"I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations."

Psalm 89:1

It seems that it has been a long time since we left KY when in fact is has only been a few days. Many hours and miles on the road in unknown territory can do that to you. : )

The Lord has been so gracious to provide lodging along the way.

We packed in such a way that we don't have to unload the whole trailer at each stop...

...but it's still a big job to tackle. : )

After packing and cleaning up, we headed out.

There is always some funny or amusing thing happening. We had just left when Dad decided he wanted to snack on a banana. Finishing it off, he threw the peeling out the window. A few minutes later, Mom glanced into her side mirror, and there, stuck in the door handle, was Dad's banana peel as if it were a well placed ornament. After the photo shoot, it was removed and disposed of properly....in the grass -- not hanging on the door. : )

We drove through the town limits of Cadiz and found a peculiar sight....pigs on every corner!
It was a sight to behold!

(click image to enlarge)

As a family that has never traveled West, we were all looking forward in anticipation to crossing the Mississippi River. So you can imagine the excitement mounting as we neared that famed body of water.

First we crossed the Ohio,

(Ohio River)

and then a moment later, we were crossing the Mississippi.

Ray, Jr. was driving at the time. He was expecting a larger bridge. Really...it's the Mississippi, right? When he saw that it only had two lanes, he got a little on edge. When the bridge was safely behind him, he said with a definite tone of nervousness...."Shew! We're a long way from home."

Out here, there is no end to fields and farms.

We've seen quite a few Amish as well.

Feeling in need of refreshment. : )

It wasn't too bad, but we definitely did it more for the fun than the taste. : )

Keisha seems to be enjoying hers...

Well...maybe not. : )

Since we were going to be so close, we took an hours detour to Springfield, MO to go to none other than Bass Pro. But it wasn't just any Bass Pro. It was the Bass Pro headquarters.

It was HUGE!!!

In one section, it had an underwater theme as the ceiling.

The turtle pond

Real live ducks

They also have a fine gun room, but we soon realized that they thought they were finer than we did. : )

Just a little bit of pocket change.....right?

No, Ray...don't even think about it! : )

And the best one????

It was fun to just walk through, take pictures, and browse the racks and shelves. A much larger selection than any of the others.

This is our "Where's Waldo" picture. Can you find us?

We only had about three hours left to our destination in MO.

Say "Cheese!"
and I guess we got a little slap-happy from all the hours on the road. ; )

And then there were the more serious minded.

We arrived at the prophet's chamber in Harrisonville, MO late Tuesday evening. With 18+ hours accumulated driving since we had left home, we were plumb worn out...thus ending our second day of travel.
More updates coming soon so stay posted..... : )

Just Gotta Laugh!

Here are a few more pictures of our travels.....

Packing Saturday night...

Our time in the van is always well spent
whether reading...

...or crocheting...
or even getting some much needed rest. : )

And, of course, Mr. Tomato is along for the ride. : )

Once we got to Cadiz, we were plumb tuckered out. We were more than ready to stretch out.

Ray has already made a friend.....Silly Ray!!!

But he wasn't the only one being silly. : )

This morning, Mom had planned to be up at 6:30, get the rest of us up by 7:00, and be gone by 8:00. Mom roused us from our deep, restful sleep, and everyone began preparations to leave. There was only one problem.....
"Mom, which clock did you go by?"
"Why, mine, of course!"
And then it hit her. (gasp) The time change! She had gotten us all up at 6! : )