Arkansas trip

We took a long weekend to go see the kids in Arkansas.  We decided to take Highway 400 and then at Pittsburg we took a road we had never been on before that angled into the north end of Joplin (#171).

We came across FEMA housing - people living there who have been displaced from the Joplin tornado that hit in May of last year.  Row upon row of stark white mobile homes.

At the corner of business 71 where we would turn to go to US 44, there was a Culver's!!!!!!  My favorite restaurant ever!  We did not know that Joplin had one of these!  When the kids lived in Green Bay and we would take a trip up to see them, we would hit Culver's along the way for our meals.  Butter burgers and frozen custard.  (I know - not at all healthy, but it sure is delicious!!!)

After we ate, we continued down 71 and veered off for a short sight see, to see how things were coming.

The trees are coming back to life, but boy, some of them have been mutilated and scarred.  (In our own lives, we may seem to heal from emotional or physical suffering, but often the devastation has lasting effects, doesn't it?)

                    The Lord is near to all who call on Him,

                             to all who call on Him in truth.

                     He heals the brokenhearted

                                  and binds up their wounds.

                                                        Psalm 145:18, 147:3

Many of the buildings are still "broken".

St. John's hospital has been gutted.  And the hospital is not rebuilding here.  There is a temporary facility that is quite nice, but they are building a new facility on 44 that is scheduled to reopen in 2015.

And there are new homes being built too.

We got a call from the grandkids wondering how close we were.  Oops.  We got a little distracted.  We enjoy driving and seeing new things but we better get back on the road!

As we drove into Arkansas, we saw that we were not escaping the Kansas heat.

 I wondered if anyone would be golfing at Bella Vista, but there were a few "odd balls" out there in the afternoon heat.  Those people are golf addicts I think, to want to be out there in the suffocating heat!

We pulled into Josh's driveway and walked to Grammi's house next door.  She watches them one day a week (or 2 half days) when both Josh and Staci work.  The children were so excited we had finally made it!

Their grammi is something else!  Look at all those toys in the living room!  Grandchild heaven!  Way to go Lisa!!

While we waited for Josh and Staci, we played toys and read books (they LOVE to read books!)

When our kids got off work, we walked the children back to their house.

The kids had posted this sign on their art room door.

However, grown-ups ARE allowed in the rest of the house to play with them.  They love for Papa to be a horse and buck them off!

For dinner, we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants in the area - Marketplace Grill!  Staci worked there one year as a waitress in highschool and this was a spot we frequented with Josh when he was in college at JBU.

Eli's daddy draws for him while waiting for his mac 'n' cheese.

And Emeri is on her "phone" with her best friend.

A great beginning to a wonderful weekend!