The York’s on Holiday – Late Again

Our return trip from Texas – 1996

Among my many personality quirks – two stand out in this story. One – I’m notoriously late to everything. My dad once told me I was born late and I’ve been late ever since. No matter how hard I try to be on time, I fail more times than not.

Two – I’m never ready for our trips to end. The closer we get to home, the more I try to stall. My husband, on the other hand, is like a horse returning to his barn. His driving becomes like an Indie 500 race car driver on his last lap. I’m lucky if he stops for a bathroom break.

I don’t want to sound ungrateful. We had a wonderful trip to Texas, but still my spirit began to sink watching the mile markers blur by outside my minivan window.

The kids asleep, I resolved to settle into my seat. I began to think about everything I’d have to do once we got home. Unpack our suitcases, catch up on laundry, clean the house, pay the bills, and prepare for another school year. My long mental “to do list” seemed to go on endlessly, until a large billboard appeared ahead of us on the highway. In big bold black letters read, “A Must See! Precious Moments – Carthage, Mo.” There were two darling cartoon children displayed underneath.

Excited over the prospect of prolonging our trip a little longer, I asked my tired husband, “We’ve never been there! Can we go?” He didn’t respond, so I added, “We could all use a break from the car.” Another billboard appeared ahead of us with the exit number. My husband never gave me a yes or no, but when he turned off the highway onto the exit, I knew his answer.

I had no idea what we were walking into, but was pleasantly surprised. The grounds were beautifully landscaped with large sculptures and fountains lining the sidewalk to the Precious Moments Visitor Center. While inside, we learned interesting facts about Samuel J. Butcher, the Precious Moments Founding Artist. We also learned our youngest daughter does not like life sized walking angels. Every time the large Precious Moments angel tried to interact with her, she would cry and turn her head.

After leaving the Visitor Center, we walked to the Chapel. Stained glass windows and beautiful art work filled the walls and ceiling. All the paintings depicted different stories from the Bible.

 

After we left the chapel, we walked outside onto a pathway. In the distance was a scene depicting Jesus resurrection. A large white cross was placed to the side of an empty tomb. A Precious Moments angel sat on a large rock that had been rolled away from the tomb’s entrance. One of my daughters asked me to read the blue sign posted in front of it. Thinking to myself this will make a great teachable moment for our girls, I read aloud, “He is not here, for he has risen as He said,” Matthew 28:6.

To which my middle daughter said, “Oh great! We’re late again.”

“Like 2,000 years late,” my husband chuckled.

A few hours later, we were home again––another family adventure was over.

Besides our horseback riding through a ghost town and the Precious Moments stall tactic, I want to give some other takeaways we experienced during this trip.

• Apparently, in 1996, there were no Taco Bells in Texas. If there were, we never found one. The girls couldn’t satisfy their craving until we traveled back through Oklahoma.
• I had no idea Sea World in San Antonio had a water park attached. We wondered where everyone was at on that hot summer day. It all worked out. The girls rode the water rides in their shorts and tees. The park didn’t care and our girls didn’t either.
• The Alamo didn’t look like it did in the Hollywood western sets. A lot of people, city noises, and large buildings surrounded it. We walked on sidewalks to the entrance. The grounds were landscaped. No desolate desert as I pictured. We enjoyed touring it though and our meal on the River Walk was delicious.
• Padre Island’s wind gusts rivaled Chicago’s. After chasing our towels down the beach a few times, we learned to weigh them down. I braided the girls’ hair. Their braids hung horizontally from their heads.