby at my Mom and Dad's house. We found a midwife, recommended by some sweet Godly friends, that is willing to let me monitor my own prenatal time. That's a blessing! I will be in contact with her plenty and sending stats and info to her, but I won't see her again until 36 weeks. (that's when me and some of the kids will fly out) Patrick's plan is to stay here until the first of April. I will be praying bunches the baby will wait until its Daddy is there before making its entrance! After baby comes, Patrick will stay a little longer, then head back to St. Barths. I will need to wait until the birth certificate and passport come for baby Gimenez.

For now, I'm just enjoying preparing for Christmas, enjoying my 5, and dreaming about number 6!

Just a picture

2011-11-30T14:51:00.002-05:00

I think it says it all!

Potty Training Update

2011-11-28T20:23:00.002-05:00

I know you're dying to know how my day went potty training my Silas, so I thought I'd tell! :o)

As of 7:30pm the M&M jar was completely full (if you don't count the 3 (or maybe it was more like 4) M&M's that I took for comfort's sake.) So, that meant no success, yet. :o( While one of our older kiddos was showering they brought the potty out to the living room so they could have a few private minutes without having a little brother coming in constantly to "try." Callie saw the potty, took off her diaper, and......went pee pee! Can you believe it!? Not exactly the result we were hoping for! (Callie is 18 months, and I decided I'm just not ready for her to be potty trained!) Patrick and I looked at each other and thought, "Oh no! Poor Silas has been "trying" all day!" We quietly gave Callie her earned M&M hoping Silas wouldn't notice. No such luck, the poor thing was bewildered! Then, not to be outdone, he finally went pee! Yipee!! Okay, so it was just a tablespoonful, but it was there! We cheered and clapped and he enjoyed his candy! Then, sat back down again and went another teeny bit....we cheered, dished out candy, then he went again....we cheered, dished out candy...This happened 13 times! Now, we realize we should have went with a sticker chart! Wow! We'll be able to say our kid is potty trained, but all teeth are rotten! They say no two children are alike. That's definitely true! It figures my Silas, lover of anything with sugar, would figure out how to get the most chocolate out of this situation! The good news is that on #14 time (this all happened within 10 minutes) he also went poo! Double yipee! and double M&Ms unfortunately. We'll see how tomorrow goes! I have to run to the store for more candy!

Today is the day.....

2011-11-28T12:20:00.003-05:00

to start Potty Training! You're definitely putting me on your prayer list now, aren't you? :o)

We've really been talking up going pee-pee in the big boy potty and wearing big boy underwear this past week. I decided that after our Thanksgiving break, Monday would be the day! Oh dear, that's today. Silas was excited to see the cool stash of big boy underwear in Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex and lots of other Cool Guys. I'm trying to talk him into not getting them wet! He has his bribe jar....I mean candy jar all ready to go. One M&M for Pee, Two for poo. Little too much info, I know.

Off I go to clean up a mess......

You know you live in the West Indies if....

2011-11-27T09:45:00.003-05:00

You know the way rays of sun coming through a window magnifies dust? Well, we always have an over abundance of those gorgeous floaties in our house! :o) This morning I saw Callie Grace standing and watching the dust. All of a sudden she started "clapping" the dust. Then, she looked at me with a sweet smile and said, "Squitos!"

A New Pie for us

2011-11-26T06:37:00.002-05:00

I love love love trying new recipes! And this was a great one to sample. Josh says it's now his all-time, second in line favorite (he said Apple Pie is his first). So, I thought I would share! It's a recipe from a magazine my sister Keela gave me. Thanks Sis! I love Taste of Home and their recipes are fun, but pretty simple.

So, heres the recipes, thanks to Taste of Home, for

Sweet Potato Coconut Pie with a Marshmallow Meringue

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
2 tablespoons shortening
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

FILLING:
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

MERINGUE:
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup flaked coconut

Directions
In a food processor, combine the flour, salt and ginger; cover and
pulse to blend. Add butter and shortening; cover and pulse until
mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
While processing, gradually add water just until moist crumbs form.
Shape into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30
minutes or until easy to handle.
Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Transfer pastry
to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute
edges or decorate with pastry cutouts as desired. Line unpricked
pastry with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Fill with dried
beans, uncooked rice or pie weights.
Bake at 425° for 8 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake 5
minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°.
For filling, in a small saucepan, combine the coconut milk, brown
sugar and cream cheese. Cook and stir until smooth. Transfer to a
large bowl; cool 5 minutes. Whisk in the sweet potatoes, eggs, lemon
juice, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Pour into crust.
Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the
center comes out clean. Cover edges with foil during the last 15
minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary.
For meringue, in a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on
medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1
tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and
sugar is dissolved.
Place marshmallow creme in a separate large bowl; fold in a third of
the egg white mixture, then fold in the remaining mixture. Spread
evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust. Sprinkle with
marshmallows and coconut.
Bake 12-15 minutes longer or until top is golden brown. Cool on a
wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before
serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 piece equals 603 calories, 23 g fat (15 g saturated fat), 110 mg cholesterol, 348 mg sodium, 91 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 9 g protein.

Of course, I changed a few things. I used my own pie crust recipe, couldn't find marshmallow fluff (so I melted a 10 oz. bag of marshmallows with 1/2 cup water on the stove), and I didn't add flaked coconut...just not a fan of that stuff!

It was great! Hope you try it and enjoy!

So Thankful on Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T12:01:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving here in St. Barths! The day was filled with our usual traditions of cooking, baking, lots of eating, watching football, decorating our Christmas tree and watching It's a Wonderful Life. My kids know what is supposed to happen even better than Patrick and I do! They reminded us the whole day, "Now, we're supposed to do this..."

During our time of sharing thanks around the table, this phrase was heard several times, "I'm so thankful we're all back together again." Family sure is a special treasure. God has been so good to me!

Of course we had our traditional Pumpkin Pie, but this year I tried a new one, too. I'll post on it next, because it's perfect to make for this season!

Our home was truly busy, busy, busy this Thanksgiving, but that's exactly how I love it!

Time to go!

2011-11-20T23:44:00.002-05:00

Praise the Lord, My Visa arrived! Yay! I've had a great time with my parents, sisters, nieces and nephews, brother-in-laws, and church family, too. God has been so good to give me this time. But, even though saying Good-bye is never fun, being with Patrick, Josh, and Brenna is my heart's desire. My parents always taught me that once I'm married and out of the house I will always be welcome...for a visit :o) My place is with my husband and children. I'm thankful that they've instilled within me a sense of knowing my place. I heard my niece, Emily, telling a friend today that "Grandma and Grandpa's house is like a gathering place, we all just end up here!" It's so true, and I've had so much time living daily life with all my family

In the morning Elisabeth, Silas, Callie and I will leave for Miami at 5:30. Yikes, that's early! We should arrive in St. Barths by tomorrow night around 7:30. Long day, but definitely worth it! Please pray for safe travels for us, but most of all, Thank the Lord for working out all the details for us. He's so good to us!

Are you jealous, Josh?

2011-11-20T23:15:00.004-05:00

My Josh loves to work for my Dad at his carlot. The extra cash is always nice, but my Josh likes to be around cars, and especially around his Grandpa. This time, since Josh wasn't here, Silas took his place. Are you jealous, Josh?

Just a waitin'

2011-11-16T22:54:00.005-05:00

Well, we're still waiting for our Visa to come in. Today makes Day 8. Hopefully soon. My family needs me, and I definitely need them. So, for Patrick, Josh and Brenna's sake, I'm going to post some photos of what we've been doing while we're waiting.

Beware: Lots of cousins photos ahead!

Ha! This picture makes me laugh!

I finally let her do it

2011-11-15T14:26:00.001-05:00

When Elisabeth and Brenna were little, my sister Keela was dying to get their ears pierced. Well, Patrick and I wouldn't let her. With Callie, we decided to let Keela go for it. I hinted to her that Callie wanted to go out with her Aunt Keela for the afternoon. ......my sister knew exactly what I was talking about and was very excited! Here's the before....are we really going to do this?

Such a sad picture.

Her tears dried up within a few seconds and then the weirdest thing happened....instead of not wanting Aunt Keela, she didn't want Mommy! She didn't even see me! She's in love with her Aunt Keela now, for sure! I thought for sure it would be the exact opposite!

"You have all your papers"

2011-11-14T14:17:00.004-05:00

These are words that we haven't heard yet in the process of our paperwork...at least not on the first try! But, that's exactly what I heard last Wednesday at the French Consulate! Yay! Denise kept the kids for me, and Mom and I drove to Miami for the day to turn in my paperwork. As I waited for name to be called, it was interesting hearing all the different stories as to why people needed a visa. There were none quite like mine. But, it was actually pretty easy. I told him that my husband is french and I want to go and live with him in St. Barths. The man smiled, and began my paperwork. It was sheer bliss for me.

He said the process usually takes about 10 days for France to approve a Long-Term Visa, but he wrote down that I needed it in 6 days. So, we shall see when it will come in!

After my appointment, Mom and I went out to a great Mexican restaurant, then did some Christmas Shopping before heading back to Fort Myers for church that night. It was a great day!

Time to get my Visa

2011-11-12T20:00:00.005-05:00

We had a great visit with my Mom and Dad! We had planned that when they were going to go back to Florida, then I would too so that I could get my Visa. We decided I would need to take Elisabeth, because of her braces, and that since I didn't know how long I would be gone, I would take Silas and Callie with me, too. It was hard to say good-bye to Patrick, Josh, and Brenna. It's hard when you don't know when you will be back. Our goal was 2 weeks, but we knew it could take longer.

It was great to be able to travel with my parents and we had a great boat ride over to St. Martin! Silas loved pointing out all of the fish and birds to my Dad. I think he talked almost the whole time!

My sweet Beth is so faithful. Since we needed to get up early and hurry to get ready, she didn't get her morning devotions in. She was faithful to read on the boat. If it were me...I'd be faithfully feeding the fish! I can sometimes get a little seasick, so I just focus on the pretty water and watch the horizon. God made the sea so beautiful!

Marc (Patrick's brother) decided he would head back to the states on the same boat, and plane, as us. Mariane and Romea (Patrick's aunts) decided to come along on the boat to see Marc off. They enjoyed playing with Callie and she talked on Romea's phone most of the time.

It was a gorgeous day!

Callie loves her Uncle Marc and is sure going to miss him once we head back!

After our boat ride, we took a taxi to the airport and had some lunch there. We walked the kids around and tried to keep them awake so they would sleep on the plane.

Then, it was time to board the plane. I love in St. Martin how you take a bus, then get out and board the plane outside. You can see the ocean and it feels so tropical. I love it!And, yes, our plan worked! After about an hour Silas and Callie fell asleep, I tried to snooze, and Beth read a book. We left St. Barths at 8:15am and landed in Fort Lauderdale at 6pm. Then, first stop....McDonalds! Yay! Then, it's a 2 hour ride to Fort Myers. It makes for a long, long, day. But, praise the Lord, He blessed and we had a great journey back!

Now, it's lots of business of Visas and paperwork....and a little sisterly-love! I love my family!

A Great Visit

2011-11-07T14:39:00.013-05:00

If you know me very well, or have read my blog much, you know I have fabulous parents! I love 'em to pieces! I was so thrilled when they told us they bought tickets to come visit us! Yay! We all counted down the days and prepared and were so excited!

We tried to fit in as much as possible in the 6 days they were there. We were busy, busy, busy, but they also experienced everyday life with us.

Dad fell in love with the bread from our bakery around the corner. It became his daily spot.

Of course, Dad bought donuts for his grandchildren...it's a tradition! Although they were a little different than Dunkin Donuts!

What a wonderful Grandpa my Dad is. Silas had to show him his train set and Dad just plopped on the floor with him and played.

We were excited to have my parents there for our services on Sunday. Here we are singing the BIBLE. We always have "American Sunday School" before I start picking up our ladies for church.

Magic tricks from Josh and I'm sure some jokes, too.

We bought some ribs in St. Martin to have special while Mom and Dad were there. Patrick makes excellent ribs!!

Touring the island. This picture is taken from Colombier.

Tea party time with Grandma (another tradition) As I loaded these pictures I told Mom I am so sorry there isn't all that many pictures with her in it! She was usually the photographer behind the camera. I think it's also the life of a mother and grandmother. But, my Mom is a thoughtful and fun Grandmother. My kiddos absolutely adore her!

In this picture they look like they are sizing each other up!

Mom and Dad had a really great time, although I know it was a little different for them. It was the longest they'd ever gone without driving a car, reading a newspaper, watching the TV (especially the news!), checking emails and internet, and using the phone freely....oh and having real milk, too!

My parents wanted to take us out to a nice restaurant for dinner. To say the least, St. Barths is extremely expensive. Patrick and I tried to talk them out of it, but they insisted. We gathered menus from different places and looked at the setting of the place. It was soooo much fun! Dad wanted a place with a view. We found a place with a view and with a menu that had stuff that would please us all. Then, we studied and reviewed the menu to decide what we wanted to eat. We were a little excited! I think we memorized the menu!

It was a gorgeous night, the weather was perfect and there was a nice breeze that flowed throughout the restaurant.

The food was amazing and we made so many memories.

Gorgeous food! Josh ordered duck and it was amazing!

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for coming. You spoiled us all week long. You played with the kids, you talked and laughed with me and Patrick, and most of all you were truly interested and excited to see everything about the place that the Lord has called us to. That meant so much to us! We love you both and can't wait until the next visit!

So, how does it all fit?

2011-11-07T11:40:00.005-05:00

After my last post of touring my home, you may be wondering, "So, how does it all fit?" After living in a motorhome for over two years, then moving to a 2 bedroom, Patrick and I have learned a few tricks that helps us space wise, so I thought I'd share!

One thing we had to figure out what to do with is all of our boxes. It takes a bunch during our moves! My hubby can be very orderly and likes things that fit together very well. We invested in Uhaul boxes a few moves ago and they have been very sturdy and fit together perfect! But at the price we paid, we weren't throwing them away! So, where do you keep over 50 boxes?

We flatten them and put them under everyone's mattress. They are out of the way, and they give you more support for your mattress.

I love everything in a bin, basket, rubbermaid....a place for everything if possible. We have army guy baskets, craft bins, Sunday school material rubbermaids, and game bins. It works great and I like grabbing a bin and know what's in it. When we realized we were going to be doing bunk beds, we bought all of our kiddos a long rubbermaid that fits under their beds. They are pretty inexpensive, but it's a perfect place for each of them to have their own bin to fill. Once it's full....they've got to decide what they really want, and what needs to go. They all have different memories in there, art supplies, journals, future car models to build, beading supplies....lots and lots of stuff! When we told our kiddos we were moving to a smaller place, it helped them when we told them they will have places for their "stuff." But, it also helped them (and me) when we showed them where they would be putting their things. This helped them make some eliminations.

Our latest way to save on space has been simply marvelous! Patrick had the idea of buying large binders for our DVD's and CD's. Those plastic cases can take up a lot of space. You can buy them at an office supply store, but we bought ours on Ebay. We love to watch a good movie together, and I just about always have a CD playing to match what we are doing (quiet piano during school, some good upbeat Spirit-lifting music to wake us up and start our day right, or Anne of Green Gables when I want to reminesce) So.....needless to say we have a lot of those silver circles around! This solution worked perfect!

But, the biggest thing that Patrick and I have done to make all of our stuff fit, without a bunch of clutter, is to downsize a bunch! We went through our things and decided if we've lived without it for a year (or even a few months!) then we really can do without it. We did keep some of our memorabilia, but we had to be careful with this too. I'm the type of person that would love to keep every small thing that my children ever colored, painted, or touched. But, it's just not possible. For me, I need clutter free (somewhat), and I had to keep in focus that everything we shipped cost a lot of money!

I love our home, I love my stuff....but most of all I love the people in it! God has been so good to me!

Tour my home...the inside

2011-11-04T21:59:00.008-04:00

Welcome to the Tour of my home! Now, for the inside!

Once you step in our back door you will see a small hallway. To the left is the bathroom, to the right the kids room and straight ahead is our living room. See our keyboard right in the way? Yes, it sort of blocks the path, but it works for us!

To the left is our bathroom. It is huge! It's probably the biggest I've ever had. The girls and I can easily get ready all together. Bathtubs aren't something you usually find in St. Barths, so we have the traditional shower. For Silas and Callie we use a baby tub that they each take their baths in inside the shower.

Here is our living room. As you can see we love books and have stored them as many places we can fit them. Our living room has lots of natural light. We love our rug and the fact that our kids have room to play on it. I've also been collecting photos of mine and Patrick's family as children. I love black and white photos! And I love being able to point out our heritage to my kiddos.

This is the entertainment center (it came with the house) It offers lots of storage for our games and books. And of course to the right is my sewing area! Love that we were able to fit this in! See the almost invisible line going from the entertainment center to the wall? It's our rainy day clothesline. We have several throughout the house!

Then to the left of the living room is our dining/kitchen area. Our dining room is small, but we can all have a nice cozy meal around the table together. Don't you just love my pantry? I do!

Our kitchen is known as an "American Kitchen." Not sure what they mean by that, but I love how big it is and how much counter top space I have! Several of us can be in the kitchen to help prepare meals. Do you notice how tiny our stove is? It's cute! Another thing I love is our plastic wrap/aluminum foil/paper towel holder next to the window. I've seen a lot of these here and can't figure out why more homes in the states don't have them.

Another view of my kitchen. We have lots of space above the cabinets. For some reason we have airsoft remote controlled tanks stored there....hhhhmmm, I need to find a new space for those!

My kiddos room...yes all 5 fit in there! The room is about a 10' x10', but the Lord has blessed us with 2 bunk beds and lots of ideas for space! We found that if we line up the bunk beds this way, then the kids have a little more room in front of the toy box to play....that's where we keep all the Little People! It's hard to tell, but there is a bookcase in the corner, and everyone has their own shelves. Then, Josh had the idea of building a desk that attatches to the bookcase so he has a private place to do school. They have each enjoyed making their own "space" by their beds. Patrick put up shelves by the beds for each of them that is off limits to their siblings. They like putting up pictures and posters and lots of personal stuff.

This is the girls side of the room. For now Callie sleeps in the port-a-crib. We have a few ideas of how we will fit another bed once the baby comes...but we have some time before we figure out what we will do.

And the last room is mine and Patrick's room. The door is right off the living room. I've tried to make this less of a storage room and more of a romantic spot. I still have work to do. I've tried to take the advice of not having any of the kids pictures or family pictures in our "romantic spot." So, I've displayed lots of just Patrick and I, from before we were married until recently.

Although, I do have to admit I don't find the Philadelphia Eagles all that romantic, but I know my man does! This is also the room we store everyones clothes. We have a built in Armoire/Closet with shelving on the sides, and then another one that is not built in. It works very well for us. This is also where we have Patrick's desk.

I love my home and am looking forward to some upcoming projects to make my home even more homey! Thank you, Lord!

Tour My Home... The outside

2011-11-03T15:49:00.010-04:00

I'm so thankful for the beautiful home the Lord has let us rent. If you read many of my posts in February of this year, this was a true time of testing and trusting for me. The Lord truly provided the perfect place for us! So, I thought I would give you a tour of my home!

We live in a style of home that is true to St. Barths. You find most places with a huge porch like ours and the trim and columns are very common. The colors of houses are the best here! I love it!

From the front gate (past the opening for the driveway) you can walk right up to the porch.

To the left side of the porch is a great eating area. We've had many meals out here, including one of our Bible Study meals. We can all sit comfortably around the table and since it gets dark earlier here, it's a more cool spot to enjoy our dinner.

The right side of the porch is a sitting area and Silas's workbench. Silas and Callie loooove to play out here!

From the road the first thing you will see is our driveway. We have a nice white fence all on the front side of the property which offers lots of privacy since we are right next to the road. (After our driveway you will find the gate to the front walkway)

As you drive in on the right side we have our playhouse, hammock and swing. Our landlord has lots of tropical trees and plants planted all throughout the yard. I love plants! But, keeping them alive has never been my strong point. So far, though, they're taking care of themselves!

This is a picture of the left side. We have a side door to the house.

Our laundry line....which is always full (rain or shine :o) My sweet hubby has been keeping up with chore for me. I never seem to time it right! The cement wall and fence behind the laundry is the end of our property line.

Our laundry room on the left and on the right is a storage place for our Christmas decorations and Patrick's tools.

Our back door (which is the door we always use.) Bienvenue chez Gimenez!

Hope you enjoyed! Next post we'll venture beyond our back door and see what the inside of our home looks like.

Thank you to my fellow missionary and friend, Jolene, for the idea of giving you a tour! She has an amazing blog and gives so much encouragement! We love the Sloan family!

Our Date Night...almost

2011-10-30T22:22:00.002-04:00

Patrick and I love time to be together not neccesarily as "Mommy and Daddy" but, as Patrick and Kami...Husband and Wife. Sometimes that always doesn't happen as easily and as often as we like. Over our 17 years of marriage we've learned to be creative in our time "alone" and to just enjoy every moment in this wonderful famiy that God has given to us!

We had a great day night! It seems like our dates usually revolve around food, but that's okay...we love our food! We had steaks (with A1 yay!) Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream and Green Beans. It was a feast! I love setting the table and setting a romantic mood. We moved the table at an angle where we could see the TV and watched a Hallmark movie while eating our delicious food. It was so sweet!

Notice our super neat Red Robin glasses? Patrick bought me those for Christmas to be used only for us two on our dates. Love this idea!

I'm not sure if I should mention this, but we fed the kiddos early before our date and put the younger two to bed. The older three were in the living room watching the movie with us, but we couldn't see them and they couldn't see us...so it was like we were alone! :o)

A little fun to breakfast

2011-10-29T22:42:00.003-04:00

It was going to be one of those "Let's have a great school day by getting a lot done!" kind of days. So, what better way than to start with chocolate chip pancakes! To make them a little more special, I decided to make the letter of each of the kiddos out of chocolate chips.

Of course, One of my chocolate-lovin'-kiddos was caught stealing the chips!!

At least she shared! I just hoped I had enough to finish the rest of the letters!

Can you see the J,E,B,S &C? I felt bad for Josh's pancake getting a little well done....I had to have proof of the chocolate stealing thieves!

Eggs-A-Little-Late Family Fun Night

2011-10-28T15:41:00.003-04:00

Last Easter we all came down with the fun stomach bug. Needless to say, we didn't get a chance to color eggs, and that is one of our favorite traditions! So, we figured it's definitely not too late to do it in September, right? Perfect family fun night game! Patrick mixed all the colors together (food coloring) and labeled the cups, it was so organized!

This was Silas's first time to color eggs and HE LOVED IT! He kept saying to me, "Mom! This is so fun!" I love his sense of excitement!

My most excited creator, though, is always Patrick. He's very serious about coloring the eggs! He always makes a watermelon, and now the watermelon egg is spreading through the whole family!

Well, it wasn't the right time, but we loved it! I have such talented Egg Colorers in my family!

There's really some milk in the store??

2011-10-26T09:50:00.002-04:00

It's not very often we have real milk in the store here during the summer and early fall. By real milk, I mean the kind I grew up with....you buy it in the refrigerator section of the store! I never have gotten used to the boxed or bottled stuff, although I now can have cereal with just a tad of milk and not think it's horrible.

So, when Patrick came home with a half gallon of McArthur's Dairy Milk....the real stuff....I was quite excited! Oh the possibilities!!! So, what would you do if you finally could have a nice cold glass of milk?
Make homemade chocolate chip cookies of course!
And they were wonderful!

My New Helper

2011-10-25T21:39:00.003-04:00

Silas has become my little helper lately. He loves to help anyone do anything, and the pure look of joy he gives me when I praise him is priceless! I asked him if he wanted to help me ice the glasses for lunch. When he heard the word "help" he came running! (And yes, we washed our hands first. Mom always said it was the 1st rule of a good cook! Anyone know the 2nd?)

He so sweetly filled the cups with ice, trying to make them even. Just like he sees his sisters doing.

But, then his 2 year old curiousity and love for ice kicked in. Hhhhm, Who's cup did that piece go into?

Bible Study Lunch

2011-10-25T09:51:00.002-04:00

The Lord has let me be able to have a special ministry here in St. Barths. You know how I love to cook, right? Well, every Sunday after our Bible Study we all have lunch together. The above photo is a day we had soup and sandwhiches. I made Avocado soup and I am in love! (I've been craving Avocado just a little)

During our "Missions Awareness" month I made an Indian dish to go along with the theme of India.

Spaghetti! And I'm lovin' those huge meatballs!

I love having people around my table. Thank you, Lord, for letting me serve!

A quilt for Callie Grace from her Grammy

2011-10-24T14:12:00.000-04:00

Denise (Patrick's Mom) made this gorgeous quilt for Miss Callie Grace. I know it took so much time and effort. It is something she will treasure for many years to come! She hand embroidered all the flowers and embellishments.

Of course, my Callie loves it! Thank you Grammy!

My Girls and their Cakes

2011-10-24T12:03:00.002-04:00

My girls have continued to make their cakes here on St. Barths. They've really turned it into their ministry. So far, they've baked 3 cakes and given them away to people with birthdays. I'm so proud of them! They used their car pan to give this cake to a 10 year old boy.

This lady bug cake was made for a 6 year old girl. So cute!

And they made this cake for a sweet 50 something lady here in St. Barths. Each report back was that the cakes were gorgeous and delicious! Yay for my girls!

How to eat a "Kenep"

2011-10-23T11:48:00.005-04:00

We have enjoyed *mostly* eating and sampling the exotic fruits of the Caribbean. There are several that Patrick has memories of eating while growing up in the islands. One of them that he couldn't wait for us to try is the Kenep.

Although there are several spellings and names of this fruit throughout the caribbean, we have come to call it a Kenep. Brenna is in love with them! The juicy inside stains very badly, and even though she tries to be careful, she's stained a few of her shirts. HHhhhmmm, I guess that's life when you're in love with a fruit like a Kenep!

They are a little tricky to eat, so Brenna gave me a good demonstration!

1. Sink your teeth into the hard outer shell to make a crack.

2. Squeeze the peel so that the fruit and seed pop right into your mouth.

3. While the fruit is still in your mouth, try to get off every bit of fruit from the big old seed. It does take some work! When you're done....Don't eat the seed!

Voila! You've eaten a Kenep....now go eat 30 more until you're satisfied!

My Endless Saga

2011-10-14T10:48:00.000-04:00

It feels like the 2 main things I've posted on since I've been in St. Barths are:

phone line

and

paperwork

Well, here I go again!

Phone Line: We have an actual date, with an hour attatched to it, that we're supposed to have a phone line and internet. The big date? November 3rd. That's right...6 months to the date that we were supposed to have it hooked up!

Paperwork: Oh, the dreaded word! Patrick and I are very thankful the Lord is in control of this situation. We feel somewhat helpless concerning the never-ending-paperwork-drama in our lives. But, that's okay, the Lord knows what He is doing. Our 6 month date is quickly approaching of being on the field. Patrick and Silas are officially French Citizens, with hopefully Josh being finished within the month. HHhhmm, it looks like just us girls have the problem! October 22nd I will fly back to Florida (with Elisabeth, Silas, and Callie) and order a new American passport with extra pages, and then make an appointment in Miami to try and get a Long term Visa for me. None of our children are eligible for one since their father is french. So, I'm not exactly sure how long I will be gone from Patrick, Josh, and Brenna. I'm looking forward to seeing some of my family, but I'm not wanting to be gone from my 3 for too long. Pray for me! Pray for my Visa appointment at the Consolate to go very well and smoothly. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous, but thank God, He's in control!

Now, for some super exciting news! My parents are coming for a visit!! Yay! We are completely thrilled, to put it mildly! They will spend a week with us, then fly back with me to Florida. It's going to be so much fun to be with them and they have some Grandkids that are wanting to spend some time with them!

So, this is the last posting for me for a week and a half while I get spoiled by my Mom and Dad!

My plan is to really get caught up on my blog while I'm in Florida. I'll be in Internet-Land! I'm still behind by about 3 months, and so many exciting things have happened that I want on my online journal.

So, until then...Keep trusting the Lord! He'll never fail you!

My Bus Route

2011-10-13T10:34:00.001-04:00

In almost every place we have lived, God has let me work on a bus route. I love it! We had a route we worked together in Carthage, Missouri where we had a high day of 99. Patrick was the Bus director when we were on staff in Hattiesburg, and I was one of the captains. Then, we started a bus route when we lived in Lehigh. So, the bus ministry has a special place in our hearts. We know it works! Even though I don't have an actual bus (yet! :o) God is letting me use our car/van/suv (I still don't know what to call our vehicle!) to pick up people for church. I usually have 4 that I pick up every Sunday to come to our Bible Study. Silas is my helper and always rides with me. I love my time on Sundays when I pick up the dear people we have coming. We laugh and talk, and I get great practice on my french! Thank you Lord for opening doors for me! Now, I've maxed out the space in our vehicle. I'm praying for a van! (or a St. Barths style school bus!)

"Auction" Family Fun Night

2011-10-08T10:24:00.006-04:00

We've had a great time getting back into our family fun nights. Patrick came up with the idea to have an Auction night. He made up numbers for all of us and everyone could auction off 3 things that they no longer wanted. There were many things up for grabs like a laser pointer, fun colors of lipgloss samples, our Gimenez Family license plate, and this calender Brenna was selling. I have big plans for it, so look for a post in the future!

We had so many laughs and giggles! Although I realized during this that sharing might not be our family's strong point. We make each other buy the stuff they want! :o) I think in the end we all just exchanged money and stuff!

Happy Birthday to my sister Keela

2011-10-04T16:27:00.003-04:00

Today is my sister, Keela's, birthday. After my Grandma passed in April, my sisters and I were having one of those emotional moments thinking about our Grandma. Keela mentioned that she will miss getting a homemade card from Grandma for her birthday. (My Grandma was an amazing crafter and always sent us a homemade card that was BEAUTIFUL!) My sister Taylin decided then that we should surprise my sister Keela with homemade cards on her birthday. So, even though I made a card, it won't exactly make it for her birthday, so I thought I would post it, and hand deliver it when I head to Florida.

I decided to use materials that were given to me that used to belong to my Grandma. It was fun looking at all the quilling stash Grandma had. There were so many patterns to choose from. Patrick and I both got a little teary eyed when we saw some of Grandma's creations in the box, too. I sure miss my Grandma! I finally decided to do a Holly Hobby girl for my sister. She used to love Holly Hobby when she was younger.

Patrick decided to make a card for Keela too. Although his isn't quite as sweet. :o)

It says:

Happy Birthday Keela

To encourage you on your birthday, I decided to give you some examples of 40 from the Bible.

So here goes...
~The Children of Israel were punished to wander int he desert for 40 years!

~God destroyed the earth with a constant rain of 40 days and 40 nights!

~After 40 days of fasting, Satan tempted Christ!

OK, maybe forty isn't so wonderful...

But how should I know, It will be several years before I get there!!!

Have a Happy Birthday Keela! I sure do love you, my Sis!

Quite a while

2011-09-11T20:40:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's been quite a while since I've posted, and until we have home phone, I think my posting will be a little less frequent.
Our phone should be hooked up anyday, but we shall see!
I thought I would give a quick update on some happenings in our life. Just look at it as a Sneek Peek from me, because you know I have pictures to come with a blogpost to go with it!
~The girls and I took a quick trip to Florida. I felt like we were on lightning speed the whole time! We really accomplished a lot of things like braces, glasses, midwife apppts.... but it was a lot of fun to see some family, too!
~Our next, and final, shipment comes this week. (If it didn't meet up with the storm, Maria!) So, this is officially our last week of summer. The kids are so ready to start school!
~I've been experiencing some fun morning sickness. It has been stronger with this baby than with any of my others. Maybe I'm just a tad bit older. But, I sure am sleepy! My family has been picking up the slack. They are such a blessing to me! We met a homebirth midwife while I was in Florida, and we are looking forward to having our baby at my parent's house. Our official due date is April 17th.
~Thank you everyone that prayed for us as Tropical Storm Maria came through. It was very uneventful, but we enjoyed being stuck in the house all together. I feel another Skip-Bo tournament coming on!
~Patrick is officially a french citzen with a passport to prove it! Silas's should be here in 3 weeks. (We had to complete his paperwork next because he was born in Florida) Please keep praying that the Lord will work out the timing for everyone to be registered and to become dual citizens. As for me, they said it should be at least another year, so I will be applying in Miami in October for a Long Term Visa. I'm nervous already!

Until next post, keep serving the Lord!

Some things I've learned.....

2011-08-27T17:05:00.003-04:00

We have lived here on the Mission Field for almost 4 months. I still have so much to learn but I have learned a few things. So, I thought I'd share!

I've learned:

~Citronella is not my favorite candle scent!

~Contrary to popular belief, sweating does not make you lose weight.

~IF I believed in "Rain Dances" mine would simply be to hang fresh laundry on the clothesline.
Works everytime!

~To not panic at the sight of a flying cockroach, a swarm of mosquitos, a mile long trail of ants leading to my countertop, or a pack of large, teal lizards with long, scaly tails.

~That I can kill huge cockroaches without screaming for my husband.

~That sliced bread and real milk are two of life's true treats.

~That it takes more than 4 months to learn to convert measurements of grams, km, and liters.

~I can survive without my blow-dryer, curling iron and flat iron.

~I can't survive without anit-frizz serum, spray curling gel and hairspray!

~That I will never get used to crunchy, stiff towels off the clothesline.

~How to use the low gear, four wheel drive and the emergency break all at the same time!

~There are many other fruits beyond the apple, orange and banana.

~Sliding down a steep mountain, in the rain, backwards in a car is a VERY SCARY THING!

~To never plug in ANYTHING without checking first with Patrick or Josh to see if I need a converter or adaptor.

~Your family is your most important treasure.

~Watching someone draw closer to the Lord is a precious sight.

~There isn't any other way to work in the ministry, except as a family!

~Starting a church out of your home takes a lot of work!

~God has your tomorrow in His hands.

A Good Surprise

2011-08-23T11:33:00.002-04:00

Last week we confirmed our little surprise that I had been suspecting for about 2 weeks....Baby #6 is on the way!!! We are due sometime in April. Morning sickness has hit, but I do not know why I typed the morning part. So far I have felt queasy just about all day! We are excited (and a little overwhelmed) about the new blessing God has given to us!

What was in that Special Box?

2011-08-19T15:38:00.003-04:00

So....last post I mentioned there as a very special box in our last shipment. Here's a little hint:

We went from this:

To This:

I know I've mentioned it before, but we have the most sweetest and thoughtful home church a missionary family could ever ask for. When they heard Patrick and Josh had been cutting our grass, and keeping our yard trim with a Machete, they bought and shipped us a Weedeater! And not just any weedeater, they bought us the best! Patrick and Josh are loving it! Of course, the guys love anything that makes some noise and has a motor on it! Our yard looks wonderful, and it doesn't take all day to do with a backache at the end!

We love you Winkler! You all truly are the best!

Our Never-Ending Saga of Shipments (This is #4!)

2011-08-13T15:02:00.009-04:00

Finally we received our 4th shipment! Just like when our other things arrived, this time felt like Christmas, too!

Our instruments! yay! We unpacked our violin, flute, guitar, mandolin, and piano. We can't wait to have music at our Sunday Bible Studies!

See the big box on top of the car? It's my sewing table! Yay! I love having my sewing set up and ready for me to sit and sew and create whenever I have a free quick minute. We were also very excited when Josh brought in our carpet!

The moment we brought in the rug, Callie immediately got down and started rolling all over it. Poor baby, I don't think she knew what a carpet is! (We have all tile). We decided to go with the not-exactly-the-way-a-decorator-would-do-it look for positioning the rug. Instead of arranging it neatly under our coffee table, we put it under just a little and left most of the rug uncovered. This way my Callie can feel the soft rug under her toes. (And the rest of us have been on it quite a bit, too!)

Brenna and Josh were excited to receive their birthday gifts from my parents. Our original plan was to have this box sent ahead of time. I told my parents my to send it with our stuff, but we ended up sending out our shipment much later than planned. Even though it was late, the kids felt like they got to have their birthday all over again!

In the box with Josh and Brenna's gifts were also some goodies from my Mom (Love you Mom, you're the best!) and some sweet gifts and notes from our home church. It's amazing how God works. One of Josh's gifts was a CD he had been wanting from Golden State Baptist College. Of course he put it in right away. By the time we got to the notes and gifts from our home church there was a song playing that just fit the moment perfect. It said:

He's already in your tomorrow

He's walking one step ahead

He'll never leave you lonely

In the land of the great unknown

He's already in your tomorrow

Don't be afraid, Keep pressing on.

What a blessing that was to me! God knew exactly when I needed those sweet notes and to know there are people praying on our behalf!

There was also another very special box we received in this shipment.....But I'll save that for the next post! :o)

So proud of her!

2011-08-11T18:06:00.002-04:00

I am so proud of my Elisabeth! For our Sunday night service we do a variety of things. Sometimes Patrick will preach or give a Bible Study, sometimes Josh will. Other times we listen to a preaching DVD or CD. Well, my brother in law William made sure we were stocked up on David Gibbs CD's before we left. About 2 months ago we listened to a great message and one of the points was on Mega-Dosing on the Word of God. It really spoke to all of our hearts. Elisabeth made a commitment to read through her Bible in 60 days. That's a lot of reading per day! She read in the morning, afternoon, evening, and after I tucked her in. She read inside, outside, in the car, and at the beach. She truly mega-dosed!

August 4th marked the 60 day mark....and she finished!

I'm so proud of my girl. What an achievement!

Happy 12th Birthday to my Brenna

2011-08-09T16:36:00.007-04:00

We celebrated Brenna's 12th birthday July 6th. I know I say this all the time, but...Wow! Time really does fly! It seems like only a few weeks ago we were welcoming our baby girl into the world. What a fun birth! She was our 2nd homebirth, and she was very very fast! Just like Beth, she came too quick and Patrick had to deliver her. I was so glad Mom and Tay were able to be there and share the experience with us. (Although I think Tay paced the whole time, so she probably missed most of it!)

For her birthday Brenna wanted to go Snorkeling. She's just learning how, but she is really enjoying it. Patrick blew up our big boat and took Josh, Beth and Brenna out to some great snorkeling seas. Silas, Callie, and I stayed on the shore, played in the water, threw rocks in the water (that's Silas's favorite part) and ate a whole canister of cheese balls! It was great!

Patrick and Josh led the boat through the deep water for the girls. They smiled for the picture, but after that they had their head over the side of the boat looking at all of the fish.

After our beach time, Beth, Brenna, and I had some girl time. Love my girl time with my girls! We took Brenna to LeSelect to get three hamburgers, fries, and cokes. Brenna loves her Cokes! Brenna decided to have our lunch at a gazebo by the harbor of Gustavia. We laughed and giggled, and chowed down on some excellent burgers!!

Then, after Apple Pie for Brenna's birthday, Brenna got out her new birthday gift...more acrylic paints. She painted away the afternoon and enjoyed her time of relaxing.

Happy Birthday to my Brenna! I love you lots and lots!

Is it just me?

2011-08-03T16:09:00.003-04:00

Is it just me or is this sign kind of pointing at my front gate? Hhhmmmm :o)

My Josh is 15

2011-07-29T16:18:00.006-04:00

June 27th my baby boy turned 15! Can you believe it? 15! The night before the girls and I stayed up to make some homemade decos in his favorite colors....blue and yellow. Then, we wrapped gifts and made his pie and were so excited anticipating Josh's Birthday. Josh woke up early (like he has every June 27th since he was born) Of course, right away he wanted to open his gifts. I think he liked all his goodies, but especially his "Treasury" of Calvin and Hobbes. He's a big Calvin and Hobbes fan. (And I have no idea why Silas is crying in this picture. He looks so sad, doesn't he?)

He requested my Chocolate pie for his birthday instead of a cake. It's super rich (I'll have to post a recipe soon!) But, he had a little twist to it...he wanted one for himself, and another one for the rest of us to share. So, he got his wish and finished off a whole pie in 2 days!

Then, we took his new Snorkel gear to our new Snorkel spot! Just me and my boy. It was great and we saw so many fish! It felt like we were in a fish tank.

Happy Birthday, My Josh! I love you!

As a side note, my Mom helped me make a swimsuit from Simply Modest
It works great for swimming and is very modest! You can either buy them already made (which is quite expensive) or buy the pattern. Mom and Dad bought me the pattern and I'm getting ready to sew suits for Elisabeth and Brenna!

Our third shipment

2011-07-23T17:56:00.008-04:00

Not too long ago we received our third shipment! Yay! Our first shipment arrived a few days before I got here. It had all the essentials like kitchen stuff, towels and clothes. Then, 2 weeks later, our 2nd shipment arrived...our car! Then, we received our 3rd and boy were we excited!

When Patrick and Josh arrived home from the docks the girls and I just squealed because we couldn't wait to open our stuff up! There were many exciting things it was just like Christmas! We sent 9 boxes of books. Yes, that's right 9. My family is a little passionate about reading!

I was excited to open up the box with the 2 highchairs. I know Callie was tired of sitting in her stroller for meals! (Who wants to look at 6 pairs of feet while you eat?)

Josh was thrilled (and thrilled is a pretty mild word for how he felt!) to open up the basketball goal that Mam-maw bought him while we were in Florida. He started putting it together right away in the heat of the day. We've already had many "horse" tournaments and I know many more are going to come!

Even though we knew all these things were coming (we sent them to ourselves) it was so exciting to open each box. Our home is filling up and looking and feeling more and more like home! We can't wait for our next shipment. I think we only have 2 more to go!

Then, one of the best things was finding a note from my Mom. She helped us pack all the book boxes (she's an excellent packer!) I didn't realize 2he put a little note in for us. I love you Mom! And yes, we did have a fantastically wonderful day!

Africa Cola

2011-07-16T09:02:00.002-04:00

We've had some fun trying some new things here in St. Barths. The other day Patrick and Josh went shopping and found this drink on sale....Africa Cola It was actually quite cheap at .25 euros each. Josh bought all of us 3 cans to share.

Then, it was time for the taste test. We all thought it wasn't exactly horrible, but not exactly good either. It's sort of like a coke, with lots more bubbles, and slightly different taste.

Josh thought the funniest part was the label on the back:

Gasified drink

Our "Treasure Coast"

2011-07-15T11:36:00.006-04:00

There are so many fun places to explore here in St. Barths! God truly did call us to a beautiful, breath-taking place. We love to go to the beach called Grand Fond. The kids have affectionately named it the "Treasure Coast" because it's a place of many treasures. There's lots of rocks and coral and it looks like you are right in an aquarium. We love to go exploring there!

Look at that gorgeous car! We are so thankful for our XL7 the Lord provided for us and then we had it shipped here. And, it's purple, too! How fun!

Hhmmm. Sea Urchins. Not exactly our favorite part of the beach.

My dear Callie Grace loves to eat the sand, shells, and anything else she can sneak into her mouth without anyone seeing her. Showing my baby girl the beautiful place God has called us to!

Silas loves to go exploring on the beach. He loves to find rocks and throw them in the water! If he has his way, next year this beach might look a little different....most of the rocks will be in the water!

Elisabeth and Brenna enjoy being at the beach, too. Beth spent over an hour trying to trap a fish. It's amazing seeing fish right before your eyes, in the wild, that are the same fish we used to buy from a petshop for our salt water aquarium!

We're so thankful to be a such a neat place with lots of fun places to explore, and lots of treasure to find!

Great News!

2011-07-13T11:29:00.004-04:00

I have wonderful news to share about several different things!

First of all, thank you everyone for praying about our French Paperwork/Passport situation. We heard yesterday from the Authorities in St. Martin that we will be able to stay another 3 months! Yay! The only catch is that we must leave the country for a day, before July 26th and have our passports stamped. Hey, A family vacation for a day sounds great to me! So, thank you so much for praying! God is so good and faithful! Our paperwork still must come in, though. So, please don't forget to pray for it to come before October 26th.

Another huge praise! Patrick was able to lead a man named Edmund to the Lord last week! He had been visiting him every week since we've arrived. Edmund is not in good health and has been homebound for some time. He's been very open to the gospel and last Saturday he told Patrick he's been asking God what he must do to go to heaven. Patrick was excited to share with him the answer! Praise the Lord!

We've been settling in very well and feel like we are "home". I'm so thankful for that feeling. Still no internet, or home phone. The lady in the office said maybe by the end of summer. hhmmm. I'm so behind on my posting and have so many wonderful pictures to share! Here's a fun one of my Callie Grace. She likes the dirt, just a little! She's such a mess!

I thank the Lord for his goodness to our family. He's so good to us and truly never fails!

Urgent Prayer Request

2011-06-24T10:03:00.002-04:00

Please be much in prayer about our French Paperwork. We need to hear back from France VERY SOON!
Patrick posted more on the situation on our family blog

Thank you everyone for your continued prayers for our family as we try to reach the people on the island of St. Barthelemy!

Packages, Phone, School, and Bible Study

2011-06-17T16:01:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to post a quick update on few things from our side of the world.

Packages: We received our first package in the mail yesterday! Actually it was two! (I love love love mail, by the way ;o) Brenna loves being the one to be able to go and check our mailbox each morning. Our mail usually comes about 9:30am. I've been joking with Brenna that she's not allowed to come back inside unless she has mail! As I watched her from the window, I noticed she checked the mail and started running back inside with a huge smile on her face! Yay! Good news! She was so excited to pull out two large manilla envelopes from my Mom. The bad news? Patrick wasn't home, he was at Mariane and Georges working on his french Bible Study. The kiddos weren't too thrilled to have to wait until noon when Patrick would come home to open the packages. But, we managed to wait. When he came home he found a letter in the driveway (Jonathan's Graduation Announcement--Thanks Keela!) Brenna must have been so excited about the package that she didn't see the letter and dropped it in the driveway. Oops! It takes quite a while for mail here. We're noticing an average of 3-4 weeks. Wow! Although, we received a birthday card for Josh from one of our supporting churches in Michigan and it arrived in record time---2 Weeks! So, if you want to send us something, go to Michigan to mail it :o)

Phone-STILL NO PHONE. Which means no internet. Hhhhmmm. Is the Lord wanting to teach me patience? I talked to the phone company last week and they said the cables are being laid now. It should be anyday, but they didn't want to give me an exact day. We are very thankful to have Mariane and Georges. They have been so sweet to let us drop by anytime of the day (or night) to check our mail, for a coke, and sometimes a wonderful meal. (They are both amazing cooks!) So, even though we don't have a home phone, we're able to use our Vonage at their house to call our family. I love keeping in touch!

School- Will it ever end? Eventually I think we will be caught up and ready for our summer. I guess I should rephrase that. We are definitely ready for summer, our school work isn't. The kids are working hard to get finished for the year, and I think we should be done by mid July.

Bible Study- We had one lady come to our Bible Study Sunday! Yay! We had Bible Study at 10:30 and lunch together afterwards. Please keep praying with us for next Sunday. We're praying for 3 people to come.

Thanks everyone for praying and for your sweet messages during our transition time moving to St. Barths. God has been so good and is so faithful!

A Cheery Fix

2011-06-13T22:33:00.005-04:00

I am loving my new kitchen! I love the counter space and I love that the counters are tile. It makes them so durable and easy to clean. Well, as I was making this space more my own, I noticed a slight problem:

I showed my girls this empty space and we all thought some nice flowers would quickly fix our problem. Our yard is truly a beautiful garden with so many tropical flowers blooming. It wouldn't hurt to pick a few, right? So, I sent the girls out to cut some fresh flowers for our vase. I felt just like my Mam-maw! I remember doing this many times for her and coming back in with a bouquet of beautiful Zinnias! They cut and arranged and made a beautiful bouquet!

Problem Solved!

A Visitor

2011-06-06T14:59:00.001-04:00

We have enjoyed seeing some different types of animals and birds in our yard. We hear all kinds of birds and animals. For the first two weeks Silas thought for sure we had monkeys, elephants, and tigers in our yard! Well, I wasn't counting on having this little visitor in our yard.

Yes, it's a rat. Oh dear.

My Birthday

2011-06-04T19:56:00.003-04:00

I know I brag on my family a lot, but they did it again! They made me feel so special on my birthday. They made me one of my favorite breakfasts....Yogurt Parfaits. And it was served on the Special Plate! Yay for the Special Plate! Then, we had a butter cake they had made for me frosted with my new favorite color. It was so pretty, that I almost hated to eat it! Almost. They gave sweet gifts. Patrick knew I'd been dying to finish a series of fiction books by that I had started last month. He ordered the last two for me on Ebay, put them in his suitcase, and gave them to me. I read most of the day! It was great! Elisabeth picked out a beautiful Sign of the poem Footprints at Cracker Barrell and stuck it in her suitcase. Josh gave me 10 Euros! And Brenna made a really cool Scavenger Hunt for me. It was such a wonderful day and made turning 35 all the more better...Did I just say 35? Oh Wow! I'm old.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-06-01T18:35:00.005-04:00

I know I'm very behind in posting, but we still have no phone here, so I can only post when we go to Mariane's. 4 days after we arrived here, it was Mother's Day. My family is so sweet and thoughtful, and they treat me so well! First thing in the morning, they all lined up on the wall (they looked a little suspicous!) and then they brought me their cards and gifts. It was so sweet!

Elisabeth made me this beautiful blue bracelet. She's starting to get into beading and having a great time with it! I love the benefits of her hobby!

I received several wonderful gifts, but some of my most prized possessions are the thoughtful cards and notes. Praise God for such a wonderful family!

Trying to stay Cool

2011-05-30T15:24:00.007-04:00

Well, the second thing that has been a little challenging :o) is the heat. Ooh la la!~the heat! Now, I'm a Florida girl, and it does get pretty hot there. You would think I'd be used to a little bit of the heat. But, the difference is that in Florida when it's hot, we just go inside! Ahhh, I love nice Air Conditioning! When we were on deputation we tried preparing our minds for the heat. We really thought we wouldn't have a house with AC. But, the Lord has truly blessed us! We have an AC unit in each of the bedrooms. It's so nice at night to go to bed in the coolness. On super-duper hot days we turn on both units, open both bedroom doors, put a fan in front of the door, and close all the windows. The house actually cools down quite nicely that way. Not exactly a nice 75 degrees, but it is more comfy. We're trying not to do that too much so we can keep our electric bill down.Another thing we didn't realize that they have here are wells. And we have one on our property! It's not a freshwater well, it's more brackish water. The landlord said we can water the plants with it. (We live off of rainwater here, so water is very precious!) So, one day we decided we HAD TO cool off! So, we went out for a little time to play in the water from our well. We turned on the hose. Hosed each other off. Let Silas and Callie play in their tub. And we had a wonderful afternoon! Ahhh, relief!

Although Silas become a little bit of a stinker with the hose!

I love this picture of our yard. I know it looks like we've left poor Callie out in the middle of nowhere. Where did everyone go!? She definitely was not ready to come in!

So, the mosquitos and the heat...two pretty tough things. But, everything else is going great and we are settling in quickly. The Lord is blessing and working and giving us oppurtunities to serve. We really do love the place that God has called us to and are so excited to see Him work! What a mighty God we serve!

Settling in with the Mosquitos

2011-05-27T16:21:00.002-04:00

When we arrived in St. Barths, Patrick and Josh had everything set up very well. There were still some boxes to unpack, but not many. He arranged things in the kitchen, but told me, to move everything where I wanted. How sweet! I love setting up my own home, although, every few months I end up rearranging things just for fun. We seemed to get used to everthing pretty quick and settle in very well, except for two areas. One is the mosquitos! Oh Wow! For some reason these guys just love us! Patrick, Josh, and I don't seem to get bit very bad, but Elisabeth, Brenna, Silas, and Callie get it the worse. They must be the sweet ones! I brought reppellant and anti-itch cream, but they didn't work very well. Then, we've tried many things from the pharmacy. We've found that the natural Citronella seems to be working pretty well....for now!

Elisabeth counted over 40 bites on one leg! She's been so sweet to help put cream on Callie and Silas.

So, the first few days (and actually still) have been spent trying not to scratch. Such a hard thing to do!

The second thing we had to really adjust to? You'll have to wait for the next post! :o)