I ♥ Rhode Island

Our road trip to Connecticut takes a happy turn to Narragansett.

Fishing boats like this one, motor in and out all day unloading their catch to the fish markets and restaurants along Narragansett Bay.

Olivia, Wesley and Sophia standing on the same pier my siblings and I played on as kids.

View from the pier.

Beautiful . . . Beautiful . . . Beautiful

Where's Waldo? 

Actually, the two in the middle are my parents walking towards us.

Quaint shops welcome visitors.

Yes, my friends, the Holy Land is closer than you ever imagined.

As the story goes, a local fisherman deemed this little fishing village, Galilee. 

When asked what was across the channel, "Must be Jerusalem" was his reply.

Or as they say in Mexico, "tranquilo".

One of the restaurants here where you can get great seafood.

Here's the other one where we ate.

And this is what we call LUNCH.

That and a half dozen clam cakes.

Time for ice cream.

You got to love the Rhode Island attitude.

My mom and dad taking a final look over the bay.

Olivia and Stuart.

Chillaxing before we go.

Although, I grew up in Connecticut, went to school in Florida, ministered in Indiana, lived in Jamaica, Costa Rica and Mexico . . . Rhode Island is my favorite place in the world :)

Road Trip 2011

Nothing says summer like driving 6000 miles and spending 10 days in our beloved Speed the Light Vehicle.

O yeah.

Actually our trip served a number of purposes. Olivia spent a month in Springfield, Missouri working the ISMK* program. So we picked her up on the way to Fort Wayne, Indiana where we had a chance to reunite with friends, gather more of our belongings, and then head out to Connecticut to surprise my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary.

On our way to Springfield we stopped in San Antonio for a couple of hours. La Villita seemed a fitting place to visit.

My parents were quite surprised that the party my sister invited them to was not her birthday party but their anniversary party. Our family's presence compounded their surprise and I was so grateful they did not suffer heart attacks as that would have defeated the whole purpose of our arrival.

The happy couple, Carol and Marshall Mitchell married on June 24, 1961.

They began their family right away and my brother Scott Francis* was born June 6, 1962.

The Mitchell family circa 1970. 

My sister Bonnie, my mom, me, and my youngest brother Todd sitting on my father's lap.

Here we are today, older, wiser, and much too big to sit on my father's lap.

A host of family and friends including my mom's cousin Georgia and her husband John celebrated the day with us.

Youngest cousin Matthew teases Sophia.

Stuart with my brother-in-law Mike watching the folks open their gifts.

Olivia and Sophia.

Golden chocolate bars for a golden anniversary.

My dad and I having a chat.

Apparently I said something quite funny.

Uncle Donald (my dad's brother) mesmerizes my niece Jessica, nephew Matthew and brother Todd.

Festive red velvet and vanilla cupcakes.

Here's to 50 more years :)

Mom-mom and Pop-pop with all their grandchildren. 

Olivia and Sophia to the left, Jessica and Elizabeth to the right and Wesley and Matthew in front.

From everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. Psalm 103:17, 18 

Our travels have only begun. Stay tuned.

*ISMK stands for International Society of Missionary Kids

*Scotty died of Leukemia May 5, 1967