Military families have pretty short root systems. Our motto is to "bloom where you're planted," but our vegetation is prepared to be uprooted at any moment to find a new garden. There is something about being home with friends and family whose roots run deep. Something about sinking your toes into family owned land, being in your childhood home, relating to stories told about past generations, or reliving memories with people who knew you even before you even knew who you were. Our kids will never know what it's like spending an entire childhood in one community, but one constant of their lives has always been family...and they LOVE spending time with them! We started off our trip at National Road Campground in Zanesville, Ohio, which just happened to be celebrating Christmas in July that weekend. The kids were excited to have their Grandma and aunts come through with loads of Christmas paraphernalia so they could partake in decorating. Santa and Smokey the Bear came by the campground on a firetruck and passed out reminders for fire prevention. We spent the week visiting family, including a Ramsey family reunion, and got to see Dusty's brother's family for the first time in over two years. We actually had family over to our "new house," which felt kind of nice, since our house usually requires taking vacation days to see. Dusty got his truck detailed and ceramic coated by Cocca's Detailing just outside of New Concord. I'm going to give his business a plug because we have so many people reading from that part of Ohio. Mark, the young man running the business, was most definitely the hardest working, most put-together, confident, and knowledgeable twenty-something year old that I have met in a long time. He did a great job on the truck, and generally restored my faith in future generations. Highly recommend! Sunday we drove to Brookville to see my side of the family. First stop: Marion's Piazza (our favorite) to meet the whole family (or everyone who could make it.) The kids played with cousins in the game room for hours while the adults chatted. Monday we took care of some business, played at the farm, had dinner at mom's and got to What's the Scoop for ice cream just before they closed. (Best ice cream! Brookville has been needing this for so long!) Since we were only in Brookville for two days, we mooch-docked with a dear friend of mine who I worked with way back in my high school days. Her sweet family started EZ Farms back in 2015, raising miniature herefords. Catching up with an old friend was wonderful, and seeing all the animals was definitely a perk for Banana! We had so much fun at EZ Farms that I'm trying to convince them to sign up to be Boondocker's Welcome hosts. Not only is their family a ton of fun, but we had a blast helping do farm chores and petting the dogs and farm cats. Today we hit the road to spend the rest of the week with family at our cabin in Michigan. Our visit was just enough to help us feel a bit more grounded before we get swept up by the wind of the road. We're so thankful for the deep, wide, and comfortable roots of our family to help us out on this journey. We may plant ourselves all over the world, but Ohio will always be where our roots are.
2 Comments
Mabel brunton
7/27/2022 04:18:07 pm
I spent the first eight years of my life on a farm. It is an educational experience and makes good memories.
Reply
Lorna Stachowicz
7/27/2022 11:00:22 pm
Loved seeing the pictures! More fun learning experiences for the kids. I do have to say that the cow in the chute looked a little odd and familiar!
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
October 2022
Categories |