Still catching up on August

We're currently parked in a Walmart parking lot (halfway point to Portland, OR) and finally have some decent internet (thank you, McDonalds!). Just had an awesome time in the Midwest visiting family and friends and then spent two amazing days at Yellowstone National Park. But I will get to all that later, first let me catch up on August. 

Early August we spent a week at my folks' time share in Pidgin Forge, TN. It is a sort of cabin resort up in the Smokey mountains; it is absolutely beautiful up there. Let me show the week in pictures:

My parents got to spend a couple of days with us and spoil the kids before my dad flew out to India. It was lovely to spend some relaxing time with them.

The massive water park right on the property

Fun on the lazy river (we spent a lot of time in there!)

The kids got to handle some cool birds that were there

We took a 5 mile hike up to Cave Alum... and we saw a black bear on the way! My first ever sighting of a wild bear!

We wanted to do at least one of the many fun "touristy" things with the kids, but if you have ever been in that area, you know everything is pretty expensive. I had been looking online at prices for the aquarium and saw that they had a discount for homeschoolers. We decided to check it out and when we got there, they reduced he cost from over a $100 to $42. We were pretty pleased with that but then as we went to pay, the cashier told us that someone had just paid for our tickets. With puzzled faces we turned around and there was a lady we had met in Africa a couple of years back. Her husband is a doctor and had volunteered at the Baptist hospital in Cameroon for a few months. They have 4 girls and came to the homeschooling co-op that we are a part of. They are a very sweet, in-love-with-Jesus family. Once we leant them our vehicle so they could go to the beach but in broke down on them while there! We've always felt bad about that but they were very gracious. Anyway, they are now living in Kentucky and she had just come down to Tennessee to have some mother-daughter time with one of her girls. She had spied us walking down the street from a restaurant and decided to follow us. It was so great to see her! And really, what are the odds that we would meet her?? It was totally a God thing, a little nudge from my Father, letting me know not to sweat the small stuff, He can cover the cost of us going to an aquarium :D. 

The kids LOVED it!

I had the Caridigans' Lovefool song going through my head all day after this :D

Awesome memories!

Next blog post: Missouri!