Jumping back in...

with both feet, or maybe it's "diving in head first" ?! Hmmm....sure hope there's water in the pool. :S

Anywho, not really sure where to begin with all that has happened in the past year. Furlough is a whirlwind, let me tell ya. But, I think I will get into that more later...

For now, I just wanted to let you know that, yes, I am still here...after a long blogging sabbatical, I am still a missionary mama, I still have an amazing family, I still have a Great Big and Very Good God, I still have joys and struggles, and I still want to write here, for me and whoever wants to bend a "listening ear".

I'm going to give you the very quick and abbreviated version of what's going on in our crazy life so that we can at least attempt to be on the same page and make sense of some of my future musings. Ok, here goes...

Brenna was born April 9, 2012--no, I absolutely CANNOT believe that it has been 15 months since then already. Trust me, she does not resemble those newborn itsy-bitsy baby pics anymore. Will try to give you a picture update soon, too.

Packed up our house and put everything in storage then headed back to the states for our first furlough at the end of June 2012.

At the airport in Argentina June 2012

Enjoying the plane ride!

On our way to meet Grandma and Grandpa!

Looking pretty and being sweet on the plane!

Crazy-busy blur of activity--traveling, reporting to churches, seeing friends, and family, birthdays, holidays, ya know, that whirlwind-furlough-thing.

Last few months have been spent doing some serious packing and preparing to send a container to ourselves in Argentina to help with our home and ministry here.

Fast forward to 1 week ago--Thursday, June 27, got on a plane (actually 3) and made our way to Montevideo, Uruguay for the weekend and on Monday July 1,  we had a 1 hr. flight and {after being gone for 1 year} landed in our beloved Argentina. Wheew!!!

And, although we are currently "homeless" and have a LOT to do in the next few weeks to really get settled again, it feels SO good to be back!

In spite of all the goodbyes {yeah, I really, really despise those} and tiring days and emotional moments,  there's still nothing like being where you KNOW that you are supposed to be, getting back to what you KNOW God wants you to do. That brings so much comfort...that makes it all worthwhile. 

So, don't go pitying me...I love my life and wouldn't trade this adventure of ours for the world! God is  so, So, SO good to me!

Matt and Ethan sporting their Argentina soccer jerseys, a going away present from the church!

A "bird's eye" view

And hopefully, you will be hearing from me again soon...yep, it's good to be back in Argentina and it's good to be back writing here, too! :)

Life with 3

My how time flies...when your days are filled with a newborn baby girl, rough and tumble 2 year old, and an ever inquisitive and playful almost 5 year old. Man, that makes me tired just writing it out! ;)

Throw a whole bunch of running around doing paperwork into the mix and one after another the days vanish. Thankfully, although it seems to take us 2 days to do what should take us 1, we have everything in order for Brenna to take her first trip to the States in June. One {er...2 days} we worked on getting her Argentine birth certificate and document. Then we headed to the big city to apply for her Argentine passport (also took a couple trips) and then a visit to the American Embassy to get her American passport and certificate of birth abroad. Wheew! Of course, all these trips included dragging our 3 lil' munchkins all over the place to do a lot of sitting and waiting. To their credit, they did great! Maybe they are starting to get used to it?! We received Brenna's Argentine certificate and document and her 2 passports in the mail and are now set to travel! Praise the Lord! Dual citizenship is pretty neat, but a lot of work, too!

Of course, we tried to reward good behavior and stick a little fun in there, too. Brenna took her first trip to the park. I don't think she was too impressed, but we all enjoyed the gorgeous fall day. Another day we visited the brand new and only Wendy's in Argentina which had a ginormous play place for the kids to burn off all their pent up energy.

This is the life!

My pretty girls

Love that face, with button nose and perfectly pursed lips! ♥

Hangin' around

My 4 loves

Handsomeness

Not surprisingly with the change in seasons/temps. and the days of hurrying from one place to another to accomplish all this, the kiddos came down with lovely coughs and colds. It took a bit longer to reach to sweet lil' Brenna, but she too has been fighting it off. Even mommy and daddy did not get by unscathed. Thankfully, it has been lingering but not serious and I think that we are finally over all of that now.

This week we are happy to be at home and enjoying being a family of 5. Brenna is sleeping like a champ and starting to fill out her lil' cheeks and "bird legs" already. It is so amazing to watch the changes take place before my very eyes, although it always seems to go by too quickly. She is a content baby that has truly captured my heart. I am trying to enjoy every moment...watching her adorable sleeping form, listening to her breathe, feeling her snuggle on my chest, touching her soft skin and fluffy, dark hair, and overall being in awe of her beauty and tiny newness.

The older 2 love to shower her with kisses and talk about their "Baby Brenna". Clara is such a helper; always willing to retrieve things for me and help take care of her real live baby doll. As for Ethan, well, he has been nice and sweet and hasn't tried to attack her yet. Mostly, he is in his own little world of which she doesn't really have a big part so far. But, for now that's okay with me. Much less drama and problems. As she grows and can do more, it will be interesting to see how they interact.

In other news, with 6 weeks left before heading on furlough the packing has begun! Matt took down our spare bed in the office to make room for boxes and we are in the process of sorting, purging, stacking and stuffing, etc. It is exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. It feels a lot more real now and there's lots to do to make the remaining time fly by! Please pray that we can all keep our sanity and get everything taken care of, especially those last minute details that seem to sneak up on ya when you are movin'.

This is quickly turning into a book {or at least a long chapter} so, I will save the rest of my exciting news for another day. As a teaser, let's just say that we aren't the only ones in the process of moving around here. Can't wait to tell you more about what the Lord is doing. Until then...

Here I sit...

So...

here I sit...

9 months pregnant...

38 weeks + 2 days, if you want to be exact.

People are always telling me how I don't look that big/far along.

I say, "Oooooohhh, but I sure FEEL big and far along!"
but, can't hurt for the whole "losing baby weight after birth" process, right?!

As of my ultrasound last Friday (the 16th), my lil' punkin is {supposedly} weighing 5 lbs. 9 oz. (like they can really know that with any kind of accuracy)...but, she has surely put on some weight since then.

♥ Cute button nose ♥

 

Thankfully, she doesn't seem to be sitting so high anymore, meaning that I can breathe better, but {ahem} more trips to the little ladies' room.

Tuesday I saw my doc. and I am supposed to go back in this Tues. so he can check if I am dialating/progressing at all. He said there's a chance that I will get to stay and get things going...hmmm...

So, I think my little princess heard all that talk and decided to add a little spice to the day, as later in the afternoon on Tues. I was having pretty regular contractions for a while at about 5 min. apart. She was just messin' with me, though. She seems to like to do that.

She is precious in His sight...and mine, too!

Bags are packed and sitting by the door, the closet is stocked with tiny diapers, wipes, onesies, itsy-bitsy-tootsie socks and adorable baby doll dresses...

Waiting, praying, hoping, waiting...praying some more {oh yeah, don't forget--trying not to stress or think about the actual labor}

I'm not feeling desperate...often...yet...

I know, I know, SOONER or later, she will come out! So excited! 
♥ her!

36 weeks and counting...

Today we headed to downtown Buenos Aires to do some {thrilling} paperwork.

The nice part was that it was a gorgeous, sunny 75*. Perfection! It was SO nice for this prego. mama and the kiddos not to roast in the car as we did a lot of driving and waiting.

In the afternoon we had to wait for one of our papers to be ready for pick up, so we took advantage of the lovely day and went to the park. The kids loved getting to run around, climb rocks, and soak up some warm sunshine. There was a little pond with geese and a light breeze...it couldn't have been any nicer!

As for me, well, being 36 weeks along (and considering my only and last belly pic. was taken at 20 weeks) I had Matt snap a couple shots of the ever-growing baby bump.

So here they are, for all the world to see...

Me & My Babies

Giving Baby Girl some Love ♥

Just us {3} Girls

36 weeks and counting...

Can't wait to introduce our littlest princess to the world! ♥ her already!

Playin' Catch Up

Wow! 2 months have flown by since I last posted on here! How did that happen?! Well, spending about half of that time out at summer camp might have something to do with it...just for starters!

Before we jump into all that you may have noticed a new look around here...what do you think? So far, I am enjoying this fresh new page of lavenders, but you may see a few more little "tweaks" in the near future. {Women's prerogative, right?!}

Now, let's back up and give you a {brief} sketch of what's been goin' on 'round these parts lately...

January...hmm...did we really have January this year?! I think it brushed past me in a giant, hot and sticky, mosquito infested blur of camps. As a family, we spent one week at teen camp nearby and the next week we all tagged along as hubby preached a whole week of camp about 4 hrs. away. The Lord truly blessed and took care of us, it was a blessing to see God working in the lives of the campers, and a good opportunity/experience for us and the kiddos, too! {They loved every min., stole the show, and really improved in their Spanish, too!} BUT, at the same time, when you have 2 little rugrats full of energy + one hot, prego. and growing mama, + busy hubby, Camp Season really =s Survival Mode!

February started out with lots of heat and humidity accompanied with trips in a non-A/C car to do {lovely} paperwork and apply for our permanent residency. Thankfully, we were able to do everything on our end and are now waiting to pick up our completed papers within the next month. After all, I am sure I can squeeze in another trip to downtown Buenos Aires in order to pick a number, stand in line, wait and wait some more, all while keeping 2 kiddos entertained, balancing my baby belly, fighting Braxton Hicks contractions, and running to the bathroom....no problem!! Never a dull moment...that's FOR SURE!!

The Happy Birthday Boy!

Ethan and Pastor Rickey--the birthday buddies!

Birthday Fun

Playing Peek-a-Boo with Mama

Trucks and Tools--"Man" Toys

 Also, in Feb. we attended a Pastors'/workers' retreat out at {you guessed it} camp. Ethan man turned 2 out there and had so much fun celebrating/playing with all his buddies. He was loving his new tool set and eating yummy chocolate cake. I can't believe he is 2 already, but we are so enjoying this stage with him! He is 100% boy and brings so much joy and entertainment to our lives!

Notice how he is much too captivated by the cake to look up for the pic! :)

Chocolate Frosting!

♥ my family!

 ♥ My handsome men! ♥

 Now, on to March. I see a lot of packing and baby prep. in my future. Trying to start packing the house for our upcoming furlough {We bought our tickets and are flying out on June 27th}. All while preparing everything for the arrival of my baby girl...we had an ultrasound recently and confirmed that it is a girl and she is in position! WooHOOO!! That makes this mama very happy! My due date is April 11th, but I would be okay with a late March baby, too! Time will tell...until then staying busy, as much as my belly allows, and enjoying the 2 munchkins that I already have. ;)

Hopefully, I will be able to keep up a bit better with bloggy land now...at least til the princess arrives! Don't worry--I will make sure to update you with her pics, name, etc...34 weeks and counting!

Matt's dream or Clara's prayers?

I am sitting here looking over a prayer letter for my hubby. Guess that's probably not a part of most ladies "wifely duties", huh?! Writing and proofreading suit me just fine.

Anyway, {I'm off track already} I was thinking about getting back to blogging more consistently and where to begin and it dawned on me...I will blame my prego. brain for not thinking of it sooner. Maybe you remember in a recent post  that I shared with you my little poem and baby news. Well, here's {insert Paul Harvey's voice here} "the rest of the story..." ;)


With each of my pregnancies, my prophetic husband has a dream. I say "prophetic" because he has these dreams before I am prego. or at least before I am aware of it, and they have, up until now, accurately predicted the gender of our coming child.

Before Clara came along, he had a very vivid dream of the doc. proudly passing him his girl baby. We chose not to find out her gender ahead of time, but it pretty much happened just like daddy's dream had foretold.

Then with Ethan, daddy dreamed that we had an about 2 year old blond haired, blue eyed boy, running around Grandma and Grandpa G.'s farm. Have you seen pics of our son lately? Yeah, totally fits that description and should be tromping all over the farm next summer at, you guessed it, age 2.

So, lastly, he dreamed that he was holding hands and walking with 2 little boys, Ethan, and a little dark haired boy, supposedly baby #3.

I do have to give him credit, he is batting 1,000 so far.

But here comes the dilemma...

A few months before this baby came to be, Clara got it in her cute little head that she wanted a girl baby. In her mind, she is big and has a little brother who is quickly growing, so naturally a little sister would be just right. I was very diligent to explain that 1) God decides if and when we get to have another baby and 2) He also decides if it is a girl baby or a boy baby. 3) We get to pick the name. I also told her that it would be just fine for her to pray for God to send us a girl baby, but we have to be happy with whatever He chooses for us.

Night after night, my lovely girl, of her own accord, remembered to pray and reminded us to pray for her girl baby. Such precious child-like faith and sincerity, it was so sweet and touching. This went on for about 3 months or so until we were finally able to share the news that a baby was on the way. BUT, we didn't know yet if it was a girl or boy, of course. She was happy and accepted that. Her prayers for a girl baby continued.

At 15 weeks, the anticipated day arrived. We got to go "see" our baby on the screen. Clara was excited, but we didn't get our hopes up, or tell her, that we might be able to find out if baby is a "he" or "she". I wish I had a video of Clara's face when she saw our tiny baby wiggling around and heard the "thumpety thumps" of it's heart beat. So precious!

And, baby was feeling photogenic, too! The doctor confidently told us and showed us that our new little bundle would be a "YES" answer to Clara's prayers. A darling little princess to love and adore! ♥

P.S. If you cheated and skipped to the end of my captivating-yet-o-so-long story, I forgive you. ;)

Icky Sickys and Blogger Blahs

Hello? Anybody still out there?

I know it has been a while, but yes, I am still here.

Unfortunately nothing fun and exciting to report.

Unless you want to hear about the nasty head cold we have been fighting at my house.

Yah, I didn't think so.

I have less than 0% energy and have accomplished a whole lot o' nothin' this week. Ever been there?

Yah, it's really not a fun place to be. Ugh!

I think {pretty please} that we are on the mend. Hoping we can all be well enough to be in church on Sunday. Always throws me WAY off when we aren't there, ya know?!

Plus, it is our pastor and his family's last Sunday with us, well, for the rest of the year. That sounds super weird, huh?! They are headed to the states for a little furlough and are brave enough to leave us in charge.

What are they thinkin'?!!! Muuuuuuaaaaaahhhhh....{evil laugh} j/k Don't mind me, head cold, remember?

So, lots and lots, and LOTS of new responsibilities and projects in the works. My poor little brain is too tired and fuzzy to contemplate them all {or even 1 of them} tonight.

Think my bed is calling my name, again.

Some way to spend a Friday night, huh?! Oh well, there's always tom.

Thanks for "listening" to my ramblings.

I feel better now.

G'night, friends.

You Are Now Entering...

the Twilight Zone?! {Do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do}

Nope, not quite. (Although, now that you mention it...)

Uncharted waters?! Yep. Most definitely.


In fact, we are stepping into a whole, new world. A world of wonder and learning.


It's more commonly known as "School...um...er....HOMEschool!

So far, so good. {Boy, do we have a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go!} {Grin} ♥

**CLICK ON ME to make me BIGGER**

I'M FAMOUS!!

What?!?, You didn't know??!?? Wipe that shocked expression off your face; it's true! lol

My sweet friend and fellow-missionary blogger, Maria, has been doing some awesome posts recently. They are simple challenges for us busy mamas to "Take the Time To... {fill in the blank}" with our precious kiddos. They are really easy things that don't take more than a few minutes, but so often get lost and left out in the hussle-bustle of our daily tasks.

Well, I am honored and privileged to be Maria's special guest and share my own "Take the Time To Challenge" over on her blog Raising 4 Princesses. Go check it out and make sure to go back a few posts and look into her other challenges as well. She has some great ideas to share with us!

Also, {lest you think I am only "tooting my own horn" honk! ~giggle~} Maria's blog, not just her challenge posts, is such a blessing to me and is what inspired me to start blogging myself. She is a super fun mama to 4 pretty princesses striving to raise them and serve the Lord as a missionary wife on the island of Jamaica. Her writing style and way of life are completely down-to-earth and she has learned to take what life brings her and make the best of it. She is the real deal and I am blessed to call her my friend.

I hope you stop over at her blog; I KNOW you will get a blessing from it if you do!!

 Maria~

Thanks so much for the opportunity to share a thought on your blog.

It was so much fun.

I appreciate you and your sweet family and the encouragement you are to me so much.

I am glad that we can be sisters in Christ and kindred spirits as missionary mamas.

Thank you for your kindness to me!

Keep on keepin' on!

Love you, friend!

Heather

Heavy ♥ {ed}

That's how I am feeling lately. Heavy ♥ {ed}. It's not a fun place to be, but it's needed sometimes. If certain things did not make me feel like that I would wonder about myself and my cold, calloused heart, ya know?

So, I've decided {apart from the fact that I use the word {so} entirely too much} that it really stinks being a grown up at times. When you are a young un' life is so simple and innocent. You are blissfully oblivious to the struggles, cares, and heartaches of this sin-filled world. You can enjoy life's daily pleasures without the weight of responsibility or troubles causing you to hunch down under their heavy load. You can run and jump and play with reckless abandon. Because you truly "haven't a care in the world". There's "those big people" to take care of everything for ya.

Well, now I am one of "those big people". And sometimes, I just don't want to be. Have you ever been there?

Why am I feeling heavy ♥ {ed}, you may ask? Well...in no particular order:

1. Because of sin and its destructive power--not only on the lives of the sinners, but also on their families, friends, acquaintances, and me, some 5,000 miles away.


2. Because of seeing so many of my "friends" fall by the wayside, sometimes with marriages that have fallen to pieces and that are far from the path of the Lord.


3. Because of "little sins" in my own life and how difficult it is to overcome them.


4. Because of heartache, grief, and pain that I watch loved ones go through and that I bear with them.


5. Because of the state of our country (actually both of my countries) and government.


6. Because of the lack of respect for and protection of Israel.


7. Because of the politics in our churches.


8. Because instead of helping a brother up and dusting him off, we are far to quick to kick him when he is down and bleeding.


9. Because Satan is alive and well and way too good at his job.

Depressing, huh?! Hence, I won't go on...especially as I am NOT depressed nor discouraged. I have decided not to allow these things to steal my joy.

Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying:

"People are only as happy as they make up their minds to be." 

and 

"Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you; and in the end you are sure to succeed." 

So, you see, I have a choice. And I choose not to dwell on these things, but to allow Christ to sustain me and move on. I think that's the key--I am not doing it on my own, but with Christ at my side, carrying me through the hard things, that in and of myself, I cannot handle.

Also, I am by no means saying that my life is not full of many, many blessings for which I am most thankful. Just this week the Lord has given me so much--healthy kids, extra family time, protection for loved ones both near and far away, etc., etc.

I have seen the miracle of new life (My friend, Flavia had her baby!! Such a tiny, perfect little bundle! :) and I have seen life through the eyes of my children (Always a precious sight!)

When I get my eyes off myself, my petty problems, and the situation, be it mine or that of my dear ones, and get them back clearly in focus on my Saviour, I realize it's not so bad after all!

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: 

the LORD will give grace and glory: 

no good thing will he withhold 

from them that walk uprightly." 

Psalm 84:11

Is that smoke coming out of my ears??

The wheels are turning and the thoughts are flying, that's for sure. I am preparing to give my first ever, all in Spanish mind you, Thursday night ladies' Bible study. That's tomorrow night, in case you forgot what day it is. Yikes!!

The good news is that I do not have to write my own lesson and try to speak freely in Spanish {this time}. Our pastor and pastor's wife are out of town teaching at an institute this week, giving Matt and I the opportunity to step in and practice/teach. Hubby has done this before and has the much harder job of doing it all "from scratch". You really do feel like smoke comes out of your ears then!

Thankfully, for me our pastor's wife has been using a book (Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss) and going through chapter by chapter with a fill in the blank work sheet. I just have to study the notes and read through them with the ladies, making sure to give them the words to fill in and adding my own examples and thoughts as we go. Wheeewww!! That's intimidating enough for me, especially for my first time!

By the way, this is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it. No matter what stage of your life that you are at, you are sure to be "caught" believing one (or probably many) of these lies that Satan has so skillfully incorporated into "normal" thinking. Thank the Lord, we have the wonderful Truths found in His Word to set us free and transform and renew our minds! It is good, convicting stuff and something I will most likely need to hit the reset button on by reading it over again and again, lest I fall back into the devil's sneaky traps!

**Note: I do not own the book myself at this point, therefore I am not sure if the verses are KJV only nor if I agree with everything in the book. I am not saying that I am in complete and total agreement with the findings in the book or the beliefs of the author. However, I can say that it has definitely been a helpful tool in pointing out some areas in my life that need some work. Everything that I have heard in our Bible study is very Biblically sound and thought provoking!

So, between studying for class tomorrow {your prayers are MUCH appreciated!}, trying to put some thoughts together about a very interesting book I just read (more coming soon on this), reading up on Abraham Lincoln quotes (really good stuff!) I have had/ still have a few other things on my agenda, too.

Such as:

Wipe 2 kids non-stop runny noses

Attempt to make meals--1 epic fail {frown}, 1 yummy pot of chili {smile and tummy full of warm goodness}

Homeschool planning {scary} --reading, searching the 'net for info., curriculum, ideas, etc.
Thinking--"My kid can't really be old enough to start school!?!" and "Once I start down this homeschooling path I will be on it for the next 20 years {at least!} !!!" followed by "I am so not ready for this!" {And the kicker is I went to college for teaching elementary ed.--ha! Still a scary feeling to know that your kids' education rests solely in your hands, although it really does for every parent, whether you teach them yourself or not!!)

Making invitations for our monthly ladies' mtg.

Bulletin boards (those always seem to need to be changed again, don't they?!)

Sunday School Lesson--What am I teaching about again?

Planning for Clara's 4th birthday next month--actually I am still in denial! {j/k, sort of}

Oh yeah, and to top it off, we are starting up classes again soon, possibly next week. It will only be for 3 hours a week, but still....ugh! Aren't I supposed to be teaching school, not in school?

Time to rearrange our schedule again and see if we can make this work...hmmm....

Just to name a few...

As missionaries we always have to be looking down the road, not just a few weeks or months, but to the next year or two. Planning for furlough, saving for plane tickets, deciding where to start our own church, what funds/supplies we will need to get started, what things we need to bring back from the states, when to go to the states and for how long, writing prayer letters, scheduling meetings...

So, yep, that's definitely some smoke I see coming out of my ears... I guess I have a good reason for it, or 2 {3, 14, 79} ha! Don't misunderstand, I am not stressing out or complaining, just sayin' that there's a lot going on in the old noggin', and sometimes it overheats a bit. Do you ever feel like this? What wife and mom doesn't.

I'll be back soon to let you know how Bible study, among other things on my list, are going...

Taking the week "OFF"

As a mom, is that really even possible???
We are headed back to camp for the week for a pastor's/worker's retreat. So, that does mean NO cooking; I am very ok with that. Very little cleaning and no laundry, either. Also, a plus. But, there are still the kids to chase around, feed, clothe, keep from eating dirt and breaking limbs, washing of bottles, and we won't even think about the mounds and mounds of laundry that will be mine when we get home. Nope, not going to go there.

Not sure if it is really a week "OFF", but it will be a nice change of pace. A chance to slow down and get out of the city, away from the people, and especially the noisy construction site behind our house {GRRR!!!} I have so many things to share with you all. At least a half dozen posts are sitting in "draft" form, just waiting for me to put the mumbo-jumbo into order. But, alas, they are still "works in progress" {just like me ;) } and will still be there when I get back. And, by then I will have even more stories to share with you. Best of all Birthday Pics. of my favorite little guy!

Happy Birthday to my sweet Ethan! ♥ U!

See you all in a week! :)

"Time to Brush your..."

Guess #1: Teeth? Nope, not teeth. although that is a very good thing to do, and since I am thinking of it, I probably should do that, too.

Guess #2: Hair? Not hair either. Clara cringes at the thought and runs away, hoping Mommy will forget, do her hair in a "Messy-Up" or at the very least allow her to watch "Super Genius" {aka. Bugs Bunny} while Mama dukes it out with those snarly tangles.

Guess #3: Puppy? What puppy? Wishful thinking, huh? And def. NOT a kitty either, mama doesn't do cats {allergies, gotta love 'em} as much as Clara (and daddy) may want to add a cute little ball of fur to the fam.

Give up yet?

The answer is...

COUCH

That was your next guess, right?

After all, it makes perfectly logical sense. Ok, ok, before you call the nice man with the little white jacket to come and take me away, let me 'splain.

Down here on the other half of the planet, we have a lack of a lil' somethin'. Something typically found in every average or even not so avg. American household. It is commonly called a vacuum cleaner.  Dust, dirt, grime, etc. builds up on your carpet/floor, and VOILA! you whip out your handy-dandy dirt sucking device and before you can say "Presto-Chango!" it all magically disappears! Amazing, right?! But, like I was sayin', those are a rare, if not impossible, luxury to come across down here. I am sure that is due to the other lacking thing--CARPET! Therefore, Argentines do not see a need or have any clue about the marvels of the modern vacuum cleaner. That's right folks, you will find no Bissell, Dirt Devil, Hoover, etc. here. Everything, is concrete, tile, or wood, and gets swept, mopped, and waxed.

Not exactly my idea of a good time or of comfy lounging on the floor, or my first choice for my kids to wipe out on.


{11 month old + crawling/sliding around = whacking head on very, very hard floor--poor baby! although if I attach a rag or sponge to his backside, maybe he could do a little multi-tasking crawling/cleaning for me...hmmm.... ;) }

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I obviously do not own a vacuum cleaner. I do have a Dust Buster type "gizmo" from the States that does a semi-decent job and does come in handy on occasion. Unfortunately, my nice, brown couch (and no, it is not a shaggy-dog type couch) is a lint, hair, crumb, you-name-it, magnet. With 2 kiddos and 2 adults that sometimes act like kiddos in the house, there is never an end to my war against the "nitty grittys" that like to get on/in my couch and drive me nuts {I know, I don't have far to go to get there!}. And my little vac. just aint gettin' the job done.

So to make my pointless story just a tad longer...I decided to try brushing my couch. I have this little hand broom/brush thingy with dust pan, the bristles are fairly soft, so I gave it a shot. You know what, it actually did a pretty good job. Took way less time, got rid of any {noticeable} ickies and did NOT scare my 11 month old like the vac. does. His poor little terrified face; it was truly pathetic. So, idk, maybe the idea of "brushing" your couch creeps you out, maybe its actually really nasty, all I know is that so far it's working for me and I didn't have to buy anything new either! {I know hubby will like that last part! :) }

Maybe you are reading this and thinking "Strange little missionary mama...she's got some odd ways of doing things...etc., etc." And that's okay, 'cuz you're right! Finding what works for me and my family--that's what matters! :))

It's the little things that make my life easier and brighten my day.








P.S. Nope, no pics. today. 'Cuz, honestly, who wants to see a pic of my hand broom and couch? ;)

Just to make you smile...

 

 In other news, Clara and I have come to a decision--

"Boys are Monstrous, and Girls are Sweet Girls!"

She is VERY adamant about this, too.

As of right now the verdict stands, 2-1. Daddy, of course, is opposed, but as Ethan is a bit too young yet to realize the severity of this outcome, he remains neutral and undecided, giving us girls the victory! {At least for now--wink}

Although, with a face like this, we may have to do a re-vote soon! ha!

"I am so embarrassed!"

Also, Clara is a self-proclaimed "Cutie Cupcake (with frosting on top)!!"


Democracy within the family, who knew?! Poor hubby thought it was a dictatorship. {WINK, GRIN}

Have a great week! :)

Miracles in the Mail

"Good News! Good News! Christ died for me! 

Good News! Good News! He set me free! 

Good News! Good News! To live eternally! 

That's Wonderful, Happy, Good News!"

My news, though not nearly as spectacular and amazing as God's Good News, is still pretty miraculous to me! I got my Argentine document!!! After 10 months of waiting and wondering if it was even where it was supposed to be or lost in outer space somewhere, we found out that it is done, complete, everything in order, and made it to us!!! WOOOHHHHOOOOOOOO!!! As you can tell I am {just a bit} excited!

Now, we are just hoping and praying that Matt's document will arrive any day now, and that the few little issues we had with Clara's are all resolved and will be coming this way soon, too! What a blessing and miracle!
I know that you other missionaries know what a hassle these things can be and how long they can take, some missionaries down here have had to wait for up to 5 years to receive their documents! 5 years! That's a looooong time, folks! In light of that, 10 months doesn't seem so bad!

Some of our many documents

Ethan's Argentine passport and document and my new document

Ethan's came easy for him, the perks of being an Argentine citizen

My much anticipated, long awaited, "little red book"

 P.S. WHEN we do get the last of our documents, there will definitely be a BIG celebration at our house!!