There's nothing like coming home on Thursday night and your husband saying, "pack your bags we are getting out of Dodge as soon as you get home from work tomorrow. We are headed to Eureka and I already have everything taken care of right down to the dog sitter. Now, kids or no kids?" That has to be a first in our marriage of twenty years (tomorrow). A vacation with out an agenda, just whatever we want to do and go. Can I tell you that it was the greatest vacation yet.
I chose to take the kids since we are never together anymore and this is Joshua's senior year of school. Because of the short notice, we left at 7:30 pm instead of right after work because I had to help everybody pack and get stuff together...you know, mom stuff. Along the way we stopped at this scenic view and tried out a feature on my camera where it took the picture for us. Not bad if I do say so myself.
At about 10 pm we decided to stop and stay at the Norfork Inn, compliments of my daddy and Vic. Micah wanted to sleep in the floor, Mike offered but she said "NO" it's your anniversary weekend and you should be with mom." Isn't that precious.
The lake is still very high. This is a picture of Henderson. The beach is still covered along with the tables and bathrooms.
Upon arriving in Eureka, Mike had purchased tickets on line for many attractions. The first was a tour of the Holy Land. It is a replica of the Holy Lands with people to explain how things might have been or was during the time of the Bible. You ride a bus through most of it but there are some stops to which you get hands on information. Along the bus route the driver talked about the significant stories of the Bible...here talking about the Ten Commandments.
This picture is of the Tabernacle. We entered through a curtain, in visioned a lamb being slaughtered and the significance of it, the blood being sprinkled on the brazen alter, and here the washing of the hand. This man in this picture is a Jew and a Southern Baptist minister. He shared this story with us as if he was actually there. He was very passionate about his Savior. It made everybody stand there with their mouths open say, WOW.
A replica of the Ark of the Covenant. 
This is a cellar where they might have stored food. It went down deep into the rocks with a ladder to go down into it.
According to the tour guides, this is what a stable would have looked like in Jesus' time. There is a hole in the rock where hay lays. That is more like where Jesus would have been laid in the manger. In this cave "Mary" had the group singing "Amazing Grace". It was amazing. That was Joshua's favorite part of the tour.
Andrew was amazed by the size of the rooms in the Inn, that Joseph asked to stay in. You only lay for the night in these crevasses in the rocks so not much room was needed. He could not even stand straight up in the room.
Awwwww, now "The Last Supper". This is the setting described in History books.
Micah and a young lady named Rachel set at Judas and Jesus' place at the table.
Here we are at the end of the tour of the Holy Land. I will have more pictures latter. I have some scrappin' to do. Ta ta for now.
Look who we ran into while checking out some museums...Brandy Smith from church. 
This is a photo from the Holy Land tour describing what the boats might have looked like in Jesus' time, bigger of course.
I love our family pictures. There will be more pictures than writing on this blog. 
Check this out...our children getting along. They were so kind to each other on this trip and to us. They made us very proud...but then again they usually do. I am very grateful to have well behaved children.
Fred proving that he is king of the river...or so he said anyway. Isn't the background beautiful? Yes, Fred you are too.
This is my man of 20 years.
This is the Beaver Lake Dam.
We made a stop at the Glass chapel, although the kids could have done without it. They said it was boring just setting in a church looking out the windows are nature...I on the other had thought that it was very relaxing.
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