We have hit the 13 week mark! 90+ days on the road, full time with this crew of mine has been a blast. There have been tough times, but there would have been anyway. And they in no way can compare to the amazing times and experiences we have had as a family so far.
We left Independence, Kansas due east toward Branson, Missouri, where we would stay for a majority of the week. Without further ado and in no particular order…
Memory #1 – Table Rock Lake
Our campground was minutes away from Indian Point Marina on Table Rock Lake – which would have been super-amazing had we had a boat. But, since we don’t, we can only call it pretty amazing. It was beautiful for sure. It was pretty clean and was actually reasonably warm – warm enough for Kari to wade in thigh high! The kids hopped right in and immediately were greeted with little fish nipping at their legs. We were hoping those little fish weren’t leeches! But kids walked out of the water sans bloodsuckers attaches to them, so it was all good!
Memory #2 – Samson
The next day we decided to visit Dogwood Canyon, which was pretty neat. But we didn’t fork out all the cash it would take to see the best parts – which means it didn’t make the top 5. But we did have a really good dinner there and enjoyed touring their little museum and nature exhibits.
The following day, we spent some money and went to watch a play at Sight and Sound Theater in Branson called Samson. It was awesome. It was very well put together, had all kinds of live animals walking around, rocks crumbling all around and a pretty amazing story line.
For all of us who have made mistakes in our lives, there comes a time when we wrestle with tough questions. Assuming you can wrap you head around God and come to terms with that, too many of us then look back at how “bad” we have been and have a hard time believing that a perfect God could love us knowing everything we have done. If you think that, know that Samson is in the Bible’s “Hall of Fame”. And he was a mess! David is in there too. Another mess! It’s not about the mess you created, but about how He has created a way for you to leave that junk behind through Jesus.
This play was a great reminder of that. We all truly loved the time we spent there! Great experience!
Memory #3 – Andy’s Frozen Custard in Branson
We went to church on Friday at Faith Life Church in Branson and loved it. It was truly refreshing for many different reasons and we were glad we went. After church, we cruised down the main road in Branson and decided to make a pit stop at Andy’s Frozen Custard, as suggested by a friend. It was AMAZING! We all got a little bit fatter, but loved every second of it!
Memory #4 – Great Friends
We made our way out of Branson early Saturday and headed north east toward Jefferson City, then Columbia. Our agenda was simple. Backtrack down to the Capitol in Jefferson City and come back up to Columbia to visit some long-time friends! We have been friends with this family for over 20 years, but Kari and Kerry, the wife/mom of the family, have been friends for 33 years! Having met in 6th grade, their friendship lasted all these years, and Kerry was even a bridesmaid in our wedding! There’s some history with these wonderful people! So, when they invited ALL of us (including the dog and chicken) over for dinner while we were in Columbia, it was a treat! We had been on the road 13 weeks and had only seen family from Colorado for 4 hours back in Kansas. It was great to sit down for a few hours and visit with people who we knew and love! We are so thankful for our Missouri friends!
Memory #5 – Gateway Arch National Park
It was a busy end to our week, but we decided to only stay in Columbia for one night and make a quick drive into St. Louis to see the famous Arches-which is actually a National Park-who knee?! We were not disappointed in that decision at all. We were fortunate to find a perfect place to park the truck, pop the bikes out of the back and enjoy a easy ride back to the Arches to snap some pictures. We didn’t ride to the top – maybe another day. But just to be able to see it was good enough for us. What a sight!
The Wrap
We picked a pretty great week to visit Missouri. The weather was amazing. The sites were great. Getting a little spiritual refill was much needed and seeing old friends was the icing on the cake. Throw in a sweet National Park and our first view of the Mississippi River and you got a pretty perfect week.
We surpassed the 90 day mark. Over 90 days on the road and we still have our sanity. We are still married. We haven’t sold the kids and we are having a great time. And we can’t wait to tsee what the next 90 days will bring. Next stop – Iowa!