Day Seventeen: Your Favorite Memory

This is quickly turning into the ninety day blogger's challenge. I really do need to step it up. I like writing-a lot-I just find myself out of ideas when I actually sit down at my laptop. Oh well, back to today's topic.

I found this to be really challenging. It's nearly impossible to choose just one favorite memory from my 20+ years of existence. I've definitely narrowed it down to a cluster of memories, though. I have to say that even though my sisters and I grew up in a very urban area, we were fortunate enough to have parents who exposed us to a variety of places and different types of activities (antiquing at age 3, sure, why not!). Some of my favorite memories are days we packed up the old Wagoneer and headed into the country. We'd usually take a nice drive out route 66 towards Front Royal and go fishing, take in the foliage, or visit Uncle Clark at his farm. For some reason, I always associate these memories with fall because my dad would constantly be reminding us to look at all the pretty colors and to keep our eyes "peeled" for deer and turkeys. This was about the same time of year that my mom started using the threat "Santa's watching" to keep the three of us in line (it usually worked). Austin would inevitably need to "use the potty" about three minutes after we left our house and Birch always wound up consuming more sugar than a family of five should have in a week, but it always made for an adventure.

Once we even got to go to Skyline Caverns and walk in the underground caves to see the stalagtites and stalagmites. We'd plan out our Halloween costumes and talk about all of the upcoming holidays. I just remember it being such a happy and exciting time. If we went fishing, my mom would pack a cooler with a big lunch of ham sandwiches wrapped in wax paper and juice boxes and homemade cookies. Someone (usually me) would end up falling in the pond or at least getting soaked. We would point out cows and sheep along the drive and request different cassette tapes to be played. I really enjoyed those day trips with my family. I can't even remember the last time all five of us were in the same car together, but it's funny how I can recall all of the little details of those excursions.