So back in Lubbock, we were able to rest up for a few days, enjoyed some down-time, and my Dad made sure we had some of his world-famous smoked barbecue beef brisket (after which, any tired soul would feel rejuvenated) and then we were ready to hit the road again.

On Monday June 30, we left Lubbock to head to Henderson, NV to spend time with Eric's parents. Lucky for us, our children are pro travelers, so we made the 14 hour trip in one day with no real issues. We had a wonderful time at ‘Grandma and Grandpa’s’ house , as always, being at "home" in Henderson. We relaxed, played games, ate good food, shared stories, laughed, and enjoyed all the comforts of being home. the kids thoroughly enjoyed time spent with Grandma Kathy making sock puppets, conducting daily, fun science experiments (have you ever watched Ivory soap “grow” in the microwave?), feeding Betty the tortoise, and riding their scooters to the park. A highlight for us all was spending time at O’Callahan park, where there is perfectly large loop of sidewalk, with perfectly large hills, around a perfectly large park, that is perfect for riding scooters. We all took turns and had timed races - the kids thought it was awesome that Grandpa Darrel beat Dad. The kids particularly liked it when the sprinklers came on at the park, and they found themselves blissfully racing throughout he cold, wet, mist. Fun for all, for sure. On the Fourth of July, we all climbed up to the top of the roof and sat and watched all the fireworks in the Valley. I remember thinking - this is probably the best way we could have spent Independence Day. My heart was full of gratitude for our family and our country. It was simply wonderful.