Sunshine In My Soul

A couple of weeks ago when we had visitors from the states we planned an after church get together for everyone to stay and enjoy one another's fellowship.  Saturday was a day of prepping in the kitchen, making lots of sandwiches, washing and cutting veggies, and of coarse baking something sweet and finger licking good.

Thought we would throw a little extra sunshine on a beautiful Lord's day with something a bit sweet.  I pretty much love anything lemon and did a little experimenting and came up with this recipe for Lemon Cupcakes and a frosting that was just right.  They were a hit.  Even David liked them, and he normally is a solo chocolate dessert lover.  But I am slowly expanding his horizons with food.

Lemon Cupcakes

1 yellow cake mix {do not follow box instructions}

1 C peach nectar juice or apricot nectar 

2 sticks butter, melted {do not substitute for margarine}

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.  Mix all the ingredients above with a mixer.  Fill 24 lined muffin cups.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Let cool completely.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1/2 C shortening

1 stick butter, softened to room temperature

6 1/4 C powdered sugar

5 1/2 T lemon juice

1 1/2 T vanilla {I use Mexican vanilla for everything}

2 pinches of salt

2 T milk

2 drops yellow food coloring, optional {I did not use but the butter here in Costa Rica is literally the color of canary yellow, very bright.}

Cream shortening, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt.  Then slowly add powdered sugar 1/2 C at a time while whipping in stand mixer, alternating with the milk.  You can add more milk or powdered sugar if you prefer a different consistency.  But this was exactly the measurements I used {I actually wrote this one down as I did it, so I would not have to guess next time}.  Then pipe the frosting on cupcakes.  Since we are living in a very humid climate, with no A/C, it is best for me to pipe day of eating them.  I bake them day before and pipe them day of consumption.

Let me know if you try these out.  The cakes were perfect consistency, a mixture of moist and dense, but not a brick {I shall share with you about queso bricks in Costa Rica sometime}.

She draws lots of love and attention from everyone.

After church

Line 'em up

Capturing moments like these bring the most wonderful "SUNSHINE IN MY SOUL!"

Those can't be planned but just caught.  

 Felicia and Marta enjoying Sunday fellowship with one another.

Michelle, Lorena, & Alejandro

Margarita {I have NEVER seen her without this SMILE.

More SUNSHINE!

Lorena & Alejandro

Innocent and bright SUNSHINE!

{Left: Julito, Margarita, and Louis Packard}

Michelle and Leia are usually inseparable.  Love it!!!

What gatherings are all about...

One of my rays of SUNSHINE everyday...complete with chip crumbs.

Resurfacing

I know, I know.....I have had people emailing me and asking where I have been.  Well, here's the short version.  We had company from November through the middle of December and then there were the holidays and lets just say I was super super sad during the holidays.  I know you are thinking, hey everyone visited you close to the holidays.  Well, it just wasn't the same.  I mean I have spent the past 29 years spending Christmas with my entire family, cooking the same things, and wonderful traditions.  Not only was that different but it is quite different when it is 85-90 degrees outside and you are used to snuggling by the fire under a blanket while watching marathon Hallmark Christmas movies.  It is just plain weird...even David thought so.  In addition to all that, I was becoming super distraught over the amount of dirt we were living in, the gecko poop in everything (and the geckos diving into my dinner plate and dropping from the ceiling onto my bathroom counter top...yes, these are real stories, not stories, real live truths.  Some may think I am crazy for even being concerned about dirt, but when you simply lay your child on the bed and a huge dirt cloud emerges from the linens you just washed, well........GOD definitely answered that prayer.  We moved to another house last week.  Literally, there has been nothing and still is nothing available, but God worked a miracle.
All that said, if I had blogged, I think I would have been full of complaints and nothing uplifting or worthy of reading.  So, that about sums that up.  Better for you that I have been absent.  Really hoping to have the time to resurface into the Blog world again.  I do have a few more minutes a day now that I am not sweeping 5 times a day : ).
Several of you donated money to help purchase shoes for all the kids that come to church with us.  And my Mom was also able to find some major bargains for them all to have a few new clothes too. The kids were soooo happy for these new things.  I tried to catch some smiles (they don't smile when you tell them to look at the camera).  They loved it and had a good time.  My kids enjoyed making crafts and snacks for the little get together too.  All of the kids and parents too wanted everyone to know they said, "Thank You!!!"  I thought it would be better to show you : ).

I hope everyone is having a fabulous start to the new year.  We are praying for many great things to happen this year and look forward to sharing our trials of life with the ups and downs, the funnies...and a million pictures from the past 7 months to catch you up to date on life here in Costa Rica.  Until then....Pura Vida!

Building Progess

Daddy told the kids one morning if they worked really hard to get all of their school work done they could come with him to the church building that afternoon.  Well, they worked really hard, finished everything by lunch.  So, we had a little family time and went to the park for lunch before heading to the church building.  

They love picnics.  Scarlett enjoyed it too.

Olivia loves taking pictures.

They were begging Daddy to climb a tree.

He was eager and willing.

Trying to decide where he can place his

foot so that it is not eaten alive by the Gimongous ANTS.

Mr. Slow eater.

Deep in thought about something.

David and Jorje were able to remove the wall within a week.  This is a picture after the wall was removed and the temporary posts in place.  David and Jorje have since placed the permanent weight bearing beam (I took pictures, but Olivia deleted them because she was in need of more room on the memory card...so, I need to take more).  

The door to the left is the front door into the building and this is now the meeting area with the wall removed. The ceiling on the left was complete with sheetrock.  We have purchased the sheetrock for the right side.  We are needing to hire someone to come and do some plaster work, but not sure when that will happen right now.  Someone came by a couple of weeks ago to look at it but we do not have a price yet for the labor and supplies for the plaster.  It may have to  wait, along with painting.

Olivia and Scarlett playing

outside at church

Funny face

One of our church residents.

"Like cold water to a thirsty soul..."

"Like cold water to a thirsty soul, 

so is good news from a far country."

Proverbs 25:25

A few weeks ago we received "news" from a far country.  It was like Christmas.  David came home with our first piece of mail.  The church in Alma sent each of us letters; everyone in our family received news from a far country.  It was wonderful to hear from life-long friends and from those whom we have never even met in person.  

They received multiple cards each, and all with fancy

little hand drawn artistic fronts made just for them.

She even received letters from adults written just to her.

Showing off the art work made just for "me," as Carson said.

She was so proud of her cards.

For us, news and communication from afar from those we love is water that renews our spirits.  I pray that our news to you does the same.  Here goes the latest happenings from the Church in Altos de Naranjo, Costa Rica.

We officially have a physical property where we can all meet together every week to serve our Lord.  The previous owners cleaned up some of the landscaping and you are now able to see the front of the building.  

We closed on the building on a Friday night, purchased chairs, and used it that Sunday.  Everyone was so excited.

Last week David and Jorje tore down the wall that you see on the right in the above picture to make for a larger meeting area.  Then, last Saturday was a clean-up day to attempt to remove all the concrete dust and clean the bathroom, so that we could actually use it : ).  Everyone worked so hard, scrubbing, sweeping, mopping, more sweeping and mopping, cleaning inside and outside walls, washing windows, and of coarse playing.

They are always all about snacks.

Happy Girl!

He stopped long enough for his snack and drink.

Deybin

Xochi 

(I think I spell this different every time,

I can't remember)

Daniel

The ladies working hard.

Jorje

Marta

I had to snap fast...she doesn't like her

picture taken.  I tell her she has such a 

pretty smile : )

This week David has worked on trying to get a permanent beam to support the roof.  That has proven to be a very difficult task.  Something that would have been very simple in the states has been very challenging here.  He is hoping to get it attached tomorrow.  After many stops at a million different places, he now has the brackets he needs to support the beam.  A few other glitches surfaced, but nothing that he can't work around and solve.  Once we get the beam and needed supports, then some plaster work will have to be done.  We are hiring that part out.  Not sure if we are going to be able to tile the floor or not, will just have to see how much the other more prominent things cost.  The room where we removed the wall to make for a larger meeting room did not have finished concrete but the rest of the house did.  

Time has been crunched lately with meeting here and there with the lawyer and previous owners of the church building, signing papers, more legal stuff.  David immediately started renovations on the building and keeping up with ongoing studies with individuals.  The kids and I have been engrossed in school work.  Trying to double up when we can (so we can relax during all of our family visits in November...who wants to do school work when grandparents are coming to visit?).  I started Spanish lessons with a "real" teacher this week and have hours of studying that I need to get done everyday, throw that in with our CRAZY life and that is what we have been up to.  

I have a gazillion pictures and stories to share, but all that for another day or late night when I can squeeze it in.  Hugs to all and hope you enjoyed our news from Costa Rica.  

PURA VIDA!