Casinos, Flames, and Fake Babies

So here’s the scoop…

I spent the weekend in Little Rock. My cousin was getting married, so my family and I decided to make the 8 hour drive to the Natural State. Well, it was supposed to be an 8 hour drive.

We left at 4 in the morning. My sister-in-law and I decided to take the first shift of driving, so Rob and my brother decided to catch up on some sleep. We figured it’s a pretty straight shot, so no one worried about getting there. A couple of hours later, the boys wake up, and take over the wheel. We pulled into a big city that we figured was Texarkana, except there was something peculiar about where we were. I think my brother summed it up best when he said, “I didn’t know there were casinos in Arkansas!” After purchasing three maps and some candy, we made our way from Shreveport, Louisiana to Little Rock, Arkansas. So we figured the wildness was behind us right? I mean, weddings are supposed to be calm and peaceful.

That’s when it happened. My grandma is the sweetest, most caring woman I know. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. She looks a lot younger than she really is. She also has great hair ladies. She takes great pride in it, and that’s why this next part is a little sad. The wedding was a beautiful ceremony, and was well lit with candles. To make a long story short, my grandma got too close to one of them. A section of her hair on the back of her head went up in flames! My aunt’s husband Jessie was quick to respond, and extinguished the fire quickly. She was fine, and in fact, was surprised that a young man was smacking the back of her head! So my grandma survives a hair fire, smooth sailing the rest of the way right?

That’s when it happened. My poor cousin is taking a high school home-economics class, and he was given the assignment of taking care of a baby doll that is supposed to simulate what being a teen parent is all about. I mean this baby doll was intense. It would cry if it needed changing, needed to be rocked, you name it. So there we are at the wedding, sitting close to the front of the church, next to a fake baby. But it wouldn’t be a big deal right?

Wrong. The baby cries in the middle of the vows. My cousin has to take the fake baby out of the church to rock it, and give it a bottle.

These stories are what make my family great. You never know what to expect, but you do know that it will make lasting memories.