Road Trip Recap

Richard's last visit home was completely unexpected.  He found some extra time and decided to take advantage of it.  And in going with his "you only live once" frame of mind, I decided it was a super idea to pick him up late Thursday night from the airport, drive an hour home, try to put hyped up, but overly exhausted girls to bed only to wake up early and get all of us ready to leave the house by 7  so we could drive 3 hours to attend a homeschool field trip.  (For those of you who do not homeschool, having the whole family exit the house at this hour of the day is almost unheard of ... and for those of you who do know us, it is just short of impossible:), but we made it!)

We went to Westville, which is a living History Museum.  Westville is a really neat place, but evidence of a weak economy were all around.  Many things were not open and many activities were not being conducted.  I even heard one of the workers standing in line comment on how there used to be 30+ employees, and now there were only 13.  Sad!  However, it was nice to get out and do something and show the girls a bit of history past.  One thing I enjoy so much about teaching in general is just seeing the learning taking place in the eyes of the student.  I love it when the girl's furrow their brow and you just know their little minds are a workin'.  I love seeing them concentrate. I love seeing them giggle unexpectedly. And I love seeing them working together.  Sweet moments indeed.  

And when we were all hot and sweaty and ready to go home, I somehow managed to get Richard to drive us over to where it all began for us.

Richard was in IOBC (the Infantry Officer's Basic Course) when we first started dating.  Oh, how I adored that post!  The beautiful white quarters ... hearing taps as he walked me down the street at night ... And while our first duty stationed married was Fort Bragg (as his first assignment was with the 82nd Airborne Division), we moved to Fort Benning the Christmas before I had Hanson Ellis.

(note, this was not our house ...)

I'll never forget sitting in the Housing Office waiting to see if we were going to get housing.  Momma had driven over from Tuscaloosa to help us move in.  When we not only found out that we were getting housing, but that our house (duplex) would be located here on Blessing Street, Momma and I both squealed!  I'm sure the lady at Housing thought we were absolutely out of our minds.  No one is ever that excited about housing!  But it was our first house and where our first child would be born and how amazing to have the street named what it was!  What a great reminder it was then and what a great reminder it was a couple of weeks ago.  Life is such a gift and a blessing. Richard and I have had some crazy moments, and by the world's standards we should have never made it this far. Yet God has been so gracious to us and He is bigger than the world's standards:).  Life isn't perfect and looking back, yeah, we could have made some better decisions.  But you know, when I drove down that street and we stopped in front of 105 ... I could hardly swallow.  How humbled I was at the lifetime of memories I already have crammed into just a few years!  Thank goodness Richard was in the van and brought in a little humor of "hey, what do you know, after 13 years our house is still the only one without grass!"  :) I needed to go back to that street and see that duplex.  I wanted to show Hanson Ellis where her first house was.  I wanted to show her that post and that house with her Daddy with us, as a family.  It is good to remember ... to be reminded.  It is good to share your history with your children ... to pass along a little more of who you were and who they are.  It is important, I think, to show your children the joy you have in you life ... past, present and future.  I think little "5 minutes" like this are more powerful than we can ever imagine them to be.  I think we did more than reflect on that little stop.  I think we planted a seed in each of our girl's lives.  I look forward to hearing their reflections on our reflections on this trip down memory lane to Blessing Street.

I am so thankful we made that trip.  I am so thankful Richard came home one more time.  That day wore us out!  But I guess everyday does that:), and I am thankful that God is teaching me the cost value of endurance a little more everyday.

Praise Him from whom all blessings flow ...