MAKING 'TOTLATE TOOKIES'

Let's just say the best part is licking the beater.. and the spatula...

Mommy, I Love You

Even though Mommy Cari returned from the USA before I got this posted, I still wanted to share it with you all.

MY CUPIDS

My cute little cupids! Oops! Looks like some little guy found my heels! Sorry about that, Mommy & Daddy!

WOMEN'S RETREAT WAS GREEAAT!

We sang, we prayed, we listened, we laughed (a lot), we cried, we ate and it was wonderful!

HAVING FUN WITH VISITORS

This is how Bella and Caleb greeted their guests who'd come to play with them. They had just awakened from their naps, but after getting some treats from the guests (chocolate milk) and the special cookies their Daddy had bought, they warmed up to them and played nicely for several hours. Thank you, Michele and Rúbia for helping me out as well to prepare for the Women's Seminar that starts tomorrow.

GETTING LOCKED IN...OR OUT?

Grandpa came to the rescue this morning to rescue two cute kids who locked themselves in Bellla's bedroom. Grandpa had to climb the ladder and take off the wooden shutters to climb through the window. No one got scared or even cried! Brave kids!

CALEB'S MY HELPER, TOO

Caleb is a good taster--letting me know if the juice is good or not. I believe he liked it!

GOING TO CELL GROUP

Going to cell group was exciting. Bella packed hers and Caleb's backpacks full of toys and fun things to do. She even put in Caleb's emergency medicine, explaining very seriously what needed to be done. We were back at home having a snack at 11 p.m. when their Daddy drove in from work. What a party!

PLAYING HOUSE

Bella has the most fertile imagination of any four-year-old that I know. You can see a little part of the bed her Daddy made for her doll.

HELPING GRANDMA SORT BEANS

The kids had a blast helping sort beans. It was quite a trick getting the clean beans in the right bowl, but every effort was worth it!

The time has come to fly!

I don't want Mommy to go.

A tearful goodbye

Just the three of us...

C: It's not a little plane!

G: I want Mommy.

Mama is somewhere inside that airplane.

There she goes!!

I just talked to Mama on the phone!

Happy Birthday, Trio!

May is birthday month in our family. Julia is first on May 10th, followed by Caleb on May 22nd, Pat on May 24th, Cari on May 26th (her Golden Birthday is this year) and Neval on May 27th. We had a weekend of partying...

Cari is getting her birthday wish--to spend the day with her friends in the States! Go, Cari!

Happy Birthday, 3 yr.old Caleb!

Belated Happy Bday, Julia!

Jill Briscoe & friends

The gal who coordinated the retreat handing me my copy of the book.

This gal was my 'soul mate' at the retreat.

Just Jill and me

Part of the group of authors.

I was recently at a women's retreat where I heard Jill Briscoe speak. I wasn't disappointed. Her life is an inspiration and an aspiration! (Can one say that--it's quite catchy!) Jill is 74 and traveling around the world training leaders in sometimes dangerous places! She and her husband are giving 10 years of their lives to this ministry. Just as we were parting ways, she gave me her book, "The Deep Place Where Nobody Goes" (Conversations with God on the steps of my soul), which I am eating up! I also had the joy of writing a chapter in a book about women in ministry. It's scary reading your writing in another language, especially when you can understand the translation and might like to improve on it!

BROTHERS & VIOLINS

Dick & Pat had fun playing together in many different kinds of meetings. Here they are playing at Bethany Church in Camaquã.

We are enjoying having Dick & Shane with us. It's been fun showing Shane Brazil for the first time and Dick's ministry has been enriching.

New Rock Star Gabriella

This girl is gonna be a performer. Mark my words! Here she tries out the many new sounds she is hearing in Portuguese without actually saying anything coherent! Go Girl!!

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL WHO'S THE FAIREST?????

In about 9 hours I will be getting up to catch a plane to São Paulo. Flying to a women's conference by myself is both scary and exciting! SEPAL is the organization putting it on and they work in Brazil to help grow the church. This will be their 1st Women's Conference for women in ministry. The kick off is tomorrow afternoon with a women's tea and the release of a new book for women. I had the privilege of writing one of the chapters on the subject of women and beauty. How ironic, then, that I am going to this book release feeling very ugly. I mean, I haven't felt this ugly in a long time. Here's what happened: I went to the beauty salon to cut and dye my hair (to look beautiful for this conference) and unfortunately, chose a color that is too blonde and doesn't flatter me at all. (It's been painful to look at myself in the mirror.) The beautician also cut my hair too short on the sides, making my cheeks puff out in a piggy kind of way. I've wondered about having my hair re-dyed, but would that be a "vain" expense? I decided it was, so I'm going to look ugly with the hope that upon arrival at the conference, God will wave his magic wand and turn me into Cinderella.

The Easter Egg Hunt

My Easter Bunnies seem to be disorientated as to "where to look" for the Easter eggs. Take a peek...