On the Road Again

After being home 5 days since my trip to California I hit the road again. This time I head the opposite direction and chose a car as my transportation. My destination...Liberty, Missouri for a 50th Wedding Anniversary of my Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Sharon. This is my Dad's sister.

I had known about this for a couple of months but I hadn't planned on going as I knew I was going to California. I just didn't think I could be gone again that soon. The closer to time it got the more I wrestled with trying to go. I finally decided I just needed to do it. I made that decision the week before I left for California. (Nothing like waiting until almost the last minute!)

I was originally planning to go by myself and make connections with my Uncle Philip (my Dad's brother) who lives in Tulsa to ride the rest of the way with them. Then I decided that even if I thought it was a long shot to at least let Vanessa know I was going and see if she might want to go with me. It was a good thing I did as she said yes!

We made our plans and left town Thursday with 3 small children on a road trip! A private celebration with family was planned for Friday night then the main celebration would be on Saturday.  The plan was to drive to Tulsa and spend the night (about 5 hrs). It's about halfway to where we were going. Then drive on to Missouri the next morning. Our trip was not without adventure! Even though I had thought I had planned ahead enough we ran out of coins for the toll both at the last place we exited to get much needed gas! Then the car wouldn't start! Thankfully it was a fairly busy place and we got someone to jump us off! We finally make it to Tulsa for the night.

The next day (Friday) we load up after breakfast and hit the road. Vanessa wanted to drive as long as the kids would sleep (specifically Kashton and Korin). Needless to say we didn't stop for lunch until almost 2:30pm. We still had about 2 hours ahead of us. We tried to find a place with a playground. Usually McDonald's right?! Not this time. We get inside and no playground. Ugh! We eat anyway and I walked the kids around the restaurant as it's too cold to walk outside.

We get on the road again and about 5 or 10 minutes into the drive Kashton starts throwing up! I had to quickly find an exit off the interstate so we could get him changed!

Back on the road again we make it to Liberty. My Uncle Philip and Aunt Mary Ann had gotten a hotel room for the night and offered to let us hang out until the party as there wasn't enough time to go to my dad's.

Kashton and Kennedy had great fun roaming around the lobby area. The hotel had a neat water feature that changed colors.  The kids loved it!

Kennedy wanted her background to be pink.

Can you see Kashton on the other side?

Sweet Korin hanging out in the room with the others.

Kennedy has someone's phone and Korin is just watching.

Less than 24 hrs and Kashton bonds with Uncle Philip.

I am so glad I made the private family celebration. Almost everyone was there! All of my dad's siblings were there. We were only missing some of the kids and hardly any of them came to the Saturday function.

L to R Alan, Warren (Dad), Beverly (sitting), Sharon and Philip. Photo taken by Sharon's daughter-in-law Kelly Griffey.

Here is the whole group! Kelly is the one on the left kneeling with the dark shirt on and blonde hair. Don't ask me to identify all these people because I can't!

Here is siblings with spouses.
L to R Alan, Lyndie, Warren, Barbara, Bill (in yellow shirt) right behind Beverly, Sharon, Jimmy, Mary Ann and Philip.

We had a great time. My cousin Deborah (Jim and Sharon's daughter) came up with a game similar to the "newlyweds". They did really good. This picture they were asked where was their first kiss. Jimmy writes "back seat of the car" and Sharon wrote "in the car". We all had many a good laugh.

Toward the end of the evening my other cousin and Deborah's brother, Kevin led us in some worship songs. It was a sweet and precious time.



I'll share more in another blog.

Have a good one!