Road Trips

Eli just came in from a trip to Dallas and back today.  We are all happy to see him, happy to confirm with our own eyes he has returned to us safe and whole.  His trip today sparked a fun family trip of our own down memory lane of road trips we have taken.

Both of our kids were gifted athletically and were involved in sports that required travel regionally, nationally, and internationally.  We had lots of fun traveling with our kids' sports teams.

We made the trip to Chicago quite often.  Sometimes we'd go right on up to the lake and stay on lakeshore drive, other times we'd head out from the city to Momence, a sleepy farming community outside the city where Eli's Sensei lived.  Sensei Sharkey lived in an old, converted church, complete with steeple, right out in the middle of a cornfield.  Eli was nine the first summer he stayed with Sensei for training.  One night, some of the older boys watched the movie SIGNS.  They said that Eli wouldn't go anywhere without a bottle of water for a solid month!

Then there was the weekend we drove to London, Ontario, Canada.  We packed me, Mr G, Eli, Caleb, Grandma Swaim, and Grandpa Chrismon into a mini van and off we went!  It was a very long 17 hour day, but so worth it!  We saw Eli's tournament and got to explore a new city.  What was horrid was the drive home, but isn't it always, no matter where you are driving home from?

Trips down memory lane, when shared with friends and loved ones alike, are the best trips of all.