Harley Pawpaw & Trin

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Furlough Full Force

After 48 hours of continued travel, we finally arrived on American soil last Wednesday. Our first stop was Mimi and Paw Paw's house. The few days that followed were full of fun......



Birthday parties......



with a huge, delicious watermelon instead of a birthday cake.





Baseball lessons with PawPaw and Uncle Zac......




Jet lag set in quick.....





Nature trail discoveries.....









Beautiful America!

One week down, 11 more to go. Praying to see the Lord do mighty things!

Thank you for your prayers....
more soon.....
Nina

Feira de Barcelos - (Barcelos Market)

Today, Michael and I spent a little time at the market.  It's not often that we go without visitors.  Usually it's one of the highlighted attractions that we carry our out of town guests to see.  It's always very crowded and full of confusion. 

Today though, as Michael and I sat near the fountain in the center of the market, I looked around, and with some Portuguese pride in my heart, I was thankful to be here.  I was remembering my first trip to the market, nearly 4 years ago.  Not understanding a word the venders spoke to me.  Using hand gestures to communicate whether a basket I was considering buying was for trash or for dirty clothes....(try that one!) 

~~~But, today....It felt like home and not that foreign world it was 4 years ago.

Here is a sample video I found online....It looks like this day it was pretty calm, must have been lunch time! ;)

This market has been around since the 1400's.  Every Thursday, rain or shine.

Furlough Frenzy

Time is winding down, and preparations are in their final stages.....less than two weeks before we leave for furlough.  Lists have been made and many things already crossed off......

• Get furlough vehicle to Birmingham.
• Find a sitter for all my gorgeous Orchids.
• Organize the dungeon. (our junk room)
• Decide what luggage to use and how many pieces will be needed.
• How many vehicles will be needed to take us + our luggage to the airport?
• Find a Dog sitter, cat sitter and turtle sitter.
• Buy 60 kilos of dog food for Major. 
• Leave fridge running, or shut it down?
• Make checklist for house watcher & dog/cat sitter.
• Install electric fence to keep dog from wandering.
• Decide what songs the kids will sing and in which language. (I stress THE KIDS, not me.)

This is only a sample of my to do list.  My schedule is in high gear lately, and the work in the ministry is showing no signs of slowing down.  (Praise HIS name!)


Trinity helping instal the electric fence.

Justice trying to be sweet.

He asks me daily, "Mom, are we going to Amewica today?"

Last weekend we had a Convívio das Casais. (Couples meeting)

It was a precious time of fellowship, prayer and of course, Eating!

Some of the dishes.  Michael made the dish on the left.  It's called Baclhau à Brás. (Cod fish and Potatoes)

Salad is amazing in Portugal, once you get used to olive oil and vinegar.....Now, I'll have it no other way!!

I'll certainly miss the fresh, daily bread!

Singing praises!

Ms. Dawne stayed upstairs with the kids to give us parents an evening with other adults.

I'm going to miss these people.

So...since I'm thrilled to be visiting my homeland, but torn about not seeing my friends and church family here.....does that mean I'm officially insane, or officially a missionary? 

I think the two go hand in hand.

Happy Birthday Brooklyn!

Our oldest daughter Brooklyn turned 12 last week.  Feels like yesterday I was going to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning to be induced.  She was a week late and I couldn't take another day of pregnancy.  Contrary to popular belief, I don't enjoy being pregnant.  Although all my pregnancies were healthy ones without any complications and my Doctor told me I was a 'baby making machine', I did not like the discomfort of being huge, hot and irritated.  (Looking back now, I think the irritation came from not being able to drink caffeinated beverages.....Coffee solves a world of problems!)

I remember hopping around the house, be-bopping up the steps to our little townhouse just a few days after giving birth, my family amazed at my 'quick' recovery.  I told them that I felt better the day after Brooklyn was born than any day of my 9 month + 1 week pregnancy.  And every baby afterwards was the same situation.....recovering from child birth was so much easier than walking around pregnant for 9 months.

So, today I'm celebrating 12 years with that little, dark headed, jaundiced bundle of joy!  She's been a delight to help raise and I feel priviledged that God would choose me as her mother.

She celebrated her birthday this past weekend with 2 of her closest friends. The pijama party was a lot of fun and different for the two girls invited.  PJ parties aren't very popular here....but they had a great time.

So, here goes my top 12 reasons I love Brooklyn:

1. She helps me the most with improving my language skills.  (That's after I've embarrassed her by butchering a language she speaks so beautifully!)
2. She's an excellent student that cares about her grades and her performance in school. (Opposite of me!)
3. Although she's not the best at keeping her room tidy, she has amazing organizational skills.
4. She's the typical bossy oldest sibling, but does well when needed to care for the younger ones in our absence.
5. She recognizes when I'm down, when I need a hug, when I need someone to volunteer to wash dishes, when I need time alone....she's sensitive and aware of others around her.
6. She makes a mean fiesta chicken.
7. She says, "Thanks Mom" a lot.
8. She taught me how to listen.
9. She taught me how to put someone else's needs before my own. 
10. She still holds my hand when we walk around in public. 
11. She has the love of Jesus in her heart.
12. And last but not least....you all know what's coming......She's MINE!  Thank you Lord!

"Happy Birthday Brooklyn Malena! I Love You!"
Love, Mom

Happy Birthday Trinity!

Trin (snaggle tooth) on her 7th birthday with her sisters Lib and Brooklyn.

Trinity, our youngest daughter, turned 7 on Tuesday.  It was a local holiday in our town, so schools were out and we had a beautiful day geocaching!  She even lost a tooth on her birthday!

So, in concordance with my normal birthday routine, I'll list the top 7 reasons why I love Trinity:

1. She waits on me to come to the living room when we are going to watch a family movie so that she can sit right beside me and share my blanket.  She's always been my best cuddler.
2. I never have to tell her twice.
3. She recalls bible stories with much ease when she is faced with real life situations that parallel biblical accounts. ( such as...."Mom, that was scary!  But God protected us like he did Daniel while in the den of lions!")
4. She is an excellent student that loves school, math and reading.
5. I have more pictures in my 'keep box' from Trinity than all my other children combined.  She's always drawing me something.
6. She's very sensitive.
7. She's MINE!

Trin (middle) with her sisters Faith and Lib

"Happy Birthday baby girl! I Love You!"
Love,
Mom

It's Strange Really.....

I'm nearing 40 and I'm falling apart....body doesn't work right anymore.  Areas are hard to move, or crack when they finally do...I don't move as quickly as I used to.  I can't see, but hate to wear my glasses.  Headaches come quickly when you're stubborn like that.

I find myself confused at times.  Wondering why I feel like I do....19, 20, 21 year olds aren't supposed to feel that way, right?

Please, those of you a little older than I am...or possibly even younger....please tell me when I will finally accept that I'm getting old?

I still see myself (in my head, certainly not in the mirror) as a young bleached blond in love with a West Point Cadet dreaming of our wonderful life together.  Wondering what exotic place the Army will carry us after his graduation......

Somewhere along the line kids started popping up in my house....weird.....I fell in love with them too.....and I did end up in an exotic place, only it wasn't the Army that sent me there.

So.....in my confused state, this is what I know....(not much!)

I know:

I'm 20 in my head
40 in my body
hate glasses
live with headaches
in love with a handsome cadet
live in an exotic place
in love with 5 rug-rats
but still wondering where they came from
not enough time has passed to have 5 kids
I'm in denial that I'm getting older
I love my life as a missionary wife
God is Good!


Thankfully and Confused-fully yours,

Shame on Me......

....for allowing a month to go by without posting!

First of all, thank you for your prayers while I was sick.  It took a month, but I am finally back to normal and loving this beautiful spring/summer weather we've been having lately.

The kids just went back to school yesterday after a 2 week + 1 day Spring Break.  (The one day was because there was a holiday on Monday so their break was extend one more day.)  We didn't do anything special, just enjoyed one anothers company and played outside in the sun.....

Here are a few pictures from our Spring Break.....

We cooked out with friends

We ate yummy foods

We played in the mud

We tried new recipes

And everyone of them was a HIT!

We rolled hair

Read the bible

And made resurrection cookies

It was a wonderful 2 weeks!

Now the rush is on......to get everything scheduled, arranged, packed, cleaned and organized for our 12 week furlough this summer.  Time is winding down and there is still much left to do in preparation.

We are certainly looking forward to seeing friends and family, but the short 12 weeks means we will be busy as bees as we try to raise more support while visiting some supporting churches along the way.

Sorry I've been gone so long....hoping all is well with you, my bloggy friends....

Prayers from Portugal,

Imagine.....

....your husband is offered a job. Playing professional ball, but it's in another country. You pack your bags, what can fit into 6 suitcases, grab your two baby girls, your husband's hand, and board the plan. You arrive. They speak the same language, only different. You don't expect culture shock, but it sets in quickly. Everything is so different. The people are colder, not friendly. Walk past without uttering a word. There's no church family to help you, no one with whom you can rely on. You pray, Lord, help! Internet search turns up a small baptist congregation in your city! You make immediate plans to attend.

You attend, all 4 of you.

The Lord heard your cry......you're finally among friends, believers, bothers and sisters in Christ. People to pray with, pray for and who will pray for you.

.....................................................

I'm praising His name tonight for sending us this precious Brazilian family.

Sickness be Gone!

My dear bloggy friends, I have been so sick.


It's been over two weeks & three trips to the doctor.


My instructions for now are to REST, stay indoors, eat and drink.


My precious husband has cooked, cleaned, ironed, taxied kids & shopped.  All the while, keeping up with his duties pastoring two churches, and evangelizing this needy city.  


I don't have much to say other than to ask for your prayers....I'll leave you with a few random shots taken over the last month......

We made a big tent in the living room where the kids 'camped out' one evening.

I don't remember tents being so hard to make!!

Justice loved it!

Faith's job was to hand out clothes pins....not without some silliness though.

Michael and I had the privilege of attending a banquet by the Gideons. 

These next few pictures are evidence my kids stole my camera.....

Hope you are all doing well.......

I'm praying for Springs soon arrival.....