In December, we enjoyed a visit from Earl and Hettie Barnhart as part of their South American tour. Earl and Hettie are a couple that have a way of making 30-somethings feel embarrassed for complainng about being tired. It was invigorating to have them around, and we all enjoyed their many stories.
We also had a visit from Primo Tanner. I don’t know who enjoyed him most, but I was happy Kenton had someone to hang out with and go on adventures with—since Earl was no longer here to do it. 😉 We did a work project at Kenton’s where he’s renting from Percy and replaced the bridge. It was high time since someone had taken the truck off the edge of the old bridge.
We had a large group of visitors toward the end of December. Nathan and Polly Miller from Tennessee were playing tour guides to Polly’s cousins, and I tried to play travel agent for all of them. They toured the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, and a few other spots besides visiting us in the evenings.
For something fun for Christmas this year, Steph and I had the idea to do The Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies, making a distinct recipe of holiday cookies each day up to Christmas. We both really enjoyed the project, and the children and visitors were thrilled to eat all the cookies.
Before they left, Nathan and Polly went Christmas caroling in Izcuchaca with us. That was special for me because I had grown up with them as a second set of parents for me. I remember caroling many times with them in Tennessee as a boy. Polly apologized that she couldn’t sing more, but she had a slight cough, and there “just wasn’t enough oxygen” for her to sing like she wanted to!
Seven Decembers ago, I took a picture of Steph and her little girls. We decided to take a picture again this December to show that they’ve both passed her up in height. Our babies are growing up.
Juan David 