There and Back (and a hot dog)

I've been home about 24 hours. My trip was three weeks and I spent time in four homes and three states. It was fantastic though somewhat challenging from time to time. I have tons to post, but thought I'd start just with getting there and getting home. So, I started out fairly organized. See below:

We stopped in St. Louis and visited the Holts. My friend Wendy invited me over for dinner the first Sunday I went to Little Rock Ward. We've been friends since. Her husband graduated a year before Josh and is now a resident in St. Louis. You can tell Lando and Bradley became quick friends. We ate pizza and had some fabulous custard between two oatmeal cookies. Some historic spot on route 66. Fun and Yum!

Now, for the coming home: Notice there are no pictures. Nothing was picturesque. Though we made it safe and sound. Still, I have to admit my new parenting low. We all have standards as parents, things we think we'll NEVER do. Well, I broke one of those promises. In an attempt to stay on the road and keep the dinner stop short--I confess my boys had a truck stop hot dog. You know the kind. In my defense, they did look fresh. I offered them Subway which was in the truck stop, but they picked Cheetos and hot dogs. It was fast and easy and we were on the road in a giffy. In fact no hotel coming home. We made it in just over 12 hours from Jacksonville to Columbus. A new record! (Yay for truck stop hot dogs!)

Orlando's Story

I asked Orlando about a picture he drew.   Here is what I was told:

I was in a race.  We were racing in a maze. I was going super fast on my fire-car skateboard!  Dad and I we was racing fast around and around and around.  Then a shark was chasing us so we had to go faster and FASTER!

 So then BLAST-OFF!!!  

We went to outer space. We went to a planet. (He said the word planet with a lot of feeling something more like "plahnnnehtttt" so super wow, awesome, and cool were all inferred.) 

Me: On your skateboard?

Lando: Ya.  and  then we had to come back and we was going faster and faster and then (deep exhale)  We Won!!

Not too bad for a kid who didn't speak hardly at all until after his 3rd birthday.  I'm so thankful for his progress! I love the story because it has all the elements: a beginning, a middle and an end. I also love it because of the picture he drew--big big spirals and then some fuzzy stuff that I guess is the "blast-off" smoke.  There are a couple of faces in the spiral maze--him and his daddy.  

Too cute.