Gregory's Memory Lane

Today we took a trip to Tyler, TX and toured Gregory's old stomping grounds.  It was oddly enough a last minute decision but I have been wanting to see the town and we didn't have anything else going on that we couldn't push back.  We are so glad that we did because we had a great time and the kids did amazing! 

First stop was the house he grew up in.

Apparently they chopped down a large tree in the front yard which made Gregory sad but it gives you a better view of the side of the house where Gregory's old room was.  His dad turned the garage into a room and an office.  Gregory got the new room on the back corner you can see pictured here. 

Next was a visit to an old friend.  We saw Natalie (Hill) Murdock and her 2 year old girl, Jordan.  Jordan and Lydia are about a week apart and had a lot of fun playing together.  She and her husband are moving to Midland next week so we just caught her.  I met her for the first time and really liked her.  It wasn't one of those awkward meetings where the person who wasn't there for the growing up is ignored.  She was really cool and we had a great time at her house.  We forgot to get a picture with her. :(

We then drove by his old schools.

High School

Intermediate School

Gregory was practically giddy as we were stopping and all sorts of memories were flooding back to him.  It was fun to see. 

Next stop was his favorite place to eat.

Lunch was great and the people were even more so.  When we came in and paid for the buffet, one guy asked us what pizza we liked.  We told him and he went back and made us a specialty pizza with what we asked for.  It was super nice!  Then one of the manager ladies couldn't get over how cute Jason and Lydia were.  She told us if we ever needed a babysitter to just drop them off with her and she would be happy to oblige.  It was sweet.  Small towns really are nice!

We then made a stop to see Nelda, a great aunt of Gregory's.  She had been in the hospital recently and we thought we would say hello.  She wasn't home, but I did get to see where Gregory played a lot.  His Granny lived on the same piece of land and they would visit all the time and play in the large pasture there.  I loved seeing the places he has talked about.  In the back pasture, they had horses and Gregory took Lydia to see them.

As we were driving we passed by an important building.

Gregory's dad built this church and it is a dome building.  Basically it is structured so if a tornado or really bad storm come through, the shape of the roof will protect the building and the wind will blow right over (think aerodynamics).  While others will be torn apart, the dome will stand.  This is my first time seeing a dome in person, and one that my father in law built was even better.  I've seen the golf ball ones in magazines and stuff, but these were actually nice and didn't look bad at all.

And our final stop was to the Tyler Rose Museum.

It was gorgeous!!!  Tyler is the Rose capital of the world and their garden was amazing.  Since it is summer, the roses are not in their peak but even so it was pretty.  We will definitely be back during the festival in October when they are at their best!

And what would a fun trip be without souvenirs?

My very own two dozen Tyler roses!! 

We had a great time and the kids did so well.  It's fun to have Lydia at an age where we go fun places and she really enjoys herself.  We are excited for our future adventures!