The Byrd got accepted to an Operation Purple Camp at YMCA Camp Carson back in May … it was a week long camp in Indiana … states away from home … brave little thing.
She had the most incredible time whilst she was there … met people from 9 Nations … learned a bit of German and got to practice her accents. She earned 5 levels in Nature — girl has survival skills! She can build a fire all on her own … she’s looking forward to showing off this skill when we go camping. 🙂
The day we picked her up from camp, the leaders brought in their troops … Byrd was in Chippewa. They were singing chants and being goofy and dancing and it was just epic. When I caught a glimpse of her, she looked ten feet tall and full of adventureous stories to share with us. She looked as though she’d aged an entire year in that week … gawsh, I was so happy to see her again. This was our first time apart for more than a day or two, since she was born. It was hard … definitely a learning experience, and for sure something she wants to do again!
When I got to hug her for the first time, I squeezed a bit too hard. 😉 That was an incredible feeling … this gangly thing before me had been eaten by mosquitos, had cuts and scrapes, her hair was in dreadlocks (well, it looked like it anyway) … and she stunk like camp and sweat. lol So beautiful!
It was a long drive home from Indiana, but we stopped in St. Louis along the way for a break. 🙂 We saw the Gateway Arch, which let me tell you … is INCREDIBLE!! So beautiful! I was enthralled by the architecture in this city … so many different styles all meshed together in one city, amazingly beautiful!
Oh, and it happened to be game day when we rolled through …
Now for the real reason we stopped in St. Louis — Pappy’s Smokehouse! I’d looked up a place to stop for dinner when the Bug and I were on our way back, and found Pappy’s — it was closed when we got there!! Ugh. They’d sold out by 5pm. The reviews on Google were insane … 5 stars? Really? We had to go … we LOVE BBQ!! 😀 We decided to make it a lunch stop on the way back from picking the Byrd up instead, and made it … whew! The line was out the door. Crazy! The food was incredible … the flavors … the environment … it’s a great place and a must-see if you like BBQ.
Ugh … don’t even get me started
We took the scenic route along the old highways and had to stop for some time in Illinois … at first we thought there had been an accident, as two state troopers were in the middle of the highway, but then we heard the rumble of the bikes and realized what was going on. A funeral procession was underway, and the Patriot Guard was leading the way. Lord, I am so thankful for this group and all that they do. The funeral had been for a fallen soldier … God, bless his family, and be with them through this difficult time. He was far too young.
The clouds made the drive soooooo much more interesting. <3 <3 <3
Many more hours into this drive, the sun was beginning to set … it was a truly incredible view out the windshield — no, I wasn’t driving. For once, I was the passenger. 🙂 We slept like rocks that night.
Till next year, St. Louis!
