~Our Argentine Friends Come to Visit!~

Hello!  We have enjoyed 12 days with our Argentine Friends....showing them Cinci, and then The Great Smoky Mountains, then as soon as they left, my back went out (from an ice skating accident,) so I didn't get much done that next week, then, our computer decided to crash!
NOW, our computer is better, so I am going to try to get y'all all caught up on our wonderful days with our DEAR Argentine Friends!
BUT FIRST:
~Our Kimberly and Sis. Kristal Becker are in Honduras right now on the EFM Medical team.  They just have a couple days until they will come home.  Here's a pic of Emily A. and our kids packing packs for men, women, boys, and girls in Honduras.   PLEASE PRAY FOR THEIR LAST 2 DAYS THERE AND FOR A SAFE TRIP HOME!  THANK YOU!~

 ~Leo, Caro, Jonathan and Valentina's visit~

 ~Sarah painted this with water color for Valen.~

 ~Sarah sent this old pic of her and Valen to Valen right before they got here.~

 ~Shopping in Costco together. :-)
(Their plane was early, and so we didn't make it to the airport in time to see them, so they went to start renting their car.
They got caught at their rental car place at the airport for over an hour, so told us to go on shopping and they would meet us at Costco.
So, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE FUN REUNION IN THE MIDDLE OF COSTCO!! HUGGING, AND CARRYING ON, AND NEAR TEARS.  WE WERE SOOO HAPPY TO SEE OUR DEAR FRIENDS AGAIN!!~

 

 ~Jonathan and Abigail...instant friends.~

 ~We took them to Skyline.~

 ~They brought us lots of Nice gifts!!~

 ~Argentine Mate...Argentine Tea.~

 ~We got this pillow for Valen.~

 ~We had a bondfire that first night.~

 ~Kids playing games.~

 ~They were thrilled to see the snow and ice the next morning.~

 ~Breakfast time at our house.~

 ~Then the kids went to the park behind our house and SLID ON THE ICE.~

 ~EVERYTHING was covered in ice~

 ~Creation Museum~

~I think I need to get a sign like this for my house. :-) ~

 ~Ken Ham giving a live broadcast.~

 ~Buddy Davis had a concert there and we were his number one Fans. :-)  We were so happy we got to see him~

 ~Buddy Davis and all of us!!~

 ~U. Leo and Abigail holding hands.~

 ~Cracker Barrel with our Pastoral Team from church. ( Except the Pilmores could not make. :-(  )~

 ~Years ago, I had told Aunt Nesi about Caro and Caro about A. Nesi, so though they had never met, they kept in contact with each other on FB, sent gifts to each other through us, and prayed for one another.  They didn't think they would meet until Heaven.
So, we 3 are teary eyed...that they GOT TO MEET HERE ON EARTH!  I invited A. Nesi for breakfast at our house.  ~

~A. Nesi brought her yummy cinnamon rolls to add to our breakfast!!~

 ~I had fun setting a fancy table with the help of my Noah and Sarah.~

 ~A. Caro and Abigail~

 ~Shopping together.~

 ~Ice skating at Fountain square.~

 ~I was doing great....UNTIL THE MAN IN FRONT OF ME TRIPPED AND FELL and there was NOTHING I COULD DO BUT FALL TOO!!  :-(
My Back arched when I fell...and I landed ON MY RIBS!!  I'm convinced that I'll never be the same...and that I have no desire to ice skate again. :-)  (My Back still hurts!) ~

 ~There was quite a group of us.~

 ~Leo, Caro, Jonathan, and Valen.~

 ~Then we all came back to our house and had pizza together.~

 ~Our Dear friend Bethany joined us for Friday night and Saturday!  If you'll remember she spent a month with us in Argentina, so knows Leo, Caro, Jonathan, and Valen.~

 ~Saturday morning breakfast time.  I made gravy and Kimberly made GG's Soppy Chocolate and I served pre-made biscuits.  Our dear friend Luann arrived in time for breakfast!~

 ~Grabbing a Starbucks~

 ~PICS FROM WHEN WE WERE IN ARGENTINA THAT CARO HAD!~

(Little Elijah and Baby Abigail)

 ~Baby Abigail, Jonathan, and Valen.~

 ~SHOPPING TOGETHER IN KOHLS~

Leo and Caro were sooo HAPPY to learn about Kohls!  They have to buy all of their clothes Stateside, so were thrilled with Kohl's clearance prices, plus my 30% off coupon, plus getting Kohl's cash to use later that week!!~

 ~Bethany had to leave so we took a goodbye pic in Kohls. :-) ~

 ~Jonathan showing the kids videos while waiting for his Mom to finish shopping. :-) ~

~Then we had supper at Cici's pizza.~

 ~On our way home, this sign made me smile. It had fallen over. ~

 ~Celebrating my Daddy's 75th birthday, and my b-i-l's birthday too.~

There were 20 of us that ate at our house that Sunday~

 ~Valen, Sarah, and baby Eily.  

Valen and Sarah were wearing their matching blouses.~

 ~Valen, Kimberly dressed for her Western skit (which she has written) for Jr. Church at our church, and Sarah.~

 ~Phillip sitting behind us translating for Leo and Caro on Sunday morning.~

 

 ~Abigail loves her U. Leo.~

 ~And her A. Luann~

 ~Elijah and his silly glasses he got at Jr. church.~

 ~Caro, Luann, and I~

 ~I sprinkled my rolo, pretzel, and pecan candies down the table as an edible centerpiece.~

 ~Sarah and Valen making rolls.~

 ~Moma, Caro with her gift from Moma, and I.~

 ~The young people's table~

 ~Our table~

 ~I bought a Costco cake for dessert.~

 ~Laura brought over a yummy fruit salad.~

 ~HAPPY 75th BIRTHDAY, DADDY!!~

 ~Daddy and Moma, Leo and Caro, Phillip and I.~

 ~Look at these 2 fun Pics!!

Caro holding a SLEEPING WEE BABY ABIGAIL...

 ~AND A HOLDING A SLEEPING ABIGAIL NOW!~

 ~Bro. Becker, Leo, and Pastor visiting after church!~

 ~The kids were gathered around listening to Jonathan play the piano.~

 ~THE ARK ENCOUNTER!~

 ~Our family in front of the door with the Cross.~

 ~Leo, Caro, Jonathan, and Valen.~

 ~They asked us if we could go on Vacation with them for a few days! 

Sure!  That would be our privilege!!~ :-)

~Time in Tennessee!~

~Heading down there we ate a Denny's and enjoyed the Dulce De Leche (Caramel we enjoyed in Colombia and Argentina) pancakes!~

 ~Abigail still in her jammies.~

 ~This is adorable baby Sarah.  She's a new baby sister to little William back in Argentina that practiced English in our home. ~

 ~We got to stop by and visit with my Grandmother (GG.)  We had such a sweet visit. We cried together, laughed together, and she prayed such a sweet prayer for us.
WHAT A SWEETHEART GG IS!~

 ~Then U. Dan and A. Carole, Derek and Esther joined all of us at Cracker Barrel for supper!  HOW FUN!!~

 ~OUR CABIN IN TN~

We enjoyed staying in this spacious cabin for 4 days.

 ~It was a bear theme, so the rug was cute.  (Sorry some pics are sideways.)~

 ~Our bedroom~

 ~Our bathroom.  These long underwear and bloomers cracked me up.~

 ~The beautiful view from our porch.~

 ~HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!~

 

~We loved our fireplace.  Sweet Abigail enjoying it.~

 ~The view from the girl's balcony.~

 ~THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS!!~

 ~Then we got some Fried Chicken, Biscuits, veggies, and biscuits, sweet tea, and pies, and took a picnic by the creek.~

 ~Phillip and I took a pic by this creek when we were engaged.
Here we are 22 years later.~

 ~Sweet Sarah and her Ukulele~

 ~CADES COVE~

 ~My Sliders for supper~

 ~And Chocolate chip cookies for dessert.~

 ~Ready for the day.~

 ~Go Carting~

 ~This house was up-side-down.~

 ~We passed a park and Jonathan wanted to play basketball.  So they went to Walmart and bought a basketball and enjoyed several hours playing in the warm sun.~

 ~The kids enjoyed the playground~

 ~Valen and Sarah~

 The Old Mill Restaurant~

 

 ~Abigail being silly with her napkin.~

 

 ~When we came into the Old Mill Restaurant...This lady told Sarah how pretty she was.  Then after dinner she was talking to Sarah again, and asked her where she was from.  Sarah told her from Cinci.  The Lady then said, "I have good friends that live in Cinci...Do you happen to know Ray and Reva Campbell? Do you go to their church?  You look like people that would hang out with them." :-)  Sarah told her that we did know them and that now that they have retired they attend our church some times.  She couldn't believe we knew them.  She went to the bakery and gave us a Whole pecan pie and sent one for us to take to the Campbells. :-)
~Donna and I~

 ~Our Pecan pie from the Old Mill Restaurant.  

It was the BEST Pecan pie I have ever eaten.  Yummy...but not icky sweet.~

 

 ~The ladies enjoying the hot tub.~

 ~The boys enjoying the hot tub.~

 ~The next morning I made a PILE of pancakes, and sausage and served Pancakes with lots of toppings....and told them,

"Welcome to Heather's Pancake Pantry." :-)

 ~Enjoying coffee in My Rocky Top (The song) cup.~

 ~Jonathan and Kimberly helping in the spacious kitchen in the cabin.~

 ~Our last night in TN....Elijah splitting wood for U. Leo to grill us an ARGENTINE GRILL OUT!~

 ~Special sauces that Caro (and Jonathan) made to go on top of the grilled meat!~

 MMMMM!! That was a DELICIOUS MEAL!! U. Leo did a GREAT JOB grilling the meat, A. Caro made veggies and the fresh meat sauces, I made some veggies, and we all ate until we couldn't eat another bite.  (It's not every day you get to eat at an Argentine Grill out!!:-)

~A FUN PIC THAT KIMBERLY TOOK FROM THEIR BALCONY!~

 ~The girls had fun taking these pics~

 ~Caro and I in our matching jackets...ON CLEARANCE AT KOHL'S.  :-) ~

~Saying goodbye to the FUN cabin we enjoyed for 4 days!~

  ~THE SINKS...In the SMOKY MOUNTAINS~

 ~3 people Kayaking over the Sinks.~

 ~ A little hot chocolate and the rest of our pecan pie at the Rest Area before Gatlinburg.~

 ~Got home late that night...and then said those DREADED GOODBYES!!  We had a special time encouraging each other to serve Jesus, praying together, crying together, and Thanking each other for everything. :-)  We surely had an UNFORGETTABLE WONDERFUL 12 DAYS with our DEAR Argentine friends!!!~

 ~HEATHER~