Road Trip to TX--Day 1...

Funny. Too funny--for my sister and I to travel by ourselves is just too funny! We've never done this before, so everything is a 'new experience'!!! Of course, we've traveled together, our whole lives...lots of times...this time; however, we've left our families, our husbands and our 'other responsibilities' behind and are focused on the 'day ahead', and our eventual destination: Grandma's place!

Our first stop was to get 'art & craft' supplies so that we could take 'fun' pictures...like someone named Flat Stanley, and a few other, more familiar faces!

Then we drove...listened to Elvis...of course, because we're cool like that...and sang along.

We did an overview of the trip...made plans for along the way...and LaDonna 'quizzed me' on vocabulary words...that was fun--NOT!

We had a great time in the traffic...not a lot of rain...and made it safe & sound!

We did a walk-around the neighborhood...got a recommendation for a good place for dinner. We knew we were in the 'right place' when we walked in and there was a huge poster of the 'Drive-In's, Diners & Dives' guy had been there! Great food, great service and SO much fun. There was a guy singing Elvis tunes in the corner, and one of the patrons actually was dressed like 'The King of Rock & Roll'...and was standing up leading his family in the sing-along...it looked just like a movie set...HILARIOUS!!! It was fun...lots of laughs!

It's kind of hard to be away from everyone...but it will be so good to see Grandma. She's really looking forward to the visit! My husband, bless him, was almost as excited about this trip as I am! He's just really so supportive, and he loves to travel, so the planning of this trip was almost as fun for him as for us!

There are so many things I want to 'do' this week. And so, I must get busy!

This morning, as I read in I Kings 8....the verse there, verse 11 says: And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple. ...it just took my breath away... What a picture, the Lord's glory, filling the temple!!! What a Mighty God we serve, to give us such blessings: Beyond Measure...Filled and Overflowing.

Truly Blessed, that's me! Praise God!

Hilarity Rules!

I want to write about our recent trip to visit our daughter in Florida, but I can't seem to get the images to upload...I had a short conversation with her tonight. I feel relatively safe writing about her, because she doesn't read this blog:D She knows me pretty well, though, and she's a lot like me!

We did have a really good visit with her during the time we were in Orlando. It was really cold though, so we got to purchase really good looking gear to walk around the parks in!

The first day, we rode roller coasters and 'fun' rides all day. A band that plays in the 'back lot' of studios helped the twins celebrate their birthday by calling them up front and then they sang to them...only a little embarrassing when you're 14! We stopped by Magic Kingdom in the evening to see the castle (my husband's favorite view is from Main St. looking toward the castle!). It was decorated for Christmas with a gazillion little tiny lights all over it...and the lights shining 'on it' changed from all colors of icy blue to lavender to purple...GORGEOUS! And, because it was Madi & Mal's 14th birthday, we ended the day at their favorite place to eat: Olive Garden. funny!

The next day, not so cold, we went to EPCOT...had lunch in Mexico, a mid-afternoon snack in France and supper right before the fireworks in England. You've got to love going to each of those country's displays...it's all so so so so, well, Disney!

Our last day together, we got to see her apartment, shop for groceries for her and a few other things...ate some more, too!

Mostly what we did the whole time we were together was laugh our heads off! We took her her car...and then flew home, so before we got there, she asked if we'd bought her a gps. Her brilliant father told her 'yes'...and so, his gift to her was a 2010 Wal Mart edition of a Rand McNally road atlas and some high lighters! She was less than thrilled! Until later that evening when she actually opened her Christmas presents and there was a really gps...nuvi ( I think)...now she can get where she needs to be, and someone is telling her when to turn!

She really loves living there. Meeting lots of people. Weather is nice. It's a city, so there's lots of things to do...not to mention she can come and go in the parks on her days off, if she chooses! So, moving back home is not something she really wants to think about right now...but in my heart, I know she misses our family.

Our girls are pretty close, even though there's an age difference...(the older girls were 9 & 11 when the babies were born) they are becoming really good friends. They are also 'growing up' and 'maturing'...but together, the four of them have been through a LOT of things--hilarious things (I always say: Hilarity Rules!), some ordinary things (day to day) and really tough, emotional things (like the population of our household shrink by 1/2 in about 6 months time).

They've shared experiences that only they can talk about, that's true of most families, I know...I just feel like I've got a front row seat to watch their lives unfold! To watch them become really good friends, to depend on each other and do life together! How exciting!

Truly, truly blessed!