Memphis Day 1- CMOM

After we had lunch at Neely's BBQ on Friday, we went to the Children's Museum of Memphis. We had THE BEST time there. We didn't know how great it was going to be, and we only got there about 3 hours before they closed. We could've easily enjoyed another 2 hours there. We didn't even get to check everything out. We hope to go back there another day.

Look out! Crazy driver!

Busted!
Crawling up the skyskraper

Dentist
Future Football Star
Pilot

Daddy & Gracie by the airplane
Our favorite part was the mini Krogers inside. The shelves were nicely stocked, everything was neat and orderly and it looked like a real grocery store!

Gracie buying chocolate milk

The registers really worked! The bar codes worked when you scanned them and there was even prices on the produce that could be entered manually.

The register totaled the purchases and even printed out a receipt.

So fun!
Driving simulator

Gracie test driving the mini van. It even had babies in car seats in the back. Perfect!

Snack in Japan
Sushi, anyone?
Japanese dress up
Future Plumbers of America?

You'll have to keep checking back for some funny videos that I took that day. We had a blast!

Memphis Day 1- The BBQ

I know good BBQ joints in Memphis are like a dime a dozen, and I got lots of advice on where to go for the best BBQ. But, I already had my mind made up. I was going to the Neely's. To say I'm a big Food Network fan would be an understatement. I watch it pretty much 24/7. So, wherever we go, I always want to eat at the establishments of the Food Network stars.

Waiting on the food.
My plate.
6 Pork ribs, bbq spaghetti and cole slaw
First bite!

The food did not disappoint!

It was super delicious!!

The meat on those ribs just completely peeled off the bone. I ate them with my fork because there was no gnawing on the bone necessary to get all the meat! YUMMMMMY!!!

The place was nothing fancy. Just an old restaurant. I think they moved into that particular location in the 80's. Long before Pat and Gina became tv celebrities. But, if you look past that part and just judge them on the food- which is why we went there anyway- you will not be disappointed.

We were also very pleased with the atmosphere. Everyone there was extremely nice. Our little waitress was a gem. Loved her. She got a nice hefty tip from us that day because she was just so sweet to us.

And to top it all off, the price was right! All 5 of us got the meals of our choice- Jason and I each got the most expensive items on the menu- we each had drinks, and the kids each got a huge chocolate brownie for dessert, and the bill was only $45! And we were all so full that we barely fininshed off the brownies. We were all completely miserable and ready for a nap when we left. If our family goes to eat at a chain restaurant like Chili's or Applebee's and we order comparable to what we did at the Neely's, our bill is usually over $70. (That's why we don't eat at those kinds of places much anymore!)

It was a great experience and if we go back to Memphis, I will visit the Neely's again.

Next time, I hope we'll be lucky enough that the Neely's themselves will make an appearance while we're there!

Memphis- Day 1- Seeing the Sights

On Friday morning, Jason had to get up really early to do some paperwork and make some phone calls for work while the rest of us slept until a decent hour-- since we didn't get in bed until 2am on Thursday night. After breakfast, Jason took a little cat nap. We didn't leave the campground until noon, then we spent the rest of the day sightseeing.

Here's the sights of the day!

Beale St

Graceland

Where Martin Luther King Jr was assasinated.
The boys learned quite a bit about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in school this year, and had seen pictures of this. They thought it was really neat to see it with their own eyes.
Sitting at a red light, looked over and saw this! WPS!!!!!

Their minor league baseball park is right smack dab in the middle of downtown. Sooo Cool! If it wouldn't have been raining, we might have went to the game just to see the stadium.

On the Way to Memphis

Last weekend, we decided to get away for a few days for a long weekend. I've been wanting to go to Memphis for a while. We've never been there and knew that there was lots to see and do. Plus, it's not too far away, but far enough to feel like your on a little vacation.

We set out on Thursday evening after work.

Brotherly Love at it's finest.

We finally figured out, later in the trip, that things would be more peaceful if we separated the male species and put a little estrogen in the middle. :)

Those boys are just a different species and I don't understand them at all-- you know, me being a girl and all. But...even though they keep me on my toes AT ALL TIMES and I have to be careful that they don't physically harm one another MULTIPLE times in a day, I love them anyway. And I don't know what I would do without all that testosterone bubbling over in my household anyway.

Here's Daddy trying to change a tire on the camper.

We were be-bopping down I40 havin' a big time singing along to the radio when the tread of one of the tires completely shredded off.

Thankfully, I'm married to Superman. He easily guided us off of the road. Thakfully no one was next to us when it happened, so we didn't have to worry about the trailer fishtailing into another car or anything.

Funny story: we ended up not having the right size tools with us to change the tire. Jason had just taken his larger tool set out of the truck that afternoon when we were packing. He figured we wouldn't need it (we never have) and he wanted to make more room for the kids and their belongings in the truck.

By the time we located a roadside tire service and got the spare put on, we had been sitting on the side of the road 15 miles from Conway for an hour and 1/2.

Lesson learned!

It was a late night trip! We didn't arrive to our destination, Jellystone Park in Horn Lake, MS, until after midnight.

Trying to keep the kids entertained is of utmost priority for a tired mamma and daddy.

Apparently, we are a family that likes our gadgets!

Here's Rhett watching a movie on a laptop.

Here's Braden playing Guitar Hero on his DS.
Here's Gracie watching a movie on my Zune.
And here's my sweet hubby.

Poor guy doesn't get a break from the driving when we're pulling the camper.

But he never says a word. Never complains.

I love him so!

And sometimes I get to massage his big manly muscular arms while he drives--

you know, to try to help.

DARN!!!

Hey-- it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it!!

We finally fell into bed around 2am.

Short Night!

Fantabulous Fourth

Here's how we celebrated Independance Day this year!

We just hung out around the house all day-- and it was wonderful! We needed some rest. We taught at church and then stayed for the second service. Afterwards, we decided to see if we had time to make the neighborhood fireworks display and we did. I'm so glad we made it. It was SO GREAT!! It was over 30 minutes of fireworks.

Here's Sissy being a silly girl waiting on the show to start.

Scary!!! :) Crazy boy!

It was dark and I couldn't keep my eyes open when the flash started going off! But this is a great pic of my Love, so I put it on here anyways.
Braden and some of his buddies were playing volleyball in the dark and somehow he got bumped into. Here's what his eye looked like the next morning. It got darker for a couple days afterwards before it started going away. I kept teasing him about his purple eyeshadow!!
On Sunday, Bammaw and Uncle Jeff came over and we went to the Naturals game.

After the game, waiting on the fireworks to start.

We enjoyed another FANTASTIC fireworks display!!

I'm so thankful for the freedoms we have here in America. I do not take that for granted.