Someone Yelled "Road Trip!"

one of the many scenic views from the Skyline Drive

Many years ago, Clint and I took Brandon and Amanda to the Shenandoah Valley. We wanted to do the same with Joshua, Caleb, Bethany, Emily and Hannah. Brandon and Amanda both had classes, so they could not go. Since they stayed home, it allowed us to travel a bit further than we normally can because they could take care of our critters. This allowed us to enjoy half a day in West Virginia and tour the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine.

We wanted to make up for lost family time due to the stressors of 2011 and the beginning of this year. We also wanted to show them parts of their beautiful state they have never seen before and include stops that were educational. There were a few things we didn't get to do due to time constraints, but we really missed not being able to stop in and surprise Grandma Susan during her 2nd annual Goat Jamboree in Ferrum. It was something we wanted to do, but one of our tours took too long and, coupled with the four hour round trip to her house, made it impossible.

We had a good trip. It was a fast paced, fun filled adventure with a lot of stops. We were tired when we finally came home, but Brandon and Amanda had cleaned the house, cut the grass, tended the garden, and had food waiting! I will be sharing the pictures over the next couple of weeks.