A Time to Celebrate - with Waffles

July 25th, was our one year anniversary of being here in Tennessee. One year ago, we left California and thought we were headed to North Carolina. A few days before we left, the Pine family handed over the keys to their house in Tennessee and offered for our family to stay awhile. To make a very long story short, we stopped in Tennessee only to stay a day or so. We soon realized the Lord had different plans for us. He landed us in Tennessee!

Back up a year before we left sunny Southern California. We went to North Carolina to check out an area we thought we wanted to live in. We attended a wonderful church we had been researching for some time. After church, fellowship continued until late in the afternoon. The young ladies of the church fired up the waffle iron and served delicious waffles with homemade blueberry sauce. We were so amazed at the hospitality that was shown that day.

Now, back to a year later, 2008. We had shared with the Pine family how hospitable the folks in North Carolina were. They got on the phone/e-mail with the Burton family in Tennessee and told them they just had to make waffles for us. Well, they made the most delicious waffles. Not only waffles, but homemade blueberry sauce, chocolate chips, whip cream, fruit, sausage...! Yum!!!

That did it, we decided Tennessee was the place for us. :)

Actually, the Lord had already made that decision for us but the hospitality that the Pines and Burtons graced us with made the change of plans that much sweeter.

July 25th, 2009 was a time to celebrate God's providence in our lives. We invited the Pines and the Burtons over for? You guessed it. WAFFLES!

The young ladies kicked us moms out of the kitchen and they went to work preparing the waffles.

Waffles keeping warm in the oven

The day before our waffle fest, we went blueberry picking and made homemade blueberry sauce. Yum.

We added a tossed green salad, quiche and fruit salad.

We didn't forget the whip cream, berries and chocolate chips.

Oh, and don't for get the Sweet Tea!

Something that was new to us westerners.

We ate and ate and ate...

...and ate...

...and talked, laughed and ate.

Then later that evening, we topped it all off with homemade apple dumplings and icecream.
Finally, at 1:30 in the morning, our celebration ended.

Until next year!

Thanks Pine and Burton families for welcoming us to Tennessee!

~ The Smiths ~