Birthday trip...Part 4 (and last)

Beings the water at the Mississippi River was way up, Barbie drove us back around to the gazebo area to take pictures and check out the height of the water. Beth and I wasted some time taking pictures of each other, while Barbie had taken the others for a potty break. No, it's not the first time for a break, it's just the first time it's mentioned : ) As you can see the river is way up.

Anyway, the rest of our crew made it back and joined us for some picture taking. These 3 girls LOVED having their pictures made, but getting them to slow down to get one was the challenge! There was just too much ground to play on

stuff to measure the circumference of

then the height of

last but not least, you must measure the width of things too!

And then, of course, you must make sure things balance out.

After our 3 little "measuring tapes" were finished, they finally made their way to the fence to look out over the river in which a very cold wind was blowing.

They noticed a Restaurant across the river that had water running underneath it with a car flooded except for the roof.

We then decided we would cross over to the other side into Louisiana for a closer look at things, but before we could, Madge wanted to get a picture of Barbie and myself. So with the wind blowing in our hair....

and Barbie whispering to me what to do when Madge counts to three on the next shot, was a great shocker on Madge's' end...

and hilarious to all 3.

Beings the girls had gotten to dress up for Natchez, Barbie and I decided maybe we should dress up for our Louisiana trip, since we were going to be there at least 10 minutes. You know, just a little something special.... so the girls helped us out

with new hairstyles. We KNEW we were styling! Finally the gazebo was fading into the background

as we loaded up to cross the river bridge.

As all kids do (most anyway) when getting ready to cross the bridge, they yell "DON'T BREATHE!" And as WE all know, they cheat at holding their breath that long. We drove on over so the girls, along with our own curiosity, could see how far the water had gotten on that side. As you can see by the debris behind them

it was high, too close for our comfort, even tho it had dropped some.
Back in the van we went. As we drive back across, one of the girls said something about going to K-mart, and earlier they wanted to go tour yet another home. Barbie asked, "Ok, do y'all want to go to K-mart of see another home?" All 3 girls with no pause to think or stutter said loudly, "ANOTHER HOME!!"

Happily we found our way to the next home ...Melrose.

Arriving here, the next tour would be in 30 minutes so we took that time to look around outside at the other homes

and barns along with the carriage house.

A room in one of the houses, was set up with plexy glass up so you could see in the room but not go in it. It was filled with many things, including a ghost! If you look careful, on the right you will see a shirt, sort of pink, with a somber looking face....

OK! So you KNOW it's Barbie! What's a story about old homes if you CAN'T have a ghost?!!! : )

In the front yard, as we waited, there was a BIG, BEAUTIFUL old oak tree with one of its branches so long and heavy it had reached the ground and continued to grow. One of the workers was helping a sister & brother do a reenactment of that time period.

They seemed to be having great fun.

As we were killing time, we realized it was now time to meet on the front porch for the tour to begin. Some of us were so excited about it starting (finally) that kids were being dragged across the way, to the main home.

Beth, Carly and Madge were in awe of this home because it was a finished home. It was decked out in its finest antiques and they listened intently to the story of the home and it's families. One of the rooms use to be a playroom but at some point a play house was made outside on the grounds, underneath the trees.

Our outing had finally ended and to the van for the last time. We were all exhausted, even the girls. Actually Madge began feeling bad, later it turned into a cold, so therefore she was quiet, but there was still talk of the day. Barbie and I was just trying to make it home before falling asleep!

Well, I guess it is now time for me to close the "gate"

to our Birthday trip...and I'm sure most of you are thrilled to hear there's finally an ending!

None of this would have been possible had it not been for my "home skillet biscuit" tour guide, chauffeur, Barbie. She has a way of encouraging me to do new things. She and I have the same "fun" factor in common as we don't care (you can tell by the pictures) what others think of us, we just enjoy having fun and sharing it with the kids. I know her special friendship comes to me through Christ love.

As I think of Christ great love and the pictures of the girls "measuring", I'm reminded of this scripture.

Ephesians 3:17-19....so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

*study note---God's love is total. It reaches every corner of our experience. It is WIDE-- it covers the breadth of our own experience, and it reaches out to the whole world. God's loves is LONG--it continues the length of our lives. It is HIGH--it rises to the heights of our celebration and elation. His love is DEEP--it reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair, and even death. When you feel shut out or isolated, remember that you can never be lost to God's love.

Remember, the "gate" to Christ is ALWAYS open!

PRAISE THE LORD!

Have a RUNNING THROUGH THE GATE kind of day!

God bless......