Our ‘Little’ Road Trip

Dec 4, 2024

A recent road trip with my twinster, my brother-in-law and myself took longer than I thought, but I am glad we went. More importantly, I am glad Kent came.

We had decided to go visit Bill’s and my one son living in Idaho attending school at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa. He is studying Nursing.

Since I was “so close” while visiting my twinsters family out west this month, we decided a road trip would be fun. This was no little trip. Kent did nearly all of the driving, while I sat comfortably in the back seat of his smooth-riding, spacious Ram 3500 truck taking pictures.

Well, I have since learned that their idea of “so close” is not the same as my Virginia idea. As it turned out the travel time was over 13 hours, covering over 900 miles! One way! What? That’s close?

After leaving Colorado, we traveled through Wyoming, Utah, and finally to Idaho. We did take a bit longer route going as we spent a night at Bear Lake, Utah.

Known as The Caribbean of the Rockies, Bear Lake shares the Northern Utah and SouthEast Idaho borders. Historically rich as a focal point in the settling of our United States with wagon roads, fur trading, and early settlements. It is a busy summer destination. However, in the middle of November it is very nearly a ghost town.

The beautiful turquoise-colored lake is just as stunning regardless of time of year.

I believe every American should drive cross our beautiful, vast country at least once in their life. The expanse and desolation in those midwestern states was stunning. Miles and miles of nothing but rocks and brown dirt. No towns, one lonely house here and there. Where do they go for milk and eggs?

Three fun days were spent in Idaho with Gordon. Right behind his house is a big potato field! How neat is that? He said the potato trucks lose potatoes all along the road when loaded!

We made a bee line back to Colorado upon departing. And now I can check Idaho off my list of states to visit, with only three states left. Nebraska, Oregon and North Dakota. Almost done with this bucket list.

Happy road trips to you, gentle reader.

***Our ‘little’ road trip was great fun!***

***Back home in Colorado. Thank You, Lord, for safe travels.***

Write 28 Day Challenge—#21 Adore

Mar 5, 2023

Oh, Come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord…

This wonderful Christmas Carol came immediately to mind with todays word prompt, adore. It is a reverent word that I use when thinking of our Lord. Most of the time I do anyway.

The problem is with my older twinsters, and my own twinster. You see I adore them way too much. I thank the Lord continually for them.

Oh there are times we all drive one another mad! Mom (who was also a twin!) taught us the importance of sticking together, and stick together we will do until the end.

In 2019 we twins took a four week long Twinster Vacation to our New England States. It will forever be a special highlight in our twinster hood. We rented a van and hit the road with a travel log that included sights, excursions, and towns new to all of us on the sea coast of six New England States. Driving through twelve states was a grand adventure!

We still talk about that terrific road trip, the fun we had and joys we shared. So while I use the word adore for Jesus only, that trip holds a high place of honor in my life. That trip and my twinsters.

Don’t say ‘Small’, say ‘Intimate’

Jun 14, 2018

Father Harry and I raised five children in an eighteen-hundred square foot home. Four of these busy little critters were boys and one sister, who is the youngest. Twenty plus years of busyness filled that simple, happy home. I was describing our ‘small’ house one day to a dear friend. She sweetly reprimanded me and said this paradigm shifting comment, “Don’t say ‘small’, say ‘intimate’ “.

What a different frame it put around my thoughts of our smaller-than-everyone else’s place. We had suddenly become a family that was no longer crowed together, but rather characterized by “close personal relations; warm friendship; warm, cozy.” How strong and wonderful words are!

This was the exact word I used when we packed the pick-up truck full of one grown son (our main driver), his sister-in-law, her three adorable children (with one still in a car seat), and this Primary Farm Operator. On the road for a 1,300+ mile trip out West to attend a family wedding. It was the first time for my sweet DIL and children to be away from their dad/husband, who could not get time off work. Uncle Gordon would have to do for the nine days.

Leaving their dad/husband was a bit rough, but we were all packed and ready to go. I have always believed everyone should make a road trip across our mighty country at least once. It is stunning, fun, and tiresome (I don’t know why Dorothy ever wanted to go back to Kansas!) Just the same, it is beautiful to drive through.

It took about 27-28 hours to drive from our farm here in Virginia to the Gordon’s, Longtime Ranch, in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. We stopped for a quick nights rest on the west side of St. Louis. Snacks, fruit, sandwiches, books, i-pads, toys, blankets, pillows and of course a good atlas had all found a traveling space. The luggage carrier strapped in the truck bed was full.

The joy of traveling with little ones, and a momma that have not experienced a cross-country trip made it all the more fun. Crossing the Ohio, Mighty Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers were thrilling. Passing through towns that look so different in form and feature from our own filled us with wonder. How amazingly different our country is!

My twinster and her family went beyond the call to make us feel comfortable and welcomed. Even with the amount of work at their ranch for their daughter’s wedding, they had time for us. It was truly a blessing from start to finish.