Whirlwind: Part 2

Let's continue the whirlwind.....

Moving back home!

We were all excited as we pulled out of the apartment complex. Mom and Dad had mixed emotions, of course. It's always hard to say goodbye to people you've invested your lives into for nearly a year. But all of that faded as we hit I-40 and headed home! My brother and his family were at mom and dad's waiting on us as the caravan pulled up and then everyone got busy doing something! Boys unloading, girls directing & cleaning, little kids running the three acres and swimming! It was a family affair!

Brady and BJ were lifesavers! They're so old...and so STRONG!

Ben and his boys. This UHaul was crammed full! They had it unloaded in about an hour! Crazy! Not too long after this picture was taken BJ was goofing off in the Uhaul. Brady, being the oldest brother, shut him in. Ben and Brady then proceeded to drive down the country road taking BJ for a joyride in an empty, pitch black Uhaul. When we opened the door BJ had perched himself on the ledge a the back pretending the ride was a piece of cake. But we heard the thuds that proved otherwise! ;) Hilarious!

There's no place like home.... Ranch House!

Ever since the boys were little I would "wrestle" with them. I'd try to take them down and I'd succeed. But as they have gotten older that has turned into whether I can still scoop them up or not. Well... I don't even try with Brady anymore and BJ is officially taller than me and he is solid as a rock. He had to jump just a little, but I still scooped him right up! A few times, even, because we had to get the cameras out! :)

Siblings :)

I love getting together with all of the family. It doesn't happen near enough!

Ezra!

An added surprise to my trip in was a text from Whitney. She told me she was across the street at her in-laws. Ahhh! I had to go see her and meet her newest bundle of joy!!

Ezra!

What a cuddle bug!!!

Our "family pic". While we were waiting for the pic to be taken Whitney said she felt like we were taking a family picture. And then I felt like the man because I was behind her and had my hand on her shoulder. It was just weird and! But it was so good to laugh in person with her!! Ezra wasn't phased by our outbursts!

(Sorry these pics are awful quality. I don't know what the deal was!)

Back to AR!

My stay in OK was very short-lived. We pulled in Thursday evening and I was leaving by Saturday afternoon to go back to Arkansas. Whew! I was keeping my tires HOT! Before I left I had a few things I needed to do. First, I had to prep some chicken for Father's Day. I had invited Ben and his family over to mom and dad's for a family favorite meal...muesnter chicken. I knew once I got back from camp I would be wiped out so I wanted to do the hardest part before I left. So I took a risk, made the chicken, and then froze it. Fingers were crossed hoping it would work! Then it was off to see my Grandma Faye!

Grandma wanted Del Rancho and I had no complaints! Mmm...chicken fried steak sandwich! The best!

Grandma needed groceries, so off to WalMart we went! Look how cute Dad and G-ma are. They matched!

I said my goodbyes to everyone in the WalMart parking lot and then I was on my own to my next destination... Arkansas!

Cabot!

I just had a day in Cabot and was so fortunate to be able to squeeze in a church service at Mt. Carmel. Those people mean the world to me and it was so good to hug everyone's necks. I get teary just thinking about the relationships built through that church. There really are no words. 

I taught Sunday School before I left and these sweet girls are a few of my "firstborns". They were my first group of girls and I love them dearly!! They're about to enter their second year of college and my heart is full of love for each of them....Hilary is the sweetest thing ever and will make a fabulous teacher. Jenni Anne makes me laugh and her creativity will make her a fantastic designer. Jill has such a heart for the Word and missions. God is going to use her in mighty ways. Sarah owns whatever stage she is on and I can't wait to see her on the big screen or Broadway. She's promised me a shout-out when she receives her Oscar and Tony!

And it wouldn't be a trip to Cabot without a Tastee-Freeze twist! 

I only had one day in Cabot, but it was enough to remind me what a blessing our five years there were. In the beginning I may have questioned why we moved there, but now I can't imagine my life without that sweet little town and all the people who make it so special!

This wraps up part 2! Next up will be one of the main reasons I drove in.... Falls Creek!

Whirlwind: Part 1

WOW!

I think I just blinked and June flew by! Crazy! Actually, June was packed full of adventures for all of us! I wish I would've had the time (and access to my computer) during these last few weeks to properly chronicle each adventure, but I think the best thing to do is a quick (probably lengthy) recap!

Here we go....

Mom and Dad come to visit! 


When we moved to SC Mom rode out here with us. She was here almost a month and was a true blessing. She helped set up the house, helped the girls (and me!) adjust to new surroundings, and was my sidekick as I discovered my new area. It was FUN! But, Dad, poor him, had never been out here. I was needing help driving across country for the summer so we flew Mom and Dad out here for an extended weekend. It was fun driving Dad around everywhere. And since they had been out here two years ago with us we didn't have to do a bunch of touristy things. We just got to enjoy each other! :)

The girls had NO CLUE Grammy and Grampy were coming. We told them a little white lie about needing to go to the airport for Brandon's trip to France (more on that later). When we turned the corner there they were! Girls were SHOCKED! Success! And look at those REAL smiles! :)

We took a stroll along the Ashley River after we spent Friday driving around looking at houses we are interested in. I loved hearing my Dad's opinion on what was a good buy, work that might need to be done, etc... Dad is our go-to advice man! :)

This will forever be one of my absolute favorite pictures. We attend a rather contemporary church and shorts are totally acceptable. Dad felt like being "hip" that day (or maybe just ornery to spite mom) and wore his shorts. We all still get a good laugh out of it. Well, all of us but mom. ;)

Brandon goes to France!

The reason I needed help driving across the country was because Brandon was going to be out of the country! (It all happened rather fast and, unfortunately, we didn't have time to prepare for me to go. I needed help driving if I was going to get the girls to Oklahoma/Arkansas for the summer, as well as get myself to church camp with my girls from MCBC.) So, bless his heart, he had to spend a week exploring Paris and Toulouse. He had a friend that lives in France meet him in Paris and he was B's personal tour guide/translator! Cool, huh?! 

He had a great time. I probably should've let him pick out the pictures and give captions, but he's at work. Ha! He loved the castle the best, I think. That and the crazy driving he got to do in Toulouse! ;)

16 hours, 933 miles from SC to AR!

Brandon left for France on Sunday afternoon. (It was a teary goodbye. The thought of him out of the country kept me on edge. I'm so glad I had a busy schedule to keep myself occupied!) Mom and I packed things up and did a lot of final preparations on the house while Dad took care of the van. Monday morning at 7:30 we pulled out, right on time. And in the rain. :/ I thought that would delay us, but we were good! By we I mean Dad. He drove the entire trip with the exception of almost 300 miles. I can proudly say I contributed to 1/3 of the driving. He just laughs when I throw that in his face. Ha! We drove to mom and dad's in Arkansas.... just in time to pack them up to move back to Oklahoma. I said it was a whirlwind! 

The girls did so good! It was a long day, but they were troopers. It always helps to have Grammy! :)

Dad's driving break/Chronicles of Narnia viewing. Look at Bay's seatbelt so she could see the movie. Shame, shame. 

This makes me laugh! We had stopped outside Birmingham for gas/potty break. The man in the men's bathroom must've been terribly sick. He went in and we're not sure if he ever came out. So what was Dad to do? Use the ladies' restroom, of course. We all had a case of the sillies, as you can tell. :)

Gus's Fried Chicken! Dad's first visit! 

Arkansas!! From here we were still four hours from our destination. But it was the last state and we were EXCITED!!! We arrived at mom and dad's around 10:30 that night. Not bad at all!

Moving Out!

We took a day to recuperate from the cross country trip and then it was time to get busy moving mom and dad back to Oklahoma. Arkansas was good to them for the short time they were there. And when they left it marked an end to an era. Between our family and mom and dad we had invested six years in the natural state. But the Sooner State was calling and it was time to get busy! 

Dad's store in Arkansas.

Mom made (wait! I made those! Ha!) cookies for her neighbor as a goodbye. The plate she used was one of those friendship plates so she left it with her to pass on. Sweet!

Good thing we had Vanna! She was PACKED!

He was just a little excited to get back to Oklahoma. 

Empty, clean apartment right before we pulled out.

The UHaul, my van, and mom's car were cram packed full of stuff! It was quite the sight to see!

And so there we have it. From the time mom and dad landed in Charleston to the time we pulled out of Arkansas to move them back home, it was one week. One week, peeps. It was a whirlwind, I tell ya!