Hillbilly Holler

Family reunion---over.

Note: I have not scanned any pics from the reunion yet, so here are a couple of pics that look pretty Hillbilly-ish. Cori losing her first tooth and Phillip and I cross dressed as a farmer and his wife for Halloween a couple of years ago. HA HA!!

We had a hum dinger of a time at my in-laws last week. It was the Rice Family Reunion.
My mother and father-n-laws made really cool invitations last year and so we have been sitting in anticipation of our official "Arkansas-Hillbilly" reunion.

It was really fun.

I enjoyed getting to know some of Phillip's extended family and was relieved to see some wild cats in the bunch. HA!

There was a little bit of everything there. We had the ultra conservative seniors there and for flavor, we threw in a few leather wearing motorcycle "enthusiasts."
I loved them ALL!!
They all hit different angles of my personality. I really felt I fit into each "clique" per se.
One of the "biker" cousins, Mark. Was so freakin funny. He had me rolling constantly. I really liked him. His wife, Susie, was really sweet. They reminded me of Bryan and Kathy. I felt at home instantly. They were really cool.

The highlight of the week would have to be Friday, the 4th.
We began the day by going to Blanchard Springs Caverns. IT WAS SOO NEAT!
The nerd side of me loved looking at stalactites and stalagmites. We were able to awe over a huge pile of guano. HA HA! The coolest thing though was learning about the stalactaflat (sp?). I won't explain it here.
Anyway, we also saw a dead bat in the cave and a sleeping bat tucked into the roof of the walkway that led into the gift shop. TOO COOL!

We then went to a town called Mountain View. There we witnessed a "fiddle pickin."
Most of the "family" had not had the privilege of tasting a funnel cake. Imagine the oohs and ahhs. It was great!
The turn of the century homes were opened up into little gift shops with various people playing fiddles and guitars on porch swings. It was a bit surreal. I felt like I was standing in the middle of a hillbilly movie. I have lived here for 11 years and have not witnessed that before. I really liked it and want to take the kids back there. It was loads of fun.
There was even a lady there wearing a button up shirt in the pattern of the US flag. She had one leg and greying hair. She was picking her acoustic guitar and sang "m0untain" songs. She was surrounded by a couple of Native American Indians, fully decked out in cowboy boots and long black pony tails. Too cool!
I sat at a table, waiting for a funnel cake, and noticed that there was a checker board made into the mosaic table. Britt and Suzanne (Phillip's cousin) played a game with the colored glass pieces provided on the table. Britt lost---really bad! It was funny. Suzanne is from California and was having a blast listening to all of the accents and was absorbing the hillbilly atmosphere. I loved watching her amusement. She is really cool and loud and boisterous---just like me. We really clicked. She would fit right in with me in my "Texas" atmosphere.

After we ate foot long corn dogs and funnels cakes, we then went home and ate barbecue and after our bellies were full, we went to a hoe down for senior citizens. There was a live band and let me just say that my in-laws can really boogie down! I know how to two-step, but Linda and Alvin were dancing rings around the rest of us! I loved watching them have such a good time. Most of the family got up and did the twist and we all had a great time. All of my girls got up and boog-a-looed with themselves and other cousins. Brittni even accepted a dance from a senior man who is a regular at the dance hall. She hates to admit it, but she really did have fun.

We went to church on Sunday for a testimony meeting and Phillip got up and bore his testimony. He doesn't do it very often and I just about lost it. I had this huge knot in my throat and thought that I was just about to swallow it back down, when Alvin got up right after Phillip and bore HIS testimony.
That was it.
Check please!

I began to lose it, but really fell apart when he began to talk about Linda and how special she is.
I nearly soaked my shirt!

Anyway, we left after sacrament and went back to the house. We ate lunch and packed the car and hit the road.
It felt sooooo good to sleep in our own bed after 9 days of being out of it.
Monday began the same ol same ol.
Swim team.
Work.
Laundry.
Grass cutting.
etc....
etc....

Well that was our reunion and 4th of July.
Not much humor.

Oh wait!

Phillip went golfing on Thursday and did have a humorous moment.
It was his first time to play real golf. (We are miniature golf pros.)
On one of the holes, he hit the ball...hard.
It flew with great power.........and.............hit............a tree.
It hit a tree about 20 feet away.
It bounced back toward him and rolled right up to him.
He had to count it as an extra hit because he stopped the roll with his club.
HA HA HA!!!
Too flippin funny!

Anyway, that is my funny for the day...er...week.
Smooches and ciao.