Wow, what a wonderful two weeks! Our family logged a ton of miles in the van, and racked up some incredible memories along the way.
We visited my family in South Carolina, hit Nashville for a couple of days, and spent the remainder with Kim’s sister and her family in Missouri. The trip back was a killer–16 hours on the road! I wasn’t sure we were going to make it…
Last night we reviewed some of our highlights from the trip. Annabelle loved everything about the trip, but her toppers included riding the tube behind the boat at my parents’ place, staying in the hotel in Nashville, and bowling/Aunt Rinny’s food! In fact, all the kids chimed in about similar aspects. The kids loved swimming at each place, hanging out with family, and being together. Kim and I were pleasantly surprised at the lack of drama and tension as we traveled. Everybody kept a good attitude and enjoyed each other. We had a blast experiencing lots of firsts through Annabelle’s eyes: flying behind a boat on a big tube (and crashing with style, thanks to me!), bluegrass music (hello, Mr Redneck!), bowling with all the cousins, and even a visit to the B2 flight simulator. Annabelle thought they were really flying!
My highlight was the night of Bluegrass at the Ryman Auditorium. Levi and I left the girls at the hotel swimming pool and headed for downtown Nashville to grab something to eat before the concert. We ended up walking the streets, listening to the live music pouring from the bars/restaurants. We got to hear the Del McCoury Band, along with some special guests (Vince Gill among them!) and they were fabulous. The Steep Canyon Rangers opened, and were exceptional as well. At one point in the night Kim texted me and Levi to ask how things were going. My answer: Awesome! Levi’s answer: Great, I’m sitting on church pews with a bunch of screaming, beer-drinking rednecks. Yes, that’s true on all accounts: The Ryman has pews, they do sell beer, there were a bunch of rednecks screaming through the night, and it was indeed great!
I’ll write more about what I thought made the night great tomorrow…
Kim’s highlight was a little more subtle. She loved the fact that we were together, having fun and creating memories as a family. She’s such an incredible wife/mom/woman. It’s not about where we go or what we do for her. She’s more of a beach person, and isn’t, um, thrilled by bluegrass music! But she would rather us have some great memories of us being together than have her toes in the sand. That says a lot about her, and it speaks to our kids…and me.
It was a good break for us. I could pass on the driving, but until Joe and Erin move back to PA, we’ll keep trucking out to the Show Me State, and keep making memories along the way.
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