TEXAS ROADTRIPPING 

Howdy, Kelsey and Austin!                 

What fun hanging out with you! Still got a little of my Texas on! Our highlight sure-nuff WASN’T Grandpa & I driving 2500 miles nor seeing 200,000 mi on our odometer. Nor was it surviving Houston rush hour in a gully-washer or navigating bumper-to-bumper traffic from Austin to Dallas arriving at dusk to enjoy the stunning city skylight. It wasn’t even the good Samaritan returning our iphone the day after we lost it or even the miracle that we only lost it once. We thank God for those happy endings to our challenges and a safe delightful trip, definitely highlights, but they don’t come in at # 1.

Loved the artsy Austin vibe. Thank you, Austin, for the fun tour of your recording studio in downtown Austin where we saw your artistic gifting firsthand. Impressive. Loved visiting Peter with y’all and seeing his studio where he produces Moving Works films.

We believe what they say about Texas: “If you don’t like the weather, wait a minute.” Weather highlights were many like the two chilly evenings warming up in the Heitzmann hot tub and reclining around the gas fire pit table. Then there was that sunny day in Donna when temps hit 85°, “hotter than a stolen tamale” but again, not our #1 pleasure.

As you know, food is is one of my love languages, and we enjoyed more choices than you can shake a stick at –juicy grapefruit picked from Gary’s backyard tree and local Mexican pizza with snowbirds in Donna. Chris fed us yummy fish tacos with fresh caught trout and served up a mean shrimp & crab boil feast. Grandpa enjoyed Texas BBQ and the fixing’– grits, fried okra, biscuits and real gravy and endless ice cream. On the way home we hit a few favorite pitstops: Buc-cees for their candied pecans and Pike County for a quick family visit and a yummy church soup supper. But the amazing food wasn’t #1.

Kelsey, another highlight was watching a stunning sunset over the Guadalupe River with your folks as we enjoyed a steak dinner on the Pumphouse patio in Victoria. Listening to the country singer who used to sing with Willie topped off quite an evening. But that didn’t come in as # 1 either.

So what was our #1 pleasure? The tours, the new sights and adventures, the food and pleasures all had hidden in them the one thing we have come to value the most in life (besides loving God.)

Our # 1 highlight was the people! We were reminded again the it’s connecting with people that matters in life. We met lots of new folks who had interesting stories to share. We’ve found that everyone does if you take the time to ask and listen. Best of all was reconnecting with folks we miss like the two of you, your Momma Jenny and Chris, Kassidy and Izzy,  special extended family and friends.

We so enjoyed laughing, reminiscing, and sharing dreams together. We even had a few of those rare but rich conversations where we all opened up our hearts and shared our struggles and fears and tears ending with some passionate prayers together. Sadly we ran out of time and had to miss seeing other dear friends.

One dear experience was staying overnight with Tom and Heidi, our friends who recently lost their 18-year-old daughter. We last saw them 20 years ago when they were just newlyweds in our small group in Champaign. They told us us how they still remember the hope they got from all the Godstories shared in group back then, which gave fresh hope back to us. We felt close as if we had never been apart.

We liked seeing how people were making a difference in their own little world in such unique ways. Grandpa and I also had a lot of fun with each other as we traveled, even reading outloud my entire book draft and editing it. What a treat to travel along over 55 years with your best friend.

It was a good reminder of a truth that is becoming even clearer recently. Among all God has given us to enjoy on earth including all the stuff, the experiences, travel, and adventures, the highlight has been connecting with the hearts of other people as we do life together.    

Love God, Love people – that’s the key to loving happily ever after. 

Hugs from Grandma V