Road Trip

We took a long road trip this past week to see my son graduate from boot camp and AIT training. I was so, so excited!! :) It was a long 16-hour drive and we made it to our destination around midnight.

I love traveling...going new places and seeing new sights. I took an extra few days off of work so we could take our time, sightsee and just enjoy ourselves. It's been a stressful year, after all. We stopped for supper at this Amish Buffet in Indiana. It was quite good! Their cherry cobbler was amazing.

I was super excited to visit Mansfield, MO. This is where Laura Ingalls Wilder and her husband, Almanzo, moved in the 1890's. She wrote the Little House books here and they are also buried here. I'm a fan of the Little House television series. I was, after all, a child of the 70's. She had the most wonderful stories of American pioneer life.

Here is the house they lived in. I absolutely loved the inside of this house. I wish I was able to take pictures, but we were not allowed. The old furniture, some custom-built by Almanzo himself, were wonderful to see. There was an amazingly adorable woodstove in the kitchen. The calendar that was hanging on the wall in the kitchen when Laura died in 1957 is still there. I also loved the picture window in the living room. Indeed, it looked just like a picture as the beauty of the outdoors was brought indoors.

This is called the "Rock House" and it's on the same property as the white house. Their daughter, Rose, was an independent spirit and a success in her own right. She was a world traveler and was also an author. She had this house built for her parents. It was more modern. Laura and Almanzo lived there for 8 years, but moved back into the white house because they felt the rock house never felt like home. This house is also lovely on the inside and it's in a beautiful spot on the property. But I have to say that I liked the white house better too.

Here is their tombstone.

We also visited the Gateway Arch in St Louis, MO. It is 630 feet tall. I had no idea how big this was! My daughter and daughter-in-law rode the tram to the top. Me and hubby stayed below with our granddaughter. I wasn't sure how I'd fare going up this high. Haha. It was sweltering hot too. There is a museum under the arch - the Museum of Westward Expansion. I love going through museums and learning new things.

Obviously, the highlight of this trip was our son's graduation! It was so wonderful to see him for the first time in 5 months. He had lost 30 lbs. and looked so very handsome in his dress blues! My heart was busting with pride, I have to say.

Nearing the end of the graduation ceremony, the soldiers stood and quoted the Soldier's Creed. I'll admit it choked me up listening to it. Here it is:

I am an American soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained

and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of

the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I AM AN AMERICAN SOLDIER.

I have to say - I am so grateful for the American soldier, past and present.

My soldier boy...

We stopped by Denny's on the way home for breakfast and enjoyed these "Hawaiian Pancake Puppies". Dipped them in syrup and they were really good!

I want to praise the LORD for His mercy. We arrived back home around 1:00am Saturday morning. Around noon on Saturday, we picked our dog up from where she was boarding, and a tire on the truck blew. To be blunt, we nearly averted almost certain tragedy because of God's loving care. Amen. The speed limit on the interstate was 70mph. I remember asking God to surround our vehicle with His guardian angels....and He did. This verse comes to mind:

Psalm 91:11 - For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Praying for the Norwegians in the wake of the recent, senseless massacre.

Blessings,

Lorrie