The Watson Adventures: The Wandering Vacation

Joel & I recently returned from a wonderful 11 day vacation, and it was such a refreshing time - best vacation we have ever had together.Here's a little pictorial overview:

Day 1: Drive out to an awesome lake cabin & spend time with dear friends - the Clarks, the Miles's, and the Maus's.

Day 2: Spend the day at the lake & then drive down that night to the Peterson's in OK City. Goodbye lake house! Goodbye friends!

Day 3: Joel participates in a triathlon. *Wifely bragging moment to immediately follow* He placed third in his age category, and 69th overall (out of 328). It was a lot of fun to watch. And yes, that's all I did is watch. O, and take pictures. At the end of the race as he was sprinting across the finish line, the guy standing next to me said "that guy is fast." I proudly replied - "that's my husband!" And then he looked at me with disbelief in his eyes. I dunno, maybe it was my baggy pants and sweatshirt and pigtails and still-groggy morning eyes.

We spent the rest of that day driving 12 hours to Louisville, KY.

Day 4: After spending the night at some really precious friend's house that we had met last year at the Global Medical Health Conference, Joel and I got on the road again for another 10 hour drive to Virginia Beach. Seriously gorgeous drive, through the Shenandoah Valley.

Day 5: Spend the day with Joel's brother Micah at Regent's University, where he is pursuing some higher education. We also went to the beach :) Yay!

Day 6: A "just Joel & I" day. Mostly spent at the beach. We sat for a long time & looked at the ocean. There were porpoises playing in the waves, and some really cute ladies taking a painting class. O, and in the east, the woods go right up to the ocean practically. Very strange, but also beautiful in it's own way. Dinner with Micah to celebrate his 26th birthday.

Day 7: Spend the morning at the Jamestown Museum, which was uber-cool. All about the beginning of the American nation, some of it really sad, some of it really brave, but all of it just a slice of God's story. Drove 8 hours to Knoxville, TN.

Day 8: See our dear friends Blake & Beth Stice. Hang out at their recently-totally-flipped house, which looks awesome. Got some fun girl-time with Beth-we saw "Julie & Julia". So, so great.

Day 9: Morning spent at a coffee shop with my cousins - the Burns. A late breakfast at Cracker Barrel (o, how we love you!) with the Stices, and then back on the road to drive to Memphis, TN. Spend some time at my old school, University of Memphis. Check into a gorgeous hotel room (thanks Siebelings!) at the Hampton Inn & Suites. Really special way to end the vacation.

Day 10: Service isn't until 1145, so we sleep in and then watch cartoons on the HUGE flat screen TV. Join the Body at the Life Church of Memphis which is wonderful & full of memories for me. Lunch with some of our dear Memphis friends (including the Siebelings & Sciacchetano's). Back on the road for the 6 hour drive to Tulsa!