Our visit to Houston began with a night’s stay at the Palms RV Park. The boys were able to ride their bikes around the park while the parents did some laundry. A light sprinkle serenaded us to sleep. The next day was Space Center Houston. What an awesome place! The rain from the night before turned into showers, including thunderstorms and lightening, which kept us from the Tram Tour for a few hours. But with plenty of exhibits inside the Space Center, it wasn’t a biggie. Thankfully, the thunder and lightening let up enough for the tours to resume, and we made it out to Mission Control. While there, a “Shelter in Place” warning came through, so we had the added bonus of staying in Mission Control longer than the tour usually allows. The guide there told us more detailed info and there was time for a short movie and questions. Sitting in the observation galley, in the very chairs observers used forty-nine years ago to witness as Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, that was a goosebump moment. It’s still the same fabric, wood, everything. We left NASA and headed up to see more stadiums, including the Texans’ and Rockets’. Now being Warriors fans, while they’re battling out the series, was pretty fun timing. We took our flag, as you see from the picture, and held it up in front of the arena. The security guard saw us and laughed as he said we couldn’t take a picture there. The boys and I continued to walk around and found an even better entrance to take a picture in front of. The same guard was there by then and when he saw us, he said “Oh no. You REALLY can’t take that picture here!” All said with a smile. It turns out he’s a Cavs fan anyway. I told him we could’t be friends anymore… It was fun and memorable. Brodee was worried we might get jumped having our flag out like that. We headed out for Dallas and spent the night somewhere about 30 miles south of Big D.

NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans

Brodee and Ean in a flight simulator

Us flying with a simulated flock of geese.

Ean, weightlifting on the moon

Dayne, practicing a lunar landing

Albert is touching an actual rock that came from the moooooooonnnnn!!!!!

Hiccups. They appear out of no where. They’re obnoxious interruptions that are unavoidable, and you’re usually left wondering when they’ll ever go away!

Well, that was us when a code indicator light came on as we were driving through the night between Van Horn and San Antonio. With God’s help, the indicator light didn’t turn into us actually sitting on the side of the road. We arrived early Sunday morning into  San Antonio. Albert borrowed a code reader from Auto Zone and found out it was a code for the transmission. The hiccups just got more intense…

Well, never fear. We have a Good Sam extended coverage plan. That’ll take care of everything, right?…Long story short, Albert had to once again tell Cheap Sam we weren’t taking any short cuts when it came to servicing the transmission correctly. They conceded. And thanks to God’s guidance, Google and its ratings system, we found a 5-star transmission shop that was able to work us in to their work load. If you ever have transmission trouble in the San Antonio area, call West Ave. Transmission shop, owned by Greg and Desi Snell. Their motto is “Honesty at work”. Isn’t that awesome? And they live up to it. Should you ever find yourself with transmission troubles in San Antone, they’re the ones to call!

While Big Boy was at the transmission spa, we got on with our business of fun in San Antonio. We ate a yummy meal along the Riverwalk, enjoying the rain as it came down. We walked around some downtown and called it a day.

It had been a long, unsure day, so it felt so good to finally make it to a destination!

The next day was one the boys had been looking forward to for years — going to The Alamo. They’ve read books about it, re-enacted the battle many times in our backyard, and of course, seen the Fess Parker/Disney story of Davy Crockett countless times.

Getting ready to enter the long-awaited historic site.

The tour guides are so knowledgeable. One in particular made you feel like you were right there with the way he laid out the story. Just before you go in the chapel, there’s a marker to the left of the doors. Four people who were at The Alamo as it fell say they saw Davy Crockett laying on the ground on that approximate spot with dead Mexican soldiers all around. His final resting place. It was a sadly amazing feeling knowing such a brave person died there.

This plaque marks the place Davy Crockett’s body was seen.

This is a living history demonstration of a rifle from the era of the battle.

The grounds of The Alamo are so beautifully kept. It’s such a peaceful place, which is a stark contrast to what it was when the settlers were fighting Santa Anna.

After the Alamo, we went on a river boat tour. It was a fun way to get around and see more things. If you’re wondering where Melbee is in these pictures, she’s with a Wag dogsitter. This app will be a lifesaver on our trip for those times dogs aren’t allowed.

Aboard a river boat

The river isn’t just used by tourists. Gardeners and law enforcement are seen daily.

During the May, San Antonio puts yellow ribbons around the river’s trees to honor our military.

It’s a fun, relaxing ride.

Google Van Horn, TX. As you’ll see, it’s one of those small towns that you drive through, never really thinking about it. I (Christina) have driven through here several times in the past, never thinking it anything particularly special. John Madden, of course, would beg to differ. We decided to stop here Sabbath evening after leaving El Paso. We pulled off I-10 and drove for just a short bit. And that’s when we found it.

The Okey D. Luke Park. Just right there on the main drag. A complete oasis in what appears to be a sad little town. Beautiful green grass. Shade trees all over the place. A few picnic benches. Winding paths the boys had so much fun riding their bikes on. We spent about 3 hours there. Melbee was able to play and enjoy the grass. We played frisbee, ate dinner, enjoyed the soft breeze that kept on coming, and thanked God for this simple, timely gift.

It ended up being one of those perfect times. One of those times you always have to look back on when things don’t go right. Thank you, Van Horn.

The Okey D. Luke Park in Van Horn will always have a special place in our hearts.