Hi Rachel here ..time to catch up !well loved..Tennessee..Nashville and Memphis were great..loads of atmosphere..we walked and walked just watching the goings on…listening to blues…and wishing we had more time in these fab places….went to the mississippi river..great to see.Arkansas we saw a tortoise on the road the kids were delighted we stopped and picked it up!Oaklahoma was another world real cowboys everywhere…and so freindly..with a great accent!so different..then onto Texas..where we found a visitors centre where everyone was just so on the ball and ace..they gave the kids loads of stuff ..in it a car sticker saying D`ont mess with Texas which Flora made up a little song about and sang it for several miles!!We saw an armadillo ace creatures but sadly it was road kill….we didnt stop to pick it up much to our sons dissapointment!!We headed for amarillo…no guesses as to what we sang on the way there( and it was a long way!) and went to a zoo there and a park which was a nice little break.Going through New Mexico was great..I loved it quite bleak as its mostly desert but some amazing rocks and scenery and indian settlements.and a real Spanish flavour which I feel very at home with….lovely wild interesting place..we also visted a volcano and an ice cave.Arizona was just a great place ..I didnt think I could like a desert so much…so hot and spacious and atmospheric..loved it .Everywhere I go I keep saying I could live here!The Painted Desert is stunning..the kids ran around the petrified forest..beautiful trees that have been turned to the most lovely stone..a fascinating place.We got fleeced on accomodation in the Grand Canyon..the cheapest room we could find was $120 we have been paying around $40 as we had driven miles and I wasnt feeling too well we stopped and said we`d drive through the night to LA the next night!The Canyon I cant describe other than it was a moving sight that affects you physically because its so huge and awesome..the kids reactions were wonderful all they kept saying over and over was wow!we spent the whole day there walked for miles and did a trail down into the Canyon which was scary but we did see others do it with kids..which made us feel comforted that it wasn`t just us that were mad..it was exilarating to say the least….we saw the sun go down and fell ito the car tired and not wanting to drive 7-10 hours to LA .The kids were sick within 5 mins..and asleep within 15..PHEW!!we made good headway for 5 hours then pulled over to a rest area to sleep…which brings me onto the subject of sleeping in cars..in the middle of a hot desert!!Hamish took his sweaty sandals off..believe me in a confined space..was a public health issue..then getting comfy?I had my head and feet in every position possible and nothing was right ….now I am only 4ft 11″ tall or small whichever way you want to look at it so how does my husband manage to be sleeping and snoring in less than 5 minutes? its a gift !I had Flora “wanting mummy” for about an hour wriggling all over me till everypart of my body was numb..in typical child style she had the bed whilst I rested my head on the handbrake!!I was dreaming of Norman Bates Motel!! we all awoke 4 hours later to drive through yet more desert onto busy LA in rush hour on an empty stomach…nerves were fraying but we eventually got there!YES.We arrived at my mum and Dads friends house who they Knew from Hayes where I was born..they used to look after me as a baby!they are ace have a real gift of hospitality and we had a lovely sleep..till 11am.We feel so blessed to have got here safely and thank God for that and our car which has done 3500 miles in the last 8 days without a hitch.The radio has been great apart from the abundance of country channels( not against country…in small doses!)some of the sermons on christian channels have been great and very timely….and theres these kind of cheesy channels…which you think are a joke but they are for real!we have laughed!there are these two straight talking agony aunts but they are guys..taking calls from folk and giving advice generally pretty sound..but they are really funny..wouldnt get airplay in England…but we have howled with laughter.Well we come to the finale of the latest blog and anyone who knows and loves us will be worried for a moment then just laugh..cos its so stupid only we could do it!! we have travelled 3000 miles to get here for a flight to Guatamala on a budget airline……we were having a late breakfast when Hamish realised we`d missed it!!WHAT!he had in his mind the flight was 11 but it was 12.45am we had missed it by 12 hours before we realised!!sick to the stomach is how we felt particularly Hamish who is normally so on top of things like this!!( He`s been fantastic if I had organised it it would of gone horribly wrong even in the planning stages..my head is generally in some other world)Hamish feels so bad and stupid and cross as we have lost our return flight also and there is no refund..bad news when you are on a budget…$900 down the loo seems such a tragic waste..and the only tickets we have found go on tuesday at $1200 but thats the cheapest so far…..there is no point dwelling on it..and weve had a good old laugh about it …we have to count our blessings we have a few more days in sunny California(which is beautiful…another place I definately would like to live..but prob couldn`t afford)eating good food and supping local red wine…enjoying being alive and happy…leave it there need to snuggle in our comfy bed!love to you all miss you..praying for the youth and thier exams!!Aimee looked so cute on skype emma! God Bless you Please pray we have safe trip to Guatamala and Honduras……when we get there!!!!Rachel and Clan.I will post photos tomorrow.

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