Lexie and I have taken a little jaunt down to Indianapolis for a quick getaway. For sure, Lou gets the most out of a hotel stay and wants to thank all the ‘little’ people who help make her experience pleasant.
Hard to beat the complimentary shower cap to fend off bed head…
This is one of my favorite pics from our zipline experience in Branson.
Ryan, Alex, Meagan, Kristy, Parker, Luke, Emma, and Lexie [March 16, 2012]
I only had still shots of the actual ziplining, so insert screams to get a more real-time experience …
One of the highlights of the trip was our trek down the Branson Zipline. We geared up, climbed into an old military vehicle for the ride up the mountain, ‘walked’ across 7 suspension bridges, and swung our way down via 4 ziplines. Here are some pics of the pre-trip festivities and the gear-up session…
PRE-TRIP
GEARING-UP
We met my parents and Kristy and her crew [and Emma!] in Branson for an extended weekend getaway. We are having a great time and enjoying some incredible weather. Over the next few posts, I’m including a sampling of what we’ve done and the goobers who did the damage. Great times!
The first stop we made in Branson was Walmart and Lexie went a little local on us.
The ever-popular selves portrait
Landry supporting the Baylor Bears for some random reason.
The always dapper Luke Maaaahtin Bagg
A mean game of highly competitive foosball.
Parker RULED in this retirement-friendly game of shuffleboard.
The fabulous foursome
Katie leaves today for a 12 day trip to the Ukraine!
Through a partnership between the US-based Resource Foundation and the Aquilla Foundation, a missionary group in the Ukraine, the Occupational Therapy faculty at Governor’s State University takes a few students each year to serve children and adults with special needs. The Ukraine has universal healthcare and does not recognize many birth disorders and defects, which limits the amount of therapy an individual can receive. Also, occupational, physical, or speech therapists are not recognized healthcare providers there so those diagnosed with diseases/disorders only receive therapy from a medical doctor (and this is very basic and limited). Further, these individuals are not allowed to attend school so they live in group homes if their family cannot care for them.
The group will fly into Kiev and spend time there and in Chernivtsi [say that 10 times quickly!]. Among their varied experiences, the team will provide OT at a nursing home, a clinic for children with cerebral palsy, an orphanage, and to children who are unable to leave their homes. Above all, please pray for Katie and the group as they travel, serve, and learn.
Shellee recently requested a photo comparison of Emma Lou and Lexie Lou. So I swiped a pic from her blog and here you have it:
Emma’s 7th birthday ear piercing ‘fun’ [June 2008]
The dynamic duo helps Nana celebrate her birthday in the hospital [December 2011]
Bonus pic just for kicks!
I’ve worked hard to suppress my hankering ["a strong, often restless desire"] for Whataburger since moving to the other side. It’s been one of the more challenging struggles of my otherwise peachy ride. And just when I think I’ve worked through another stage of the grieving process, random people from near and far team up against me. Three people, specifically, who likely have not connected [or even met in one case!] with each other in months.
First, Margo Faulkner [shout out to the Faulkner crew in Katy TX], sends me a FB message with a not-so-subtle WB dig: “So…. What’s new with you? I had Whataburger the other day and thought of you…”
Then, old pal Scott Pruitt tosses my name into a FB comment with another distant pal, Sam Ward, in nearby Croatia: “You need to talk to Ryan Williams He’s in Chicago, but he thinks it might as well be Croatia, since they don’t have a Whataburger either.”
Finally, my sister [who recently had a birthday!] sent me the pic below. Situations like this, when Whataburger boldly ventures into unchartered territory, reopen the wounds that never quite heal.
We made it over to Taste of India [TOI] this afternoon for lunch and it was a culturally-enlightening experience. The initial sign that TOI was a full-service restaurant was the decal-plastered delivery van parked in the prime spot near the front entrance.
The lunch buffet included a wide variety of Indian cuisine that greatly challenged my sheltered palette [though both of my lunch dates managed quite well]. Among the Indian delicacies in abundant supply were chicken tandoori, chicken makhani, moong dal [yellow lentils simmered and tempered with onion, ginger, garlic & tomatoes], goat something, fried catfish, mushroom stew, two kinds of rice, gulab jamun [deep-fried milk balls in a sweet syrup], and a tempting spinach concoction pictured below.
With so many options to select from, I limited myself to 3 items I felt were safe picks: chicken tandoori, vegetable rice, and chicken makhani, with a side of some really tasty Indian bread called naan. The girls finally talked me into trying the gulab jamun for dessert [the guy told Meagan they were Indian "donuts"] and that turned out to be a good call. Really nice!
A few other oddities: 1] They had a “salad bar” but no distinguishable dressings. No ranch, blue cheese, vinegarette, etc….just 3 colorful yet suspicious liquids that created way too many questions. 2] The place wreaked of curry and we carried that friendly aroma with us the rest of the day. Potent stuff! 3] On my quick trip to the bathroom before we left, I found this helpful instruction…
Like I said, a culturally-enlightening experience!
Katie has been after me for some time to try an Indian restaurant near Bethel Church. Then she lured Meagan into the fray. Together, they’ve finally convinced me [ahem...wore me down!] to give it a shot with the old “they have a lunch buffet” routine. “Surely I can find some chicken nuggets or cottage cheese” I’ve told myself half-heartedly. Then I did a little web search and found a nifty video that sealed the deal. Can’t believe I’ve procrastinated on this one…
My favorite quote from the guy who doesn’t blink: “So we look forward for you to come here and get a dining experience, for you to experience yourself.”
We’ll provide a review of our “dining experience” when we go…maybe tomorrow.
