A Visit to Maris's House

When we arrived at Rick and Jennifer's house, my little Maris was waiting outside with her mama. I was so excited to see them, and they seemed happy to see me too!! I don't get many opportunities to be with my little Maris and her mama and daddy, so each visit is precious to me. Rick works for Michael Waltrip, the Daytona 500 winning NASCAR driver (go here for Rick's bio). You NASCAR fans know that the drivers and their teams travel every week to race, which means that my Rick is on the road almost every week from February to November. This makes it practically impossible for them to travel to Idaho to visit for any length of time. In the off-season, they are busily preparing for the next year, so they rarely get a vacation. This made my time with them even more precious to me.

Jennifer is the cook in our family, and she had a beautiful dinner waiting for us when we arrived. Carly, Carson, Maris and I very much enjoyed the homemade lasagna and salad she prepared.

Shortly after dinner, Carly and Carson left for home, and Maris, Jennifer and I went to the airport to pick up Rick, who, with Michael and the rest of the team, were returning from one of the weekly races. We went to a private airstrip and waited for their plane. After some time, the plane and the team finally arrived. I don't know which of us was more excited to see Rick - Maris or I!!!

My little Maris is an absolutely beautiful little girl, both inside and out. She's a sweet little angel with a beautiful smile, and we planned to have a good old-fashioned sleepover that night. It was so much fun getting to know her again... Here's a picture of my little Maris Olivia.....There is no cuter 4 year old girl on this planet!!

By the time we drove home and got settled back in the house, it was time for bed. It had been quite an exciting day for me, so I was ready for a little shut-eye.

The next morning arrived. I was scheduled to fly back home late that afternoon. Rick took the day off so all of us were able to spend the day together. We had such a great time in spite of the short period we had to visit!

Whenever I visit Rick and Jen, Jen and I always have a meal at an exceptionally wonderful restaurant. Because this was a hurried visit, we all enjoyed a fantastic lunch at a restaurant right beside a beautiful lake. The food was outstanding, the scenery breathtaking and the company was simply divine! This is one view of the lake, taken just outside the restaurant.

I just had to get a few pictures of all of us together:My boy Rick, with Maris, and my daughter, Jennifer (if you look very closely, you can see little Sophie!)

A shot of Maris and Maw-Maw....

My wonderful kids and me....

After lunch, Rick took all of us over to RaceWorld USA, home to the Waltrip racing team. If you are ever in Charlotte, you MUST plan to visit there! Inside are fantastic exhibits, information about the world of NASCAR racing, as well as Michael's shop! If you're very lucky, you might catch the pit crew practicing their lightning fast tire changes! It really is an awesome place to visit! Of course, Rick's office is also located here. It was fun to see where my boy spends his workday and to meet his colleagues!

As you walk around the facility, you see the mechanics feverishly working on getting the cars ready for the weekend's show. You never know who you might see during your visit. I was lucky enough to run into Dave Reutimann, driver of the UPS car this past season!It was a fabulous day and it passed much too quickly. Before I knew it, it was time for us to head for the airport so I could catch my flight home and begin my new and incredibly improved life. But before I left, I just had to take one of the cars out for a quick spin: Just a bit more car than muddah could handle... ;)

Thanks kids, for the wonderful, wonderful visit! I love you all so much!