Gifts announced! And Thank You Heidi!

These are the winning donators for the Candle in the Corner giveaway!

571- Tracie- Taiwan

489- Lindsay- Portugal

602- Nancy- Paraguay

439- Mellie- Spain - Congratulations, Mellie, I will get it to you asap. It´s all wrapped up and Heidi got me your address.

402- Gena- Russia

462- Garry- Argentina

6- Maria- Brazil

135- Theresa T.- Botswana

42- Joyce- South Africa

620- Elaine (Extra entry for linking)- Montana

106- Maribeth- Uganda

415- Tanya- Indonesia

The total amount raised: $4065!! Praise the Lord! This amount will be split between all the missionary families that participated in this event!

Thank-you Heidi, for this wonderful opportunity! Thank you for being used, broken and spilled out.

Thank you, all, who gave sacrificially.

Diez Cosas!

How is your Spanish?

What does "diez cosas" mean?

¡Si!

it means...

"TEN THINGS"

Now you know some Spanish and can come on out to Spain to help hand out gospel tracks. Even if you don´t know that much Spanish, you can be used to hand out a gospel track in Spain.

Well, the reason for the "diez cosas" is that Pilar passed this really special award on to me with the condition to share 10 things and pass it on to 10 more awesome girls. Isn´t it such a cute award?

Pilar!

1. For those of you who don´t know me too well, or are new to my blog, I have been in Spain as a missionary for almost 10 years.

2. I had my second and third sons in Spanish hospitals when I could hardly speak the language.

3. I gained almost 60 pounds with my first pregnancy while on deputation visiting churches all over the U. S. A. It really took a toll on my body.

4. As a result of three pregnancies, one right after the other and genetics, I had to have a prothesis bone put in each of my ears. I had what is called otosclerosis. WHO KNEW?

5. Did I mention all that extra weight I gained! ( I ask my hubby all the time how I ever let myself get like that.)

about to burst, prego with my first son, Jan. 1999

6. I called my prego "bump" my Wilson and Spalding.

7. I am not proud of this. It was a result of a lot of travel and lots of eating out due to the traveling. However, this last furlough, (a break missionaries take to visit churches) I did not gain any weight at all. I praise the Lord for this.

8. I started a fitness journey this past January. (even though I have always been into fitness, it hasn´t always been into me. )

9. Yes, I know most of these things have been about weight, but that´s not the only thing I am about. First and formost, I love the Lord Jesus and want to serve Him with all my heart. I want to be healthy and be the best I can be for Him and my family.

10. This week I am one pound closer to my goal. I have dropped 30 pounds so far since January 2009.

I got to thinking, "Wow, that´s like three bags of potatoes!"

Where did it go?

I am so jumping happy and feel so healthy!

Praising the Lord for His strength and power.

*** It´s so late. You will have to forgive me for not posting 10 more awesome girls. If you are reading this, and want to join in, please share this cute award with me. Take it as your own. You are awesome in God´s eyes! You are fearfully and wonderfully made! ***

Kreativ Blogger!!! Love IT!!!

I have to admit it. I can´t deny it. I know it maybe a sin but well, I hope this is the sinless type but, there is no getting around it.

I am proud of this award.

Thank you, Pilar! It´s so sweet!

The gag is I have to write 7 things you may not know about me. Don´t you know everything already???? If you know these things just pretend you haven´t heard them before. Ok?

1. When I was born I had colic for the first three months. I think the way the story goes is that I cried so hard I herniated my belly button. Maybe, I was born that way, I can´t remember. My mom cut all my baby pictures just above that point so I have no idea what it looked like. She said she didn´t want to remember it. Needless to say, we got it fixed, but you ain´t ever gonna see it!

2. I like animals but I am not a total animal lover. They are here on earth for our enjoyment. Right? When I was about my boys age, I had hamster babies. Well, not me, my hamsters, silly! You know how you aren´t suppose to touch them because the mama hamster will eat them, well, my mama hamster was different. We could play with the little "jelly beans" all we wanted. They had little peach fuzz and they would get all confused when you put them in the skirt part of your nighty. We (my mom and I) would toss them up and watch them fly and then gently catch them again in the lap part of our nighties. It was so funny!

3. When I was in highschool, I played soccer on the Jr. Varsity and Varsity levels. It was so hard for me at first. I was so uncoordinated and out of shape. My first year playing, I had shin splints so badly that I hobbled when I played. I played defense so this wasn´t a big problem till one game a big girl bullied me and kicked me you know where. Right in my shins!! I was out flat! All I could hear on the sidelines was.."Get going, Dani! Get Going!" I was so frustrated that year. Finally got the hang of soccer by my Junior year though.

Is this sort of like seven confessions?

4. When I was 7, we went camping up in Canada. We were having a grand ol´time until one evening my mom and I were playing around, and she had me sitting on top of her feet in the air. You know a reverse airplane ride. If you don´t know what I am talking about, just play along. She then decided to throw me through the air. A real live airplane ride, right? Wrong. Remember, I just said I was clumsy? I was so clumsy, that what my mom thought an innocent toss ended up putting me on my hind end landing on my hands and breaking my elbow bone. What a memorable vacation that was. (of course no one believed me when I told them it was broken.)

How many is that??? pheww this is hard!

5. My mom and I have a special talent. We don´t have to announce it, for it happens with out us knowing it. We speak our words mixed up and backwards. I wanted to write some of them but alas I can´t think of them now. They just come out at the funniest moments.

6. I love the fact that I taught my boys how to read. I love ABEKA phonics!

but

7. I get nervous every school year because I don´t stick to my schedule and end up getting too flexible. I rebel against my own schedule. Go figure.

Ok, there ya have it, but I don´t know if I feel better getting all that off my chest or not.

Now to nominate 7 other kreativ bloggers. As, Pilar said, it´s so hard to pick but here goes. Oh, and if you received one from Pilar, I think you are awesome too, just want to get someone who hasn´t received one yet.

Rachel @ Smith Family of Six

Amy @ Daily Pleasures

Julia @ Amazing Love

Laura @ Capturing Life´s Moments

Joye @ The Joyeful Journey

Jennifer @ God´s Been Good

Veronica @ Luv My Quiver Full

Now girls, your turn! Thanks for being so fun and creative that I keep coming back for more!

Spread the Love!

Thank you Rocío and Lorrie for these wonderfully sweet awards!

I will now spread the love on to;

Fringe Girl @ The Domestic Fringe

Jennifer @ God is so Good

Joye @ The Joyful Journey

Mimi @ Frump Findings

Julia @ Amazing Love

Heidi @ Moms, Ministry and More

Kristy @ Canadian Chronicles

Alicia @ More than Words

Ladies, you just have to copy the badges to your blog and spread the love on to 8 others you love. It´s not hard to copy and paste but it does take time. I really wanted to take the time to do this because all of you ladies have been so faithful to encourage and share Christ´s love with me. There are so many others but some don´t get into all the linking, so if you are one of those, don´t worry it´s not a law.

Have a lovely day!

And don´t forget to spread the Love of Jesus to those you meet.

Thanks Rocío

Rocío passed this award to me last week. She is a new bloggy friend but we have some things in common. Spanish, children and a love for pictures. Her blog is lovely but more than that that it´s fun. You can go and just get lost in all her fun pictures.

Muchísimas Gracias, Rocío! Thank you so much for this sweet award.

Here are the Rules:

Rules:1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered.( or 10-15. I hope it´s not a sin to change the rules but I have spent way to much time on this already.) Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. Well, if you can. I don´t want you to have to do this to put this on your blog. If you can choose some it helps others to find new lovely blogs.

I enjoy reading your Blogs! They are lovely!

Please accept this lovely award, and do the best you can passing it on when you can. No pressure. Use it at will.

1. Pilar

2. Nina

3. Lisa

4. Kristy

5. Alicia - even though you already have one. ;)

6.Julia

7.Alicia

8.Erin

9. Tori

10. Joye

11. Rachel

Have a lovely day too!

Tag you´re It! & The Envelope Please!

I have been tagged! I must admit I have never been tagged in this new blog life that I now live. In fact I haven´t even played blog tag, but I was really hoping to play one day. My new bloggy friend Alicia @ Confessions of a Snowflake has tagged me.

Now I tag you!

Tag! You´re it!

Julia @ Amazing Love

Moms the word @ Momstheword - living for him

Sarah @ modern dayknights and a princess

Tori @ a home far from home

Pilar @ Starks in Spain

Jill @ Jill Boyd´s Place

Kristy @ Canadian Chronicles

Amy @ Daily Pleasures

Here´s how it works.
There are some rules with this tag:I need to link to the person that tagged me.I need to share 7 things people may not know about me.I need to tag 7 people to share 7 things and link to them.I need to let them know they've been tagged.

Here are the 7 things about me you may not know :

1. I use to have only one barbie doll and she was the one in charge of all my miniture Strawberry shortcake doll collection and rode my only "My little Pony".

2. I played American Football with all the boys in the neighborhood till I was 12 and it started to hurt in places I was embarrassed to say.

3. The year I was 7, my mom threw me while I was sitting on her feet in the air. I landed on my tail end and tried to brace myself with my hands. Needless to say, I broke my elbow on our vaccation trip to Canada!

4. That same summer, My Grandma tripped down our stairs and dislocated her elbow. I thought it was my fault. Cried like a baby. My Grandma and I had casts at the same time.

5. I was called to be a missionary after a missionary showed slides of his field in Bolivia at my school. I was 10.

6. I flew out of a car in Paraguay on my short term missions trip. Landed under a parked car and broke my collar bone. Ended up in a private hospital and had morphine for the first time. While I was in the ambulance, I went into shock. The whole lower half of my body shook, while I laughed with my friend! I remember saying.. "Hey look I am shaking like a leaf!" Had no idea I was in shock.

7. I wish I had taken piano and voice lessons in College. I was too scared.

Ok enough confessing...

I would also like to announce another award...

I would like to award four of my missionary friends who have been so dear to me in my blogging beginnings with this award. They have commented on almost all of my posts, flops or no flops and are very uplifting and encouraging in their posts. The Light of Jesus shines through them!

Through you and your blog!!!

The envelope please...

and the winners are...

Pilar @ Starks in Spain

Nina @ Portugal Bound

Tori @ a home far from Home

Kristy @ Canadian Chronicles

There are many more who I have met and who have become very dear (check out my sidebar), but these four have been there since the beginning!

Thanks girls, for being faithful where you have been planted and for being so encouraging! May we see much fruit for our labor!