Vacation, part II

So, two long days of driving (ok, not that long, probably only 8-9hrs/day,) we arrived at my parent's house in Arkansas.  Note, *I* have never lived in Arkansas.  My parents moved there when I was pregnant with Sandis which would be 11 years ago.  Why? Because my mom hates snow.  She hates snow like I hate summer.  When it actually does snow there, about once every two years, everyone leaves the house because they can't stand to be around her.  Oh how I wish summer was only one day every two years.  But, I digress.

We arrived with little fanfare other than the barking of dogs, they have four, and the meowing of cats, four of those as well.  The girls immediately starting making themselves at home with the pets.  There is nothing better than a house full of dogs and cats in their eyes except maybe if you added some rodent, reptile and other pets to the mix.  My mom held dinner for us and it was very nice.  My mom is a good cook and makes comfort food, in this case, baked chicken, baked potatoes and vegetables.  :)

The girls thoroughly enjoyed the pets.  Patience, the white boxer, was the center of their world for 4.5 days.  Even if the girls were sitting there drawing, Patience was licking their legs.  When Patience inevitably had to sleep, there were three other dogs.  They had a lovely hour one afternoon picking ticks off of Daisy.  Oh the memories of summers spent freeing dogs of parasites...

And then there were the cats.  Two of them were very happy to have children to pet and play with them.  The other two made themselves scarce. Billy decided Stella was HIS.  She carried him everywhere and he loved it.  It is unusual for him to put up with being loved on so much so he must really, really like her.

I did a whole lot of nothing.  Monday and Tuesday, I stayed at the house.  I read, I napped, I talked with my mom, I checked the fire websites.  Online time was very limited as they have one computer in a corner of the basement and no wifi in the house.  No blogging or facebook and only once per day email checking for me.  Quite the culture shock! Wednesday was a brief trip to Morrilton and a dinner out in Conway. Thursday was the wedding, but that's another post.  Friday we left to come home.  It all went by rather quickly.

Brian spent Monday on two trips to Morrilton to drive my dad to drop off and then pick up his motorcycle.  Then the entire day on Tuesday he running from here to there with my dad doing wedding errands.  You see we were visiting specifically because one of my three brothers is getting married.  Tuesday they had to go here and get chairs.  Then there for tables.  And here for some more chairs.  And then the tents.  Then set it all up.  Yeah, loads of fun.  If we hadn't left town on Friday he could have helped do it all in reverse.

Fortunately in the strife over the wedding (like I said, in another post,) they didn't have time to focus on me and my heathen, liberal ways.  There were some comments made, things said in passing, that would knock your socks off.  I've debating posting some of them but they are just too much and sharing would be more hurtful than helpful.  If you really need to know, ask me sometime, but I'll refrain from posting for now.

Up next, the wedding.