Well, we were up and at ‘em early. Loaded the car up and actually left the house before seven. Kel was hard at work loading up their rental vehicle. Very nice, brand new suburban. Somebody wants a new car …
We got all of Micah’s stuff loaded, along with their clothes and snacks for the road. A quick selfie and we were on the road. Oh! We were issued a very cool walkie-talkie. The kids (especially Ezra and Noa) kept us quite entertained over the course of our journey.
First stop? 7-11. Apparently it was a semi-scheduled bathroom break, plus Joyride Run. Only option available was watermelon wedges. We already had some of those in the car. Still searching for those little round sweet tart things.
For lunch we took a serious shortcut worthy of Dad-dom. Located a random park - Mallard Junction Park at the corner of Opelousas and Avalon in … Hoonoseware, Louisiana. The boys played some wiffle ball. Noa hung out on the big jungle gym. I did do some swingin’ - as per my skill set - but the seat, being out in the sun at noon, was hot on my seat. Great little place for a picnic if you’re ever lost in Louisiana.
Up the road a piece we stopped for gas. I had to go inside to get the receipt. And while there, I was accosted by a gentleman who saw my Santa Fe soccer playoffs shirt. He went off on a tear, speaking pure Cajun. Best I could piece together, there was a pro football player who one time said, “Playoffs? I’m not thinking about playoffs.” No idea who or when. I also got that he was one year sober and apparently loves Jesus. Whew! Mission field language stuff, for sure.
We made a very specific stop at Target in Louisiana. Joyride run! We found some cherry berry ropes, but still no sweet tart ball things. Sigh.
We made our way into Mississippi without issue. But before we got to Hotel #1, we HAD to stop for some supper. Christina found a random little town before we got to Hattiesburg called Poplarville. And they had a little restaurant called (hold onto your hats, you Jamaica Beach denizens) … Way Out West Grill. It was your usual burgers and fries and sandwiches and salad. Chris had a salad. She said the chicken had a funny texture to it. Tasted like iguana- er, I mean chicken to me. I had a really good club sandwich and some excellent crispy fried okra.
After the meal we walked over to the comic book store next door. Micah bought some Lego mini-figs. Kel nerded out with the proprietor. It was fun to watch. Noa asked if her Dad was the only one of my kids who was a nerd. Each in his own way, Noa. Each in his own way.
The hotel was only about thirty minutes away, so it didn’t take long to get there. We were excited to see that the Astros scored five runs in one inning. That has nothing to do with the hotel; we were just happy to see them ahead for a change. And T hey ultimately won. Woohoo!
We had neighboring rooms at the hotel. Chris and I were invited over for popcorn and a movie. Something about a wild robot. It had otters, so I was happy.
Matthew 4:4 says, But He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Father, thank you for a fun first leg. Ride with us the rest of the way. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment