tennessee to texas

There’s something about a sweet little voice coming from the backseat, singing along with the radio. Not quite in sync, or knowing many of the words, but still belting it out with all her heart.

Indiana’s recently discovered The Judds’ music and has a little playlist we let her listen to, with ‘Grandpa’, ‘Young Love’ and a few other songs she really likes.

Like her Papa, Indy is kind of a songwriter I guess. As I listen, she's rewriting songs as she’s singing them, unintentionally of course.

“…why not me when the lights are cold,

why not me when you’re broke and old…why not me?”

Even Wynonna would have to laugh at that.

We’re on our way to Texas for the Homemaker Conference that Rebecca’s hosting this coming weekend and we’re so excited to get to spend the week with lots of dear friends there. And we're also excited that ladies and families will be coming from all over to be at the event. Rebecca’s been working hard putting it together for the last few months, and Homestead Heritage, where it’s being held, is almost like ‘homemaker heaven’, with the craft village, the cafe, and hundreds of homemakers living in the community. It’s going to be so special to see all the women there for this reason in this place.

It’s a 10 hour drive from our farm, but we’ve made the trip a couple of times now recently and it goes by pretty quick, especially compared to our usual 3 day drive to and back from Montana each summer.

Indy’s always been a wonderful traveler. Happy as can be in her spot in back, reading or drawing. Or singing. Or these days working on making potholders with her loom, asking from time-to-time, “how long til we get there?”. And whether it’s 10 minutes or 10 hours, the answer’s pretty much then same.

“…that’s not bad.”

Again like her Papa, she’s always a bright-side looker. Seeing the good, even in the painful. The fun, often in the boring.

It’s been a nice trip so far. Our alarm went off at 4:15 and we were on the road by a little after 5, watching the sun rise over the fog as went up and down the Tennessee hills headed west.

Somewhere in Arkansas, we made a homeschool stop, to walk out into a cotton field and get a closer look. Indy had never seen a cotton plant before, and it’s fairly rare when we get to see one, so it’s always fun to get off the beaten path, even if just for a few minutes, to learn something new.

Rebecca made sandwiches in the front seat, so we could make better time and have lunch without stopping again and she’s currently driving and I’m responding to emails, or at least supposed to be. I heard Indy singing behind me and got distracted, or inspired, however you want to look at it.

Indy brought her new baby David and has been giving us a play-by-play on how he’s been handling his first long car ride.

The sun’s on it’s western journey now, and Texarkana’s long in our rearview mirror. I’m ready to be there. We all are.

But the GPS says Waco’s still three hours away.

“…that’s not bad”, says the little voice behind us.

No honey, not bad at all.