Tennessee Vacation

We had a fabulous vacation last week, heading to Tennessee for a week. We took off early afternoon on Friday the 15th, and spent the night in London, KY. The next morning we stopped to see friends Diane and Ron Kirby in Elizabethton, TN. Mike has spent many weekends there with then while going to the NASCAR race in Bristol. I also spent a weekend there and went to the Bristol race the fall before Kyle was born. We then headed to my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Don's that evening.

We really, really had a nice vacation there. Sunday -- which happened to be my birthday -- we spent time on the boat and in the water. It was so nice to just relax! My Aunt Joan and cousin Jennifer came over for dinner. Monday was more fun on the boat and in the water, and we took the raft out and Uncle Don pulled us behind the boat.

Tuesday we ventured out, and Mike and I took the kids on the Mayfield Dairy Farms tour, and also to The Lost Sea. The factory tour was interesting, and the kids had fun milking the cow in the lobby. The Lost Sea was really interesting. We trekked through the cavern, and when we got to the 4.5 acre lake deep inside we got to take a glass-bottomed boat ride. The lake was stocked with rainbow trout, and when they fed them the fish swarmed.

Wednesday was another relaxing water day, and then Thursday Aunt Peggy and I did a little scrapbook mega-store shopping and some outlet shopping. It was nice girl time together. :) Meanwhile, the guys took the kids to an Indiana fort and McDonald's. That night we had a great dinner at my Aunt Joan's.

Friday we headed home, making the whole trip in one day. The kids really did well in the car, even for a long trip.

For pictures of our trip, you can click here and access the photo album on my Facebook page. (This should still work even if you are not on Facebook. If you have a problem, please make a comment so I can correct it. Thanks!!)

Thank you, Aunt Peggy and Uncle Don!! :)

Another Ford passing

With the sad passing of Betty Ford yesterday, it reminded me of when President Gerald Ford passed away. Gerald Ford grew up an hour from here, and I remember going to the Gerald Ford Museum in Grand Rapids as a child. The airport is named after him. He was the city's hometown hero.

When funeral and burial plans were being made for President Ford, I kept thinking about how close it was all taking place. I decided that this was a moment when history could be witnessed. Where I could watch something historical as it happened. I decided to take the day off from work and go up to the funeral.

I also decided to take Kyle. Knowing he would never remember it at 14 months, I still knew that he would be present for something historical. And being a scrapbooker, he would certainly have the pictures -- a learning moment for later. ;-)

I headed up there with my Google Maps printout in hand, not knowing where I was going or what to expect. It was a cold January day. I figured, we'd see what we could do. If it didn't work out, we would come home. But we'd make the effort.

As far as witnessing history goes, we could not have been more fortunate. We parked literally a couple blocks from the church. We stood right against the barricade, front and center, just across from the church corner. We saw the church entrance, the military processions, the casket. I stood somberly, holding Kyle, as the hearse drove right past me with a flag-draped casket carrying a man of greatness in it. A man with the ambition and motivation to seek and earn our nation's highest office. A moment of silent respect.

Some day, these pictures will tell Kyle the story. And he will be able to say, "I was there." (And, he was good!)