Family Travels

It's been a crazy few weeks. First of all... a good friend of ours back in Missouri whom we've known since we started dating passed away. His name was Shad. He was a funny, caring and crazy guy. He was in our wedding. Shad lived his life always wanting to have fun and wanting everyone around him to have fun too. Even though months or years would pass and we wouldn't talk and see each other, it was always as though no time had passed. Would you please keep his family in your prayers, his wife Dee and their kids, Broc and Kylie. Thank you.


We were hoping to make it home to the funeral. All we needed was one of John's job to finish and we could leave town. John has also been working crazy hours, 4pm to 6am, 6 days a week, so he was seriously needing to take some time off work. He never takes time off work just for fun. The kids were really missing their dad too.


It took two days longer than he had hoped for so we were not able to make it to Missouri.


John still needed the time off so we decided to go surprise some friends in Tennessee. It was so fun to surprise them. We called Anthony and told him we were three hours from home and to NOT tell Lisa. It was great fun! I love surprising people! We had a great time catching up with the Gatto's and seeing where they live and getting to see Lisa 9 months pregnant! Can't wait to see that healthy baby girl soon!


When we left, John was all about taking his time and not being rushed. He decided he wanted to take the southern route home and go visit a friend of ours in Louisiana. Marshall has been a dear friend to John through some of our harder years of life. It was great to catch up with 4 of the kids, he has seven of them, and visit his church as well. It was a fun time, although quick. I wanted to bundle up his baby and bring her home with me!!! So sweet!!!


After leaving, we were coming across I-10 and John pulls off at Mobile, AL. Next thing you know he's pulling into ....



It is Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, AL. It houses the USS Alabama and offers tours of the battleship as well as an aircraft hanger and the USS Drum Submarine. It was lots of fun!!


Here are some pics of the battleship tour...

The family outside the ship...

On the deck of the ship... FIRE!!!! Those are some big guns!

Gunners mate???

Next came the crews gallery.... I can't imagine being that crowded and having to sleep in such a small bed!!!!!

Then we went ALL THE WAY DOWN to the boiler room. It was HOT!!!!! This is where John's Grandpa Rudy worked when he served on the USS New York. I can't imagine sweating and smelling like diesel fuel all day! Yuck! (The picture is dark... cell phone, and no light.)

Then we traveled ALL THE WAY UP to the TOP! It was a LOT of ladders and NO A/C! It was a beautiful view of the gulf coast. We could see the remnants of Hurricane Claudette rolling in.



We had a great time and it was so nice to get away. It was even better to be able to turn John's cell phone off!!



I can't wait til we can take another vacation. It was wonderful!



A pic of Captain Micayla~~~~ signing off!