Coffee for Breakfast

I was one year old in 1970. This  was the year our most cherished family tradition began for me. Of course I can’t remember that particular  annual family reunion, but several during that decade ar e etched in my heart memories forever.  Each  year the  entire family on my Daddy’s  side, gathered in  the small Texas town of  Stephenville .  My grandmother,  Mamma w , only saw her extended family ,  the third weekend in June, annually. As much as I loved actually attending the reunion ,  part of the excitement for me as a young girl, was the long road trip itself.   Mammaw  always rode wi th us. One of our traditions was that I would always sit in her lap during the  car ride. This was long before the requirement of  seat belts . The most memorable trips included a stops along the way. One year we stopped in  Glenrose , Texas  at Dinosaur Valley. I w ill always treasure the snapshots fr...

We arrived in Springfield on Monday, March 14th. We will be leaving tomorrow, six days later. Homeschool Basketball Nationals is a very tiring week, but one we look forward to each year. I'm not sure how many games we attended this week. There were alot! My 14 year old daughter had 5 games. She had a great week with her friends, and made some wonderful memories! I'm exhausted and longing for my own bed and some home cooked food. Even though I'm feeling this way, next year, during spring break... I'm sure we will be back!

Our official school year is coming to a close. We have had such a busy year. I'm looking forward to some much needed down time. We will begin our RV adventure this week. I think the timing couldn't be better. I have been having fun planning and decorating our new little space. The bedroom is only lacking some new little curtains. I have plans to begin the bedding in the girls' little bunk bed area. The table/booth and sofa may be re-upholstered later, if I feel ambitious. I plan to keep this space very minimal but also homey. We will be spending about half of our time there. I want everyone to be able to relax and enjoy our time together. I'm looking forward to spending lots of time this summer playing games, swimming, and just loving my family.

We have had a very eventful, busy 10 days. Last Sunday we headed out to Springfield, MO. to the National Homeschool Basketball Championships. Monday through Saturday were filled with basketball games, visiting with friends, and more basketball games. We ate out three meals a day and stayed in a hotel each night. Neither of those activities agree very well with me. I love to go out to eat but not 24 meals in a row! I love to stay in nice hotels, but I never sleep as well as in my own bed. Before it sounds like this is just a complaint post, I do want to say we had fun. I was just very happy to be heading home the following Sunday. The drive home was not without its own drama. First of all, we travelled about halfway home in snow. That may not mean alot to all of you who are accustomed to travelling in snow, but for this East Texas clan it was a little stressful. The next bit of excitement came in the form of a vibrating car. After arriving in Springfield earlier that week, we detected a...

Laundry, check. Bags packed, almost check. Car cleaned and ready to go, check. House in order (somewhat), check. We are almost ready to hit the road! Other than some last minute shopping, we are good to go. The girls are looking forward to SPRING BREAK!

Packing and all the other preparations that are required for 5 people to go on an 8 day trip are enough reason to need a vacation. I already need a vacation from my vacation. If you can call a week long basketball tournament a vacation...hmmm. Either way, vacation or work, I'm ready to get out of town. I need a change of scenery. Actually this yearly event is one that is greatly anticipated by my whole family. What could be better? We get to spend an entire week watching our girls play basketball, eat out, and spend time with friends. We love it. We will be heading to Springfield, Missouri in a couple of days. We reserved our room in plenty of time to get a suite, unlike last year. I'm attending to all of the last minute details, like occupying kids for 9 hours in the car. I think I'm almost ready to go!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to view this photo book larger By the way, my 14 year old daughter, Kaitlyn took the cover photo. It turned out amazing.

My wonderful husband and I will be taking a belated anniversary trip in just four days. I can't wait. This trip will mark alot of firsts for us. This is the first time I have ever flown on an airplane. This is the first vacation we have ever had without children for more than two days. This is the first time either of us has ever been to a truly tropical/Carribean location. There are probably some more "firsts", but I can't think of them now, or they aren't gonna be mentioned here! I love you honey, and can't wait to go on our dream vacation together!

We are back! Missouri was great. This was my first trip to Branson. It was beautiful. We only spent one day in Branson but it was a full day. We managed to go to The Butterfly Palace, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and the Shanghai Circus. We all loved the Chinese acrobrats. They were awesome. We spent the first week of our trip in Springfield. Our daughters competed in the National Homeschool Basketball Championships. They placed 2nd in the 5A division. Kaitlyn also received an All American award. We look forward to next year and have plans to see lots shows in Branson next time. I will post pictures later of our trip. It was great to "get away" for a week, but it sure is nice to be home.