Last Friday, we left to spend the weekend with our dear friends, the Hibbards, and to meet their church family at First Baptist Church, Almyra, Arkansas.

Our weekend began with an Arkansas Travelers baseball game, the first baseball game our kids have attended.  Hearing our National Anthem brought tears to my eyes.  The two Olivias got cold when rain blew through and shared a jersey to stay warm. 



Saturday, we experienced life in Southeast Arkansas with a trip to Larry's Pizza in Stuttgart (cheesecake pizza for dessert - yes!) topped off by a trip to Mack's Prairie Wings, the perfect store for this duck hunting mecca.  Our children's cultural education just keeps growing!

After four years of sitting on different sides of the church (men on one side, women on the other), I still can't get over the thrill of sitting next to Aaron and hearing his beautiful voice sing harmony with mine.  I love sitting together as a family in church, and the folks of FBC, Almyra, welcomed us and made us feel right at home.  The girls made chocolate chip cookies to go with the meal for the church on Sunday night, as we shared about Bible translation in the Solomon Islands.  We also picked some pumpking leaves and served them up Solomon style, but I think most people declined to sample those.  The cookies were much more popular.



We awoke Monday morning to find Katherine and Olivia H. all snuggled and sleeping on the couch.  The kids acted like long-lost cousins and reconnected so quickly.  I think Ann and I are twins separated at birth, except that she is much more organized and crafty than I am.  But what a treat to spend time with them!  Once again, pulling out of the driveway yanked at my heart, but at least this time we won't have to wait four years to see them again.