Last week the kids and I loaded up and headed north. Landen drove the first couple hours. After lunch, we made it to my Great Uncle Jack's place in the Ouachita Mountains. We hugged and giggled. We romped and stomped. We renewed old relations and chatted with ease. Four wheelers roared and fish swam away for their lives.
Hours later, we reloaded our vehicle and hit the road again....dustier and happier than before.
We made it to my Gramma Billie's just in time for supper. Two aunts, an uncle, and some neighbors joined the festivities. Spaghetti, garlic bread, a gorgeous salad, and pecan pie. I like to be a part of multi-generational gatherings. Grown women start sentences with, "Well, Mother, you know how it is..." Young men bridge the gap between scurrying children and stable adults.
While Elizabeth and Gramma enjoyed a nap the next day, Aunt Jeannie and I helped the girls find Easter dresses and accessories. Four coordinating dresses, under budget, in record time. Priceless.
One more stop on the way home provided new white shoes. Check.It.Off.The.List. Boo-yah!
As we packed up and headed south, we all agreed it had been a good trip. Some even ventured to state that it was "the BEST spring break EVER." To each her own.
More music. Less arguing.
More miles. Less daylight.
Made it home. Loved on the Daddy. Saved all the unpacking for the next day.
Since we had cleaned the house before we left, and Philip worked the whole time we were gone, we returned to a clean home. 50+ consecutive hours of sheer sparkly tidiness. A thing of beauty.
Thank You, God, for our trip. Thank You for my kids. Thank You that we do not have a dvd player in the car, and we are forced to talk about life and sing along with the radio. Thank You for Gramma Billie and her sweet cackley giggle that begins every sentence...You light up her life:) Thank You for my aunts who know how to make a gathering fun. Thank You for our Mena family - happiness and grace. Thank You for keeping all of us safe. In Your arms. In Your plan. In Your loving kindness.
