This vacationing is hard work!

What's it take an hour maybe two to write one of these things? No problem, you're on vacation- knock one out everyday whydontcha?

That's what I thought, too at the beginning, but it hasn't runed out that way. Three whole days have gone by (that's two nights) when this particular endeavor simply didn't make it into my schedule. That's OK, though, because every moment spent not recording the day's events is another moment spent living the day's events.

Day 4- Sunday

After church we ate a quick lunch at home- I had tombstone pizza left over from the night before and everybody else had leftover "cool veggie pizza" that my mom had made for the shower (blech). Then, after putting Isaiah into an entirely new outfit due to lunch and one of those distinctly 2 year old incidents precipitating the early demise of the one he wore to church, we packed my mom's pride-and-joy, her 11k mile bought brand new Pt Cruiser, and hit the highway.

Alton, IL to Dexter, MO is not a 2.5-3 hour trip, as stated in my previous post. It's more like a 3-3.5 hour trip. Not a big difference, I suppose, in subjective travel time when you've left in plenty of time, but just enough to make you miss the entire graduation of a class of about 120. However, we did not miss it. We left at precisely the perfect time. We hit Dexter with just enough time to stop at the first gas station we saw and ask a local youth how to get to the high school for the graduation, park, and walk to the gym (since it had been raining and the event was relocated from Charles Bland Stadium to the Dexter High School gymnasium).

In an almost cinematic coincidence (after a nerve wracking wait at a railroad crossing), just as we pulled into the high school parking lot (which was totally packed) my other cousin, Becky's (brother to Daniel, the graduate), family minivan pulled in right behind us. We greeted each other through rolled-down windows and both drove out the other side of the high school lot to park in that of the doctor's office across the street.

Continuing the coincidentality, as we were walking the 50 yards to the door of the gym (it was only sprinkling now) I saw the two dudes who had given me directions to the high school and we gave each other the ol' thumbs-up.

The crowd in the gym was standing room only and we all gathered under the overhang at the side door to the gym. And gladly so. It was deizzling slightly with a slight breeze and about 70° outside. Inside it was a different story. When I stepped through the portal to snap shot of my graduating cousin with my trusty Mavica, it was like stepping into a transparent, 120°, cube of gelatin. Finnish saunas are cooler and less humid than this gym was. I definately felt sympathy for all the people packed in there like sardines who were wearing fancy duds!

During the recognition of the National Honor Society students, Becky and Daniel's brother Mark and his wife and son showed up. Becky has 3 daugthers ages ~8 to ~3 and Mark has one son three months older than Isaiah. Also present was the another cousin, Jackie (once again, sister to all the rest- Daniel is the youngest of 6), and her 8 year old son, Abraham. We all felt sorry for Uncle Jack and Aunt Barbara who had a great view but were melting in the gym bleachers.

While everyone inside the gym was suffering in extreme conditions, we were having a blast- all 15 of us kidding around and hanging out. Isaiah was, as he usually does, behaving marvelously. He had had a pretty good time ont he ride down. He had a nice nap and when he woke up he was enjoying reading bbooks with Mommy and playing hide-n-seek under his blanket. At the graduation, though, he was pretty much overwhelmed. He was very good, but very quiet- just taking everythin in with no idea what was going on. Whispering in Ruth's ear, I asked her if she had any very vivid memories from her distant youth that she had no idea what they were. When she answered in the affirmative, I told her Isaiah was making some of those memories today.

As soon as Daniel, diploma in hand, sat back in his folding chair on the floor of the gym, we high-tailed it for our cars. As packed as the gym was, we knew as the event drew closer and closer to its conclusion, the narrow blacktop streets of tiny Dexter, MO would become more and more congested. We followed Becky's family to Uncle Jack's house since we'd never been there before. It was a short drive away.

As soon as we walked through the doors, Isaiah lit out for Daniel's room where his latest friends, all his new-met young cousins were wreaking havoc. When I asked if anybody thought aunt Barbara would mind if I went ahead and cut the cake (they were stuck in the gym waiting to bring Daniel home). The general consensus seemed to be that it wouldn't be a very good idea...

We had a marvelous time visiting with cousins most of whom Ruth had never met, and most of whom I hadn't seen in almost a decade. Isaiah was having a blast playing with all the kids. There are so few places we let Isaiah just go to do whatever he wants to do, especially with a bunch of other kids- he was running and squealing and laughing with half a dozen of his brand new best friends. All of whom grudgingly suffered the snapping frenzy of "now a shot with those two together, now all the boys, now..." pictures and then went back to stampeding through the house.

When Daniel and his parents arrived, Aunt Barbara went to the kitchen and went to work getting food ready. Those of us riding back to Alton, ate lightly we had already planned where we were going to eat on the way home. I only ate 3 pieces of pizza.

When it was finally, like it or not, time to go, I snatched Isaiah up out of the middle of a pile of kids and toys.

Squirming and squawking, he cried "I wanna STAY!"
"We have to go home, Son", I replied.
"I don't wanna go, I wanna stay, Daddo..." he squawked

Then I realized I didn't want to go either. Seeing him playing so sweet and delighted with all his cousins at Uncle Jack's house brought back similar memories from my own youth. I recalled all the times down through the decades we visited Uncle Jack. Uncle Jack never lived very close to us; It was always a trip to go see him and I could probably count on two hands all the times in my life when we did, but those times still stand out in my memory as glowing highlights of my childhood.

I didn't answer Isaiah. I just hugged him tight and choked down the lump in my throat. I didn't want to go either, but we had to. Mom had to get up for work the next day and it was almost 7 o'clock and everybody else was fixing to leave to go to evening services at the church where Uncle Jack preaches and where cousin Mark was preaching that evening. I choked down hard on that lump in my throat and let Isaiah down to run for a few more minutes. We shot a few more pictures and I got Daniel's email address.

Then Uncle Jack showed us a picture of the house they would be moving to in about 3 weeks. Being a preacher (for those of you who may be unfamiliar with such a career, most preachers move around a lot- remaining popular with a large group of people while discussing a topic like religion can be challenging), Uncle Jack has lived in close to 10 states in my lifetime and was fixing to move again. The house is nice and he got a good deal, but it's 460 miles farther south than the one that is already 3 and ½ hours away. The thought of the increased remoteness of the chance of another gathering like the one we were presently enjoying brought another lump to my throat, but hearing that some of the cousins would be coming to Robin's wedding in June made me feel a little better.

Reluctantly, I grabbed Isaiah again. This time he had come to grips with the idea that we were about to leave (the promise of another ride in the PT Cruiser cheered him up- he likes the thing almost as much as Grandma Joanne does) and cheerfully said "Bye-Bye, I love you" to Uncle Jack and Aunt Barbara and after a couple more pictures, we loaded up the car and left Dexter.

We stopped for our official dinner about 30 miles from Dexter, Mo in Sikeston at Lambert's Cafe- Home of Throwed Rolls. In answer to the question- yes, they do actually throw the rolls. They roll a cart between the tables tossing rolls to everyone who wants one. They'll gently drop it into your hand from right beside your table, or they'll lob you a fast one from across the room- it's your choice. These rolls are noteworthy on their own. They are huge, they weigh about half a pound and despite being heavy are light and fluffy and always served piping hot. The portions were large and the food was good and in such an environment, I am sure you can guess Isaiah had a blast once again.

We got home about 11:30 pm. It had been a long day, but it was worth it. Seeing all my cousins again brought back so many memories and created some new ones. Isaiah had so much fun. It may be a while before we make it all the way to Missippi to see Uncle Jack and Aunt Barbara, but we'll be getting together with the cousins far more often.

I'm catching up, but I am on vacation, y'know

Charles Bland Stadium- note the moisture on the blacktop in the foreground.

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