The Journey Chronicles: Day Seven, Home

Originally Posted 2/8/08

After our stay in the tween declared sub-standard LaQuinta, we were homeward bound. As much as I love visiting, there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed. A bed that is much yummier these days, thanks to the memory foam mattress pad that Brandon & I bought each other for our anniversary. Yes, I realize that is an old person anniversary present, but I don't really care because that thing is plush!
Everyone was worn pretty thin at this point, and there was a lot of fighting in the ranks. Fortunately, everyone was also exhausted, so there was also a lot of sleeping.
Thanks to John (my Mom's boyfriend, although they haven't officially dated in over 10 years), we were treated to renditions of the slurpee and guacamole songs all the way to Texas. He specifically teaches things to my children that they will repeat over and over on long drives.
John is a very strange man who I like very much, even if he is a Democrat. However, if he votes for Hillary, I will personally drive to Kansas just to barf on his shoes.
After 24 hours of total driving time, and well over 1,000 miles, we were finally home. I am so grateful for my van! It never stopped to take a break on the highway, and no parts fell off! Praise the Lord!
I wonder if I'll ever get it clean again? :(

The Journey Chronicles: Day Six, Beware! The Alien Approacheth!

Originally Posted 2/7/08

After we leave Mom's house, it's just us again. Us, meaning just parents & kids. We are headed south, but must stop for the night along the way.
At this point, we are approaching alien territory, metaphorically speaking. You see, there resides in our house a creature called a "tween". This creature is not quite a teenager, but possesses many of the same characteristics.
Apparently, when a child turns 11, the Tweeny Fairy comes to your house, flies into your child's bedroom, and bestows on the child special powers. These powers include eye-rolling, loud sighing and sarcasm.
Lack of sleep and riding for hours in the car increase these powers, so extreme care must be taken. Below is an excerpt of the conversation, as we approached our stop for the night:
Tween: "So, where are we staying tonight?"
Mom: "In Oklahoma City."
Tween: "No, I mean where."
Mom: "North Oklahoma City."
Tween: "Is it a hotel or a motel?"
Mom: "Why?"
Tween: "I don't like motels."
Mom: "Why not?"
Tween: "They're just not as nice."
Mom: "Well, it's a LaQuinta. Is that good enough for you, Miss Thang?"
Tween: "I guess. Does it have an indoor pool?"
This confuses me, as I thought you actually had to have a lot of money to engage in this type of conversation. At this point, the tween was reminded that she was blessed to be sleeping indoors at all, when many children in the world do not. I am quite sure she will appreciate this advice when she is.........thirty.

The Journey Chronicles: Day Five, Potential

Originally Posted 2/3/08

Next we traveled southwest to my Mom's house. Just like I have two Dads, I also have two Moms. Mama, the one who raised me, lives in Heaven. Mom, my birth mother, lives in Kansas.
Usually, I feel uncomfortable in other people's homes. I don't feel that way at Mom's house. I think this is because there is no one else I have ever met that is more like me (personality, interests, etc.). Our voices are nearly identical. I guess there is something to genetics after all.
Another reason I feel comfortable there is that she has a house full of critters! She is a foster parent with the Humane Society, so there are always furry creatures to make friends with.
My Mom has the unique gift of seeing potential-whether it be a shelter animal, the house next door, or a tiny baby that needed a chance at a better life. She has the eye of an artist-to see what something could be, instead of what it is. This type of gift is obviously God-given, because God is an artist, and He sees us through those eyes. He sees us as the person He designed for us to be-what we could be in fulfilling His purpose for our lives.
Praise God for eyes that see potential.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.-2 Corinthians 4:18

The Journey Chronicles: Day Four, I Remember Why I Live in Texas

Originally Posted 2/2/08

Next we headed to my other Dad's house. I have two Dads-Daddy, the one who raised me, and Dad (Jim), my birth father. We were getting close to Nebraska at this point! Do you know that it is cold there in January? Especially to people who are acclimated to Texas weather. -5 in the morning. Yikes!
Dad is a war hero, although he wouldn't like me calling him that. He is a Purple Heart Vietnam Vet, and commander of his VFW Post. Despite all that they have been through, both my Dads have a good outlook on life. A lot of people could learn from that.
We sit & talk about history & politics, and he has a great sense of humor. My brothers have made a hobby of tormenting him, and they are quite inventive. I hear that it's only payback, but I'm trying to stay neutral on that. I do respect their creativity, though. Dad is also a great cook, which makes it even more fun to go to his house.
While we were there, he introduced my boys to the quintessential toy for boys-a remote controlled farting bear. I'm sure this will be at the top of their Christmas lists next year. They spent a good amount of time throwing the bear into our room, yelling "Incoming!" and setting him off.
Hannah, meanwhile, had her own little "apartment" thing going on in their basement. She would really liked to have moved in, I think.
We just happened to be there on my Grandma's 80th birthday, so we went to see her as well. She has gotten to see all her kids, grandkids & great-grandkids this year. We had a good visit, although Gideon was really testing my patience while we were there. I think he stayed up too late playing with the bear.
After lunch, we packed up & headed southwest. Five hour drive this time. Fortunately, the kids tired themselves out playing in the snow & slept a lot for a lot of the drive.

The Journey Chronicles: Day Three, Daddy's Girl

Originally Posted 1/29/08

We headed to Kansas later than we had planned. First, because of the ice, and secondly, because I had a hard time leaving Aunt Lee. I really thought that I knew every route between Oklahoma & Kansas, but I was wrong. We ended up taking a wrong turn & had to find our way back on course. It's a shame it was dark, because it's really pretty country through there.
We had a good visit at Daddy's house. We've been through a lot together, my Dad & I. Of our original family unit, we're the only ones left. We've grown closer because of it.
Daddy comes from a musical family, which was a real treat for me growing up. He would play guitar and we would sing. He's an old school Opry/pure country/bluegrass kind of a guy, so that music is like comfort food for me. I got to watch him give my kids their first guitar lesson while we were there, and that was pretty awesome.
We also got to spend the night in his RV, which the kids absolutely loved. It's quite a step up from the tents we usually take camping at the lake. It even has satellite! The kids actually wanted to go to bed at their bedtime. We really liked the RV, but he wasn't anxious to let us take it with us when we left.
I enjoy being around my Dad. I plan to publish a family-friendly version of a Daddy dictionary when I have time. He has some pretty interesting vocabulary. Unfortunately, we had to go farther north, and the weatherman was predicting snow & ice. We packed up & headed north.

The Journey Chronicles: Day One, Taking Care of Business

Originally Posted 1/27/08

We started out late, because I kept thinking of things to do-"We're going to be gone for a week, maybe I should bleach the tea & coffee pots, wash the shower curtains, etc." We also had the normal travel delays-well, normal for our house anyway. The worm container (snake food) got pushed to the back of the fridge, and the worms froze. So, we had to make a quick worm run, so Bindi wouldn't starve while we were gone.
We were finally underway, with most of our belongings stuffed into the back of the van. We stopped for a while at Brandon's Mom's house, who graciously agreed to babysit Nicky for us. I don't think he would've been as excited had he known he would be getting a bath & haircut during his stay.
We arrived at Brandon's Dad's house sometime in the afternoon. It was good to see them with the kids. Meme & Papa's house is a grandkid's paradise-late night grilled cheese & tic-tac-toe games, unlimited hugs & pizza rolls. What more could you ask for?
We got a good night's sleep, and overnight, the rain turned to ice. What do you expect, traveling north in January, right?