Hoosier Wanderings

A road trip to Indiana (to help my parents celebrate their wedding anniversary) rounded out the month of October. Spending 14+ hours trapped inside the car together is great for family bonding. I think! ;-)

Now that four out of five Smiths can operate a motor vehicle, there is no shortage of willing drivers. Since we only "need" to change drivers &/or fuel up once or twice along the route, not everybody gets a turn behind the wheel. Who says that making the recommended ten minute break every two hours is a necessity?! Making frequent stops (to stretch and regain feeling in the extremities) along an 850 mile route is certainly overrated. Our goal is to get to our destination safely and post a favorable time -- and to have fun along the way. It is always good to reach the end of the road, even if we are too stiff & sore to climb out of the car. Then the unspoken "race" to the bathroom is on.

A not so happy meal..

On the trip to the Hoosier state, we were forced to eat breakfast at McDonald's, somewhere in rural Oklahoma. There were ABSOLUTELY no other dining options, & we were all hungry. Yes, hungry enough to eat a McBreakfast. It had been at least twelve years since I had eaten any food at a "Big M," and now I remember why I shy away from going there. Stopping for a potty break at McD's is fine, but I will never, ever, ever, ever again order food. 'Nuf said.

Along the way, we read, slept, sang, and discussed many "deep & philosophical" topics. I love talking to my kids about "stuff!" I also enjoy taking in the views -- small towns, large cities, interesting signs, other motorists -- it's all good! I was hoping for enjoying the scenic autumn countryside, but the fall color was a tad past its peak. We did spot a colorful tree here & there throughout MO, IL, and IN.

Sometimes seeing one brightly colored tree (or individual leaf) amidst washed out or dull colors is prettier than an entire "forest" of orange, red, and yellow. Seeing the fall foliage on this trip caused me to be reminded of God's creativity -- even as the leaves whither & die there is an amazing display of color and beauty. When I reach the autumn of my life I want there to be vivid colors displayed of the things God has done through me. He gets the glory. I'm just a branch. (John 15:5) But I want to have color -- and fruit!

More fall color...

Melts in your mouth, not in your hand!

This road trip was made so that we could honor my parents as they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Sixty years is a long time! We "Thompson kids" hosted an open house/party at my parents' church. We counted about 150 people in attendance -- probably an equal "relative to friend ratio."

Take a look at some of the beautiful smiling faces I got to see:

We rounded up 5/9 of the grandkids for a photo op. with the grandparents. If I had amazing photoshop skills, I could add the missing four into the picture.

Dwight & AFMMT

Do these two look related?!

Hooray for cousins!

I was thankful that several friends from high school attended my parents' bash. It was wonderful to catch up with these gals. I promised this trio that I would not post any photos of them on Facebook, but I think it's okay to share this image on my blog. I hope so, any way.

Vroom! Vroom!

We also got to visit with my cousin and his family as they were en route to a weekend of drag racing in Tennessee. Their sons took the time to get one of their jr. dragsters out of the trailer to demonstrate just how loud & fast these little cars are. Earplugs are optional.

This is my cousin Gary, his wife, and three sons. Even with the sun grins, they are a handsome fam!

Up on the rooftop reindeer pause...

(Wait! Those aren't reindeer. But it looks like rain, dear.)

While in the Hoosier state, Mr. Smith & Mr. Smith Jr. got to reroof one of my dad's garages and install a new toilet. (Sorry, no pot shots.) My guys love having chores to do.

"Grandpa" had to help, too! None of the womenfolk wanted to climb on the roof, but we happily took photos to document the progress.

On the road again...

We left at 4:45 a.m. EST on the 31st so we could get back to TX in time for Millie to meet up with her friend Katie. These two girlies had plans for dressing up & hitting the neighborhood in search of refined sugary goodness -- the more chocolate, the better. :-0

We opted for coming home through Memphis, so the change of scenery made for a more interesting journey. No matter the route, it still takes fourteen hours to make the trip. I am sure that there is a shortcut somewhere. (Perhaps through the DFW airport?)

Feelin' Groovy!

Millie decided to dress up as a "hippie," but I think that she looks a lot like I did when I was about her age. I was definitely not a hippie -- just a 1970-ish all-American girl. :-)

Katie described her costume as a "deceased fairy." Not so groovy?

Some of our new neighbors treated us by stopping by.

Too cute!

So there you have it. We have reached the end of the road, and the end of this entry.

Our bags are unpacked and the laundry is washed, folded, & mostly put away. We are back to our "normal" daily routine, but we'll keep the suitcases handy. You simply never know when the urge to go road trippin' will strike.

Harvest Party - TX Style

This past weekend, our family hosted a "harvest party" for our neighborhood. There were 19 adults and 22 kids present. No, the headcount was 20 adults and 21 kids. (I had to revise the number of adults, now that our son is 18!) It's a good thing the weather was perfect for spilling out into the lawn -- otherwise, our house would have been really full. It's a big house, but not THAT big!

Mr. Smith grilled tri-tip and tube steaks for the crowd, and the neighbors all brought amazing side dishes to share. There was no shortage of food, conversation, and neighborly cheer.

The first annual pie bakeoff was a success -- tasty, too. There were 10 delicious entries.

The very distinguished panel of judges took their job seriously. It was quite entertaining to watch the trio of pie connoisseurs at work as they thoughtfully considered the appearance of each entry, diligently taste-tested, considered the "mouth-feel," cleansed the palate with red wine, made notes, and repeated the process over and over and over again.

When their bellies were full and their wine glasses were empty, with a groan or two of satisfaction, the judges retreated to an undisclosed location to tally the votes -- and refill their empty glasses. ;-) The competition was fierce, but the judges were fair and balanced. This was a blind tasting, so they only knew the number assigned to the dessert, but they had no idea who the baker was.

"Honorable Mention" went to Millie's coconut cream pie. (That's my girl!)

Helen's Pumpkin Crunch Pie took 2nd place.

And the winner...

Lexie was crowned the 2010 Marshall Point Pie Queen! This ten-year-old's very first attempt at making a lemon meringue pie was obviously a success. (FYI, her dad was NOT one of the judges!)

I didn't take very many photos, as I was too busy fulfilling the role of hostess, but I did manage to capture a few grinning faces.

Tori, Olivia, Liesey, and Kaytlynn prettily posed for my camera. :-)

Adrianna was feeling a little camera shy.

Too cute!

Katie, Millie, and Lexi had no trouble smiling.

The Thomson triplets are ALWAYS smilin'!

I'd better wrap up this blog entry so I can start researching pie recipes for next year's neighborly bake-off. I still cannot believe that my twelve-year-old bested her own mother in the competition. I'm proud of my girl's efforts. Really! This was the first time that Millie made a pie all by herself. Beginner's luck? I don't think so. I am certain that Grandma Florence would be proud of her granddaughter -- coconut cream pie was her specialty. :-)

Do you think that a coconut creme gene exists?!

TX House Update

I have been asked (repeatedly!) to share some photos of the new Smith Haus. Sorry for the delay. It's just taken a while to get these images developed. I have been in the digital darkroom diligently downloading, and it's now time to share.

There are not pictures of every single room, so the tour will not be complete. Perhaps you will have to come for an actual visit (instead of a virtual one) to see all of our square feet. ;-) Wait! My feet are not square.

We have lived at the new address for three months & have managed to paint every wall, have shutters installed in several rooms (Phase 2 of the shutter project is slated for 2011.), and hang some artwork. It is beginning to feel like home more each day.

I have captured a few of my "mostest" favorite details, so I hope you enjoy the tour.

Here's a sphere.

I'm thinking that painting this to look like a globe would be pretty cool. Not really! We have three big "bowling balls" on brick pedestals on the front side of the house, and I could not resist capturing one in B&W.

We have quite a bit of wrought iron work in the house. This photo was taken in the wine grotto, which could also double as a jail cell. For some strange reason, I think of the phrase, "What hath God wrought?" when I see wrought iron. I know, I know -- bad puns abound.

This is a dining room chandelier tear.

Back splash detail

Foyer chandelier

(Yes, I actually had to lie on the floor so I could get this image.)

Our kitchen cabinetry has pullouts that are really spice racks disguised as support corbels. Sometimes I forget where the dried oregano is hiding.

Shutters -- up close & personal

You have patiently waited as I shared some of the little details of the house. I will FINALLY share the bigger/whole picture. We are s-l-o-w-l-y moving from micro to macro views.

We chose the double Maine Coon option as a decorative feature for our master bedroom. It's good to have stuffed animals around to add that warm & fuzzy feel. All of that cat fur adds a "lived-in" quality to the new house.

The guest room has a Cal King bed ready & waiting for visitors. Hint! Hint!

The Master Bedroom

The Master Bathroom

Mud Room
(I don't see any mud.)

This could possibly be my favorite room in the whole house. Despite the fact is is called the Dining Room, we have yet to actually eat ANYTHING in this room. I know, that's pretty pathetic.

Here's another view of the non-dining Dining Room...

...and another!

The girls' rooms are through the arched doorway. Liesey's is to the left, and Millie's is to the right.

The Family Room has an enormous fireplace that we hope to use this fall/winter. We have another fireplace outside on the covered patio that you can see through the Family Room windows. (Click on the photo to make it larger so you can see the inside & the outside.)

I decided to add one more photo of the patio -- it is easier to see this one than the "through the window" shot.

The Kitchen is my favorite room in the house. The Dining Room just got demoted to second favorite, but it's a close second. Oddly enough, we dine in this room every night, but it's not a Dining Room.




I didn't even make it upstairs with the camera for this tour. The gameroom, bathroom, & the 18-year-old's bed room will have to wait for another blog entry. My son's bed probably isn't made, any way.



The parting shot is the view of the Smith Haus from the court -- all three spheres/globes/bowling balls in plain view. Can you see the welcome mat at the front door? Although it doesn't have the words, "WELCOME" printed on it, it's out. We heartily welcome all visitors to North Texas.

Gills on Wheels

The Gill fam. rolled into Keller for a brief visit as they were heading back home to CA from their DC trek. It was sooo much fun to have them here, even if the time together was short.

The girls & the Samantha twins managed to have some fun at American Girl Place in Dallas!!

We found the "Cat in the Hat" in a model home. Perhaps these two blondes are really Thing 1 and Thing 2. :-)

Saying, "Goodbye" to a good friend is never fun. :-( But at least I got 'em to smile for the camera. Photos of frowning faces do not do much to enhance a blog post!

The Gills' Wheels

The road warriors/happy campers allowed one more photo before they hit the road.

FYI, the welcome mat is always out. We LOVE visitors!

Mobile Images

The photos in this blog entry are unrelated & somewhat random, but they do all have one thing in common. They were taken using my cell phone. My cell phone definitely gets used for lots of things other than making calls. How did we ever get by with just talking on a telephone?!

A few days ago, I downloaded all of the photos on my phone just to see what was there. It's easier to see the images on the computer display than it is to look at them on the phone's small screen. I am going to share several -- not all -- of the pictures so you, too, can see what we take photos of when the "big gun" camera (a.k.a. the Canon) isn't handy.

There are REALLY big garden spiders in TX that make amazingly large (2-3 ft. wide) webs. Oh, what a tangled web we weave... We have a few "pet" spiders who reside on our fence. The web's zig-zag pattern is a pretty incredible design. I haven't seen any messages yet, but I somewhat expect to see "Terrific" printed in one of the webs some morning. ;-)


Our cat's eye through the eyes of my twelve-year-old looks kinda artsy, eh?



Liesey Lou's place of employment makes her SMILE -- especially on pay day.

Another good sign.

All kinds of wrong...

I did get a pretty good chuckle out of this photo, even though our kitty boy looks moderately annoyed. Bartholomew NEVER protests or complains loudly about anything, except for vet visits.

Millie's homemade bagels were quite tasty. And photogenic!

One of our neighborhood princesses posed for the phone.
Say, "Hello?" instead of "Cheese!"

Katie & Millie display their merry-go-round merriment.

The very first fire in the outdoor/patio fireplace seemed photo-worthy. And those flames toasted marshmallows perfectly! Sorry, no photos were taken of the s'mores; my fingers were all gooey with melted 'mallows.