~The last of my pics from my FUN trip to TN!~

~Last week I was extremely sick and I asked several people to pray for me.  Thank you to those of you who have been praying for me, the Lord has answered prayer and I'm feeling LOTS better!
~Yesterday...Our Noah finished his school year!   He's SO HAPPY to be done with 2nd grade!  I'm happy and think he did well getting done this early with all of the moves from country to country and all of the sickness we've had!  Our girls are faithfully plodding along and hope to be done soon as well!
~Thanks for all your fun comments on Elijah's birthday post!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~So, on Monday...after our 2.5 mile hike back to Abram's Falls in The GREAT Smoky Mountains...~

~This is what we saw!  Pretty isn't it?!~

~The falls and I.~

~Katie and the falls.~

~Laura let Darla and Bryan get into the water to play.  It was FREEZING cold like mountain water normally is.  They enjoyed it, I think.  ;-)  ~

~Laura and I after we got back to the car from our 5 mile hike.~

~The kids after our hike.~

~Then we finished the loop and enjoyed seeing the neat cabins and scenery.  I REALLY wanted to see more deer and see some bear, but we didn't! =(  ~

~This is called the "Tipton cabin" in the loop.  I just found out that My great uncle Clyde was BORN in this cabin!
How neat is that?!~

Then we headed back to Maryville and went thrift store shopping.  We had an appointment we had to be at by 6:00.  I HATE to be rushed when I'm thrift store shopping, especially since this is A-ONCE-IN-A-2-YEAR-SHOPPING TRIP...for my family of 7!  But, Jesus and my family helped me and I got some fun deals for nearly all my family in just a short amount of time.  One thing that was nice of Jesus (and Laura)...was that I was able to use Laura's receipt and get 10% off of my purchase.
That was a happy thing!
~While I was shopping, this cute lil' man (Bryan) wheeled past me in a wheel chair.  =) ~

~Then on our way home Katie said she wanted to make choc. chip cookies.  So, we stopped and got some choc. chips and she made us some DELICIOUS choc. chip cookies.  Thanks, Katie!~

~On Tuesday morning Brittany (who LOVES thrift store shopping as much as I do =) and I ran out the door and ran to 2 thrift stores before she and her family had to load up the car and head back to Cincinnati.  It's FUN shopping with Brittany...although it's a tad hard...for we wear the SAME SIZE CLOTHES AND SHOES, and we have similar tastes, so we go diving for the same things.  =)
[Then one of us tries it on...while the other one waits outside the dressing room and prays that it won't fit them asks Jesus to give it to the right person.  Hee! Hee! =D]  I love you, Brittany! =)
 I took this fun pic of Brittany in Goodwill.~

~Brittany took this one of me in Goodwill.  (The blouse I'm wearing is an "Anne Taylor Loft"  X-Small!  I plan to take it in more on the sides so it doesn't appear that I'm trying to make a "baby announcement" while wearing it!  =)
Thanks, Brittany, for going shopping with me.  It was so FUN!~

~Dear GG with her favorite planter...a ceramic boot that has holes in it and little bunnies peeking out the holes.  =)~

~GG's 91 year old neighbor took this picture of us right before Laura and the kids left.  I was SO HAPPY that Laura and her kids and Katie could stay over to be with me until Tuesday afternoon!!! ( I had to be at the airport Wednesday morning, so after they left I got finished packing and ready to go back to Colombia.)~

~Back in Dec. 2010 Kimberly made this lap throw for GG and sent it to TN with my Moma to give to GG.  I wanted to take this picture of GG with Kimberly's lap throw, so Kimberly could see it!~

~GG and I right before I went out the door to the airport to fly back to my WONDERFUL husband and PRECIOUS children!  I was SO GLAD that the Lord worked it out for me to go to TN and be with GG and all of my family there.  I have TONS of HAPPY Memories from my 6 days in TN.  The only way it could have been happier was if my Phillip, Kimberly, Sarah, Noah, Elijah, and Mary could have been with me!!~

~I sat in this rocking chair by the Knoxville airport window, read a book, ate my lunch, and waited until my airplane came to fly me back home to my SWEET FAMILY!~

~Since our kids were sick with the flu, I didn't think Phillip would be able to pick me up at the Colombian airport, so was planning on finding a taxi alone.  I nearly CRIED with JOY when I looked outside the airport (Here...NO ONE is allowed to come INTO the airport to pick up anyone, they all have to wait OUTSIDE) and saw my wonderful man standing "head and shoulders" above the Colombians and smiling at me!  How WONDERFUL to be back together as a family!~

I already KNEW that I had done the RIGHT THING in going to GG's 90th birthday party and seeing GG...but it was even more confirmed when my airplane seat partner told me that the reason she flew back to the USA was to attend the funeral of her brother-in-law, who died of cancer at 49!
 

~The first of MANY pics of my trip to TN!~

OK! So here's how it all came to pass!  Sunday night the 29th of April I was sitting at my computer and I wrote that poem about Grandmother turning 90 and posted it on my blog.  I then copied the poem and sent her a card with it in it. 
That's when it dawned on me..."THIS IS CRAZY!  I just lost one Grandma and didn't get to come home!  I'd rather go to GG's birthday party and see her alive...then to come back for her funeral (if it were to happen while we are on the mission field.)"  
So, I talked to Phillip about my idea of my flying to TN and SURPRISING my family...especially my Moma and Laura!  Phillip ran it past our mission's director and they both thought that I should go!  YEA!!!!!!  =D
So, I got my ticket on Monday and then called my Aunt Carole and asked her to PLEASE KEEP MY SECRET from everyone especially Laura, Moma, and GG!     GG's birthday party was on Saturday and I wanted to fly out on Thursday so I could help Moma and Laura on Friday.
I could hardly sleep the next few days...I was SO EXCITED!  I called and talked to Laura on Monday night for she and Moma had just arrived at GG's house in TN that evening.  We talked on Tuesday and Wednesday evening as well.  I told her that I wished I could be there to HELP HER GET READY during those few days.  =)  (I NEVER said I wished I could be at the party...for I knew I would be! =)
When I posted my Fun Food Friday with an URGENT unspoken request...my request was for me as I traveled that day!  =)
~So, here I am, on Thursday, May 3rd getting out of the taxi at the Bogota airport heading to my beloved TN, my GG, and my FAMILY! =)~

~After I checked in I got me a VERY RARE treat of a Cinnabon and some hot tea.~

~Then I went back to my gate and awaited my plane...which we boarded ONE HOUR LATE!~ 

I was dying about leaving an hour late...for I knew that I only had an hour and a half lay-over in Atlanta, GA and I DID NOT want to miss my next plane to TN.  Here we are fixin' to taxi down the runway.~ 

~Leaving the Bogota airport.~

~The beautiful Andes Mountains.~

~The huge city of Bogota...filled with many souls who need Jesus!~

~I prayed LOTS that Jesus would help me make my next flight so I could get to TN that evening.  Jesus did help me.  When I landed in Atlanta...Delta gave me a sign that said to RUSH ME THROUGH and I was able to make it to my gate in time.   (For I had to collect my luggage and go through customs before I found my next gate.) 
I just had a short 30 min. flight from Atlanta to Knoxville, TN.  Here we are landing in TN.  I was so EXCITED!  GG's house and my family were just 7 mins. away!!! =D~

~Dear Aunt Carole picked me up.  Here I am seeing GG for the first time.  She looked at me and asked, "Who are you?"
She knew who I was but was so shocked knowing that I was to be in South America and COULD NOT BE IN TENN!  =)~

~10 mins. later Laura, Darla, Bryan, and Moma pulled in from working on the reception hall where GG's birthday party was to be.  I hid until they came up on the deck.  I think you can tell by the pictures that my Uncle Dan captured...that I SURPRISED THEM BOTH VERY MUCH!!!! =)~

~They both screamed and Laura said she just knew she was going to faint!  I was SO HAPPY that I my plan had worked and I had surprised them!~

~Then, just 10 mins. later my Daddy drove in from IN.  I hid again and I think he was surprised as well...although he did not scream.  =)~

~On Friday we had a big day ahead of us doing the last minute preparations for GG's birthday party the next morning.   Dear Moma made yummy gravy and biscuits for our breakfast knowing we'd be working right through the lunch hour and would need a breakfast that would stick to our bones.  =)~

~Daddy cutting the purple cabbage for Moma to use to put the reuben sauce in for our sandwiches.~

~Laura, Moma, and I in front of the nice sign the pastor's wife made for GG in the reception hall.~

~Laura and our dear friend Sis. Clapper doing the skewers of grapes and cubes of cheese.~

~Aunt Carole and I doing the sandwiches...while Moma made the hall beautiful!~

~On the way back to GG's house I snapped this picture of The gorgeous Great Smokey mountains of TN!  Tennessee is GOD'S COUNTRY!  =)  
We moved to TN when I was just 6 months old and lived there until I was nearly 11...so this is Home to me ...well, one of my Many homes now! =)  ~

Part 1 and Part 2 of GG's party pics coming some time tomorrow Lord willing...and part 3 and 4 of the rest of my time in TN coming too!
I'm glad to be back with my WONDERFUL sweetheart and our sweet children.  I think that my little Mary thought that she had Permanently LOST her Mommy...though she didn't know where.  =)  I was happy that she came right to me when she saw me this morning.
I surely am GRATEFUL TO JESUS that He let me go to TN!
 

~I'm home safely! =)~

Hello! Hello! Hello! I feel like I've been around the world in less than 8 days. =) But....OH! I'm SOOOO GLAD I got to go to Grandmother's (GG's) 90th birthday party! I had an absolute BLAST surprising my family and being with everyone for those days.  I GOT to go take 2 thrift store shopping sprees with my niece Brittany, which DELIGHTED ME!!!! =) 
I got home safely late last night! Thank you for praying.
I have a TON of pics to post...but for now I'm going back to bed.
~This new book I bought for our kids from a thrift store tells exactly how I'm feeling today.  Ha!~ 

I'll get some rest and help wipe little noses (for my family came down with another cold/flu while I was gone...we are in the winter/rainy season here!)...and then hopefully I can post some pics from my WONDERFUL trip to TN later today or tomorrow. "Good night!" =)