Just me, a tree, and a baby

Addie and I took a road trip this week and took along Sabian's Bonsai tree. The things we do; I mean, who takes a tree on a trip with them?! Really, it boiled down to us (even me!) not wanting it to be "misplaced" while sitting out on the front porch while we were gone or risking dehydration. Bonsai trees are not cheap! It did strike me, on the way out of town, that it was a little funny to be traveling with a tree.

While Sabian was at youth camp this week Addie and I hit the road and drove four hours to Opelika, AL to spend a couple of days with my Aunt Shell. Oh-puh-lie-ka is in the same area as Auburn, AL and very close to Auburn University. We enjoyed a very relaxing, laid back time with Aunt Shell and her dog Prince. We ran some errands, had lunch with her Sunday School class (at a place that serves 14 kinds of chicken salad!), and did a lot of catching up. It was also the first time Aunt Shell and Addie met, and they enjoyed one another very much. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures while I was there, but we plan on going back sooner rather than later so we'll snap some then. It was great to get out of town and to spend time with family (Aunt Shell is my mom's oldest sister), but I do believe my little Addie was totally tuckered out. She slept the entire way home (I shaved off about 30 minutes from our trip) and is snug as bug as I type this.

My mom is originally from Mobile, AL so we have been traveling to and throughout the south for as long as I can remember. It seems when you hit a certain point in a trip in and around the south, you find your way off a major highway and inevitably winding your way through small towns on two lane roads that prompt one to wonder why anyone would live in such a small place while spurring anxious feelings of where you might get gas when there's no station or sign of one for miles. Some of these places are even smaller than Wewa! One thing is for sure, though - there is at least one church no matter how tiny the town.

Some of these towns seem like just spots on the map, while others exude a sense of charm and preserved old fashioned-ness. Driving through Eufala (You-fall-ah), AL there is a stretch of beautiful tree-lined streets flanked by amazing old, Southern homes that have been restored or are in the process of restoration. On the other end of the spectrum, along the way I also spotted a billboard advertising a BBQ restaurant claiming they have "the best butts in AL", a hair salon called the Snip-n-Barn, and a Subway advertising a live concert.

Oh, and I did take one picture while I was gone. This is how I got gas on the way to my aunt's:

I had no choice but to get gas at this station, as my gas light was on, I had no idea when I would see another station, and I still had close to an hour to drive, or so I thought. It wasn't that long, but coupled with a baby who was beginning to show the signs of coming apart at the seams, I need to stop, get gas, and get to my destination.

With all of that said, the Opelika/Auburn area is very nice and not "small town" at all, as you might have guessed with being a university area. We really did enjoy our time with Aunt Shell and hope to get back there soon with my mom instead of the tree!

I am thankful for my aunt - she always takes great care of us while we are there and she sent us home with a cooler full of food, including a homemade chocolate pie!

Now, we are ready for Sabian to get back from camp.