Back from Arkansas

A quick trip to Arkansas:



Last Thursday (April 15) we had Nana (Ms. Leigh Ann, our beloved sitter) keep Ruth up during the day - no nap. Our plan was to put her in the car when I got home from work and drive to Nashville that night and continue our trip to Arkansas on Friday. Well, by the time I battled new construction traffic and Brian got home and the car loaded, it was more like 3:30 instead of 3 when we left. Grayson went to sleep pretty soon but it took Ruth 30 - 45 minutes or so before she finally dozed off to sleep. I drove all the way to Nashville making it to the south side in roughly three hours (it takes 4 usually to get through Nashville). We met one of Brian's work friends who lives in Nashville for supper. They have a little boy two days younger than Ruth so they totally understand all that comes with traveling with kids. We left Nashville and Brian drove us to Jackson, TN where we spent the night.



Ruth and Grayson threw some fits Friday morning in the hotel. Brian was conducting a phone interview downstairs so I got the kids ready. Grayson pooed all over his sleeper and both beds. I was pretty stressed by the time Brian returned. But soon after breakfast we were on our way.



We drove to my parents' house stopping briefly at my mom's school where Ruth got to ride on a school bus in the parking lot. She was very excited. She loves school buses and looked so sweet smiling as the bus driver took her the short distance. As she exited the bus she said, "Tank you, Man". Very polite.



Friday evening was spent on the farm. Ruth took a four wheeler ride with Granddaddy, smelled all of Memommy's flowers, planted a tree and talked to the cows. Grayson talked more than normal.



On Saturday Ruth rode with my parents to my little sister's with a short stop at the Batesville farm to check on the cattle. She ate lunch with my parents at, of course, McDonald's. Brian, Grayson and I stopped in Batesville at a fabric store that was selling fabric out of their warehouse for one dollar a pound. We bought 40 pounds of fabric, mostly upholstery fabric, that would sell in fabric stores for 20 - 40 dollars a yard. We were super pumped. I have some curtains in mind and recovering the cushions on our couch in the kitchen.





The afternoon was spent at my sister's house and one of my older sisters came down too. It was the first time they got to meet Grayson. My niece and nephew hadn't seen Ruth since she was three months old. Later, we all went to my little sister's wedding reception. She recently got married in Hawaii. Her new husband is very talkative and nice. Another of my older sisters and one of her children came to the reception and played with Ruth and Grayson. Since Ruth as been born, all the grandchildren have not been together at one time and they weren’t on this trip either. I think Ruth really enjoyed seeing family. Grayson was held and babied by everyone as well. Brian and I got some rest from being the caretakers of our children.



As I write this, Brian is driving us to Memphis where we will stay the night. By the time I post this (since we don't have internet in the car!) we will be home. It is always good to come back to Arkansas no matter how long the trip. It is hard to take two small children on such a long car ride but it is worth it to see the smiles of the generation above and below us.



After two busy weekends of traveling, we are ready to stay at home for awhile. I have two more weeks of classes at KSU and then finals. I have many, many papers to grade. So, to all my friends, I will return to play dates and updates in two weeks.