A Day to Remember

So, new year resolutions are made to be broken, right? It's been a busy few months, but little worth blogging about. Despite my track record with new year resolutions, we set out this year intending to take at least one 'field trip' each month. January was full with a two-week trip back to Texas, so we started this resolution in February.

My sister-in-law and I had a double-date to Branson last weekend; no, not with our dear husbands, but with our eldest sons. The four of us ventured south to visit the Titanic Museum. Hudson is a walking Titanic encyclopedia having read every book he could find on the subject, so when we learned there was a museum in Branson, we knew we had to go!

The street view of the museum fed our enthusiasm…

Is that not impressive?!?!

Unfortunately, cameras were not permitted inside the museum, but it was top notch. In addition to the recreated Grand Staircase, first and third-class quarters, and the captain's bridge, the museum was full with personal accounts of those on the tragic voyage. We were amazed at how many pictures the museum had of the passengers. Even some pictures taken while on the Titanic where recovered and on display. A 1:48 scale model of the massive ship was impressive along with some of the artifacts from the ship.  

Interestingly enough, the Titanic's claim to be 'unsinkable' reassured some passengers and concerned others. One little girl told her father she did not want to get on the ship because the claim to be 'unsinkable' flew in the face of God. Sadly, her father seemed to have more faith in the ship than fear of the Lord because his simply replied that all was fine because the ship "truly was unsinkable". "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." Luke 18:17

After the museum, we went to eat lunch at the Bradford Inn. We snapped a few pictures on the porch before seeing the sign that they were closed until Spring...uh oh.

Being the low-tech people that we are, we had no smartphone handy to make recommendations nor give us directions. So we did what people used to do all those years before the iPhone was invented...we drove around. We were hoping to find a place unique to Branson that had decent food and, more importantly, good dessert. Nothing says unique like a 40-foot tall chicken...

We took our chances and pulled into The Great American Steak & Chicken House. We were pleasantly surprised with some good country cookin' and yummy desserts. Even Hudson filled up his hollow leg and was unable to finish his blackberry cobbler. We played the part of the good tourists and even bought the photo from the restaurant photographer to help capture our Mother-Son Day Out:

We rounded out our time in Branson browsing the outlet mall. The girls benefited from our time away with some matching outfits found on clearance...

We really enjoyed spending this special time with our sons. It is not often that our children are able to have our undivided attention. Too soon, we will blink and these boys will be young men. We must be intentional about setting aside special times like this with each of our children to strengthen that bond and get to know each of them deeper.

"For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother." Proverbs 4:3