Seriously. It was good. I left at five fifteen Thursday morning, made four quick stops along the 560(?) mile drive to Springfield, Missouri, and arrived at Amy’s apartment at two o’clock their time (three mine). That gave us a great deal of Thursday to spend together, too. It was so cool to pull up to her apartment complex and see my friend outside waiting on me. The fact that I had just drove ten hours with three little kids by myself was not the least of the coolness. I was pretty proud of myself. The kids were excellent, though. They were no trouble at all. Amy laughed at me when she saw that I really did wear my Supermom shirt. What can I say? I really believe in the power of positive thinking.

Thursday evening, I was so excited to get to go to Amy’s Bible study with her. It’s a group of wives of Chaplains, Chaplain candidates, and a couple of the ladies, including Amy, were Chaplain candidates themselves. So, it was a group of women that I felt an instant connection with. They had childcare, so we had some great girls downstairs watching all our kiddos while we got to relax and enjoy the fellowship upstairs. It was really good. I was very blessed by being there. That night, we (of course) stayed up most of the night. That’s what we do, I suppose. Really, though. We have five kids six and under between us. The only quiet time we have to hang out together in peace is when they are sleeping. It was great to spend time with my friend again.

Friday morning, we got up early, on just a few hours sleep, and got everyone ready, took Jeremiah to school, and went to Joy’s church for a women’s group thing. I had talked to Joy on Facebook and heard a lot about her from Amy, but I had not yet met her in person. So, I was so very excited to get to meet her and hear her speak to the women’s group. The service there was awesome. I didn’t know any of the worship songs, but just standing there and enjoying it with all of my sisters in Christ was amazing. Joy was awesome. She spoke about the importance of our words. It was good stuff! Our friend, Aimee, was also there. I had met her once before at Fort Jackson, briefly, and I was so excited to get to see her in person. (Yes, I am claiming all of Amy’s friends. They’re great!) Before we left, we made plans to meet up with Joy and Aimee later on, and went to pick up our kids from childcare. This was a huge, huge church, and they had a highly impressive set up for the kids. It was like Disneyland or something. The kids were in rooms by their ages, and got to go out to the playland which was like a McDonald’s playland on steroids. It was awesome. They had a blast. Elijah’s favorite part, I think, was the tiny little toilet and sink they had in the bathroom. He kept saying, “They have a wittle potty, Mama!”. You should have seen his eyes sparkle over that miniature toilet. Really, it was highly impressive.

Friday evening, we went to Amy’s Seminary for a game night they were having. I enjoyed getting to meet some of Amy’s classmates, and put some faces with names. We didn’t play any games, though. Really, we just ate their food and took advantage of their childcare. We mingled a bit, ate, and then sat in the prayer chapel talking in complete peace and quiet for a long time. We eventually picked up our kids and headed home.

Saturday, we met Joy, Aimee, and Aimee’s cousin, Thomas, at a park, and just hung out while the kids played. We spent the rest of the day hanging out at home.

Sunday, I was so excited to get to go to church with Amy. We dropped all the kids off in their various classes, and got to enjoy the service sans kids. I was highly impressed with Amy’s church. The music was so good. It was contemporary but not crazy. Very worshipful and good. I enjoyed it a lot. They put their drummer in a box, though. Not sure what that was about. (Seriously. He was in a box.) I knew several of the songs, and it was good. The message was by a guest preacher, Bro. George Wood, (who is someone very important in the AG, but I forgot his title), and it was a really good message. I was highly impressed with him. That night, we went back to church, and it was just as good. I really liked Amy’s church a lot. I look forward to going back some time.

Monday, we spent most of the day at home, but took the kids to the park for a little while after picking Jeremiah up from school. That evening, we ordered pizza, and Joy came over for just a little while. It was just such a great time.

The whole trip was so much fun. It was a much needed break, and I came away feeling refreshed. Really, between the conversations with Amy and getting to pray with my friend again and then getting to attend a Bible study, a women’s meeting, and two church services, how could I not come away refreshed? It was so good to be there. I hated to leave. It never seems like enough time. I was excited to get home to my husband, though. Sometimes I feel torn between my two best friends. Really, someone needs to move. I am praying that someday we will be stationed at the same Army post, and I will get to spend as much time with my friend as I want.

Yesterday morning, I got up, packed all my stuff up, Amy fixed me breakfast, and then, after many sad looks and a few dozen hugs goodbye, we pulled out and headed back to Tennessee. The trip was great for most of the way. I only stopped twice between Springfield and Nashville. Things got complicated in Nashville when the ramp to I-40 was completely closed. I had to get off in downtown Nashville, and find my way back to 40 via Chris telling me roads to take over the phone. I ended up spending an hour in Nashville between the waiting on the interstate to get to an exit I could get off at and finding my way back to 40. Really, though, that was a blessing, too. It reinforced what I had learned several times this summer. I am capable.I…the girl who, up until Chris went to Vegas two years ago, was too scared to drive to Knoxville…have drove two trips to Fort Jackson and back, one trip to Florida and back, and now a trip to Springfield and back (all of those with three little kids, mind you!)…and I did fine. I am more competent than I often gave myself credit for. So, I count the hour in Nashville as a blessing.

Elijah spent the rest of the trip home…all the way from Nashville back to Harriman…crying. It was about to drive me crazy. The other kids were asleep, but he just kept crying and crying. Oh, and did I mention it was raining? My nerves were frazzled from the incessant crying, but I made it home safely close to midnight last night. I praise the Lord for safety and that I still have my sanity!

So, yay for friends! Yay for roadtrips! Yay for competence! And yay for arriving home with all children present and accounted for!

Addendum: For all of you grandmother and adoring great aunt types who read my blog searching for any little piece of information about the children and are probably wondering, “But how did the kids do? Did they have fun?”. Well, yes. They did have a good time. However, Amy and I don’t like to admit that our children don’t really like each other very often. So, la, la, la.

I had such a good time visiting with Amy. Having her and her kids along on our vacation was so great. Getting to spend some more time with them once we got back to Tennessee was the icing on the cake. The many miles between us makes her leaving especially hard. It was easier last time, when we knew we would get to see each other in only about a month’s time. This time, though, we don’t know when we’ll get to see each other again. We both have school. We both have kids in school. Mostly, though, we have 573 miles between us. It’s tempting to just feel bad about the fact that I have this great friend that I can’t see nearly often enough, but, after I think about it, I should really just be thankful that God blessed me with her friendship in the first place. It really is amazing.

We didn’t even know each other before this summer. I had left a couple of comments on her blog at the beginning of the year, but that was it until right before Chris went to Fort Jackson. A week or so before he left, Amy sent me an email with her phone number in case I needed someone to talk to while Chris was gone, being all chaplain’y. We began chatting, and, after Chris left, we started talking a lot. With both of our husbands gone for the Army, we had lots of empty time to fill up. I actually kicked my horrible, time-sucking t.v. habit because of all of the time I spent talking to her online. Through just random commenting on blogs and email and IM conversations, we got to be great friends. Five weeks or so into a new friendship, Amy got on a plane and flew to Nashville where I picked her up, having never met in real life or even known each other online for more than a few weeks. She went with me to Fort Jackson, and then stayed with me for a week. We spent a week hearing each other’s stories, talking, listening to music, and even praying together. Even now, writing this, it astounds me at how quickly we became friends. It was definitely a God thing. We both needed each other, and the miles and circumstances that normally would have prevented us from ever meeting were nothing to God.

So now, at the closing of my summer, I can’t help but be amazed. I was awfully lonely when this summer started. God has filled it up with good things. These last eighteen days have been so good for me. We have enjoyed our visit immensely. Our kids enjoyed it, too. They alternately played and fought, sang and tattled, played outside and played on the computers. These are definitely our kids. It’s kind of sad when, in a house with four computers hooked up and online, we had a computer shortage. Our kids spent hours with all four of the big kids sitting together in my desk chair playing the computer, on opposite ends of the kitchen table playing with each other, or crammed onto the chair.

I love this picture. They are still all hot and sweaty from playing outside, and are laughing like crazy over some silly computer game.

I expected Kyra and Sarah to spend all their time playing girly things like Barbies and baby dolls, but, while they did like to play with each other, it was Jeremiah and Kyra who hit it off the best. They spent hours and hours and hours playing computer games together. They also had some pretty spectacular, freaking out arguments. Is an arranged marriage out of the question?

It was so cool to see our kids having fun together. I really love those Maxwell kids.

Amy was pretty fond of my kids, too, but I think it was pretty obvious that she love, love, loves Owen the most. Shh. Don’t tell.

We had such a good time, it’s hard to see the visit end. Instead of being all sad about it, though, I’m just going to be thankful. Thankful for good friends and the opportunity to spend time with them.

God is really good to me. Really, really good.

Kyra started kindergarten on Monday. She’s enjoying it so far. My classes don’t start till the 27th, but I believe Chris’ start a week before mine. I’m enjoying my last few days of relative calm. It’s going to get really hectic before too long.

Amy and her kids are still here with me. She thought about leaving tomorrow, but neither of us wanted her to. It stinks not knowing when we may see each other again, so we have to get the most out of this visit. So, I’ve been spending my days hanging out with her. Read about our trip to Frozen Head at Amy’s blog. Our kids are alternately having fun playing together sweet as can be and flipping out on each other and running to tell on each other. It’s great. Too great for her to leave tomorrow, so she’s going to stay till Monday. Several people at church were asking how long they were staying with us. Sarah put it best when she answered someone’s question of how long they were staying with, “Till I’m done.” That about sums it up. We’re not done yet. Still having lots of fun.

I’ve got some posts brewing. Stay tuned.

Click here to see pictures from Monday.

I know I titled this “The Conclusion”, but, in all honesty, it’s more like the end of the first half of the story. Amy’s coming back to visit again the beginning of next month, and this time she’s bringing her adorable kiddos with her. Our friend, Heather, thinks we are insane. Everyone at church smiled their “I’m smiling and nodding but you are so nuts” smiles, and my brother just outright told me that I am crazy. Oh, well. I think they’re all just jealous!

So, until next time, be good, People, and stay tuned for the next installment of our totally excellent adventure.

Rachel and Amy’s Excellent Adventure….To Be Continued…

So, I guess that means that we arrived home safely, huh? I could have started with that, I suppose.

Steph got here about eleven this morning, and we were on our way. The kids were good, Steph was mostly good, and we only had to make one potty stop. I made it all the way to the airport without totally freaking out about driving. I was such a big girl. I found a super close parking lot, managed to cross the street without having my daughter hit by a bus…not that that was something that nearly happened or anything…and made a trip to the bathroom all before Amy’s plane had landed. I totally knew where I was going and where the bathroom was and everything, because…just barely over a year ago…I sat in the same seats timing contractions the night before Owen was born. This time was much more pleasant. Anyway, I digress.

So, Amy arrived, Steph wouldn’t let me do the running across the airport in slow motion with outstretched arms thing, so I had to settle for a very respectable and dignified “nice to finally meet you in person” hug, and then we gathered all the children and left. There were a few well placed jokes and counter jokes over Steph’s belief that Amy may, in fact, be an axemurderer. We made it back to the van. I had trouble not talking ninety miles a minute, but managed to pay the parking and move along.

I had printed out directions from the airport to the McDonald’s where we were planning on meeting up with Sara, and semi-confidently turned left out of the airport. We went down the road about a mile or so, before deciding we went the wrong way and turning around. So, after a couple more turn-arounds, we discover that we were in fact going the right way the first time. Oy! Sara called and we assured her we would be there in just a minute…except for then we had to make an emergency bathroom stop for one of my kids. We did eventually make it, though, and it was very cool to meet Sara in person. She was very lovely, and it was great to meet her. She offered to hold Owen while I ordered our food, and I willingly gave him over. As I crossed paths with Amy at the counter, I said, “Yeah, I totally just gave my baby to a stranger.” Oh, well. All’s well that ends well, right?

So, after hanging out at the McDonald’s for a while, we took a few pictures before leaving. Well, Sara took them, since I had left my camera at home by accident. She is going to email them, and I will make sure to stick them right…here. In the meantime, just imagine a really great picture of me, Amy, and Sara. We all looked gorgeous, none of our hair was mis-behaving due to the humidity, no one looked tired, and everyone was wearing absolutely fabulous outfits.

So, then, after only one minor turn-around, we got back on I-40, and it was smooth sailing after that. We only had to make one more stop, at the Arbys in Crossville, because some of us had to go to the bathroom. Amy and I were hungry, so I was grabbing something to eat with Steph and Kyra while Amy waited in the van with the boys. I got two ginormous roast beef sandwiches and some really awesome orange cream milkshakes for everyone. I was so excited about these milkshakes, because I had one when we went to visit Chris a few weeks ago and they were really very good. So, we go back to the van, I open the door, smile real big like a kid who was fixing to give someone a really awesome homemade ashtray, and offer Amy her shake. As she somewhat reluctantly takes the shake, and asks, “What’s this?”, I suddenly remembered a small bit of information she had shared with me at some point in the past month. “You’re lactose intolerant, aren’t you?” She just smiled and nodded. Yeah. I don’t think we have to worry about any crazy, murderous schemes on her part. I may, in fact, be the one to worry about, since I seem to be trying to kill her. Death by Dairy.

We got home about…oh, I don’t remember what time, because I was crazy tired…but we got home. We did a few random things not much worth blogging about, but I can’t get over the fact that Amy Maxwell just flew across the country to see me and is in. my. house. Yeah. This is so cool. We are actually, right at this moment, simultaneously blogging. How cool is that? Let me just tell you. It is very cool. And it just keeps getting better.

In the morning, we’re heading to Fort Jackson. It is going to be a very happy birthday. A very happy birthday, indeed.

I’m so excited!!! So, so, so excited. Actually, I think this is a four so occasion. I am so, so, so, so excited!!! This is going to be so fun!

Crazy? Crazy, you say? Hush yo’ mouth! Tell me, what’s crazy about picking up someone you only know from online at the airport and bringing them to live with you for a week? That’s not crazy. (However, I will not be issuing any proclamations of the non-craziness of being picked up at an airport by someone you only know from online and trading your week of childlessness for a week with someone else’s three small children. That, very well, might be crazy.)

After picking Amy up, we are going to meet Sara Horn for lunch, and hope and pray my children act like they have some sense. I’m also having my friend and cousin, Stephanie, ride along with me since I’ve never actually driven to Nashville before. She’s also a little more skeptical of the picking up of friends you’ve never actually shaken hands with before. So, she’s going to protect me…or something like that.

I’m so excited…or have I mentioned that already?