Friday, March 11, 2011

Spring Break


Wow, Spring Break is here!!  While most people are planning quick trips to the mountains or the beach I am planning on spending it with 4 crazy kids and one handsome husband.  Even this morning the kids and I were talking about what we are going to do.  Of course I offered the typical suggestions:  go to the park, visit the library, go bike riding, etc…and then Kennedy states she wanted to go to Junction.  Ahh, Junction aka “The River”.  The city of Junction (rather the outskirts) holds fond memories for me.  Over 35 years ago, my grandparents bought 7 acres of riverfront property on the Llano River covered in rocks, cactus and oak trees.  I’m not for sure how many years it took but they eventually cleared away the unwanted rocks and trees and built a house that would last through their great grandchildren and beyond.  You see there is nothing grand or elegant about those 7 little acres but it does give me a sense of refreshment and peace every time I go there.  As a kid, I remember the two hour drive (when the speed limit was 55) from San Angelo and the excitement that I would feel when we left the pavement and drove onto the dirt road.  It felt like we entered into a new dimension of time.  Of course from the moment we saw the gate to the property we would jump out of the car and run to the house in time to see Ma-Maw and Paw-Paw waiting on the porch.  I could probably write several hundred pages on the memories that The River holds for me.  From the smell of the fire burning with cedar, putting out corn for the deer, tubing down the Llano river, the countless number of rocks skipped across the water, eating beanie-weenies to burgers, watching my grandmother “put on her face”, having your shoes filled with sand from the river, the list could go on and on. 
As the years have gone by, Ma-Maw and Paw-Paw have gone on to heaven but they have left a lasting legacy for me to pass on to my kids.  I think my favorite part of the whole place is the way the sun shines through the massive amount of oak trees in the late afternoon portraying beautiful sun rays that radiate throughout the trees.  I like to think of it as God’s love shining down on his creation. 
So we may just take Kennedy’s suggestion and go to Junction for Spring Break and just add more memories to our lives!

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like a wonderful Spring Break trip, Ginger!! Junction holds fond memories for my kids too! My parents have taken them to the Llano State park to camp many times. They love it there.

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