Why I Drove All The Way To Branson, Missouri

At the end of April, I loaded up my car late one Thursday afternoon with three daughters, three granddaughters and lots (and lots) of luggage to head northeast on a Girls Getaway.  This one was a little different from the Girls Weekends I have attended in the past.  This time we were renting out a huge lodge and filling it with Jenkins Women.

The Rusty Moose Lodge

This place was gorgeous...Sitting above Table Rock Lake in all of its splendor!

Yet it couldn't hold a candle to the beauty that would be inhabiting her walls for the next three days.  It was time to gather with my family.

Aunts

Cousins

We had talked of doing something for over a year.  We booked the house the first part of July.  We discussed food and travel arrangements and what we wanted to do while we were in town.  They teased me that the whole reason for this trip was to teach this Jenkins woman how to make biscuits.  (And I did learn, by the way.)

What we didn't know was that my heart would be raw at the loss of my dad...and that I would need those women in the worst kind of way come April of 2015.

And so, it was a touch bittersweet for me to gather with members of my dad's family.  But you know what?  We had fun!  We laughed!  We cried!  We teased!  We cooked!  And we ate.  Boy, did we eat! And we watched as the next two generations of Jenkins women bonded...over Converse tennis shoes and Frozen dolls.

First Cousins Once Removed
I love these girls!

(Some of) The Next Generation of Cousins
Don't judge, they were OVER all the picture taking in about ten minutes.

And my heart was blessed beyond measure!