June 30, 2006 10:38 PM

So tonight we are in South Carolina with my mom's cousins. We are having so much fun!!! We had a campfire with all sorts of fun and food. We are getting ready to leave here soon and we all just want to stay a few more days...really we do!!! So today when we showed up Gloria, Mom, and myself all had to go buy some food. The closest store is the F-Mart. It was the funnest place. About five min. away and the smallest mini mart ever. I loved it, it absolutly just made me laugh...and that was the closest place for miles!!! It's so fun here...everyone knows each other. Like when we walked into the F-Mart she knew every one in there and every one that walked in...lol! Anyway, i bettre get going I have to get some sleep for another big day of driving tomorrow! Only like 27 days left!!! Hope you don't miss me too much...hehehe!!!

Lots of love
Allie Joy

June 29, 2006 10:07 PM

So today...like I said we would...we spent the whole day at Dollywood. It was a blast! I just want to say that the entire Smith family...ya that’s right even me...went on America’s voted best wood roller coaster for the past two years. And really I had never been on a roller coaster like that and then it was the best one...wo ho look at me!!! Overall we all had a ton of fun. There was wet rides and dry rides. Tons of food to eat and neat little shops to look at. My mom hit it right on the nose when she said it is a mixture of Disneyland and Enchanted Forest. So do you remember that ride I told you about that I said I didn’t go on because I had to take a picture ( that was a lie by the way if you haven’t figured that out by now...lol), well today I went on it...AMAZING...I know. But what can I say it’s me...hehehe. It was pretty scary...and you get totally soaked!!! That’s alright it was still fun! Well it is pretty late here and I’m getting tired...but don’t worry I get to sleep in tomorrow...like I’m talking we are not leaving until 11:00 so like I can get up at 10:45 and be ready to go, ya I know exciting!!! We are on our way to South Carolina tomorrow to see some of my mom’s cousins...which should be fun...they live in a tick, misquote, bug biting infested area!!! I hope I don’t get eaten by those bugs!!! Well I will talk to you later. Bye-bye now.

Love ya lots
Allie Joy

June 28, 2006 9:54 PM

We like Tennessee the best I think so far. It is pretty and just plain fun. You drive down this street and there are just a ton of stores and kids and family play places. SOOO much better then Las Vegas...which did I mention is the most disgusting place that I think we have been to yet!!! So today we got a early start...I’m talkin’ 6:30 AM early. EW, I hate waking up that early...there should be like a rule and law against that!!! Anyway, so we were on the road again (ya ya ya what’s new about that I know you’ve heard me say that before sorry, but it seems like sometimes that is all we ever do.) So we had to drive to Tennessee (which is where we are now) to go to a theme/attraction park called Dollywood. I personally didn’t think it looked that exciting, but you know what in the few hours that we spent there I came to enjoy myself. Hey stop laughing at me I really did. So much that I am going back there tomorrow...ok ok ok so that really wasn’t my choice, but I did enjoy it. We were only there for a short time tonight and went on some water ride and walk into a few shops. The water rides were pretty intense...well for me. You see I have this little ( ok BIG) childhood fear of like log boat water rides that have a steep drop. So the first one we went on was like one of those huge circle rafts, that was fun. Then the next one was like some rubber type boat that whips you around, gets you soaked and all sorts of crazy water things happen (not that I would know...I opted not to go on that one so...I...could...um...take a picture...ya thats right take a picture...lol) then the last one was just some log boat ride. My whole family went on that one first without me so then when they got off they wanted to go again and they said it was not that bad. Well ya, not that bad for them. I must have not mentioned to them my little fear...lol. No it really wasn’t that bad. Dollywood, from what we saw today, is a lot of cute little crafty shops, but still very interesting. So I don’t know if I will be able to blog tomorrow because we will be there again, but this time for the day and not two hours. So again I hope all is well at home and I hope you all enjoy reading about this wild adventure that I am having...ya that’s right WILD!!! So as of today we will be home in thirty days...yay...even though that sounds sooo long. We are a third of the way time wise done with the trip. We have also driven 4,000 miles and visited 15 states ( ALL IN 14 DAYS... ok so saying it like that makes my parents officially sound crazy...) Well I will talk to you all later hope all of your summer is going well!!!

Love ya lots
Allie Joy

June 27, 2006 11:17 PM

Wow the days have sure flown by...even though there is still four long weeks to go. So tonight we are in Alabama somewhere. We came here to watch a baseball game. Today we drove, shopped for food, and watched a baseball game...nothing to exciting. At the baseball game they lost 7-1. It was pretty bad, but again nothing to exciting. So tomorrow we get to sleep in!!! Yay, I am seriously so excited. We will be on our way to Tennessee to go to Dollywood (which is an amusement park.) We looked at it on the internet and it looks like fun, but I dunno I guess we will just have to see. Anyway, so last night we stayed at a KOA camp ground. Mary is a lady that worked there. She was so nice to us and very helpful. Thank you Mary again for everything! Well I better get going for now, sometimes when I type it can be very loud for some people who are trying to sleep and I would hate to wake all those grumpy pants up. Hehehe!!! Well I will talk to you all soon...hopefully...lol. Hope that all is well.

Lots of love
Allie Joy

June 26, 2006 9:59 AM

I know I am a few days behind on my blog. This is only my tenth entry and really we are on day 12. For as long as this trip is it is going so fast. We are a fourth of the way done with our driving miles, have been in 12 different states ( that’s about a state a day...CRAZY!!!), And almost one third of the way done with time ( a little less then two weeks done.) Holy Cow!!! I have seen so many exciting and amazing things, but at the same time felt like I have been in the car the whole time...ok not really. Hahaha!!! Anyway, today we are not doing anything to exciting. Just driving!!! We are trying to make it to Kentucky today...but ...um...I don’t know why. The farther we get along on this trip the more I seem not to know about what I am doing that day...it almost makes me think that my PARENTS (the ones who should know everything) don’t even know what they are doing...scary thought...lol. Well I know this much tomorrow at 7:05 we are going to watch a AAA (which is right below major league baseball so he is pretty good.) baseball game. I love watching baseball so I am really excited! A guy that my dad works with brother is playing a home game right when we are there and he is really excited that we are coming, and I am excited that we are going!!! Well I better get going. Talk to you all later!

Lots of love
Allie Joy

June 25, 2006 11:52 PM

3,000 miles driven today... that may not mean much to you but to me that means that I am one third of the way done with driving. Plus that is a ton of hours. Anyway, so today we were in the car for quite awhile. Beside our little breakfast stop at a Waffle House. That was so much fun. The people were so nice and the food was great, we all enjoyed it. Today we had to make it to Branson, Missouri to visit Chuck and Lesley ( Dad’s friends from California.) So tonight we are staying in their front yard. What fun, I kinda feel like a loser...lol. We made it to Branson around four-ish or something like that...when you are in the car for hours at a time and you keep changing time zones you eventually don’t really care of keep track of the time anymore =) So we all went out to dinner and saw a firework show which Grady was pretty excited about. Let me tell you a little something about Grady, the 4th of July is Grady’s FAVORITE holiday no and, if, or but’s about it. According to we aren’t to sure where we will be during the 4th of July we don’t know how many fireworks we will get to see which is slightly devastating to him. Anyway, altogether it was a very good visit...now I don’t know if it was just because it was just plain fun or because I have not got to talk to and see people in what seems like forever to me...which can be anytime period starting from...um...about an hour to kinda whatever...hehehe! Seriously people have got to read this and laugh because when I write this I am just cracking up at myself because I am just such a dork...lol. Ya, just read that last sentence and you can not still think that I am not a dork!!!
• Joel and Breann, (sorry if I spelt your names wrong) if you are reading this please don’t get your first impression from this. I really am a nice young girl ( that is nothing like my mom or her good friend Leslie.) Just ask Rob and Robyn...um...about the part where I am nice because they will tell you I am like my mom, and that is so not true unless you like her and think that she is nice...hehehe! I hope that you and your daughter Sarah are all doing well with fitting into our church. I just want to let you know that I am so excited to come home to meet you all. Hope you have a good first of the summer...even though it might not be as fun without Grady and I there...hehehe!!! Talk to you soon I hope.
Anyway, so it’s pretty late and I have a ton of driving to do tomorrow so I better get some sleep. That sounds kinda silly I have to get some sleep for sitting in the car for tomorrow, I am not even the one driving. Well goodnight to all of you at home.

Lots of love
Allie Joy

June 24, 2006 4:50 PM

Nine states, over two thousand miles, and five weeks left to go...not that I’m counting the days until I ‘m home...34 not including the rest of today...that’s...um...just in case you were wondering...hehehe!!! Anyway, so yes I am a day behind on my blog, but don’t worry I have a good explanation. We spent literally ALL of yesterday (11:00 am - 9:00 pm) at Hurricane Harbor ( a water park in Arlington, Texas.) It was so much fun! I have not been to a water park like that in years. There is just so much to do...and we went on everything! No joke, it was big and had a ton of stuff to do but then again we did have ALL day. We all had a blast. There were some slow rides for the girls and some fast ones for Grady, and then a few family ones for all of us. But all together there was something for everyone to do and a ton of time to do it in. At the end of the day we had to turn in our locker key. Now we could get our three dollars back or get a free souvenir cup with a free refill. So we were like sure lets get the cup as a souvenir...so we told the man “We will take the pop instead?” He like totally freaked out and was like “Pop, pop, pop? What the heck is pop down here we call it coke.” Well then I asked him “So if I said I wanted a coke then what would you say?” He replied “What kind of coke would you like?” Isn’t that weird, I found that just totally and completely odd. Everyone else in line thought that us calling it pop was weird and the funny part was as we are leaving he says “Only freaks call it pop!” What a nerd...lol Anyway so that was yesterday. Today we drove for about two hours or so and are now staying at the state park Crater of Diamonds in Murfreesboro, Arkansas. Crater of Diamonds is basically a 37 acre plowed field full of diamonds...but if you actually want to find any you are going to have to be willing to sit in the burning hot sun with no shade for hours at a time. Not only that but most of the people that have searched here for YEARS have never even found any...so of course we didn’t. So we sat in the sun for hours, got a little sunburn, and nothing but buckets full of dirt...ok so we found some crystals, but nothing out of the ordinary or anything to special beside some good ol’ family memories and sunburn.=) So after our little adventure the kids and Dad all went swimming while Mom and I are just sitting here in the trailer waiting for dinner to be ready, writing a blog, and taking a nap...in this heat that is all you want to do, take a nap with an air conditioner...lol Tomorrow we will be on our way to Branson, Missouri to visit some of my dad’s friends, that should be fun...for him! Anyway, I better get going for now...talk to ya all soon!

Love ya lots
Allie Joy


EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW... ok we just got in from dinner and a tick landed on me. It didn’t bite me or anything but still ew. I didn’t think I would actually see one let alone have it LAND on ME!!! I officially am grossed out and want to leave this place.


On a little side note...(for all of you at home)
● these are all people that I know of that read my blog...I just you a little message so find your name and if I miss you I am so very sorry...leave me a comment on one of my blogs so I know that you are reading and I will try to write you a note as well....love ya!


Rob and Robyn - I hope everything went well for both of you with VBS and Extreme Vacation. We all wish we could be there to help out and experience the fun. I also hope everything is going well with the hopefully new youth pastor to be (seriously it is so hard to say that considering that I think you guys are the best and wish that you could be my youth pastor and wife forever, but change has to happen sometime...I guess ) and I am continually prying for all of you. Let them both know I am praying for them as well and Grady and I can’t wait to meet them. And tell Joel that I am very sorry and I promise I am nothing like my mom or Leslie ( you know because she gets to go on the middle school trip with you guys when we come home and if her and Leslie scare them I AM SO SORRY...=( Love ya and miss ya lots...give both of your kids hugs and kisses from me and let them know I love them.

Suzy and Weston - i see that you read my blog and i just wanted to say thank you. i really don't even know you huys that well and i miss you already. i hoep to see you soon sometime in the near future. tell logan i say hi too. love ya!

Theresa and Larry - Thanks for always being there for all of us. I really appreciate you guys. Thank you for trying to help with the Walmart situation...it was actually very useful. Thank you for the very funny comment on my blog the other day...I hope you are enjoying it. Love ya and miss you all lots!

Terra, Sami, and Alysa - HAHAHA TOLD YOU THE MOVIE NIGHT WOULD BE NO FUN WITHOUT ME!!! Serves you right...lol Anyway I just hope you guys are all doing well and at least trying to have SOME fun without me even though I know it can be very hard at times...hehehe So Alysa I hope that everything works out with your little situ
ation, Terra I hope the new job is just as fun as you hope it is and your little situation works out (I ADVISE YOU TO TAKE A DRAMATIC ACTION TRY IT BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE WORTH YOUR WHILE and you might have a little fun...lol), and Sami I hope that you little situation works out for you as well...( I didn’t say names girls because I don’t know who all read this, but you know who I am talking about...I hope...unless I am not updated...which I should be because I do have a cell phone that you can call or text anytime ya know.) Talk to you all soon. Love ya all lots.

Nicole - I hope you are having a fun time at home with everyone and camping. I miss Belnap springs and I want to go back so bad...lol Have some fun for me will ya?!? Anyway, tell every one I say HI and I will see you in about 34 days...but who’s counting right?!? Lol, Love ya lots babe...ttly

Kayla H - Hey you. I hope that everything went well o ris going well with the wedding depending on what time it is there. I miss you so much and I hope the next month goes very fast for you...you know what I mean...lol. Anyway, I hope that you and all of your family are doing well and not getting to stressed with today. It is a wedding so what do you expect...hehehe. Anyway, just remember you can call me at anytime so we can talk. Love ya lots babe!

Kyle - I WANT YOUR (OH SO FAMOUS) FETTUCCINE ALFREDO AT R&R WHEN I COME HOME FOR THE LAST SUNDAY...I AM CRAVING IT!!! Hope your having fun without me at R&R my R&R gangster...lol ttly

Alisha - I miss you so much and I hope you had fun with all of your family. As soon as I come home we are going to have some girl time to get your mind off of that special someone that will be going to college soon...but not LEAVING so don’t think like that. Love ya lots babe and I hopoe to talk to you soon.

Grandma Jo - We all love and miss you so much. I hope you are enjoying reading my blog to keep you updated with stories and pictures. We are all having a great time and thank you so much for all you do for us *and the extra spending money* Talk to ya later.


Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Ben - Why did you ever go on this trip. You took mom and now she thinks it is FUN to take us...ok so it is =) I just want to say I love and miss you both so much. Thank you for everything! I hope that you are reading my blog and getting informed enough about everything. Grandma, I love getting your random little text...it lets me know that you are still there for me in my life no matter how old I’m getting or however many miles separate us...I love you so much and I will hopefully talk to you soon.

Devenports- I hope you all are having a great summer. Girls hope you had a blast at VBS (even though I wasn’t there.) I can’t wait to come home and see you all again I love you guys so much and I miss you tons already. Hey girls I got you all a little surprise!!! Wonder what it is... you are just going to make to wait five more weeks until I get back.


Lorains - Thank you so much for watching the guinea pigs for us. Hope they are not to much trouble for you. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you again.


Bradners - I hope you are all having just as much fun on your trip as I am on mine. Which is tons by the way. Mitch, Grady says HI. Allison the girls and I all say HI and we miss you all. Jacob, Kristi says “Hey buddy be a good boy.” John and Leslie we all love and miss you. Talk to you all soon... I hope we are kinda playing cell phone tag right now so I will try to keep getting a hold of you. Love and miss you all.

Brendel - Just wanted to say HI to you and Ben. If there is any exciting news I want to hear about it...PLEASE!!! And believe me when I say...I AM BEING SO PATIENT...lol. Talk to you later.

Stevens - I just wanted to say Hi to all of you. I miss you all so much. I hope that Jean is havign a fun time in New York, and I hope that all of you are doing good with your activities throughout the summer. Love ya all!!!
Brad - just wanted to say that I hope that you are having a good beginning of summer even though I am not there. I hope that you get to drive more of your friends around and I can’t wait until I get home so that you can drive me too!!! I will talk to you later...I hope!!! Love ya!

Kelsie - i saw all those wonderful comments you left me. Thank you so much i hope you are enjoying reading this. i am having a great time and i hoep you are too. thanks again and i will see you in a few weeks. love ya babe and may the lord be with you this summer.

June 22, 2006 2:24 PM

There was really nothing exciting today. We woke up early and got on the road, and are still on the road besides the minor gas stops...it has been about 8 hours...that’s a lot of time We are driving all the way from Carlsbad, New Mexico to just short of Arlington, Texas. We are driving to Arlington to go to Hurricane Harbor which is a six flags water park. We will be spending the whole day there tomorrow so we got all of our driving out of the way today. So as you can tell there is going to be no funny stories or interesting pics for today because what fun do you have sitting in the car all day?!? lol Anyway, I just hope that all is well with all of you back home...I miss you so much. Oh and I forgot to tell you that I fixed my comment thing so now anyone can comment on my blog...and thank you for doing that I love knowing that you read this and enjoy it...I hope you are enjoying it...lol well I better get going for now talk to you all later...

Lots of love
Allie Joy

June 21, 2006 10:37

So it is kinda weird because I am now in a different time zone then all of you back home...I am one hour before you. Anyway, so today we got a VERY early start...and I actually mean early. We had to make it all the way to Carlsbad, New Mexico by mid day to see the caverns. It wasn’t to bad of a drive and for I think the first time nothing broke down or stopped working...lol. So we made it here to where we are staying at tonight ate lunch and then was on the road again to go see the caverns. It is SO EXTREMELY hot here by the way...so the hike into the caverns was two and a half MILES...ya that’s right MILES!!! We were also 750 feet under the ground...CRAZY!!! But I do have to say overall the caverns were pretty amazing (wow I seem to use that word a lot lately.) It is almost like the underwater sea in a cave...oh and made of rock! Rocks, rocks, and more rocks. Grandma Nancy, you were right though (like always) it was fun and beautiful. The hike did take quite awhile though...but it was worth it. So later that night we stayed to watch the bats fly out of the cave we had just spent hours in...kinda creepy to think of it that way you know?!? Anyway, sorry to say but if you really want my honest opinion, that is not going to be a big highlight of the trip. Only o few bats flew out at a time so it wasn’t sudden and it most defiantly was not thousands. But that’s ok it is still a memory I will always have. Anyway, oh so I totally forgot to tell you...the other day we went swimming at the RV park that we stayed at. Well when we were all swimming it was just our family in the pool and we didn’t realize that the pool was that shallow. So Grady (of course it was Grady who else would this happen to...besides me but mine was not as bad and it most defiantly did not leave a mark) was swimming to the bottom of the pool and hit the bottom with his FACE!!! It was so funny...I mean just look at the pics...lol well I better get going for nor talk to you all later..love you all lots!!!

Allie Joy

June 20, 2006

Hey guys, so today we started off at a camp site at Mesa Verde, Colorado. It is so pretty and nice here. Anyway, so we got an early start so we could get to the old Indian ruins at Mesa Verde. The ruins are built literally in the middle of a mountain in a canyon, and they’re amazing like nothing I have ever seen before. They are so beautiful and amazing in every way...I mean I was just totally blown away by their sight. We got to see how and where the Indians used to live..and believe me when I say I honestly don’t know how they did it. I mean right now I am on a laptop trying to keep all of you at home updated, and I have a cell phone so not only can you read this you can call or text me at anytime( that I have service that is...lol) I just can’t imagine not being able to talk to you for six weeks...oh and we have a car to drive. The Indians didn’t even have that. Just think about that thought for awhile..ok stop thinking now so I can tell you about something else totally amazing. I totally forgot to tell you about this amazing that happened the other day...besides the fact that I admitting to enjoying the company of my family...hehehe When we were driving in Colorado and next to our car about 20 feet away wild horses were running by our car over the Colorado grasslands...and people were trying to wrangle them up, but that’s beside the point. It was so amazing and they were all so beautiful...just running!!! It is something I will probably never see again, and something most people never get to see either. Anyway, so right now I am just sitting in the car on my way to Albuquerque, New Mexico...I have already, in the six days I have been gone, been in six states, seen so many interesting things, and am starting to enjoy my family. Pretty cool according to the fact that most of you I have left at home have just been sitting at home watching TV and of corse been reading my blog and texting me...lol well I better get going before I get car sick...hehehe!!! Love and miss you all...

Allie Joy