Hello Friends!
As usual, we took our annual vacation after we dried the cows up. This is very precious time for us. Living where you work creates special challenges. Sometimes to truly be "off" you also have to be "absent". One of our favorite benefits of seasonal dairying is having the opportunity to get away together. All of us. For more than 2 or 3 nights.
Last year we went to Texas too. Less than a month after our farmer left I drove the kids south over 2 days. That was pivotal. That was God showing us/them that we could do it. There was still life and adventure out there. And sun, and warmth......it's still there!
For the first time ever, we vacationed in the same state, just a different area. Don't be surprised if we go back next year.
It wouldn't be a trip without a stop at Lambert's Cafe....
Home of the "throwed roll". Oh to correct the bread throwing after you leave here! We stayed in Little Rock after this, unknowingly right next to a TSC. As the kids and I walked across the parking lot at night, then back again with our clearance treasures, we laughed. They thought walking to TSC was "the best thing ever".
We visited a local church, celebrated the super bowl in house (40 minutes north of the actual event), and took a ferry to the USS Texas. The battleship visit corresponded to Kid #1's history unit. While this was unplanned, it reminded me how thankful I am that we get to visit the places the kids study about. History comes to life.
At this point one of the kids started to not feel well. Like every good parent I assumed it to be travel related, gave the appropriate medicine, and announced to the kids that we were going to tour the Anheuser Busch plant. Because lots of things are fermented. The kids took this tour head on, answered all the crop questions correctly, asked 5 questions the tour guide couldn't answer, and really made Marcus, our guide, earn his tip. He was great! If the kids start growing hops it's not because we are avid drinkers but because they can do math and the milk market right now is not that great......Marcus also said we needed to eat at What-A-Burger. This also happens to be the chain that Lane Frost (pro bull rider) took his future wife Kelly for dinner in the movie 8 seconds....(useless information).
One of our favorite activities was joining the local home school group at the Rosenberg Railroad Museum for a class on the transcontinental railroad. The kids participated in the one hour class with other local homeschoolers, then we looked at the rail yard. Their fellow classmates for the day were also 4Hers. I can truly say, we felt like family. It was a great break from the noise and congestion of north Houston. Thank you so much Rosenberg friends!
Then this happened. All 5 kids were sick over a period of 1.5 weeks, up to 4 of them at one time. I was very grateful it was just high fevers, headaches, body aches, and the like. Not much to clean up there if you know what I mean! However, we had a pause in all of the activity, and took turns staying with the sick kids. This made the nights short too, as I had to get up and check them and administer medicine. Vacations aren't suppose to be relaxing anyway, right? It did give us time to do a little shopping:
I tried to get Dad to go home with that car but it's still at the Ford dealership. However, we were blessed to find one of two vehicles that I am in need of. In true Dave Ramsey style we not only walked away, but drove away from this Ford Explorer when the seller wouldn't accept my offer. He called us back! My brother and his father in law had come down on the train and they drove it back to Michigan for me. One down....one to go. And yes....I bought them lunch at What-A-Burger. (also paid for their travel expenses, don't worry).
As the kids started to feel better we made one last educational side trip to Waco, visiting the Silos at Magnolia, and the Texas Ranger Museum.
On the way home we burned off some energy at a trampoline park...(how much is a parent willing to pay to tire kids out before you put them in a hotel room? A lot. The answer is A LOT.).
As we left Little Rock on the way home, we seen the Wix Filter truck. One of the kids said "Hey Mom! If we go back in and talk to him we can deduct the whole trip!" That's my boy!
We are full speed ahead into prepping for calving season and
Until next time, Texas.
