Traveling to Fayettville

It has been an amazing week. Monday we were blessed with a new addition to our family, a little boy name Samuel. My cousins Steve and Amy have been trying for several years to adopt a child and Monday God granted their wish and our prayers. Just another reason to be grateful.

Monday night Maria and I left at 7:00 p.m. for Springdale Arkansas. We had an appointment with Immigration Services at 8 a.m. Tuesday to find out what we can do to legalize this women. It was a long 6 hour trip and I could see how nervous she was about getting there so at one point I pulled over to the side of the road and we prayed for God to give us peace and we stopped worrying about the out come of this very important venture. We went to the appointment just to find out there is nothing short of a marriage that will help her.... So we started praying for a man:)

After the appointment, we went and ate breakfast and decided that she would not have another opportunity to see this part of Arkansas again so we made the most of it.

I must say it was very uneasy to be in the area and not call my son, or know that I would be seeing him. I traveled this way sometimes twice a month to see him, be with him. We had allot of great times eating out, shopping, there where 3 places we always went when I would come to town...1. Kennedy coffee 2. Chi Alpha 3. Olive Garden.


Maria and I went to the University of Arkansas and visited Chi Alpha Christian Ministries and the Brad Dawson Worship Center! It was a wonderful, emotional, exciting time. We were treated like royalty. The center was empty b/c students were in classes but I had the opportunity to visit with the staff and hear how the ministry was growing. Ronnie, the campus pastor, ask me if Brad's picture, that hangs in the Worship Center, was crooked when I walked in? I told him no. He laughed and told me that every time they walk into the center it is crooked. I told him it was Brad's spirit playing a joke on them. I could feel Brad's spirit in this center. How unfair that he spent every waking minute he had at the house(Chi Alpha), played in the Praise and Worship band at Chi Alpha and ministered to countless students all summer, and could not rejoice in the new building. It was a time of reflection, a time of praise, and a sense of pride as I walked through the building. Brad's memory, legacy, and name will live on forever in this beautiful building.

Maria and I spent the rest of the day looking for a bakery that would make a Razorback something that Samuel could eat at his party Friday night. We finally found Chuck's on College Street and they made 12 cupcakes with Razorbacks on them for all the kids. Shh! Don't tell Steve and Amy it's a surprise. We spent the rest of the time looking for something Razorback to put on the cake Joan made.

On our way back to the hotel we stopped in Kennedy Coffee, this cool coffee shop where all the kids hang out. The girls there remembered Brad. They went to school with him and they shared a couple of funny stories of when Brad would come in the coffee shop late at night after work. They looked up his last order on the computer and I got the last thing he ordered, it was awful! Some kind of orange sour mocha thingy. Yuck! I could just see him laughing at me for doing that. He was constantly asking me to try some new drink out on the market and I always made a face b/c it was terrible. I ended up with a mocha coffee.

We went back to the room exhausted so we turned in for the night. Wednesday morning early we went to breakfast and then headed to Eureka Springs. I thought Maria would enjoy seeing the Christ of the Ozarks. It is a 64 foot cement statue that towers over the mountains of the Ozarks. It is magnificent. She was just amazed by it massive stature and humbled by it's beauty. It is truely something to behold, to see it from the highway as you travel.

We then went into Eureka and ate lunch, walked the streets and looked at all the little shops. It is a nice little town to visit, but we didn't have as long to stay as I would have liked b/c we had to pick up those cupcakes by 4 o'clock. So off we went to Fayettville.

We got there just in time! Then I took her to the Arkansas Razorback Basketball game!!!! We decided to go buy Razorback wind suits, the face tatoo, and a Razorback T-shirt. I will share pics when we get them developed.

And what a game it was. Missouri came to town. It was one of those games that kept you on the edge of your seat, we would be up by two points and then down by one, up by seven and then down by 4. But the final 17 seconds of the game were nail biting! My thumb nail still hurts from biting it off in the quick! But WE WON!!! GO HOGS GO!!! Maria really got into watching the fans go crazy, she said she had never experienced anything like it.

After the game we headed back home. She really enjoyed herself and I really enjoyed her. We really had a good time. We got home at 5 am and had a warm welcome when we got here.
Gary had put the Christmas lights up while we were away and left them on for us to see when we drove up. Abby and Buddy ( my dogs) were standing at the door waiting for us, they were so happy to see us that instead of wagging their tails, their whole body wagged:) lol Gary got up to say good morning, he said he didn't sleep well, b/c of the anticipation of us to get home.

All in all , we had a good time but always glad to be home.