We have had such a wonderful whirlwind weekend that I hardly know how to condense it. There’s no way I can do justice to each of our wonderful hosts along the way – Samantha, Kelly & Andrea, Jeanna, Paulette, Jack & Grace. Each worked tirelessly to make us feel so very welcome and treated us like royalty.
Samantha gave us a full tour of her farm, where they are doing everything we have considered doing but they’re light years ahead of us: blackberries, figs, pomegranates, poultry, milk goats, meat rabbits. Samantha and her daughter Greta fed us lavishly and sent us off with pounds and pounds of fresh-picked blackberries, along with a bundle of lavender that is now scenting our condo. Good thing, too. This place was a little stinky when we got here. 
Kelly & Andrea greeted us with the aroma of fresh-baked zucchini bread wafting out the front door! We played pictionary, admired their chickens (can’t wait for our pullets to start laying!), ate a sumptuous dinner of grilled chicken (thank you, Mrs. Reins!) with more side dishes than I could count, spent hours talking, and chose a winner for their drawing. Breakfast included fried potatoes that were good enough to inspire me to try my hand at making them again. mmmm. There was also some amazing marionberry jam from Oregon on homemade bread, and too many other treats to list.
Jeanna and her family made us feel like old friends as soon as we walked through the door. They were ready with ice breakers and had the brilliant idea to play our favorite game of Spoons as we began lunch so that those eliminated first could get lunch one at a time – no lines! We felt completely at ease and I think everyone had a great time during our short visit. She is a great hostess: she had a full lunch waiting for us, and had the great idea of putting all the condiments and fixin’s on a tray in the fridge so she could get everything out in one trip to the fridge. What a pro! After eating, the kids played with legos and talked endlessly. When I realized we were 20 minutes late for our next engagement, we said hasty goodbyes and they sent us off with a big bag of legos and a big plate of zuchini bread!
Our next engagement was the get-together Paulette had arranged at her church. There we met Connie of Smockity Frocks and Karen – not to mention meeting Paulette in real life for the first time. Our 22 children must have hit it off, because we hardly heard from any of them the whole time we were there! Check out the pics on Smockity Frocks, because I think we totally forgot to take pictures all weekend.
Paulette was so sweet that after all her work, she sent us off with a gift. Two gifts, if you count the chocolate. She knows me too well. My weekend was sadly chocolate-deficient, and so was I. I definitely count the chocolate.
After the get-together, we swung up to visit hubby’s aunts, uncle and cousin – again, no photos – and then headed down to Weatherford to join Jack & Grace. Their pastor was having a 4th of July party on the 3rd of July and we were allowed to crash it. Their pastor sure knows how to put on a party! The food was fab, and there was singing, dancing and karaoke. Melissa wowed us with her sultry voice, and the fireworks were quite possibly the best privately funded display I’ve seen.
Back at Jack & Grace’s house, we had a good night’s sleep followed by a delightful breakfast. Grace made a pot of decaf just for me. The girls got to check for eggs and help milk the cow, and Grace sent us off with a big jar of milk and a bag of chocolate chip cookies. Instead of sweet fellowship with new friends, this time we enjoyed sweet fellowship with old friends. I enjoyed my time with them so much, I left my garment bag there with all of my clothes. I just wanted an excuse to visit again, you see. Ahem.
And then we left. 9 hours on the road, 1 hour off, and we were here. The views for the last 2 hours were glorious and amazing! We wove through the Ozark Mountains, up and down the steep and windy roads, with sheer drop offs and few guardrails, lakes shining in all the valleys. Our path meandered among the quaint and rustic inns of Eureka Springs, through a tunnel, across a long bridge. We made good time, and are now enjoying the company of my parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, grandparents, aunt, uncles, cousins, and best of all: hubby, who joined us Sunday afternoon.
Life is good.
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We loved having y’all. Scott commented that the house felt empty after you left.
I’ve heard of families with younger children who have to take several bags anyway, to take everyone’s clothes for Monday in one suitcase, for Tuesday in another, et cetera, so you have to carry in less stuff if you are stopping in different places every night. I think I remember learning this wonderful little trick from the Deputy Headmistress over at The Common Room. It doesn’t work for my family, as although we still take our vacations as a whole family, we children are both adults and don’t like to share suitcases, and rarely do we stop in a place for just one night, but it might be helpful for you all!
Definitely count the chocolate.
I haven’t been to the Ozarks since I was a small child, but I remember it being beautiful. We do regularly (once or twice a year) visit relatives in central Arkansas, however, and some summers we precede or follow that with a trip to one of the diamond lakes. Arkansas is a lovely state. Can’t wait for our trip there next month!
Wow. And I thought our trip was a whirlwind!
We went through the Ozarks too. It seems that Arkansas’s chief exports are Walmarts and flies.
We liked it though.
I read your whole nutshell and the only thing I got out of it was that you drink decaf. LOL!!!!! I love coffee but prefer my nursing babies NOT to be full of caffiene. I don’t drink soda anymore (except for the Dr. Pepper I HAD to try while at my grandmother’s house. it made me sick and Ashley was restless all night. I forgot about the caffiene.) My favorite coffee is a decaf Americano from Starbucks. I try to get drink them too often because they cost more than the free coffee from home. Dh surprises ALOT because he is addicted to Starbucks. I am trying to reform him. . .it’s not working so well.