Ending and beginning...

Goodbyes are difficult...

our next door neighbor, my dear friend, Lupita, and I were sad to say goodbye for these six months.

Lupita and her youngest daughter, Sofi, and I were able to get a final pic together.  

Priscila, her older daughter, was at work and was not able to join us.

Final pic at the "old Home."

We arrived at the airport at 5 am, bright and early Sunday morning, only to find out our flight was delayed.  The flight was Atlanta had not arrived until 3am and the crew had a mandatory rest time so we were now leaving at 12:10 pm instead of 7:50 am.  We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, computer time, and a little

"people watching time" before boarding the "quick" flight to Atlanta.  I say "quick" because there is a two hour time difference - we left at 12:10 and arrived at 5:25 on our 3 hour flight.

We were greeted by Deborah, Rebecca and David.  What a fun surpriseto have them meet us.  We picked up our Macedonia Call (a wonderful group who have cars for furloughing missionaries to use), and enjoyed dinner together at Cracker Barrel before Rebecca and David headed back to Greenville.  Welcome to the South with sweet tea, grilled rainbow trout, barbeque pork, turnip greens, green beans, mashed potatoes, fried apples, biscuits and cornbread!  YUM!

 So sad that I didn't get a picture of all of us at the Cracker Barrel :(

At breakfast the next morning, the kids had planned another surprise...

special cookies welcoming us back to the USA,

(Looks like David is still a little sleepy here beside bright-eyed Deborah haha)

welcoming us to summer time in the US, where "flops" are the shoes of choice.

(There he is...all bright-eyed too)

Monday we moved into our new home - the mission house of Warren Baptist, Augusta. 

What ministries to missionaries - a wonderful mission house as home and a great car to use!

Thank you Lord for providing these blessings to us!

Wednesday, we met Stephen at my mom's for some more family time.

Can't deny they are father and son, can you?

Stephen and I with my mother.

Friday, we headed to Raleigh to spend some time with Miriam and Mike for the weekend
 before we head to Richmond for meetings.  Good times...good eats.
Friday night...b-b-q ribs - AWESOME, Mike -
 baked sweet potatoes, white pease, baby butterbeans, hot relish and sweet tea :)

Saturday morning, we headed to

Mike had one pancake (note the size of that thing) and smoked sausage biscuit.

Miriam had french toast and a bacon biscuit.

David enjoyed eggs, smoked sausage and grits with red-eye gravy.

I had the "healthy" eggs, link sausage, and fruit...

and the LIGHT, fluffy biscuits...YUM!!

And then tonight we splurged "family style" at...

Need I say more?

This week has included goodbyes, hellos, family, and food.

Now that we have "rolled' through our first week back in the states,

we are not eating another mouth full...

at least until tomorrow!