Today, you get me. Comment or answer the question on any post dated Nov 4th – 15th to win a copy of The Cowboy’s Missing Memory, plus 3 other books in my Nov Book Bundle #1. Deadline: Nov 22nd, 11:59 pm central time.
About a year and a half ago, I became a GiGi. Grant is Poppa. This little girl has upended our hearts. And our world. We were empty nesters. Since our daughter-in-law went back to work, I’m a full-time GiGi. Once again, our nest is full. And busy. At an early check up, the doctor asked if she could sit up. Her momma said, she’s too busy. It wasn’t long after that, she got the hang of it, but she is very busy. Her daddy was a late bloomer. He crawled late, walked late, talked late. His baby girl has done everything early. She was barely crawling when she started pulling up. Barely walking when she started running, skipping, and hopping.
We never had baby gates with our son. This one requires two gates to keep her contained in the main part of the house. Cabinet locks, and plug in protectors – check. She loves turning my dishwasher when the dishes are already clean and the microwave when there’s nothing in it to warm. And don’t get distracted because she’ll find something to get into even though we’re child-proofed. I’ve had nightmares about her launching headfirst off the couch or stuffing her mouth full of earrings. We have big fun, but she’s very energetic and I’m not so much anymore. Instead of writing, I find myself napping when she does, just so I can keep up. I’m getting into a routine of being productive during nap two though.
In April, my preacher husband needed a getaway and I did too. Our daughter-in-law had a day off and we
ended up with a long weekend. Years ago, when Branson, Missouri first became a thing, I made fun of it, saying it was where old Country and Western singers went to die. But as more and more people talked about it, we decided to go. I’ve never seen a show there, other than the Christian productions at Sight and Sound theater. We went with friends, our youth group, and once our church. When our son was younger, we shopped the Tanger and Red Roof malls, visited Ripley’s Believe It or Not, rode go carts, and played mini golf. We drove to Springfield to visit the mother of all Bass Pro Shops. We visited flea markets. Over the years, we’ve been to Branson half a dozen times.
This time, for the first time, it was just us. The weather was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. We strolled through the shopping area in old Branson. We hit all the flea markets. We ate at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, which felt like home since it’s one of our favorites in Little Rock.We drove on into Springfield and went to Buccee’s, which we’d discovered in our Texas travels. We found basketball card shops since my husband dabbles in collecting. We shopped at patriotic gift shops. And had the time of our lives.
And decided we should do this more often. Take short jaunts once a quarter instead of just a week vacation every other year or so. In August, we went to Memphis and stayed in the Bass Pro Pyramid. That’s a once a year extravagance to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday. And summer is the perfect time for it. I’m not a fan of hot weather. I hate shopping or going from one place to another in the summer. Even flea marketing. At the Pyramid, you don’t have to leave. You can shop, eat, and sleep there. We spotted 
this weird fish with a witch nose in the round tank at Wahlburger’s Wild, which has a very tasty buffalo burger.
Our favorite thing is sitting on our balcony overlooking the wildlife and waterfall in the store. Last year, we had a perfect view of ducks swimming. This year, not so much. Our view was camping gear. Next year, I’ll have to talk to someone and get a good view. But even just people watching, it was so perfectly relaxing. Like sitting on an air conditioned screened porch.
And then there was the baby gator. We were on the balcony after the store had closed, when I noticed what looked like a lizard on the concrete in the camping area. It just sat there. I showed it to Grant and we watched for movement. Nothing. We wondered if it was dead. Then we decided it was too big to be a lizard. Oh my, did one of the baby crocs get out? But it never moved. We talked about how there are animal tracks in the concrete throughout the store and could it possibly be an imprint in the concrete. We decided to go down the next day and investigate. Sure enough, it was an imprint. On the other side of some merchandise, there was an imprint of a deer. But we couldn’t see it from our balcony.
This month, we planned to go to Texas for a week, but Texas Mom is coming here instead. So we’re going to Branson and Springfield again after her visit. In the spring, we plan to make our Texas trek, which we’re excited about. But while longer trips are fun, sometimes we feel like we need a vacation to recover from our vacation. With each mini trip, we’re refreshed – he’s ready to preach and I’m ready to GiGi.
Reader Question: Do you enjoy short jaunts or lengthy trips? Why? Where is your favorite place to visit? Why?
Nov Book Bundle #1
Gone to Texas by Caryl McAdoo, Historical Romance, e-book
The Cowboy’s Missing Memory by Shannon Taylor Vannatter, Contemporary Romance, print
Detecting Deadly Threats by Carol Post, Romantic Suspense, signed print copy
One Last Summer by Becky Sue Harwood, Women’s Fiction, print
About Shannon: Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.
She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. Shannon is Scrivenings Press Acquisitions/Content Editor for Contemporary titles. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and adult son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects. Learn more and connect:
Shannon’s Website Shannon’s Facebook Shannon’s Bookbub
Shannon’s Twitter Shannon’s Goodreads Shannon’s Pinterest
Sign up for Shannon’s Newsletter to get free e-book, recipes, behind-the-scenes info, & enter exclusive giveaways!
About the book – The Cowboy’s Missing Memory:
Can he reclaim his past…and build a future?
He needs to remember.
She’s his best hope…
After a rodeo accident took away Clint Rawlins’s mobility and two years’ worth of memories, occupational therapist Lexie Parker is his only shot at recovering and regaining independence. Lexie is drawn to Clint…but she’s wary of the amnesiac’s all-too-vulnerable feelings. And with the possibility of him returning to his dangerous bull-riding side job, she refuses to risk her heart. But resisting her charming patient may be harder than she expected…
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Shannon’s other titles?
Get your copy/copies now! Shannon’s books
Come back Nov 8th for Shannon’s Book Bargains Roundup!
Short jaunts for me (due to pain levels) but we just love being together and taking whatever time we need!
Agreed Jeannie. Short is much easier on the body. Time together is awesome. Especially without the distractions of day to day life.
We love our short jaunts. Which reminds me- maybe I will give you a call when we next come up to visit the swans!
Do that, Jenny. It’s been too long.
This summer we went to Spain to visit my brother and family who live there now.
Oh wow, Diana! I always think it’s cool when other people go yo other countries. But I have no desire to leave the US. Even long jaunts are to other states for me.
This summer my daughter and her family took me too The Great Smoky Mountains for summer vacation and I loved it I have always loved visiting Tennessee Have a Blessed Day!
That sounds like a fun trip, Sarah. I’d like to see the Grand Canyon someday.
What a precious girl! Enjoy your time with her 🙂
We enjoy both – longer vacations and short term getaways.
Favorite place is Carmel-be-the-Sea (beach and mountains come together)!
Thank you, Natalya. She is precious and we have a big time. Same here. Give me several short jaunts a year and one big trip. Your favorite place sounds awesome!
Shorter trips are better for me because I get homesick. I stay at a condo on the beach for a week every summer. That’s my favorite place to go. I don’t even have to spend much time on the beach, just the scenery from inside is enough for me.