Well…the old phrase is true…
There’s no place like home….

Although, Getting home was like Mr. Toad’s wild ride!

Seriously….although our trip home seemed like a combination of The Amazing Race and Survivor, it was actually a day of miracles. We had a flight booked from Las Vegas to Springfield, Missouri. So, we had to drive from San Diego to Vegas……problem was, due to a severe snow storm, part of the highway was shut down. We then drove to Ontario Airport, once we secured a flight on-line, to Vegas. After checking in my suitcase (everyone else had carry-on’s, they obviously do not need the amount of hair product or makeup that I do) we realized our arrival to Vegas would not allow us enough time to catch the next flight to Springfield….a slight scheduling oversight by someone I should not mention….okay…it was my husband Gary…I divulge this because he turns out to be the hero in the end…..

Anyhoo, after a quick prayer……Miracle #1….Gary finds a flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma, leaving in 40 minutes, where we would rent a car and then drive to Missouri, only 3 1/2 hours away.

Not a bad idea…but what about my suitcase with all my stuff, not to mention a box of See’s Candy…we are talking yummy chocolate here! My poor lonely suitcase……( with my 4 essential hairbrushes, hair blower, must-have flat iron, much needed make-up, clothes, ugg boots etc…)…..is going to be circling the baggage claim conveyor belt in Las Vegas without me there to get it! Well, I was not thrilled with this idea, but we had to get home, suitcase or not. In my last post I talked about being thankful, and thinking positive thoughts…although it was darn-tootin‘ hard, (I didn’t say it would be easy!) when I felt like pouting, I kept telling myself… There, there dear-self, everything is going to be alright…when we get home we’ll make pie… no, actually I told myself to put my big-girl-pants on…..there are worse things in the world than losing your suitcase.

We got to Tulsa only to find out that all of the Car Rental companies were completely booked… virtually all cars reserved….except the last company that we talked to. Thrifty Car Rental. They had one car left. A van, big enough to fit all six of us. Miracle #2….. Thank you Lord!

We finally got on the road. As darkness fell, shards of lightening flashed across the sky every 10 seconds. It was so spectacular and beautiful! At first it was just in the distance, but as we got closer to Missouri it got bigger and louder. Rain pelted our car, and the wind swirled and shoved the car from side to side. We turned the radio on, only to find out that there were Tornado warnings in the direction we were driving!

I’m from California, I don’t do tornadoes…..(well, wake up sister and say hello to your neighbor Dorothy and her little dog Toto!)

We were just 2 hours from home when we decided to pull into a gas station for cover, pray for protection and decide what to do. Gary felt it was too dangerous to drive home, so we found a motel and stayed the night. Miracle # 3 …..The next morning we found out there were 35 tornadoes in Missouri that night. What?!! 35 tornadoes?? (That’s crazy-talk! )There were 17 tornadoes along the highway toward home. Thankfully, we were safe and sound.

So again, we said “thank you Lord!”. It turns out that our original flight from Vegas to Springfield was diverted to Tulsa, of all places, because of a tornado touchdown at the airport. Miracle # 4 was that we were not on that airplane if it had landed in Springfield during a tornado. If we had somehow managed to take that flight, we would have landed in Tulsa at 8:oo that night, without a car to rent. We got the last car at 5pm. That was Miracle #5.

So the moral to my very long story is….even when things don’t turn out the way you had planned, maybe there is a good reason…so don’t get miffed at your husband (I’m speaking to myself girlfriends!). God may be orchestrating a change in your plans for your own good. He may allow an obstacle to detour you, because He knows the future and we don’t. Times like that provide an opportunity for us to trust God for His provision and protection. So when Gary clicked on the wrong flight, little did we know that miracles were in the works and that he would be the hero that would save his family from certain harm. That’s my man.

As for my suitcase….Southwest Airlines delivered it to my door yesterday….Miracle #6. So even though I had a few bad-hair-days, that was a small price to pay for arriving home-sweet-home, safely.

Gary, my hero…the man I love.

Disneyland …..
the place where I want to live,

but they won’t let me…..

….was wonderful!!

Enjoy our happy moments…

Adventurous Canoe rides

with a view of the American Frontier…

You actually have to paddle…

well, you are supposed to…I took pictures.

I love this cabin scene!

Wonder what Granny is fixin‘ for supper?

Probably, Fried Chicken, Fried Okra, Fried Potatoes,

and Fried Apple Hand-Pies.
Sounds good to me!

My Sweetie Pie Summer Rose
and sweet little Pooh


The back side of the Cinderella’s Castle…
…simply gorgeous!

I love this General Store!

Especially the antique telephones
where you can listen in on
Turn Of The Century conversations.

So quaint!

See, why can’t I live above the bakery?

What’s the big deal?

The rest of our trip was also filled with lots of fun…

Ice skating…

Spending time with my parents…

eating homemade cannoli’s

Seeing my sister Sherry (Prairie Home)

All my Italiano cousins that I grew up with…

…we had a girls night out at a very colorful Italian restaurant.

And we got to hang out with my college boy J.J.

and his adorable girlfriend Tiffany!

But now I am Home-Sweet-Home!

I have lots to do to get my home back in order.
We left the day after Christmas
so all the decorations were
waiting for me when I got back.
(What?! No elves to do that for me??)

Clearing away the glittered clutter

gives me a chance to do my spring cleaning early.

I like to rearrange things a bit,

to give my home a fresh look.

I’ll let you take a peek on my next post!

Thanks for stopping by for pie!

Hugs!

*******Ruthann********

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