We're back. Branson was fun, but we are happy to be home, sweet, home.
Let's see.....
On Wednesday, it took us an hour and a half to travel 13 miles around Little Rock. Barely Fun. Then the Johnsons slept in my grandparents' vacant townhouse next door to Mom. Huge Fun.
On Thursday, we ate with my grandparents and aunt and uncle and mom and a couple brothers and a sister-in-law. It was very, very nice. We enjoyed "togetherness" around my mom's new table. The kids were at the bar, and James was in a kiddie chair...all was well. Turkey, veggies, crescent rolls, tabooli, cranberry salad, pumpkin dessert, and chocolate yummy. Yee-ha!
On Friday, we awoke to 19 degree sunshine and we worked together to get my grandparents moved into their new digs. Halfway through the move, the guys were tossing the football in the road. Landen caught the ball, but landed on the curb....knee first. 3 hours and 9 stitches later, he was watching football on tv while we finished the move. Poor guy. While the others were at the emergency room, Luke was able to get some great photos of some deer in the woods behind Mom's house. The girls watched Disney channel way too much, but I think we all needed a break from our regular one hour of PBS per day routine. We got Papa and Grandma settled before the day was through, and bedtime brought "togetherness" to an all new level since they had instant house guests...lots and lots of Johnsons. Philip and I have decided that if --in order to live to be 85, you have to keep the thermostat on 85--we'll never make it. :) Papa and Grandma were so sweet to let us invade their space. The kids thought it was loads of great fun. They loved seeing Grammy and hanging out with Josh/Kathy. Grammy even painted the girls' nails....very thrilling. Oh, Mari....no one knows how she spent her time, because nobody ever knew where she was. She enjoyed the fellowship and laughter but made a run for it every time the door opened. (And when folks are unloading a household, the door opens a lot!) If I had a quarter for each time I asked/heard: "Who sees Mari?"....
This morning we got up and packed up and loaded up and headed out....but not before a wild boar (Philip says it was "just" a pot-bellied pig) tried to enter Mom's home through the garage. Cameras started flashing while James and Luke made a new friend. Eventually, we were on the road. Since Landen needed to keep his bandaged leg outstretched, he rode in James' backseat on the way home. Luke went along for conversation maintenance. Philip and I enjoyed all but the first and last hour of our ride with the girls. (crying, cramping, sobbing, puking, and more crying were the opening/closing backdrops for our drive) The sleeping, smiling, reading, listening, sleeping part in the middle was great!
I'm thankful for my Mom and Grandparents. Their hospitality is a blessing.
I'm thankful for tabooli. (Mom has the recipe)
I'm thankful for my AWESOME 1992 Suburban. It did great....thanks to everyone who prayed her through the Ozarks.
I'm thankful for my very fun family who make road trips relaxing (for the most part).
I'm thankful that "Mary Poppins" is available on CD....positively grateful, indeed.
I'm thankful that my home was neat and tidy when we walked in....that's just good for the soul.
I'm thankful that my family will help me clean up that mess we brought in with us sometime soon....surely.
I'm thankful to God for being so faithful, so loving, so protective, and so generous.
Night-Night.
