Summer Vacation - On the Road with Amber & Emma

Amber and Emma were having a great day.
It was the 4th of July (Independence Day) and the Homemade Ice Cream was yum-yum.

Back Row: Noah Gray, Jax Belin, and Tanner Bryson

Front Row: Amber Mobley, Emma Mobley, Rachel Gray and Jenna Bryson

(Some of Wilma's Great Nieces and Nephews - she has 24 with one on the way!)

July 4, 2008 - Yazoo City, Mississippi

Wink, Wilma, Amber and Emma left Green Cove Springs, FL on Saturday, June 28 and headed by car to Yazoo City, MS. This is Wilma's home town. We arrived on Sunday with the plan to stay a couple of days and then head out to Dallas to see Wilma's son.

We decided to check with Wilma's son, William to see if he could come to Mississippi for the 4th and then we would all head back to Dallas. He thought it was a great idea. He wanted a chance to see his grandparents.


More Great Nieces and Nephews,
some small ones being held by their parents which
are the regular nieces and nephews.

All the children were having great times hanging out and playing with the cat and the dogs!
Wilma's brother, Hardy Jr. giving their dad, Hardy Sr. a haircut during
the celebration of Independence Day.
Hardy Jr. has a son, Hardy White, III - we call him Trey.
Trey has a son, Ethan Hardy White.
We like that name Hardy and hopefully it will be continued to be handed down.
Back Row: Wilma & Wink with Amber & Emma
Front Row: Claudine and Hardy White (Wilma's Parents)
4th of July - Yazoo City, MS


Wilma & Wink
William Garrett Mobley with his children Emma & Amber

Back Row: The Children (6 of 7)
Left to Right: Mickey, Billy, Wilma, Betty, Geraldine, Hardy Jr.
Front Row: The Parents - Claudine and Hardy White

Our baby brother Charles Timothy had been to visit mom and dad the weekend before. None of us knew we would all be together and he lives in Dallas and couldn't come back. My nephew, Curt is a Computer Graphics Genuis and plans to just add Charles to the group picture. Hopefully that will work.
Wilma and her sisters - Geraldine, Betty, & Wilma
Emma and Amber enjoy a ride on Scarlet.

From Yazoo City, MS we went to Dallas to spend time with Wilma's son, William. We also went over to Keller, TX to the Last Chance Ranch - owned by Charles (Wilma's brother).

We were also able to get together with several friends. I apologize that I didn't get pictures of them all, but above are Kevin and Lisa Bradshaw - we enjoyed our day with them.

We stayed in Texas about 2 weeks so the girls could enjoy some quality time with their dad.

They went to the Zoo and had several movie opportunities and enjoyed their toys and bubble wands that he keeps for their visits.

After Texas, we went digging for diamonds in Murphreeboro, AR.

It was a hot day and we played around for about 6 hours looking for diamonds,

having a picnic and simply having no luck at all.

We decided to give up, go back to the hotel and spend a couple of hours in the pool.

Amber, Wilma and Emma enjoy sluicing - We found lots of Treasure!

Grandma (Wilma) had more fun than the kids...

At an Indian Village nearby the hotel, we bought a seed bucket and sluiced it discover the treasures inside. Sluicing is using running water to wash away the dirt to find the stones. This is a popular tourist event to demonstrate mining in years past.

Wink is taking the picture, but we all hunted quartz crystals.

Emma, Grandma, and Amber above

From Murpheeboro, AR we travel north near Mt. Ida to look for Quartz Crystals. Arkansas is known for it's quartz crystals. Many places have Mines or Tailings areas where the public can pay to look for these crystals. We gave it a try and we had a lot more luck with crystals than diamonds, but not too much of it was spectacular.

From the crystal mine, we continued our trip north to Bentonville, Arkansas. Bentonville is the home of Sam Walton or you may better know his business: Wal-Mart. Wink really wanted to attend the Wal-Mart Visitors Center and of course we agreed to go with him. It urns out that we had a great time and stayed about 3 hours.

Sam Walton first 5-10 cent store.

He previously ran a Ben Franklin store and wanted to start out on his own business quest. He asked Ben Franklin to help him, but they said no!

On the way to take the girls to a drive thru Safari Zoo we passed a sign - Krispy Kreme - HOT. We had to stop and introduce the children to the experience of hot creamy donuts. We met a new friend, John Baker of Bella Vista, there with his granddaughter and hopefully we'll see them again.

Now back to the Safari Zoo which also had a petting This was the best zoo we have ever been to. The animals were well cared for and many of the were in the wild. The Zoo offered picnic tables so you could pack your own lunch. They had bread available for feeding the petting animals. It wasn't that expensive - about $30 for the car load.

Amber and Emma petting the Goats.

Amber (above) and Emma both enjoyed riding a camel.

From the Bentonville, AR we traveled north to Lake Lotawana, MO where our good friends Pat and Patty Dwyer live. We met "the Pats" in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas over the winter and have become good friends.

Pat and Wink - FISHING CHAMPIONS

Pat previously owned home behind them. Sold and move to house behind it.

We went fishing and the record fish goes to Pat (wearing white) fishing and Wink (red) for coaching the Pat in bringing in the fish. It was a catfish about 15 pounds. Wink caught a couple of other catfish weighing about 3-4 pounds. Amber, Emma and Wilma caught lots of Blue Gill to go along with the dinner. Emma washing a eye sore for the Pats.

Question: What was more wet? Emma or the Boat

Wilma demonstrating - Water Skiiing

The Pats are big into Water Skiing events and wanted to show Amber and Emma how to Water Ski, but we decided that they should be shown what it's all about. Wilma was volunteered for the job. Amber made several attempts but will most likely be able to water ski next year.

Amber, Grandpa, Emma, Grandma

At the Pats, Lake Lotawana, Missouri

July 2008

Sporting our "We Be Jammin - Mon" shirts from the Bahamas, we took the advantage to go see the Harry S Truman Memorial Library and his home in Kansas City, Missouri.

Only 8 people at a time can tour the home, and then only the bottom floor.

The Townspeople got together and painted his home for him when he became President.

He lived a simple and good life. House was known as the Little White House.

First home on the right - across from Truman home was taken over by the Secret Service and they lived in it to be nearby and patrol his grounds when he was home for visits.

Wink, Emma and Amber with Truman Statue at the Presidential Library.

Kansas City, Missouri

July 2008

Amber and Emma made candidate buttons at the Library workshop. I think they were suppose to be period buttons about Harry S Truman, but they ended up making buttons for the current presidential elections.

From Missouri, we headed south back through Arkansas. We stopped at a wonderful Rock Shop in Mt. Ida - Judy's Rock Shop. She's a wonderful person and a good business woman. I also liked the uniform (shorts and shirts).

We stopped in McGehee, AR and picked up Grant, Wilma's sister Betty's Dog. Betty went on vacation and we dog sat in Yazoo City, MS. Wilma's other sister, Geraldine also went on vacation and Wilma stayed with her parents to help out with for the two weeks.

FOUR GENERATIONS

Front Row & 1st Generation: Claudine & Hardy White

Right Rear & 2nd Generation: Wilma White Thornton

Left Rear & 3rd Generation: William Garrett Mobley

Center Rear & 4th Generation: Amber and Emma Mobley

William (the son) came back to Yazoo City for a visit and we were able to get a Four Generation Picture. When Amber was about 18 months, we were able to get a Five Generation photo when Wilma's grandmother Oma White was still alive.

We're in Green Cove Springs, FL with Tropical Storm Fay almost upon us. We have some interesting events happening and I'll try to update again by Saturday.