16 Hours in Purgatory

For Christmas, we made the brilliant decision to drive to Tennessee to visit Shawna's parents outside of Nashville. We had the two parents, the two kids, the one dog, Ben's Aunt (who we dropped off in Arkansas), and Ben's friend, Amber, who was headed that way and hitched a ride. This is exactly what we imagined when we bought a car with a third row. The kids actually did okay there and back, no more fussing than one would expect. Jeremiah is now jonesin' for movies though, having developed a habit with the little DVD player in the car. The visit was great all around, though weather prevented us from some outdoor fun. We went to Opryland and downtown Nashville where Ben and Shawna had a date listening to late-night Karaoke. Shawna decided after this incident, that she would rather not be laid down in a "Bed of Roses" because "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." The boys had a personal visit from Santa (grandpa), rode the tractor, and pet some baby goats. Imho the dog managed to not only escape Shawna's parents' yard, but also break into their neighbors yard which featured two large huskies. He left untouched, the dogs obviously respecting his authority. On New Year's Day, we visited a longtime family friend of Shawna's. She had babysat their sons, now in their early 20's. They were surprised to find out she wasn't "way older" than them. On the drive home, we went by Scotland, AR which is where Ben's Aunt and Uncle live. Shawna had never met Uncle Tommy, and had never witnessed this little town which played a prominent role in her husband's childhood. We made it home early Sunday morning and spent Monday in a stupor.