Sitting down but not driving!!

The hardest thing about blogging:  Actually doing it!

I've been driving and surviving since we left that I've had no time to reflect, much less write!

I decided to drive the more scenic Tennessee, Arkansas route to Dallas instead of dealing with Atlanta traffic.  And scenic it was!  The Smokies curved and descended which kept me awake and white knuckled for a couple of hours.  The mountains lived up to their name as well, as we drove into a storm front which battered our van and tested the car top carriers. (Both of which passed their test by remaining dry inside and remained intact upon the roof.) Tennessee troopers patrol their highways intensely, which perfected my driving stress level.  Fortunately, I didn't become a victim of theirs and made good time through the state.

I had forgotten about the time time, therefore, since it was "earlier" than we thought, and the kids were holding up well, I drove on past our original destination, "Natchez Trace State Park, and camped at Meeman-Shelby SP outside of Memphis.  Johnny and Michael set up the tent with ease, after having had practiced the routine at home.  We ate cold chicken pasta salad, courtesy of Katie Peterson, and roasted s'mores on the fire Luke built.  (He was very proud of his "tent") 

The girls and I chose, foolishly, NOT to blow up our air mattresses for"only one night".  Big mistakes!  It was a VERY long night...but we did have fun riding the mosquitoes!

I was up with the birds, and wished I was in tune with their songs...

Down to Annaliese, the kids upwoke, rolled up their bags and finished the breakdown of our campsite by 7:15.  We waved to a trio of toothless, old men sitting on a well worn bench on the Shelby General Store front porch.  Each of them seemed carved in place, their pecking order having been established over days, and weeks over the years. Kirsten grabbed for her phone attempting to capture the eternal.  As if on purpose, the battery had died for the moment!

 We were on the road by 7:20, only stopping for a cultural experience at Kroger (their deli only sold fried chicken, so I suffered prepackaged turkey breast, maybe even Oscar Meyer, on my bagel which was brought from home.)