Hey Gorgeous Friends,

Last night we pulled into a Cracker Barrel parking lot a little before midnight. The kids were already asleep. Chuck turned the motor off and went right to sleep.

By the time I woke up at 6:45, the motorhome was already on it’s way. I woke up to the smell of coffee and the sounds of cars whizzing by. All three littles snuggled next to me, and Ayden and Addy were also still asleep in their bunks.

Chuck had gotten up at 5am, made coffee and hit the road. It was surprisingly a nice way to rise. The sun hadn’t fully risen. I went to the front of the motorhome, made some more coffee for Chuck and one for myself, crawled into the passenger seat and watched traffic.

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It was Sunday, Father’s Day. To celebrate, we planned to have breakfast at our new favorite place on this trip… Cracker Barrel. Chuck was going to drive through Louisiana toward Texas. We would stop at one along our route when it got closer to opening time. 

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A few hours later, I located one and we were pulling in. The kids gave Chuck his card, and in we went.

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The wait was almost an hour, so treasure hunting in the Cracker Barrel gift shop was in order. Each kiddo deliberated and touched just about every toy until they were each clutching the perfect match. It took the whole wait time too. Just as I was checking out and bagging up the goodies, our name was called.

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There is something comforting about visiting a chain restaurant on vacation. It’s like amidst all of the adventure and uncertainty of what each day will hold, there is a sudden sense of familiarity. You know the menu and the decor, and there’s no surprises when your order arrives. You’ve had this meal before, and there is comfort in that. We all picked comfort foods too… eggs, bacon, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, hashbrown casserole, and my favorite…..apple butter.

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After breakfast, I put dinner in the crockpot, secured it in the sink. And we were off…

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Next, we drove and drove and drove some more. This was a day filled with sights from the vehicle, not much getting out. Just watched the landscape change as we traveled west.

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Kids needed a stretch break, so we stopped at a rest area.

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Lots of relax time in the RV while Chuck drove.

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The sunset was gorgeous.

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And about midnight, we finally arrived in Amarillo, TX! It was late. The three littles were asleep. We found our site, pulled in, and Chuck began to hook up water and electricity and such….

It was time for another first….. emptying the black and gray water. We hadn’t done that before, so Chuck located all the hoses and I held the flashlight.

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There we are after midnight, giggling because we have no idea how to do this essential part. Chuck knows in a sense, but hasn’t officially had to empty it yet. So here goes. He hooks it all together. Puts the hose on the cap, pulls the lever, and splash! Poopy water pours all over the ground and splashes on our feet. The hose wasn’t clicked on tight enough. Within a second, Chuck turned it off and the water stopped pouring out.

We ran a good distance back from the camper, pulled our shirts over our noses and again just laughed…I said my favorite line, “If we don’t laugh, we’ll cry.”

Chuck bravely tried again and put the hose back.. This time he turned it until there was a click. Then, he tested out the gray water first just emptying a little to make sure there was no leak. Then, he was able to empty all of the black and gray water with no more issues. Another first and another lesson learned!!!

We settled in for the night. SHOWERS were in order, and then here is Chuck with his end of the day coffee. All was well with him. His family was safely parked in the motorhome, the electricity and water was connected, and he had just conquered emptying the poop water successfully!

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What a gooooood day!!!

Chuck navigated some crazy roads today. Here are some of the funniest things he said on this day.

This is insane. I’m driving a house. I just can’t think about that.

Maybe now I won’t be afraid of rollercoasters!

Can’t go down the thought rabbit holes. Just concentrating on driving. Can’t have any thoughts at all.

Maybe on the way back, I’ll be so used to this that I’ll be driving with one finger and eating chips…. nah I don’t think so.

Overall, it’s going well. There are moments when the kids go a little crazy. I’ve spent lots of time breaking up fights and giving consequences. I also make alot of snacks and drinks. I kinda feel like a flight attendant.

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Blessings and adventures!

Love,

Vanessa Lynn

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