The Return Trip

We are home. Praise God for a safe, uneventful trip.

On Monday morning, bout 6:45, we pulled away from Kevin & Sara's to begin the long drive home. We had almost 1200 miles ahead of us. But, we had one last stop to make before we really got on the road.

About an hour and 45 minutes up the road, in Lawrence, KS, we stopped at IHOP to have breakfast with . . . Mac & Netters!!!

Mac & Lynette had just gotten back home to Garnett, KS, from a trip to Nashville. It was our luck that our leaving KS coincided with their coming home. We were thrilled that they were willing to drive an hour, early in the morning, to have a meal with us. The stop was on our way, but they went out of their way to meet us. That's RVing friends for you!!

We had a good breakfast, some laughter, and lots of good conversation. The hour and a half went by wayyyyy too fast, but it was better than not seeing them at all. It's amazing how fast friendships form in this RVing life. God sure does provide. :)

With full bellies (and hearts) we said good-bye to Mac & Lynette and headed east on I70. Next stop, Indianapolis, more than 8 hours away. :) We pulled into LaQuinta Inns & Suites about 8:45pm, ready to be out of the truck for awhile.

Yes, we stayed in a hotel overnight. After sleeping (or trying to) in the truck on the trip out to Kansas, I vowed that wasn't going to happen again. But, you know? I sure did hate having to pay $76 and some change for a room in which we were staying less than 12 hours! Call me cheap, but that's the way it is. I gotta admit, though, that bed sure did feel good, as did the shower the next morning. Plus, LaQuinta is pet-friendly, so Blackie wasn't an issue.

We were back on the road at 7:00 Tuesday morning. We stopped in Springfield, OH at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast, This is CB #79, I believe, maybe 80. I'll have to check. :) Once again, we were back on the road, heading for home. Just another 7 hours and we'd be pulling into our site. I was so ready.

Smooth sailing all the way home. We got there about 6pm. Easy trip. SOOOO much better than the trip out. I'm sure our concern about Kevin made the trip out to Kansas less than ideal and, knowing he was doing better, made our trip home an easy one.

It's good to be home. To relax in our recliners and be in our own space is priceless.

Please continue to keep Kevin and Sara in your prayers. Kevin is doing much better, but we found that he is definitely struggling to adjust to life back home. Those of us who have never been in a combat situation or deployed to a combat zone can not understand what our soldiers endure. Gratefully, Kevin was not in an active combat situation, but he was exposed to experiences that are beyond our comprehension. I'm thankful God brought him home safely and will continue to pray for him as he gets back in the swing of a “normal” routine.

And my mantra is, “God is in control, all the time; even when I don't understand.”

Until the next time . . .