La Quinta Inn & Suites Madison Square Mall Inn & Suites Huntsville

Updating our trip one last time! <br><br>Hard to believe that just 24 hrs ago we were saying by to our friends in Lima. I wish I had the right words to say how much this trip has meant to me. Happy to see Jeff's excitement, sad to see some of the emotions. Energized with all the excitement, exhausted from all the excitement. Amazed by the people of Lima, discouraged from the overwhelming feeling. A mix of emotions to say the least ...

... br><br>The venue itself was pretty nice, and we had a really fun crew. They were so efficient and good that we had our fastest load out to date. <br><br>Decatur, AL claims to be a "Grand City on a Charming Scale"... now, I don't really buy that, but I will say, I found it's alternative title "Home of Meow Mix" to be the most exciting aspect of the city. We passed the giant Meow Mix factory on the way out of town. Sadly, it left it's jingle of singing cats in my head for about 5 min.<br>

... mumbling in the back..Are we lost. I was starting to panic..but I just did what comes naturally to a Chicagoian..a U TURN..wooohooo.. I just ignored Garmin..even with his english accent.. Ok..so we are back at the hotel.. The girls threw a surprise bday party in our room..Lyndsy, Megan, and Wimpee were surprised. We had cupcakes... Then we headed off to the fields..They are nice.. Did I mention we are playing in ...

So yes...we have arrived. Let's recap what it took to get here. We take off from QT no issues there. Then the girls realize we have walkie talkies. Like the previous blog says..they never got bored. I heard more lines from movies like Joy Ride (Candy Cane), 16 Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, and any Will Ferrell movie you can possible think of. I think at one time someone was jacked up ...

Short drive to Huntsville to meet Martys cousin and his wife. They agreed to drive us out to see the old home place where her mother's family had a country store and a cotton gin. We got a bonus. They stopped at the cementary to see all the old ansesters. It was fun to hear about all the relatives:-)

... ENJOYING <br>THEMSELVES JUST LIKE US. LITTLE SWEETHEART WAS TAKING IT <br>ALL IN; FEEDING THE DUCKS AND FISH, WATCHING THE PEOPLE, <br>WAVING TO PEOPLE SAYING HI. PEOPLE WOULD JUST MAKE OVER <br>HER. WE WERE (COULDN'T HELP OURSELVES) BEAMING WITH PRIDE <br>AND JOY. SHE IS A SWEETHEART! SHE LOVED FEEDING THE FISH <br>AND THE BIRDS; RUNNING AND THEN CLIMBING SOME OF THE STEPS; <br>SITTING ON ...

... DURING THE DAY TIME HOURS. IT WAS SUCH <br>A BEAUTIFUL DAY. THE WEATHER WAS <br>PERFECT...IT WAS WARM AND YET THERE <br>WAS SHADE EVERYWHERE. WE WENT TO <br>THE OUT DOOR THEATER. WE LOOKED AT <br>THE NEW LODGE. PICNIC TABLES WERE <br>CLEAN. THE WHOLE AREA WAS VERY WELL <br>KEPT. THE TRASH WAS , EVEN, COVERED. <br>WE WENT TO THE SONIC BEFORE GOING TO <br>MONTE SANO STATE PARK ...

... THE WAY THE WHOLE POWWOW WAS SET UP IT WAS LIKE YOU COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN INDIAN VILLAGE ALONG THE WATER...OH THE SOUNDS ...EVERYONE INTERACTING WITH ONE ANOTHER. THE SMELLS; THE CRAFTS; THE CLOTHES; THE DANCES; THE MUSIC ALL FROM ANOTHER TIME. THE WEATHER WAS PRETTY COOL SO ALL WAS WONDERFUL. THAT IS UNLESS YOU DIDN'T BRING A WARM JACKET. THE LAND WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. I AM SO GLAD WE WENT! GOING BACK! LORD WILLING...<br>

So Jacqui and I got home in Glens Falls on the 9th, then on the 10th, we left again for my hometown, Huntsville. One of my brothers just became a father. He's got a daughter now named Rebekah Raye. Luckily she's young enough to not know how to cry very effectively. So she mostly just sleeps, cuddles, **************s. Now THAT is the good life! Also ...

Back in the USA! We arrived in mid-afternoon and Will drove over to Atlanta to pick us up...it's weird that I never get harassed by customs like I do in the States - I've been through communist China and hard-core Russia and fundamentalist Indonesia and I whiz through their immigration, but here in the States they ask me all kinds of crazy questions and want to search my bags! Anyway I think its weird that I'm about as white as ...