Woodventures

Today we went from Cody, Wyoming to Driggs, Idaho via Yellowstone National Park. Kevin, Edwin, and Mont went early to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West before we left Cody. I stayed at the cabin bathing Lillie and Morgan and packing up. Kevin said that you could spend all day at the museum, but they breezed through parts of it in an hour and a half. They saw the gun collection, history of Buffalo Bill, and art of the West.

We entered Yellowstone through the East Entrance. There were quite a few visitor’s centers, restrooms, and other facilities closed in the park due to the pandemic. We picked up some sandwiches and lunchables from a general store inside of the park. A lady working at the store recommended our picnic spot–an area behind the closed Grant Village visitor’s center. We had an unobstructed view of the West Thumb section of Yellowstone Lake all to ourselves. A ranger outside of the center gave me a piece of paper with the passport stamp on it since the visitor’s center is closed.

After lunch, we headed up to Old Faithful. This spot was definitely a bottle-neck for the crowds. There were lots of benches around the geyser-watching area. It was very hot and sunny with no shade. Then, GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? (You Mamas probably already know.) We waited for about 30 minutes. It was about five minutes before the next predicted eruption time…and Morgan had to pee. Yep. He loudly declared, “Mama!!!! I’m about to pee myself!!!” Great. Kevin, having seen the Old Faithful eruption before, heroically offered to take him to the restroom. They got back to us during the last 30 seconds of the eruption. It took a couple of minutes to get out of the parking lot during the mass exodus. Check that off of my bucket list.

We headed northwest toward the Meyer Geyser Basin–looking for the Grand Prismatic Spring. After pulling off into the parking lot that we thought led there, we headed up the trail to nowhere. (Well, I think in actuality it led to Fairy Falls, but we didn’t make it that far.) Morgan had a meltdown about 20 minutes into our hike, dug in his heels, and refused to go any farther. I sat down with him on the side of the path and sent the others onward. I don’t think they made it much farther before they realized that the trail did not lead to the Grand Prismatic Spring. They turned around and met back up with Morgan and me. We never did find it. There were other smaller springs along the way, though, that were pretty. If you want to see an actual picture of the Grand Prismatic Spring, though, you will have to do as we did and Google it.

It was 4:30pm when we got back to the car and we estimated that it would be 2 1/2 hours to where we were staying in Driggs. After exiting Yellowstone through the West Entrance, we passed through Montana into into Idaho.

I need to add here that we STILL have not seen many animals. We saw a lone female elk today right after lunch. She walked across the parking lot making some loud, crazy noises–like she was calling to her baby or something. Anyway, she was very cool…but really the only interesting animal that I saw today.

Everyone was excited about the Airbnb rental that we are staying in for the next three nights. The kids are really happy to each have their own bed. No one will have to sleep with a sibling for the next three nights! By the time we rolled into our rental in Driggs, it was almost 8:00pm and we had not had dinner. There are ZERO chain restaurants in Driggs. I called the only place that I could find that served pizza; they said that they were only doing dine-in that evening–no take-out. I thought, “Seriously, you don’t want me to bring my kids into your place right now!”

Anyway, our saving grace this evening came from a little food stand called Yeti Post. They only serve dinner on Friday nights. (Yay for Friday!) Normally, their fare consists of home-made donuts and brunch food from 7AM-2PM. Friday nights, they serve one plate for a set price. We had BBQ with teriyaki sauce, jasmine rice, slaw, and a coconut custard cake for dessert. Eating on the picnic table on the back porch felt like the perfect ending for the day.

After driving for WAY too many hours today, we made a change to our itinerary. Tomorrow, we are going on a rafting trip down the Snake River in the Grand Teton area. The third day, we were going to go back into Yellowstone but, we decided to spend it in Grand Teton National Park. It’s 2 1/2 hours back to the West Gate of Yellowstone. It’s just too far. The Tetons are gorgeous! It’s an agreeable change of plans.

We woke up this morning in Custer State Park in South Dakota. Before we got in the car for a long day of driving, I wanted to go on a short hike. Kevin and I got up before the kids and took our coffee down to Sylvan Lake at sunrise. We set off on the one-mile loop around the lake.

The information that I had written down from my research of the trail said that it was flat and level. I must have written down the description of the wrong trail! This trail started out level and flat, but turned into boulder climbing. There was a light mist falling and the rocks were really slick in some places. I was really glad that I didn’t know going in, though, because I might have skipped it. It was fantastic! I am so glad that I didn’t miss this little treasure (and adventure).

As I said, it was a little more strenuous than I am used to, so I was glad that Morgan wasn’t with us. Lillian could have handled it; she’s like a mountain goat. I felt like I had stepped into J.R.R. Tolkien’s world! It was so beautiful and we were the only souls out at 6:00 AM. I’m not sure that my photos will do it justice.

When we got back, we sent the older boys out. I sketched a rough map on a scrap of paper to encourage them to stay on the trail. Our cell phones don’t work out here, but I wanted to give them the freedom to explore this together…without us. They were back within the hour declaring that we had over-exaggerated the difficulty of the path. They had a great time, though.

Lillie saw a doe this morning right outside of our door. (The deer are really tame here; they don’t seem scared of people at all. They all have fawns right now, too.) She had a total meltdown at leaving “Doeie” and never seeing her again! We finished packing up the car and headed out by our 8:00 AM target. We saw more deer and a herd of buffalo on the way out of the park.

Most of the day was spent driving to Cody; it was six hours from Custer State Park, SD  to Cody, WY. The scenery was beautiful, but we really didn’t stop anywhere except for gas and bathrooms (which were few and far between).

We checked into our “cabin” at Buffalo Bill Village. I wasn’t thrilled about the accommodations, but we were really only going to be here to sleep so we made it work.

Dinner was at the Irma Hotel. It’s a historic building that Buffalo Bill Cody named after his daughter. There is a famous cherrywood bar in the restaurant that they say was gifted to Buffalo Bill from Queen Victoria. The food was decent, but I found the whole vibe of the place off. I researched the hotel while we were waiting for our food and it is supposed to be really haunted. I don’t know how I feel about all of that, but I was uncomfortable there even before I knew that about the place.

I heard there was a nightly shootout in the street right outside the hotel at 6:00PM. That sounds fun, right? The kids would love an old-fashioned shootout in Cody, Wyoming. Y’all, if I had done a quick Google search, I would have seen the 1-star reviews of this gig and STAYED AWAY. It was TERRIBLE. They would have seriously benefited from getting the local high school kids to do it in the evenings for tips. The story line was terrible. We couldn’t hear half of it anyway. The guns were loud; if you like loud cap guns, I guess that was the only redeeming part. I told Kevin that I was tempted to pinch Morgan so I had an excuse for all of us to slip out of there. I didn’t pinch Morgan; we just suffered through it.

The soda shop across the street provided a consolation prize of root beer floats.

After that, we headed to the rodeo! Cody is the Rodeo Capital of the World. They have a nightly rodeo at 8PM. I had bought tickets ahead of time; they had limited capacity seating right now due to COVID-19. The arena was outdoors. There were quite a few people, but groups spread apart. Announcements were made asking patrons to respect social distancing. Almost no one wore masks, though. We allowed the crowd to disperse a bit before walking back to our car. The show was amazing! I was surprised at how much I got into watching the ladies’ barrel racing. It was so exciting! Our seats were right above the shoots so we could watch the cowboys get on the horses and bulls. I was impressed with how they involved the younger kids. Young cowboys and cowgirls were given not only the opportunity to show their skills, but also allowed to help out during the show.

The whole event was very patriotic. They prayed before the rodeo began and sang the Star Spangled Banner. It felt good to be in a place where military and emergency personnel were acknowledged and thanked. People from all over the country were gathered together to have a good time. It felt…almost NORMAL.

Edwin sat near a lady from outside of Portland. She was telling him how the city has been destroyed; she compared it to Afghanistan. He’s been keeping up with current events this summer, so it was interesting to him to get to hear about it from someone who is living through it first hand. This is definitely a great thing about traveling; the kids get to meet people outside of our little community. They get to see the way that different people live, worship, and think. Edwin loves people and looks for common ground with everyone he meets. I wonder, again, what he will end up doing with his life…

Hey, Y’all! We are still in South Dakota today. We ate dinner last night at the Sylvan Lake Lodge Restaurant; Edwin, Mont, and I had buffalo and Kevin had elk. (Lillie chose chicken fingers and Morgan went for the mini corn dogs.) Service was rushed; we were one of the last before quittin’ time.

There was a wedding party there, too. Four very loud, drunk women were eating at the table behind us. (Think of three fifty-plus-year-olds doing downward dog in the middle of the restaurant in wedding attire.) I laughed at the irony that I had been in a car for two days straight with four kids who got on my nerves WAY less then these ladies. We couldn’t even hear one another! (Spoiler: We saw them today in Deadwood at lunch! They were much calmer today.)

Our cabin was a short drive from the lodge. It has two bedrooms with queen beds, a sofa bed, and two bathrooms. Edwin and Mont were less-than thrilled about sharing a bed; they compromised with me by putting cushions from the couch down the middle of the bed to create the illusion of separate spaces. Boys, I did the best I could, but there are a lot of people in this family to accommodate you each having your own bed every night. I knew that this would be an issue and they WERE warned.

First up TODAY: Mount Rushmore! The place that we were staying inside of Custer State Park is a very short drive from Mount Rushmore National Park. (Another stamp for me, yay!) We walked the short Presidential Trail around the base of the monument. The trail is short–only 0.6 mile, but there are 422 steps. If you go one way, most of the steps are down; if you go the other way, they are mostly up.

I’m glad that we chose the downhill way. I said, “Morgan, will you PLEASE try to alternate your feet? Right. Left. Right. Left.” while the bigger kids bounded on ahead. He has fallen in love with many rocks, flowers, and pine cones and has become quite the collector this trip.

The drizzle started to fall about the time we left Mount Rushmore. We decided to drive to Deadwood and Sturgis. Lunch in Deadwood was at Jacobs Brewhouse & Grocer. It was a cool, little joint. They opened two months ago and our server told us that the Food Network was there yesterday. They had walls of guitars signed by musicians. Next to our table were guitars signed by Paul McCartney, ZZ Top, The Beach Boys, Alabama, and Styx. Edwin loved it! The food was great, too. Edwin, Mont, and I all had the pretzel brisket sandwiches with beer cheese dip. Maybe we will see it featured on Food Network?

We basically did a drive-by of Sturgis. Kevin and Mont went into the Harley Davidson Shop in Sturgis so Kevin could get a t-shirt. The guy working in there said that they had a half a million motorcyclists last year during Bike Week! This year’s Bike Week is a week from Friday. It’s the 80th anniversary, but they are unsure what to expect with COVID-19 this year. (Like everything else, right?)

Our pass around the Custer State Park loop had some amazing scenery, but I was disappointed at the lack of wildlife that we saw. When we went through Custer 14 years ago when Edwin was a baby, buffalo came up to our car. This time we saw two herds, but they were way off in the distance. The animals that we DID see in the park are the same ones that we can see at home–donkeys, turkeys, and deer. There were donkeys in the 1930s that were used for tours. At some point, they were released and roam freely around the park. They are called the “begging burros” as they will come up to to tourists looking for treats.

Spontaneously, Kevin turned down a dirt road on our way back to the cabin. We wound our way up to the top of Mount Coolidge Lookout Tower (elevation 6,024 ft). The views were spectacular. Climbing a few steps to the top of the tower, there was a pair of those binoculars that you activate with a quarter. You could look miles away and see Mount Rushmore.

Mont started asking for food again. (This boy MUST be growing.) We had picked up sandwiches at a Subway to take back for dinner. There really isn’t any food (other than the lodge) within 25 minutes of where we are staying. We ate dinner and I CRASHED at 8:00 PM. Kevin built a fire in the fire pit for the kids, but I just COULDN’T. Somehow everyone got to bed without my additional assistance.

 

 

Today I got to see my Aunt Karen! My mom’s sister lives in Sioux Falls; she met us for lunch at Falls Park. It was great to catch up and walk around and enjoy this beautiful space. Sioux Falls, the largest city in South Dakota, reminded us a lot of Greenville, SC. There is a fun, quirky downtown area mixed with natural beauty.

After lunch, we headed WEST up I90. Most of South Dakota is very remote. Where do people buy toilet paper here??? Lots of corn, hay, and cattle for as far as you can see–and you can see FAR. We stopped at two rest areas and a gas station in 250 miles. There really wasn’t much else.

As we got closer to the Badlands, the topography started to change. Suddenly, there were rolling hills. We got to the Badlands visitor’s center 3 minutes before closing time. (I’ve been cutting it close with getting my Passport book stamped!) Y’all the Badlands are SO interesting. We got some good photos, but it’s so hard to capture the openness and vastness with a cell phone camera.

Next stop was Wall Drug. You can’t drive across South Dakota and NOT stop at Wall Drug. There are signs for hundreds of miles counting down the distance and advertising their wares. We used the bathroom (again) and got fresh doughnuts.

Now we are on to Custer State Park where was are staying in a 2-bedroom housekeeping cabin at Sylvan Lake Lodge. We have 7:30pm reservations at the Sylvan Lake Lodge restaurant. Buffalo…it’s for dinner. I think we will be rolling in on two wheels to make it by then. Mont has been reminding me since 5:30 EST that it would be dinner time back home. Poor boy; he must be growing!

Today was the first day of our two week adventure with our family through Western U.S.A amidst COVID-19. Would you like to take our road trip with us? You can let us navigate the travel restrictions, mask-wearing regulations, and break up the sibling fights. Hop onto our virtual-luggage rack and sight-see with us.

We’ve been planning this trip for nearly a year! Originally, we were driving from Georgia. When airline prices continued to drop, we changed things up a bit and decided to fly. The kids would have less time in the car each day and we could shave two days off of our travel time. We took a two leg flight–from Atlanta into St. Louis and then into Omaha.

I would never have attempted this if my kids weren’t already expert travelers and airport navigators, but I felt like a Rock Star by the time we boarded the first plane. I don’t think my kids touched a thing that they weren’t supposed to touch. We had drilled. I had my “COVID kit” of masks, hand-wipes, and travel towels. We wiped down all the touchable surfaces on the plane. I took the little kids one at a time to the restroom so that I could monitor easier. Kids are really so adaptable; they didn’t even complain about wearing their masks all morning.

 

After hopping in our rented Ford Expedition in Omaha, we headed North to our first official stop, the Missouri National Recreational River. We made it 12 miles from the airport before we had to stop for lunch and bathrooms. McDonald’s. It was closed to dine-in customers so we picnicked in the grass out in the parking lot. (It was pretty much like Georgia’s McDonald’s. They even had Sweet Tea.)

Driving through Iowa, we marveled at the black dirt and the enormous tractors. Hay bales line the sides of the highway amidst miles and miles of corn. We entertained the idea of Kevin getting a pilot’s license and becoming a crop-duster and buying a bunch of land and becoming farmers. Edwin didn’t appreciate our dream…so we abandoned it.

 

We reached the visitor’s center for the Missouri National Recreational River in Yankton, SD just 15 minutes before it closed. The park ranger was gracious with his time! He loaded Lillie and Morgan up with a coloring book and stickers. I got my stamps for my National Park Passport book collection. We watched a movie with the older kids in the lobby showing the highlights of the history of the Missouri River.

The ranger gave us directions to a bridge a few blocks away that we could walk across to observe the river.  Needing to stretch our legs from a long day of travel, we took his advice. This bridge was so cool! It was a “love lock” bridge. It had locks all over where people had inscribed memories of loved ones. I had never seen one of these before; Edwin and I were fascinated by the untold stories.

We drove on to Sioux Falls and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown on the river. We had two adjoining rooms–Edwin and Mont got the queen beds in one room, Kevin and I claimed the king bed in the other, and Lillie and Morgan shared the pull-out couch. We have a great view of the water from the porch off of our suite.

Walking around downtown to find dinner, we were delighted at the city’s Sculpturewalk. There are over 60 sculptures dotting the downtown area. These sculptures are generally traded out annually, but the process had to be adapted this year. We found an Irish Pub for dinner–delicious food and great service. Bangers and mash, anyone?

When I took typing in high school (on an ACTUAL typewriter), I was taught to leave two spaces after a period. I’m not sure when that changed, but, now, it is proper to leave only one. That’s where we are right now; we are inside the space after the period.

I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed this time. I squeezed in close to my kids; I bought some chicks and started a garden. Pulling-up-the-drawbridge healed something in me that I didn’t know was broken. I found the margin.

This time will be forever-divided into before and after. Before this began, we came off of a (GASP!) cruise to the Caribbean. My kids were in the middle of rehearsals for two plays. Edwin, my oldest, had the leading role in both of them. We were juggling homeschooling, Adventure-schooling, guitar lessons, voice lessons, dance lessons, and 4-H clubs. My amazing husband and I also own a sixty-year-old furniture store in our small-town of Clarkesville, Georgia. I had TWO nannies and a housekeeper. Life was so busy!

Change is in the air. At the beginning of 2020, we made the huge decision to send our kids to school next year. They will all be attending Rabun Gap Nacoochee School nearly an hour from our home. This is the first time that I have publicly declared this information. I feel the weight of judgement that this decision brings. Why did you stop homeschooling? Why aren’t you sending your kids to public school? Why didn’t you choose the Other private school? How could you put your Pre-K’er on a bus and send him an hour away to school?

You don’t need to ask me, because I’ve already gone through all of this myself.

I’m so nervous, y’all. My family is the greatest thing since sliced-bread. Seriously. We ROCK. I’ve got these amazing kids. Our teenager actually likes us. My kids love spending time with one another. I don’t want to mess this up! I’ve been at this Mom-gig for fifteen years now. I have fourteen more to go before the last one leaves the nest. When I had two kids that I was homeschooling (and no outside work), it was manageable for me. This year, I added teaching-a-kindergartener-to-read and learning-a-new-career to the balls that I was juggling. Next year, a pre-K’er will be tossed into the mix, as well. I. Can’t. Do. It. All. Anymore. Whew! There I said it.

I have some paths that I want to explore. For ME. It felt selfish to want anything more than the perfection that I have, but I need to explore some interests of my own. A couple of weeks ago, we went to drive-in church. Our pastor was talking about using this time to explore career changes. I think he was probably directing this towards people who are out of work–thankfully, that isn’t me, but I listened anyway. He said, “What would you PAY someone to let you do? Do you have a talent for it?” An idea popped into my head. I’m still tossing it around. Kevin knows. My kids know. It’s something that I want to explore, but I needed the space to see it.

I can feel life revving up again. I know that it won’t be long, now, before we find our “new normal” in the world of the virus. What will be my Takeaway from all of this? Will I repack our calendars and to-do lists or will I sit in this holy, creative space a little longer? It’s so much easier to hear God’s whisper when we sit still, isn’t it? I pray, as I sit here inside the empty space between the Stop and the Start, that I find the right place to begin again.

I’m really angry at this virus. Almost overnight, it managed to take away one of the most powerful tools that we have as humans. It turned the healing power of touch upside down and vilified it and demonized it. It’s keeping us from worshiping together and laying hands on the sick and the burdened. All good and responsible people, except those on the front-lines of this madness, are told to stay home, stay apart from one another. It’s our duty. We are now scared to touch one another! How can something be this powerful??? It’s craziness that in order to save ourselves and our families, we have to give up such an important piece of our humanity.

Yes, we have our internet connections. I know that we are all doing the best that we can with our virtual meet-ups. (My kids are even practicing for a play online!) Unfortunately, technology doesn’t replace the physical connection between people. We know this and have preached it to our kids, if we’ve been wise parents.

I’m just not sure that it’s what Jesus would have done. He’s the Healer, though. He would have been with the doctors, I suppose. He wasn’t scared of the lepers and the bleeding woman who touched him in the crowd of people. (No pushing crowds of people around here, huh?) I am encouraged, however, that Jesus’ healing didn’t always require his touch. There were many times that people were healed by faith alone–even from a distance!

The Bible gives us hope for this isolated situation in John 16:32-33. This is the part of Jesus’ story when Jesus is talking to his disciples about his impending death and resurrection. This is what Jesus said. “Look: An hour is coming, and has come, when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. you will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” Of course, Jesus is talking about how he will die on the cross and the disciples won’t be there for him–they will be huddled up in their homes fearing for their lives because of their association with Jesus. God the Father will be with him, though. He’s not talking about being home alone, under quarantine, so we don’t risk passing a potentially-deadly virus to one another, but my take-away from this message is that we don’t have to be alone. God is with US, also. (I don’t think that this connection is too big of a stretch!)

Love on those in your home that you are permitted to love on. Respect the laws and mandates that the government provides, but don’t live in a spirit of fear. We are commanded to love our neighbors. If we are needed, we should go! I will now hop down off of my virtual soapbox with my hands properly washed. Peace be with you all.

 

This year has been a roller coaster! Walk with me back over 2019 as I reflect on this year and what it has meant to our family. Thank you so much to our friends new and old for your support this year–our first year as owners of Wood’s in Downtown Clarkesville.

January 1, 2019 We helped the staff of Woods Furniture conduct inventory (for the last time without a computer system).

January 3, 2019 We closed on Woods Furniture.

January 4, 2019 We opened the doors as the new owners of Woods Furniture.

January 2019 Our daughter, Lillie turned 5.

February 2019 Our older boys were in Oliver at Habersham Community Theater.

February 2019 Our son, Mont, turned 10.

February 10, 2019 We went to Las Vegas for a buying group trade-show. Although we had been to many trade-shows in Vegas in the carwash industry, this was our first in furniture.

February 26, 2019 Our re-branding company, Parisleaf,  revealed our new logo.

March 2019 Our son, Morgan, turned 3.

March 10, 2019 We had family photos taken for marketing.

March 23, 2019 Our son, Edwin and his team from The Torch placed first in the Northeast Georgia Bible Quiz Championship.

March 30, 2019 Our Wood’s Mercantile logo was publicly displayed for the first time at Dancing with the Stars for Hope.

April 6, 2019 We attended High Point Market for the first time.

April 17, 2019 We vacationed in Washington D.C. celebrating Passover and Easter with friends.

May 2019 Edwin and Mont were in Into the Wood, Jr.

May 18, 2019 We had a great time as a Wood’s family at the Mountain Laurel Festival.

May 23, 2019 Demolition began inside Wood’s. Walls came down; pegboard was removed.

June 12, 2019 Entrance flooring completed.

June 21-22, 2019 Annual Sale Event/Our kids’ summer-camp drama production.

June 24, 2019 Family cruise from New York City to Bermuda.

July 12, 2019 Our 13-year-old son, Edwin, is officially taller than Kevin.

July 13, 2019 Our kids try out for The Sound of Music. Lillie gets the role of Gretyl!

July 17, 2019 The showroom floor gets reset with items from market. Everything is looking amazing!

July 21, 2019 We took the kids fishing at Papa and Grandma’s.

August 1, 2019 Kevin and I toured the La-Z-Boy factory in Tennessee.

August 2, 2019 Our son, Edwin, becomes the International Bible Quiz Champion for The Church of God at Teen Talent.

August 9, 2019 Edwin, Mont, and Lillie begin classes at The Adventure School.

August 19, 2019 Kevin and I attended our second buying group show; this one was in New Orleans.

August 2019 Our annual family vacation to Jamaica.

September 5, 2019 Lillie’s first dance class.

September 2019 The Hills Are Alive…We had three weeks of Sound of Music performances. Lillian was Gretyl and I was the stage mom–working backstage making sure everyone got into their (MANY) costumes and onstage.

September 2019 Lillie got a kitten. She named her Storm.

October 2019 Our oldest son, Edwin, turned 14.

October 20, 2019 We attended our SECOND High Point Market.

October 31, 2019 Trick or Treating in Downtown Clarkesville was a huge success!

November 3, 2019 My older sons helped me with our Clarkesville Kiwanis Zombie Run event.

November 8, 2019 Our friends from Washington D.C. stayed with us for a few days. They live in a D.C. suburb, so our Georgia farm was a new experience for them!

November 18, 2019 Kevin and I had a belated anniversary trip to Asheville.

November 22, 2019 …Then we took the kids to Dollywood in our motorhome.

November 27, 2019 Christmas lights go up at Wood’s.

November 30, 2019 My 44 birthday…I spoke at a friend’s funeral. (This was to be the first funeral of three during this holiday season. This was heart-breaking time for our friends and family.)

December 4, 2019 Edwin and Mont performed in Willy Wonka.

December 13, 2019 Habersham Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Grand Opening of our La-Z-Boy Comfort Studio.

December 15, 2019 Wood’s Christmas Party at out home.

December 20, 2019 Back to Dollywood.

December 23, 2019 Another funeral…this one for my children’s 12-year old friend. She was in Willy Wonka with them just two weeks before she died. Families piled into our little theater to honor her short life.

December 25, 2019 Christmas Day

January 1, 2020 We completed a First Day Hike and then had friends over for a traditional, Southern New Year’s dinner of black-eyed peas and collards.

January 2, 2020 Another funeral…this time for the mother of our 16-year-old employee, Cole. This was such a tragedy for our Wood’s family!!!

When I look back at this year, I give myself permission to be tired… We have accomplished so much in a short period of time. Our kids have grown and gotten to have a lot of wonderful experiences. Our business got a POS system, updated branding, and remodeled inside; I learned how to market a business. Kevin and I feel blessed and thankful–and look forward to 2020!

 

 

Anyone who knows me even a little bit will know that I am crazy about my husband. We get along well and enjoy just being together. A lot. When I looked back at this wild, beautiful year that we have had at Wood’s Mercantile, I am humbled by our little space that we have carved out together in this world.

We had our ribbon-cutting for our new La-Z-Boy Comfort Studio yesterday. We were surrounded by our family, friends, and community members who have supported us this year. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for ALL of it.

…Then we took off on a date together.

We have four really amazing kids: Edwin, 14, Mont, 10, Lillian, 5, and Morgan 3. For the last twelve years or so, we have had a weekly date night. We very seldom miss it. The weeks that we have had to miss for some reason, we try to make it up some way–we have lunch together or send the kids upstairs so we can cook together and listen to music  in the kitchen. We are very protective of this time…and it has been SUCH a blessing to our marriage. Sometimes date night is a trip through COSTCO followed by a quick dinner at Chipolte. For a couple of years, we used to go to the local auction every Friday night. Recently, I have made more intentional dates for us a couple of times a month to get us away from work for an evening. What we are “into” has changed over the years…but we continue to be “into” one another.

There isn’t any greater gift that you can give your kids than to spend time with your spouse. Our kids feel secure knowing that in an uncertain world, our home is a safe place to fall. Kevin and I will back one another up; they don’t try to play us against one another because they see us as one unit. We flirt in front of them. We respect one another. We make our marriage a top priority.

I thanked him this morning for always making me feel secure in my place by his side. In the sixteen years that I have been with him, never once has he given me reason to doubt his love and respect for me as a woman. Never once. He’s solid, y’all.

Kevin and I aren’t Gift People. I haven’t bought him the first thing for Christmas and I know that he hasn’t bought anything for me either. This isn’t how we show our love for one another. It adds to that One-More-Thing-To-Do during this already overly-busy season.

So this year, I wanted to dedicate this space to My Love.

Kevin, I love Us. Every. Single. Day. Thank you for bringing honor and goodness into the world. You are an amazing husband, father, and friend. You are everything I could wish for every Christmas and New Year of my life.

Merry Christmas, Sweetheart.

Today is my 44th birthday and I just finished writing a eulogy for a friend who lost her battle with cancer on Thanksgiving. I am to deliver it tomorrow during the funeral.

It’s also Small Business Saturday. This is my first year marketing…well, anything.  Preparing a retail store for the Christmas-shopping season feels like a Big Deal. It’s like the finish line of my year-long, marketing-learning marathon. Will we finish strong?

Then death happened…forcing me to stop. God has a way of doing that to me. Writing about and speaking-in-front-of-a-whole-bunch-of people about the life of a friend–what their life meant to you–you have to stop and change gears. I have had just over 24 hours to prepare–to summarize the life of this beautiful woman as I knew her to be in less than five minutes. What a great honor and privilege I have been given. Slow down, Melissa. Breathe deeply.

The last time that I spoke at a funeral, it was for my little brother. Another one who died Too Young and Too Full-of-Life. Andy gave me a lot of fuel. We had a lifetime of funny stories and inside jokes! Through the process of preparing that speech and sharing his testimony, even in the heart-break, I found Joy. That was three years ago.

Death grabs our attention, doesn’t it? It forces us to pause the busyness and reflect on the beauty of life. It reminds us that we only get one shot at this thing. How are we going to use our days…how are we going to use EACH day?

How can I love bigger? How can I serve better? How can I be a better Me? How can I walk closer with God–learning his will for my life? How can I lean in a little deeper? God, I ask You to order my steps today.

I am thankful for this opportunity to reflect, not only on Michele’s life, but on my own. Even in her death, Michele stretches me to be a better version of myself.

Y’all, I think I just found my Birthday Wish.