Incidentals!

The best thing about trips is always the incidentals....It is the funny crazy unexpected things that happen along the way and our trip was full of them. It started off with our 7 hour drive which I loved because we got in some really good talk time. Chris and I had so much to talk about from the show to the whole crazy direction of our life right now. Well when we arrived we of course were hungry and my kids are just freaks of nature in that they really don't like fast food very much. We began perusing the streets for a good restaurant and then they spot Luby's and begin screaming....now at this point if you know what a Luby's is then you know that Chris and I were going to do everything in our power to get out of going there but the girls were so excited and determined that dinner was a "waitn for us there." I said ok girls I am just warning you that we will be the only people under the age of 70 or have all our teeth in our heads so if you are still game, we will go. I was hoping this would deter them but no.....they were still game and this is how it went.
Here we are in front of Luby's notice the elderly woman walking in the front door.

Here we are in line.....notice the other diners...was I right or what!!

Here is a little scan of the restaurant.

We also noticed that there were signs around the restaurant giving instructions on how to handle a choking or heart attack situation...something tells me those instructions have come in handy more than once.

The next day was Sea World day. We went with the Orgill family. The girls were so excited. All they could talk about was the big roller coasters and all the rides. We had a great day. Here are some pics of the fun!

Bray's and Orgills just before going on the Steel eel.

We came off of this one VERY wet!

Mom spent most of the day on the kiddie rides...and I loved every minute of it!!

We were all tuckered out from all the fun. Especially Dad and Chloe.

Dad lassos the moon for Olivia
The first day was kind of a bummer for Olivia because the biggest and best roller coaster "The Great White" had a height restriction and she barely missed it. All the kids including 2 that were younger than her were able to go. She put on a brave face but we knew she was sad. Chris wanted to cheer her up so he said "Hey, while they are on the ride, lets you and I go and play some games". This was huge for Chris because he is the typical dad who says "no" to all the carnival games because no one ever wins and they are a waste of money. We all remember our parents telling us that. Well she was so excited that he had acquiesced on this parental hold out that she went off happy to play games with her Dad. This is what we saw when they came back.

I am not sure if it shows in the pictures but I have never seen a girl so happy or in love with her Dad than Olivia that night at Sea World with a bear bigger than herself. You truly would have thought he had lassoed the moon for her. She was just beaming and couldn't stop holding his hand and telling him how much she loves him. As we went to bed Chris said to me..."I have ruined it for any other boy that comes along in her life...no one will ever live up to the life size bear that her Dad won for her when she was 10" These are the things that bind us as families and help girls always remember that their Dads will always love them best.
What was the game he played?....a simple toss the ball in the basket.
It looks easy but we went back the next day and the Orgill family spent $25.00 trying to win one for one of their kids who was green with envy at seeing Olivia but no such luck. I think there may have been a little divine intervention that night....I am always grateful for the Lords tender mercies in my life.

Ok, Last incidental....The whole trip was great!! We had fun, laughed a lot and loved being with our kids and the Orgill family. As we were leaving the Orgills suggested that we meet their Uncle who lives there for dinner at his favorite restraunt. It is called the Little Red Barn and it is truly out of the old west. No menus...the menu is on the walls and everything tastes like it was cooked over and open fire on the plains of Texas. We LOVED the food but the view was less than desireable. Right in front of us and in constant view as we ate our nummy food was this fine gentleman. This may not look too bad but I must say that I did take the picture when the view was least offensive. Chris and I laughed and laughed and in a strange way it made the experience much more authentic.