I’m sure you’ve all played the children’s alphabet game where you start with A and work your way along, taking turns naming “Letter appropriate”  items and  trying to remember what all the other players said.. “I’m going West and I’m taking..”  This week this game is reality for me.. I’m going West, leaving Friday, Lord willing and I’m taking…

Atlas

Bunch of girls (9 of us to be exact)

Coppertone (I like to name my vans, and Mother requested that it be something that none of my sister would ever want to name a child.. So we have Coppertone.. I hope that’s safe)

Directions to exotic destinations

Energy drinks (I like the “5 hour energy” product)

Flip-flops (Rainbow brand.. These.are.awesome)

Geoffrey Garmin, the trusty GPS

Hotel Guide.. We are travelling with the AAA advantage.. 🙂

Ibuprofen

JUANITA!!  So thankful that cousin Juan is along as my second driver 🙂

Key to the lock on my luggage box, which I’m assuming will house the souvenirs..

Laptop

Mercy of our Heavenly Father.. This isn’t something I’m taking… It’s what I’m relying on..

National Park Pass

Opportunity for you to get in on part of our experience, via our blog updates..

Postcard stamps

Quality time/memories in the making

Random music selections

Sunglasses

Track phone, flip phone, iPhone

Umbrella

Visa

Water bottles (We are preparing to embark on a somewhat lengthy hike.. Trudging into the depths of a barren, desolate, ravine in a remote area.. Hmmm..Stay tuned)

Xcitment.. Enough to last for a whole month of adventure

Yummy snacks

Zillions of pics

And this is only a starter list.. I’m getting excited about the journey… I covet your prayers.. Please feel free to stop by here often, vicariously, as we are hoping to stay fairly current with our trip.. And if not, see you in a little over a month, Lord willing.. Blessings, Kendra

Bonus Pics:

One of my cousins became very creative with a chainsaw, leaving a large chair in place of a tree along the road that runs past the front of his house… I was reminded of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, when I came past this week.. “There’s someone sitting in my chair…And THERE he is!!” Apparently someone with an excellent sense of humor has been dropping off things anonymously… First was a stuffed possum.. Next this monstrous bear.. I’m eagerly awaiting to see what happens next..

photo credit: Deborah

Along with my parent’s purchase of a small house near our farm, came the chance to make a little hay on the acreage that came with the house.. Detroit wished to ride along and he INSISTED that he ride on the driver’s seat.. I could NOT get him to move..

Mother and I were back in Greenbank, WV recently and we took a walk through the National Observatory..  They have a “Planet Trail” where they have stations, a flag, and info, dedicated to each planet along the way, on scale in relation to their distance from the sun… Since Pluto has been dethroned from planetation (is that a word-lol) the Pluto flag now flies at half staff..

This past weekend was extra busy with a large number  of Mother’s Rhodes family coming in from all over the US and Western half of Canada.. (literally) The story  from a hired girl who worked in their home, goes- my Great Grandma Sarah Mable would make 17 pies on Wed and 18 pies on Fri.. And the family of 11 children would eat pie at each meal.. So it seemed appropriate that pie be on the family reunion dinner menu.. Saturday saw a spread of 55+ pies.. And if you didn’t mind to stand in line for a length of time, the selection was impressive.. (unless you were like the bro-in-law, and snagged dessert before he’d finished the main meal, thus eliminating the wait time.. :))

photo credit: Emily

Deborah left on SMBI’s WATER program, and will be in Nicaragua through the end of July.. I was rather amused at her last minute instructions,and farewell hugs to the security crew

And finally, I’m really thankful to put a few hours in the wheat field, before I leave my poor dad holding the bag.. Again.. Sorry, Father.. Maybe someday, you’ll find RELIABLE help..  🙂