Wild, Wild West Senior Trip - Day 2

We began Day 2 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Today's goal was to get all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Before heading out of the Little Rock area, we drove by Little Rock Central High School, the school famous for being one of the first to integrate after the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education decision. Nine brave high school students, known as the Little Rock Nine, entered the school against enormous opposition in 1957.

Houses across the street from LRCHS... if they could talk!

The building is absolutely beautiful! It is the only fully operational high school on the National Historical register. I took a few moments to snap some photos and to walk around. I noticed small benches around a shallow pool in the front of the school. After a closer look, I saw that each was engraved with a name - one for each of the Little Rock Nine. I tried to imagine the 1957 scene as they walked into the school, how frightening it must have been. I hope that this historical building and monuments remain, as well as others across our nation, to remind us of our history - both the good and the bad. Because if we don't have reminders or if we erase all that offends, we risk forgetting and thus making the same mistakes.

We headed into Oklahoma next and drove and drove. No major pitstops here but took note at the number of country music singers from the state after seeing the small high school Carrie Underwood attended.

The Texas Panhandle was our next leg of I-40! Thankfully, a shorter leg and one with an interesting stop - Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. Cadillac Ranch is an installation art exhibit. Old Cadillacs are literally buried upright in the ground and people spray paint all over them, leaving some small tag of themselves. The paint layers are so thick that the Cadillacs are covered with textured color! We, of course, added our personal strokes of art to the exhibit!

Our last part of today's travels took us to New Mexico where we were greeted with a beautiful sunset! We weaved our way across the last part of our I-40 west journey and rolled into Albuquerque quite late.

Tomorrow, less driving and more exploring! Yay!!

Wild, Wild West Senior Trip - Day 1

The Patterson home is filled with traditions from silly Christmas videos to birthday plates to baking and so on. My goal... load my kiddos with warm memories! And in return, I get some beautiful ones too! 

My not-so-little-guy has reached one of those traditions - his senior trip. My guy and I decided years ago that for each child, for high school graduation, we would give them memories, a trip together. Plan a trip, let them pick (within reason of course!) and have fun! Focus just on the one kid! And they could invite a friend.

My oldest pick the hustle and bustle and excitement of New York City! It was right up her alley. This guy, not so much! He picked the wide open spaces and a driving expedition!

Today was Day 1 of Wild, Wild West Senior Trip. It was mostly a driving a day. Up early - 4:00AM! We left the house at 4:24 and jumped on I-40 and pretty much stayed on it all day. We made our way, sleepily, into Tennessee, headed to Nashville.

We arrived in Nashville a little ahead of schedule and decided to check out the Parthenon. The Lightning Thief book series is my not-so-little-guys all time favorite. If you are familiar, then you know that Nashville's Parthenon was included in the movie. 

Athena was a giant!!! The god, Nike, that she holds in her hand is 6 feet 4 inches. She is beautifully gilded in 23.75 karat gold. Ginormous bronze doors flank the front and back of the Parthenon and each weighs 7.5 tons!

Comparing themselves to Nike's height.

We stopped in Nashville to join a small family celebration for Aunt Joan - her 85 birthday! I love that I am blessed with people in my life that make family a priority! 

Back on the road, we began our trek to Arkansas; Little Rock was to be our stopping point for the night. 

As tradition has it on our Wild West trips, we typically stop for pics with state signs. However, Arkansas's sign has to be on the go - it hangs high in the middle of the bridge crossing the Mississippi River. 

Mississippi River

We reached Little Rock late but the guys still found time to take a dip in the pool. It's off to bed and up early for another big driving day! We go through 4 states tomorrow!!!

#kuwtp

The Beginning of an End

Last night was one of those moments.

Last night was one of those moments when I found myself especially reflective.

Last night was one of those moments when I found myself especially reflective and wondering if I have said or done or advised or taught or encouraged or just about anything... enough.

Last night was the beginning of the end of my not-so-little-guy's high school sports "career."

To me, it wasn't about the end of his time with high school sports, but instead, it was about the end of his day-to-day time with me, with us, in our home. And it's at these times that I ask myself, have I possibly filled him up in the past 18 years with as much love and lessons about life as I could have. Will it ever be enough?

My mind, answers no. But I trust... I trust that our time of what has always been normal in our house, of our day to day life with him, will have prepared him for what's to come.

It's the beginning to an end... a bittersweet end. Because as much as I want to hold on, I want him to fly, to absolutely soar. So... I trust.