Todd, the boys and I just returned from a quick trip to the Detroit area so I could speak to a wonderful group of gals at Immanuel Lutheran in Utica, MI. This group went all out to insure that we were well taken care of. Since this event was nearly two hours from home and in the evening, it required an overnight. So they secured a hotel for us. Now, this happens often in my speaking travels. It is one of the many blessings that God has showered on my family as we’ve said yes to the call to be a family with a mom who shares God’s encouragement with other women through written and spoken words.

When the clan comes along, we have several ‘hotel traditions’ such as the kids riding the valet cart along with the suitcases up to the room and, upon entering the room, calling the front desk to ask permission to jump on the beds. (That request usually has about a 50% success rate.) They enjoy eating the free continental breakfast downstairs barefoot, in sweats or in their swimsuits, before jumping into the pool and playing keep-away with dad.

Yep, when these hometown hicks (who reside in the boondocks halfway between Maple Rapids –population 622 and Eureka—population unknown since it isn’t even on our Michigan map) hit the hotel, ….well…..watch out Jethro and Ellie May. We’ll give you a run for your money! We’ve ‘heard told’ that for years Webster’s dictionary defined hillbilly as a Michigan farmer. And we wear that badge proudly. (Okay, so we’re not actually farmers, but we do grow a mean herb and tomato salsa garden!)

So you can imagine how the momma hillbilly felt lugging our garage sale quality suitcases into the Hyatt hotel in beautiful, BIG, Detroit suburb Utica. She instantly noticed the marble floors, granite counters, sleek, contemporary furnishings and obvious lack of fellow hillbilly families running around in naked feet ready to jump and splash.

Nope. It was business suits, laptops and ear piece cell phones everywhere you looked. And all humans in sight had their professionally shined shoes covering the bare, but beautifully manicured feet that we knew were hiding under them somewhere.

So we straightened up and adjusted our method of operation. Well, we still let the 10 year old ride the luggage cart up to the room. We just were rather stealth about it. There were no phone calls to secure jumping permission. (They are all too big now anyway) And we did our best to blend in.

Really.

Shoes on for breakfast even! We did have to advise our boys that the fabulous display of fresh foods and goodies under glass at the front desk were not free like the cookies at that other budget hotel chain. Nope. They required a credit card swipe before being consumed. I didn’t want a repeat scenario of the time Mackenzie and Mitch, when said hillbilly mom’s back was turned, poured themselves big bowls of soup at the new grocery store salad bar thinking they were free.

We were stuck paying for $5.38 worth of clam chowder that they thought was potato soup!

At any rate, we did our best to be stealth. We waited until all lap-swimming professionals were out of the pool before starting our ball-throwing shenanigans. We enjoyed the wonderful, and deliciously filling, complementary continental breakfast that was so top-notch no one ever felt the need for any of the ‘food under glass’.

We had a glorious, family-bonding time of fun. And we weren’t even offended when upon departure we said, “We are checking out of room…..” And the sweet front desk attendant finished the statement.

“Room 302. The Ehmans,….ah yes.”

Yikes.

Thanks Immanuel Lutheran!!! Can we come back again some other time?

Pretty please with a crawdad on top?

Down-home blessings,

Karen

 

P.S. Okay, after days of anticipation, it is almost here! Tomorrow I’ll be participating in an organizational challenge area “Swap and Hop” With my friend Lysa TerKeurst. She’ll post all the instructions, the Mr. Linky linking tool and photos of her own organizational challenge area in tomorrow’s post. I will be picking some blog entries to win a book or even a possible makeover!!! Put your thinking caps on and go ahead and take some photos, if you can, of the messy areas of your home that are in desperate need of some help. Then hop on over to Lysa’s site to post them. If you aren’t able to upload and post photos, you can still participate by leaving a comment describing your organizational hot spot. We’ll spend the weekend hopping and swapping ideas to help each other solve our dilemmas. Be sure to tune in tomorrow and happy spring cleaning!!!