Road Trip 2010

Howdy Family and Friends! The Johnson family made it to West Point - as you can gather from my last blog. What I have neglected to mention was all the fun we had getting here! I won't be able to capture all the special times we enjoyed during our trip, but I would like to highlight our loving family and a few of the memories that made our journey such a blessing.

On May 29th we said goodbye to our cozy home in Texas and headed out on the first leg of our journey to New York; a stay in Arkansas with Grandpa Bob and the Gillits (Aunt Kathy, Uncle Darrel and cousin McKenzie). They have a 12 acre farm in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, it is gorgeous!

Arkansas was wonderfully relaxing, fun and exciting. Grandpa Bob, Kathy, Darrel, and McKenzie made our stay so special. Dan got to cut down trees and build giant bonfires with the guys while I was pampered like a movie star and got to put my feet up (thank you, thank you!). And Ben had his own pool, bubble machine and the great outdoors to enjoy. Ben was a little bit wary of the big animals on the farm, but he enjoyed chasing Skitters the kitty around. And Ben loved McKenzie! She was sweet to him and was always ready to play. We had a wonderful visit, and it was just what we needed after weeks of hard work preparing for our big move.

Our trip then took us through Nashville where we got to enjoy breakfast with our good friend Megan - who was the Maid of Honor at our wedding and a great roommate all through West Point. (I forgot to take a picture!) That night Ben and Daddy enjoyed eating ice cream in bed watching TV...Ben is very eager to stay in a hotel now, after that kind of treat!

Next on the itinerary was driving through Marion, Virginia. This is where Dan's family lived for a time, and where Dan graduated from High School. Here we surprised some of the Johnsons' dear friends, Mary and Tyler Blount, who Dan had not seen in over 12 years. Surprise! They were so sweet and happy to see/meet us. And they recognized Dan right away...even after 12 years.

From Virginia we headed to eastern Pennsylvania to visit with my Aunt Joanie and Uncle John. We visited the Philadelphia Zoo, played on the Slip & Slide and Ben rode on a train for the very first time. Cool!

Not that there is any rush, but I think Ben would agree that Aunt Joanie is going to make a fantastic grandmother. Ben still talks about Aunt Joanie, Luna (her kitty) and "Boowa and Kawala". It was a great visit.

Last, but certainly not least, was our final stop in Connecticut to visit Meme and Pepe Audette. What can I say? Visiting with Meme and Pepe is always a joy. Ben was excited to see them again and enjoyed playing with all of Uncle Sam's and Uncle Joe's trucks (some old and some new). Meme and Pepe also have added a fire truck to their collection. As you can see and imagine Ben thoroughly enjoyed driving it around the block. It even squirts water from the hose!

Dan and I are so grateful to Meme and Pepe for not only our lovely visit, but for their help with our physical move on the 19th. They drove up early, helped unload boxes and watched over Ben as we tried to bring some order to the chaos of it all. Without their help I am sure we would not have been able to organize our home as quickly as we did. Thank you Meme and Pepe!

Well, those are the highlights and some of our memories from "Road Trip 2010". We've settled in our new home at West Point and have already enjoyed a great visit with Granny Lou (which I plan to blog about later in the week). God has been so good to us! We are grateful for the protection the Lord provided us as we traveled on the road, for the ease Ben has had in adjusting to all these changes, and for the wonderful family and friends we had the opportunity to visit with en route.