To Mississippi and Beyond #3

Since Brian can remember, every trip to and from Mississippi included driving by the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. So he thought it would be a fun "on the way home" stop for us;)

The first night was just to relax...

because some of us were exhausted by then:)

And itch:/ It was about that time that we realized we had gotten into chiggers while walking to the stream in MIssissippi... some of us were miserable:/ But we pressed on:)

We spent a rainy 4th of July exploring the Space and Rocket Center. Lots for the kids (and adults) to see and do. We really enjoyed an IMAX movie about space and the Hubble telescope. Watching Nate's expression as the HUGE screen displayed beautiful scenes of space and space views of the earth... he was truly amazed.

After spending most of the day at the Rocket Center, we headed out for dinner before fireworks. We visited a chain called O'Charleys where we had a very allergy safe meal... phew! Very nice to have NO reactions while out to eat:)

It literally had rained ALL.DAY.LONG!! We were thankful that fireworks could be seen from the hotel we were staying. In fact, the kids played in the indoor hotel pool as we looked for the fireworks through the huge glass window. Finally...

we heard the booms and saw the lights;) We seriously had the driest view... well, minus Nate on and off my lap:)

No camera to catch the memory:/ I was at a pool on a rainy night... not normally a place to bring a camera:)

I think it was a good 4th for us;) Brian got to visit the Rocket Center and possibly spark some interest about space, space travel and the science/math needed to help space travel on his kids;)

The kids weren't too excited about space travel after they learned that urine on the International Space Station is recycled through a machine that purifies it into water that the astronauts drink. ewww!! But we learned it's actually more purified than our own city/county/well water. Yep!

And getting to see fireworks makes every 4th of July special:)

The next morning we ate a quick breakfast, packed up and hit the road again:)

To Mississippi and Beyond - #2

Since there were 8 of traveling together we stayed at different houses while in Mississippi.

The main home was Aunt Zanie Lee's. Grandma, Grandaddy and Anna stayed with Aunt Zanie Lee each night! Anna loved having her own room and bed:) LOL!!

Aunt Zanie Lee even let us get into her kitchen to cook safely for the kids... which we really, really appreciated. It definitely made traveling with food allergies a little easier to have a full kitchen available to us.

(And Aunt Aliene also opened her kitchen for us to prepare lunch and cookies on Tuesday!! It's just life with food allergies... maybe that's another post... bringing all the food I could think of!! But NO reactions... so it worked!!)

The rest of us stayed with Brian's cousin Bill and his family!! They were so gracious to us and the kids. Especially when the boys came in hyper off caffeine... they just rolled with the energy:) Very sweet. One of my favorite memories was getting the kids to bed after the reunion and sitting up listening to Bill and Brian reminisce and reconnect... just priceless!

Bill even offered to take the kids fishing one morning!!!

So he got out the tractor to ride (a very bumpy ride!!) some of us to the pond behind his home...

and the kids got to fish to their hearts content...

Nate picked up a pole and swung it into the pond himself... don't you know he caught one;)

Lydia calling out "15!" She's our little fisher-gal;)

well... until we all got hot and tired:)

My favorite fishing picture;) Just a very pretty place to fish!

Before we left Mississippi we also were able to visit with Brian's cousin Mac and his wife, Lisa!

They were so sweet with the kids and even gave into their soda infatuation:)

It was then that we finished packing up and headed north east to our next stop:)

To Mississippi and Beyond - #1

We made an extra long weekend (LOL.. more like a week and weekend) out of the 4th of July weekend to visit Brian's extended family in Mississippi!! And we drove... an almost 17 hour trip... thankfully done in pieces!

We traveled most of the trip in a 12 passenger van with Grandma and Grandaddy...
but that is another post ;)

Mississippi is obviously a L.O.N.G. way from Eastern NC but we made the trip to give the kids the opportunity to meet Brian's extended family, let the kids experience the place Brian loved visiting as a kid and give the extended family (Brian's aunt and uncle and cousins)a chance to meet the kids;)

Easily enough not only did we accomplish our "tasks" but we all enjoyed the trip and already look back with awe that we made the effort to have this awesome opportunity!

Our full day in Mississippi was spent at our Uncle Ronald's just across the street from Grandma's childhood home and where Brian would stay while visiting as a kid. The kids loved exploring Uncle Ronald's house and all the farm life, too!!

They enjoyed some wiffle ball in the front yard with Grandaddy and cousin Noah.

Lunch around the tables with family:)

Nate doesnt even wear clothes on vacation:) LOL!!

Then it was off to hike to the creek that Brian liked playing in when visiting:) It was funny to follow Noah to the creek... he lead us with skill;)

We ended our hike at Brian's grandmother's house (they called her Mom) and in her shed where we found where the cousins had painted their names during one visit:)

And then some 4-wheeler riding with Daddy:) Bet you can't guess what the kids are asking for now???

I didn't know my kids even liked blackberries.... but Nate got into Uncle Ronald's berries. And ate and ate!!

He loved them!! But he wasn't the only one... Grandaddy later admitted to eating a few and at dinner Chris filled his pockets full of berries!! Thankfully Aunt Aliene thought it was funny and glad she had already put up plenty of berries before we got there;)

Grandaddy later admitted to eating a few and at dinner Chris filled his pockets full of berries!! Thankfully Aunt Aliene thought it was funny and glad she had already put up plenty of berries before we got there;)

Uncle Ronald carves wood into pens and duck calls.... these duck calls are BEAUTIFUL:) We had fun using the duck calls, even Grandma jumped in. I"ll have to post the video of Anna using one of the calls, too funny:)

We ended the day with a family picnic reunion at Mom's house with many relatives coming out to see everyone:) It was great to become reacquainted with everyone since I had only been to Mississippi once before when I was newly pregnant with Anna.

Mom's house is in the background... really regret that this was the only picture I took!!

 

The kids blended in very well with their Mississippi cousins:)
The highlight of the evening was climbing onto an old freezer and swinging from the rope onto the old mattresses;) LOL!!

Lydia was a natural:)

Nate was a trooper and determined... took some pretty awesome swing falls;) And got right back up to do it again!!

We got back to cousin Bill's dirty, tired and did I say dirty:) And we still had another day!!

I want to share a conversation I had with one of Brian's cousins. During the evening she approached me and asked "When was the last time you were home?"

Honestly I thought it was a little strange question. So I thought well it was Tuesday but we had been away from home for 4 days by that time left. So the last time I was "home" was Saturday!!

She gave me a strange look and then we realized. She meant "home" like Mississippi to these special places where Grandma grew up and Brian got to spend a few weeks each year! And I was meaning my home; our stomping grounds!

It left me with the impression of how much more Brian's family is connected in Mississippi. So many of the cousins have stayed local close to their family and even some of them close to the place they grew up.

And so I felt the

.... strong sense of family, too!! Not just loving your older parents and your growing children but keeping close contact to your aunt who lives around the corner and spending an evening (with not much warning) visiting with cousins who don't get to visit often. And enjoying seeing the generations all together... old and new and those in between being together... it was simple and special.

Lots of memories.
Lots of hugs.
Lots of soda.
Some hot dogs, hamburgers and cookies;)
Lots of dirt, dogs, chickens.
Lots of open spaces.
Extremely welcoming and loving;)

more to come from our adventure...