We had a wonderful time visiting with family recently. Thursday (5/28), we drove from Tampa (stopping at M&E's Donuts, our favorite donut shop in Crystal River-YUM!) to Birmingham, AL. We planned to spend the night with my sister Kathy and her family, then take the three-hour drive to Murfreesboro, TN to visit Tom's daughter and family for his granddaughter's high school graduation. *GASP* I'm married to a man who has an eighteen-year old grandchild!When we arrived in B'ham, Kathy & David treated us to dinner at La Fiesta, a great Mexican restaurant. Of course, Kathy and I had one of our infamous giggle fits. Our husbands have learned to just roll their eyes and deal with it. We are pixies, and that's the way it is.
Friday, Kathy and I left the men to do "guy" stuff, while we ran some errands. She's planning a summer-long children's program for her church and needed some woodsy stuff for decorations. I donated stuffed animals that had been stored in plastic bags since our home renovation. They needed a new home and found one at Edgewood Presbyterian Church. We had lunch at Mrs. Klinger's Restaurant where we had the above picture taken. It's a German restaurant, and we always seem to wind up there for lunch on any given visit. Delicious food!
Friday afternoon, we headed for Murfreesboro and arrived in time for Natalie's spaghetti dinner. That started the food-fest for the weekend.
Saturday was party day for Rebecca, who would graduate on Monday, June 1. I didn't count, but it appeared more than fifty guests showed up for smoked pork (and chicken for me), and all the fixings. Everyone had a great time. Natalie is a wonderful hostess.
Sunday, Tom and I attended Franklin Road Baptist Church. Everyone was so friendly there and made us feel right at home.
Monday, we headed out in two cars to Opryland Mall in Nashville. The guys in one car, and the girls in another. Rebecca's graduation was held at Grand Ole Opry, so we spent the afternoon at the mall, shopping and eating. The graduation was impressive. About a hundred home-schooled students received their diplomas. On the way home, we took a wrong turn out of the Opryland Mall, and Natalie's friend said in her deep Tennessean accent, "Honey, we're just gonna take a tour." We found our way back to the interstate, where we came to a standstill. Road construction caused the traffic jam. Did we fret? Did we complain? No, Natalie popped a CD in the player, and we had a party in the van. A positive attitude keeps us young.
Tuesday morning, we headed back to Tampa. The drive through Chattanooga was most scenic, with all those mountains and the river that winds beside the highway. Unfortunately, M&E's Donuts was closed when we hit central Florida. Or maybe that was a good thing since I gained a few lbs. on this trip.
Tom and I are both blessed to have loving relationships with our respective families.
