For the past few years we have been spending a few weeks of our school summer break in Mississippi. The boys strongly desire it, and we have been trying to provide that for them. Their time with us here in Guatemala is coming to an end much faster than we would like. We realize that in just a few short years they'll be moving permanently to the U.S. We hope that by making these summer visits back home that it is helping them put down some roots and deepen relationships with family and friends there. It’s just another way to help prepare them to launch and transition well.
Here is a look at our visit home this summer.
We left Guatemala on a Saturday afternoon. Our excitement was high!
A beautiful sunset greeted us in Atlanta. We had a twelve hour overnight layover there and didn't fly out until the next morning.
We arrived in Jackson, MS on Sunday morning which also happened to be Father's Day.
We headed straight to Crystal Springs where we joined David's family for a delicious Southern Sunday lunch meal. It was great to see all of his family at the same time. We especially enjoyed seeing baby Lake who was just two months old when we returned from our Stateside Assignment in December.
visiting my mom
We had a meal with my family members at the local Mexican restaurant the following night.
We enjoyed several visits with the Browns while home. Here we are having ice cream at Dairy Freeze in Crystal Springs
Ben
Cruz
I love getting to be home for the annual Tomato Festival. This was the 30th year for it.
During the festival, we always enjoy the Friday night street party with the Browns.
me and my longtime friend Malinda
Another thing I love about summer visits is getting to celebrate the 4th of July in the U.S. It was especially memorable this summer because it was the 250th celebration.
We spent the day with David's family. Here we are that evening at Lake Copiah getting ready to watch the fireworks show.
We enjoyed a Sunday lunch meal with David's sister, Robin, and some of her family.
David and Robin
Robin and the boys
us with sweet Lake
We spent most of our Sundays and Wednesday nigths at our home church, Harmony Baptist, in Crystal Springs. Here is Cruz serving as a greeter one morning.
We went one Sunday morning with my mom to her church. They were having a special 4th of July service that included a hamburger and hot dog cookout afterwards.
us with Mr. Thurman at church
We always enjoy getting to see our former youth ministry students and their families. The Johnsons have us over every time we are home. We love catching up with them and our kids hanging out together.
Ricky was another former student. He came to visit us one evening. He brought pizza, and we watched a U.S. soccer game together.
Cruz upgraded his learner's permit to a regular driver's license while we were home. He enjoyed a lot of driving freedom on the trip.
He started a pressure washing business with his best friend, Jude. They went door to door asking for work and ended up getting several jobs. It kept them busy on the hot summer days and provided them with a lot of spending money for the days ahead.
They even had work t-shirts made.
It was a fun learning experience for both of them.
When he wasn't working, Cruz spent many days playing golf with his
friends from Brookhaven at the Wolf Hollow Golf Club in Wesson. David's
uncle gifted him a set of clubs, and he was thrilled to get to use
them.
Here is Ben on an afternoon there at the driving range.
David and Cruz went on a frog grabbing night outing. That was a fun adventure!
We made a visit to Oxford to see David's dad.
Here are three generations of Whites.
Us with Mr. Harold and Jodi
David's family
Another thing I love about summer visits is getting to attend the Miller family reunion. This is my dad's family. Now that he is gone, I like attending to represent him. It is fun to see everyone and catch up in person. This is me with two of my cousins.
me and my mom
We enjoyed several outings for shopping and meals.
I especially enjoyed a day outing with David's three aunts. We had a lot of fun and laughed the whole day. We started with a lunch meal at Mama Hamil's in Madison, and then spent the rest of the day visiting thrift/ antique stores along Hwy. 49.
Another fun day was spent with my friend Malinda. We had lunch at Aplos in Ridgeland and then spent the afternoon shopping.
Enjoying one last meal with the Browns at Arturo's in Crystal Springs before we left.
I didn't get photos of all that we did, but this is a good overview of our time there. It was fun-filled, and we made some great memories.
