Our vacation in West Virginia

Over Labor Day weekend, I did something that is about as impromptu as I can get. Ryan and I packed the car, borrowed a GPS, asked his parents to feed the pets and around 9 p.m., Friday night, we left for West Virginia!

My father and brother moved there when my father remarried and I missed them terribly, so to surprise both of them (and of course to have a break from the monotony) we decided a trip to visit would be perfect.

My stepmother is a wonderful woman who kept our trip a secret from my dad. They had to tell my brother because he and my dad were actually planning to come visit us that weekend! So of course everyone knew we were going to visit, except my dad.

We were planning a nice family reunion, however, my sister had some car trouble and she decided not to ride in our car. Though she had the option of riding with us, she chose to stay home and spend the weekend with her friends.

After our drive, which took approximately 9 hours of driving, we met my dad and Linda at a gas station. The look on my dad's face was priceless! I won't deny, I was a little teary eyed and extremely tired, but I was so happy to see him. When we made it to their house I pretty much lost it when I saw my brother. Gone was the multicolored long hair. I could see his pretty blue eyes and he smiled. He never smiled like that in Indiana.

For four days I spent time with my stepsiblings. I remembered what it was like to have my stuff go missing, listening to siblings argue and to hear the echo of slamming doors. What I was unprepared for was watching my brother be the role model and explain to my step nephew why it is so important to do what his mommy says. It was so odd watching this same little boy call my dad, papaw. Both of them have taken on incredible roles of responsibility and it is beautiful to see.

I was in heaven. Every morning I woke up and stood on the porch and watched the fog clear as the sun rose over the mountains. For those few minutes everyday, I felt peace and calm. For four days I read books, solved puzzles and watched movies. Everytime I looked out a window I saw beauty.

While on a drive my dad told me that he loved Indiana, and he missed being here with his children, but (West Virginia) is God's country.

Things that I learned on my vacation:

* Not every McDonald's is 24 hour, and if you do find one that is, then be careful! There are some funny looking people!

* Pay attention to the GPS and don't let it direct you to downtown Cincinnati!!! I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes!

* There is a Walmart, you have to drive 30 miles and go up and down a few mountains, it is the only level area!

* If you and your honey are trapped in the car for 500 miles, and you don't argue once, then chances are guaranteed you are going to argue when you hit your destination.

* Prepare for everything bad to happen, hope that nothing bad happens!

* The only thing babies do is eat, sleep, cry and potty. And not in that particular order!

* Plan on taking breaks, and make sure you have time to sleep. If you have to be at work at 2 p.m., plan to make it home by 10 a.m.

* In West Virginia, if the sign says slow down, you slow down! Because once you go off the side of a mountain, no one can help you then!