Big Red Barn RV Park and A Big Family Dinner

Note from Doug: At this point, I would like to point out that I have not yet driven the motorhome (as of the date I published this blog, September 28). Thanks to Marlon for all the good driving! Keep it up!

Tuesday, September 4-We made our way to Carthage, Missouri in the southern portion of the state. Carthage is the home of Precious Moments and the Big Red Barn RV Park.

Here we are at our RV Site.

We ARE really there. Marlon's there behind the camera...Doug's there inside the RV. And, yes, they DO have a Big Red Barn.

The surrounding area includes Joplin, Webb City and Carterville. Doug has relatives in all 4 towns. And Marlon got to meet them all.

Doug's Aunt Brenda arranged to have a family dinner at her house. This was a huge undertaking! And yet she still managed to look happy after all the cooking. Here she is with one of her four granddaughters.

Thank you Brenda!

And we also need to thank Brenda's husband, Norm, for allowing the family to invade their home. Here he is with another granddaughter.

The whole family thanks God and anyone else who had a part in Brenda and Norm surviving their recent bouts with cancer (Brenda in 2005 and Norm in 2006).

Doug's Aunt Patty came over to Brenda's early and took Doug and Marlon for a drive around town. She took us to Arby's where we ordered 5 for $5.95 between the two of us. She promptly treated us and told us we were cheap dates. Here she is sitting with one of her cheap dates.

Patty is an animal lover, as everyone should be. She feeds and provides a home for many cats and dogs. She recently discovered she was even feeding a skunk!

Patty, Marlon and Doug drove to Carthage to pick up the oldest member of the family currently living in the area. Doug's Grand Aunt Wilma (we looked up this alternative term to Great Aunt and decided Grand sounds...well Grander) is the sister of his late grandfather, Ray Palmer.

Here are Aunt Wilma, age 91, Doug and another of Doug's oldest relatives living in the area, Doug's Aunt Linda.

All totaled, 20 relatives came by and pictures of almost all of them can be viewed at http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2007/september/dinner-at-brendas/ .

Regrets to Cousin Kim and Aunt Terri. Somehow we missed taking pictures of you at this dinner, but we'll have your pictures on another post!

Before leaving Brenda's house, Sidney, Brenda's oldest granddaughter, entertained us with a song from High School Musical, which her school will be producing this fall. Here's a video of Sidney.

Of course being the animal lovers that we are, we got four pictures of the puppy that was just visiting.

To be continued...