So we went on vacation in the beginning of January to Tulsa, OK. for the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals. Now I tell some people this and they picture little people running around...no this is not what it is. They are actual midget cars. Pretty much a sprint car without the wings. I have been going nearly every year since I was about 13 or 14 and it is a ton of fun. These cars go REALLY fast around the track and when they flip...they FLIP!!! I watched a flip on one of the qualifying nights where the car flipped up into the fence around the track. The driver was fine, as is usually the case when these things go air born, but he couldn't get out without some help because he would have just fell down. Anyway I think you get the idea of how awesome these things are to watch. More on the Chili Bowl fun later. We did other things on vacation too...
We got up every morning to have Krispy Kreme donuts (well nearly every morning) and Greyson LOVED them. He loves sweets anyway. Then we got ready to go to Addison's favorite store (and Papa Gary's also as she told us, althought I am not sure papa feels the same since he works there).
This Bass Cro (Pro) was HUGE. There was an Uncle Buck's resturant inside it and it was delicious!
There was a huge fish tank that the kids loved looking at all the fish in. I think Greyson just wanted to go swimming in it himself though. That boy is a water baby as we learned at the hotel pool. Addison was swimming by herself with her floaty thing on and was pretty proud of herself. Greyson wanted to go to the side of the pool and jump in over and over again and apparently didn't care that he couldn't get there himself. He would jump in to me then flail his body around to get back to the side, nearly flailing out of my arms in the process. He will be getting his own floaty thing this summer for our pool.
Bass Pro also had a huge laser gun range thing. Addison LOVES shooting guns and she was pretty excited to play with these. I think we played 4-5 times and both kids loved watching all the different stuff they had in there. When you shot it it would make a sound or do something and they were pretty entertained by that.
I am not sure why these uploaded sideways and it took me enough to get them to upload in the first place, our interet SUCKS but we are in the process of getting better.
Addison went to the races a few nights and was somewhat entertained. I don't think sitting still that long is really her thing and she wasn't too impressed with the mud flying at her. She was happy to wear her glasses and ear tetection as she called it. Although she really doesn't look like it here.
While everyone was at the races what did me and Greyson do? Well he tried on my bra of course. He just took it off the dresser and put it on, it was too funny not to take a picture of.
On the last night of vacation we decided to go to the track and go in and meet all the racers after the races was over. We got there a little early and were able to watch the race on the screen. (I had my money on the race and was lucky enough to win 2 nights while on vacation...which never happens for me). After the race was over we went to meet the drivers, it was fairly late but the kids didn't do too bad. Addison isn't like Greyson and usually doesn't like meeting new people or letting them hold her so daddy decided to hold her and let JJ Yeley hold Greyson. What you don't see JJ holding Greyson in the picture? Well that's because when Nate handed our little 'not affraid of anyone' boy to JJ he started crying. He NEVER cries with new people I even said "you can hold Greyson he's not affraid of anyone" and he started crying. Everyone is all smily in the picture (except the kids) because it was so funny how upset they got.
When we went to see Jac Hadenschild the kids were more open to having their picture taken with someone who drove those super cool cars. We did't do a lot of picture taking with drivers 1. because we didn't know how our kids would react and 2. because it is somewhat of a pain to get in to see them with everyone else waiting to see them too.
So when I went to my first Chili Bowl I got to sit in Sammy Swindell's car. It was really neat and a memory and picture (although I won't be posting it here) that I will always have. I wanted the kids to be able to sit in one on their first Chili Bowl, even though Greyson didn't actually go to the races this year. They thought it was pretty neat. Addison liked sitting in the car and driving with the steering wheel.
Greyson on the other hand is the future Chili Bowl champion! He was in there adjusting things and checking everything out...he's such a boy. This is Bryan Clausen's car. He was super nice and even gave both kids little die cast cars. The couple that sits behind us in the stands is friends with him and helped us get back to get the picture. I fear we will be spending out money on this one day...wouldn't that make his cardiologist happy, lol. At least he will be in a full cage.
Vacation was a blast and I am so glad we got to take the kids. I think Greyson will be more apt to go to the Chili Bowl then Addison. It didn't appear to really be her thing. We may try taking them both to an outdoor track sometime and see what he thinks of it. I don't want him inside the chili bowl as it is all inside and the fumes get kind of bad, at least until after his Fontan.
Here is a link to the Chili Bowl's website if you want to see what it's all about.
Also the morning of the main day of racing I got a text from Nate saying that Donnie Ray Crawford was shot by his grandfather. I thought he was joking until I looked it up and it was all over the news but no one knew why. He was a great kid man as you can see from what he did for a fellow racer. Here is the link to an article that explains what happened to Donnie Ray Crawford. He will be missed greatly in the racing world. I am just so shocked by such a tragedy. These things don't happen in the racinng world. There are spats amoungst drivers and people get mad but it doesn't go this far. I don't think anyone really knows what it is all about but it sure is sad to see such a great guy gone.
As far as Greyson's heart and health are concerned. He is doing awesome. You would never know how messed up his heart is by looking at him and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. I never forget that. I truely love seeing that cute little smile every day. I am sure that he will continue to do great until he decides he is ready for his next surgery and hopefully that will be the last.
Thanks for checking in with us, I hope to start blogging more soon. We just don't do a whole lot in the winter, I am such a germaphobe we stay home all the time.
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