I Need Your Help

I'm a lady in search of a new hobby.

I've photographed as a hobby.
I've read as a hobby.
I've baked, quilted and blogged as a hobby.
I've slept as a hobby.
I've square danced, eaten and made candles as a hobby.

Now I'm wondering what's left to do?

(Maybe my issue isn't needing a new hobby but a greater attention span.)

Any suggestions? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Oh...and I was just kidding about the square dancing part.

Nina

Precious Fellowship

I'm back!

And I came back bearing pictures...just like I promised!

We attend a Fundamentals of the Faith conference in southern Portugal. It was quite a journey for us since we live in the extreme northern part of the country, but well worth it. The fellowship alone with other missionaries was so encouraging. We were in church most of the time we were there, but I managed to squeeze in a few hours of sightseeing and of course picture taking for you guys!

;)

I was so excited about the 6 hour drive down to Albufeira. I just new I'd see some beautiful sights along the way. Well, I was surprised to see the bottom almost third of the country was basically desert.



For several hours, this was our landscape. I was beginning to doubt that we'd ever arrive in The Algarve. One of the greatest tourist spots in western Europe.



But, finally we did....and what a sight it was!!






Before church one evening we strolled through the old streets in the center of town, lined with cafes and little shops selling souvenirs. The road was called Liberty Avenue.







Yes, I made my kids stand on the edge of a cliff to get this picture.




The Algarve is a popular tourist attraction for the British. This restaurant served breakfast for everyone!








Sand sculptures. Looks like this man's about to ax his wife.



Guess that's supposed to be Jagger....



...and Elvis.



We even pulled up next to the General Lee. Who would have thought...in Albufeira, Portugal!?



We were very thankful to be invited to attend the conference. I met some great folks!




Hope you all had a great weekend.

Stay tuned for the unveiling of the upcoming Blog Party! It involves lots of items from several different continents.....details are coming soon!

Bloggy Breaks and Fat Noses

I have to leave you for a few days. A type of bloggy break.

Us mainstream, hardcore bloggers get burned out from time to time, you know.

But while I'm gone I'll be thinking on all the wonderfully interesting posts I'll do for you when I return. I know, you can't contain your excitement.

So while I'm gone, leave me an encouraging comment. Tell me how you think my nose has shrunk since I've lost a little weight. We all know my feet have. Only someone like me would be concerned about the size of her nose while trying to loose weight. Are there target exercises for one's nose...hmmm?


Hopefully I'll return with some beautiful pictures...I've got a few ideas in this tiny brain of mine. I'll tell you all about my "break" when I return.

So where were we??? Oh yea, those encouraging comments......it's your turn.

See ya in a few days.

Nina

Festa in our Village

Every September our little village throws a huge party that lasts for several days.

It involves:

• very loud fireworks that are launched at all hours of the night for days on end.

• loud speakers on top of the catholic church where every one in the village can participate in mass from the comfort of their own sofa.
  

• air shows
  

• clowns

• orchestras

• bands

• carnival foods (Like farturas...heheheh!)

• bumper cars

• campaigning politicians

• and thousands of people

Most of the events we chose to skip, but we made plans to attend the activities for the kids on Saturday. Here are a few random shots.....



The kids didn't want to try a fartura....they chose huge lollypops instead.




Justice reading the instructions before jumping in the inflatable.


This little girl is one of Brooklyn's friends.


Faith giving one of her best friends a hug.


These clowns were SO crude...we left early.


This guy almost landed on my head.


SURPRISE!!
Some bloggy friends and I have got a big surprise for you all! Within the next few weeks you'll be finding out more info, but it's going to be a type of "blog festa". (for you slow folks.....a blog party!) It will involve lots of cultural items from several continents......you won't want to miss this party! Stay tuned!

Nina

Things you Don't Say to Your Wife

Young & Beautiful

I wonder if I had skin this beautiful when I was three.....




...or five?


because I surely don't have it now.

Even when I take drastic measures.....like this...



These people should be sued for false advertisement. Along with the pimple reducers, cellulite removers and teeth whitener people.

They all lie.

I think I'll be the first in forming a huge class action law suit. Any one care to join me?


Nina

Bless Her Heart

Can you imagine what the other cats in the neighborhood are saying about her?



This is what happens when you have your cat spayed. She looks like she's been put in a feline straitjacket.

She probably feels like that too.

Is it just me or......

Does this sign look like it's saying.....



Nina is a very gassy lady?


Seriously, I didn't think about it when I was at the festival today. I took the picture because it had my name on it. But when I got home and started to do a post, I couldn't stop laughing after I looked closely at this picture.

Oh my...I need to go to bed.

Nite ya'll!

Nina

Happy Birthday Justice

Ain't he a cutie?!

(That hersery's syrup in the picture was sent here from our good friends in Alaska!)


That little ball doesn't stand a chance....



Justice and his special friend, Sarah.







I can't believe my baby is three. It feels like I've always had a diaper bag, car seat and sippy cup with me. But not anymore...times are changing. We're coming into a new stage in our lives. Our babies are growing up, becoming more and more independent.

I'm enjoying every stage of their lives. From my almost adult sounding conversations with my 10 year old daughter...all the way down to my silly conversations with my son.

These are the days we looks back on with love and say...."remember when.....??"

My Uncle Danny, who was my Pastor for several years, used to shake my hand after church on Sunday mornings and say, "Girl, you've got it made!" But with several babies in tow, lugging car seats and a 15 pound diaper bag, I didn't really feel like it.

But today I do....I've got it made!!

(Especially since I received this in the mail on Wednesday....giggle....Thanks Rebekah!)



Have a great weekend,

There's Something About Candy Corn

That I adore.





But.....


There's no Candy Corn where I live....sniff...sniff.

There's not even a store near me that has one Fall decoration on it's shelf.

The nursery down the road didn't even have one pot of mums today when I stopped by.

And to make matters worse, my seven year old referred to my scarecrow I pulled out of storage as "the little hay man".

I guess she doesn't remember when I would decorate our home with scarecrows and pumpkins, or the trips we made to the pumpkin patch. I have always had more fall decorations than Christmas ones. I hated taking down those scarecrows to put up a tree. Can she really not know what a scarecrow is? Maybe she knows the Portuguese word for it instead....yeah, I'm sure that's it.

Sooooo many things were left in America when we came here. Who knows, under the influence of temporary insanity, all my decorations may have been sold in one huge box for a buck-fifty at one of our many yard sales.

That makes my head hurt.....and my heart.



So today I mourn.


So goes the life of a missionary wife.

Our Latest Prayer Letter

Click on it to enlarge.

Brave Little Boogers

I'm sorry I've been gone for a week. We had a family of 10 staying with us, and between meals, laundry, chaos control and preparing for a new school year...I didn't have much time for anything else.

But I'm back.....I missed you all while I was away!



My kids keep me astonished. They are the bravest little boogers.

Here they are this morning, the first day of school.

(Justice didn't want them to go, so he had to be a pesky little brother one last time.)



They we're all trying to jump out of the car before I came to a complete stop in front of the school. (What does that say about me?) They saw friends they hadn't seen all summer, and Liberty saw her teacher, which means a great deal to her...being she's the teachers pet.




Trinity actually started school yesterday. She went to kindergarten by herself without knowing anyone or understanding much of what those strangers said to her. But she did great and was brave once again this morning when all her sisters went one way laughing with their friends, and she had to go another way with the Kindergartners.

So I'm home now with a two year old little boy who doesn't know what to do with himself since there are no big sisters to aggravate. I'm sure he will zero in on me.

European Living - The Shopping Cart

For me, chained together shopping carts took some getting use to.



I don't know about you, but Wally-World didn't make us put a coin in a slot to be able to use a buggy. Maybe they do in your area of America, but buggies were free where I came from.

Well, there really isn't a charge for the cart unless you don't return it to it's rightful place. There, you can chain it back up and out pops your coin.

In Europe, our smallest paper money is a five. So we have coins in all varieties including a 50 cent piece, a 1 Euro and we even have a coin for 2 Euros.

Most buggies will accept a 50 cent coin. (= 72 American cents) But some only accept the 1 Euro coins (= $1.43) So if you choose to not return your buggy to it's proper place, you're throwing away that money. And the lucky guy after you will gain it!


(Just a few of the many coins we use. Even men carry change purses. )

However, most families here shop frequently, so they only have a few items in their buggy. They remove their sacks (which we pay 3 cents a piece for in most stores) and can leave their buggies in the receptacle on their way to their car. Eliminating the need to walk three isles over to return their cart.

Some business give out these nifty little things. Plastic money.......



Somehow, I had a hard time making sure I always had coins in my wallet for buggies. But with these little boogers that's no longer a problem.



So what about you? Do they chain up the carts where you live?

We Take A Lickin.....

...but we keep on tickin.

Monday was our much anticipated "Family Day". After non-stop ministry related busy-ness, we decided to take a day for ourselves. Our plan? To leave the house and do what WE wanted to do. It was an easy plan really. Monday's have always been what we would call our "off days", but so often, and those of you in the ministry understand, it doesn't always work out like that.

On the agenda?

Lunch out
Bowling
Grill out for dinner and eat outdoors (a.k.a. our campsite)
Sleep in a tent in the backyard

After leaving the house, we made a quick errand stop and while backing out of our parking lot, we were rear-ended by another car. So the kids and I sat in a hot car for about two hours while insurance men and police offers tried to decide who's fault it was. When we left, we still didn't know who's fault it was...and even today, after a visit to our insurance office, we have yet to determine who's paying for what. Things are like that in Portugal.


The other car.


Our car. Only minor damages, thank the Lord. I'd rather my car be dented than one of my kids.

So finally....off to the restaurant with grumpy kids who skipped breakfast because we were heading to a Pizza Rodízio. (basically a buffet, but they bring the pizza around to all the tables) Finally we arrived and had a great meal which even included pizza with honest to goodness pepperoni! Not just a salami that has been re-named 'pepperoni'....this was the real stuff! A rare treat for us.





Next stop, bowling. Where Faith showed out beating everyone, and Michael threw his back out. But we had a good time anyway.....






Bless her heart...someone show that girl how to bowl!


"Here's my ball daddy!" (Look at him in his bowling shoes!!)


I've always loved bowling shoes....one day I'm going to buy a pair.


Justice was worn out...and Liberty was holding his head while he slept. (She's not that sweet...I made her do it)


I guess she got tired of holding it.....


I know it looks like we're in a bar, but trust me..we weren't. It was a restaurant behind the bowling alley.....Honestly

Then finally home where we grilled out and put up the tent. Brooklyn made a peanut butter pie and we all enjoyed a piece before heading out to the tent. We played Uno by lantern, and then all laid down to sleep....


...but not much sleep was done....not by me anyway...I'm too old to sleep on the ground with only a blanket.

Overall....it was a fun day that we'll not soon forget.