There once was a boy. . .
who became a man
in just 3 short days.
And this is his Mother to tell you his story. . .
It all began with this car.
We had purchased this car for Levi just months ago to get away from the higher car note as well as the gas guzzler that his former truck was. It is a stick shift. Something I have NEVER cared to learn. My son blew me away with how very quickly he took on the mind adjustments of learning such a thing! Basically...he was driving on his own, without any supervision, within just over an hour! I was a tad hesitant, but followed my faithful leader's (David) lead, and let him go for the rest of the evening. Can I just say the boy had only received his license just months before that and here he is now not only learned to drive a truck, but was also driving a stick?! But when David says "Deb, he's good." that's all this Mom needs!! Nothing else matters. Guess that's why I was able to let him take his Dad's Camaro from the other side of downtown Houston and drive it home, with us no where in sight, while we drove home the unlearned stick shift, when we bought it for him. :)
As it goes. . . boys and men love to improve their cars and look at all the many possibilities of what to do next. Thus you can see some of the changes Levi made to his in above picture. The main reason for his changes were due in large to him finding a car club online that hosts a cruise each year in San Antonio. Although old fashioned Mom and Dad really liked the previous look, it simply would not do if you were going to a car club show and cruise. Of course.
When Levi informed us about his desire to go, Mom was just a little out of the loop. I'm thinking a cruise....Levi wants to go on some sort of 1 day cruise and it has to do with car stuff?? Noooo Mom. It's a cruise through the Hill Country with actual cars driving and he wanted to be a participant. It was a Nismo fest - - Nissian/Infiniti/Z get together if you will. Ahhh that sounds nice son...of course you can go! Afterall...it was still in honor of his 17th birthday and what better way to celebrate and give the boy a really COOL present....something he LOVES doing.....cars and driving!!!
Can I just insert here that my kids blow me away with their confidence?? They do. It's a true blessing to me to see that, for I have never been as confident in ways they each are! As you read this story, you will see more of what I mean here. . .
Without going into too many details (I'm known for that!)....I will say - Dad got the weekend off, hotel reservations made, friend selected for Levi <he was going to do this totally all by himself if no friend could go...another blown away moment!> tickets purchased for events....and we were off!!
This would be Levi's first official road trip - - although he had done some lengthy distances, it would never be this far and without an adult in car. Normally, we would have this view of him on the trip, but we did loose them for awhile enroute to S.A. No worries....he found us again.
He did very well keeping Dad's very GREEN Camaro insight even through all of Houston's traffic as well as S.A.'s night time traffic. We were unsure alot, once night time hit, if he was with us or not. But God knew where he was and that was fine with me. We did make a stop at one of the O so famous Bucees while enroute there. For the life of both David and myself, we have YET to figure out what makes this place so dad-gum famous?!?! Craziness....but people absolutely LOVE IT. It was just a good stretching point for us. But it would bring in a key person into my story as well. On the road, Levi had seen 2 really AWESOME cars. He slowed down, gave them the thumbs up, and waved. On he went. While at Bucess, he again saw these cars and was excited!! One of the guys came over to Levi and Jon and started making conversation about them and us going to the Nismo Fest. The other guys stayed back and it was apparent this guy was going out of his way to be kind to a 17 y/o boy. It made this Mom feel good for her son. Soon after our pitstop and stretched legs, we were back on the road...leaving the really COOL cars still there. Later, we would arrive at the hotel where some were to be staying and there appeared this same guy once again. And as before, he made his way over to Levi and began talking to him. I was beginning to get not suspicious but baffled that a 20 something guy, with cool cars, and cool friends, would do this! He would tell Levi about the cruise, such as what to expect, what group to get in - NOT the advanced - and just overall informative and friendly. I would later learn this guy's name was Andrew, he was 27, and was very knowledgeable about the cruises. He would also be labeled as Levi's God-sent-angel...and I'm not lying. For this guy would keep making appearances throughout our stay in S.A. He made sure Levi got where he needed to be in the cruise...his group thankfully. He encouraged Levi in different ways regarding his car and what to do with it in the RIGHT way and not the crazy kid way. He made him feel like one of them even though Levi and Jon were definitely the youngest ones there. That's right....my baby was in a man's world now. These were all 20's, 30's, 40's, and 50's involved in this event! He made sure they exchanged numbers so if there was any problems during cruise they could reach him....as well as to stay in contact once we left S.A. He even gave the two boys a ride in his car, while on the cruise, to a bank so they could get some cash to eat at lunch. David and I talked twice with Andrew as well during the weekend. We tried to express our gratitude for his friendliness and looking out for our son....he was a talker though....hard to get alot in....but I think we got it across. :) It was nice to hear him tell of how well Levi did with the cruise. He talked of him keeping it in control, stayed up well, didn't get crazy like some kids would...he seemed generally impressed by Levi.
 |
| A man's world he had stepped into. At least he had the folded arms right! 
Registeration for Cruise.
Mom taking pictures did not make him happy.
It's what Moms do!
The Line Up.
And they're off!!
|
Lost real roads....kept going.
All the way til there was no more...the literal end.
We decided to travel to an historic place known as Gruene, Tx. located by New Braunfels. The history was nice, but undisclosed to the public eye....you needed to read before you got there. For those who don't know, History is one of my absolute favorites and David is so good to me to find it and share it with me!! This place was beyond crowded though!!! Again....why?? I think it had much to do with the the fact that evening was coming on and the drinking night life people were coming in droves. Nice.
Once again, my David shined, he did not like the crowds at all....and I can't stress that fact enough. But he endured them for the sake and pleasure of his wife so that she could catch a glimpse of History in anyway possible. I thanked him graciously.
There was some History provided, but not much.
David wanted to hang this sign at our home.
Very profound I would say.
LOOK in this tree for some AMAZING wind chimes!!
He loved them!!!!
The oldest dance hall known to still be in existance today!!
George Strait got his start here...among others.
I just HAD to post a picture of our O SO awesome brownies we got while out on our "cruise"!!
We got the call that Levi and Jon were now back at the hotel and they were going to the "garage party". We were still 45 mins away and were done with our sightseeing, so we headed back. Let me say that when Levi told us previously about "garage party" I was a tad MORE hesitant that he and Jon be a part of this. For I knew what there would be....I'm not that naive. And once again....David assured me "Deb, he's good." And so he was. And once again....angel Andrew would appear and be his friendly self, as before, to Levi and Jon.
Afterwards, we met up with them and went for dinner. We had Chicken Express on the brain, but couldn't find a close enough one. Plan B - go to Olive Garden across from hotel....waaaay to crowded. Plan C - go to Whataburger down the road a piece. Whataburger has not 1 but 3 school busses of kids crowded inside. Plan D - go to knock off of Chicken Express called Golden Chick that we thought we had seen earlier in day. Golden Chick NO WHERE to be found. (We are in 2 cars this whole time, mind you). Plan E - Go up the road and find SOMETHING somewhere to consume. We find another Whataburger, but choose instead to go to the completely empty Arbys beside it. YAY!!
And that is when I learn of all the many interesting facts of what my dear son just lived through during his adventure of becoming a man......
But first, I had to take a picture of just how very exhausted he was after having that much F U N!!!
Yes he was that tired.
This Mom would learn that her boy would travel in a very FAST paced group, BUT was thankfully "toned down" from previous year. Previous year they took a turn, that posted at only 10 mph (but sign had fallen down) at all of SEVENTY mph!! Can you even imagine?!?! Angel Andrew said he made sure to know exactly where that turn was this year and wasn't going to let the same thing happen again. My sincere thanks to Andrew for that one!! Levi would retell how that they drove for a total of 6-7 hours...that's intense driving folks, not just your out and about casual driving on a Sunday afternoon! They would go up to speeds of 120 mph at some straight aways...other times just your normal everyday 105 mph!! HA!! In between turns, on a side of a mountain, it would be somewhere between 60-80....nothing deadly there! HA! I was told by Angel Andrew that there are times that if you don't make the curve....you not just crash....you plummet nicely straight DOWN the mountain....sometimes guardrails are there....annnnd sometimes they are not. HA!!
As Andrew related though....Levi was always well in control of his vehichle, kept up, handled it all very well. Can I please re-say....this BOY not that long ago recieved his license, learned to drive a BIG truck, learned to drive a stick shift-FAST car, had the confidence to enter a RACE with grown men , and has now been highly complimented in such a way?!!!! Wow.....that's all that comes to mind right now....just WOW!!! That and thank ya Jesus!!! :)
Levi would go on to say that this was one of the BEST experiences of his life!! Well, Happy Birthday son and yes you grew a mile in my eyes!!
The next morning, we woke up early and went to breakfast. I have never in all my days, saw a hotel breakast are this FULL and the place was big too!! Apparently, this was a happening place on Sunday morning!!
This is only a partial shot of it too!!
We headed out to find the Car Show that was some place else down the road. Waaay down the road...we learned. So far down...we got lost.....and yes once again in 2 cars. But we did find a pretty park that we went through while in search of said Car Show!! Gotta like that!!
We did make it to the Car Show finally! It wasn't the biggest show we have been to, but this was still relatively big.
Some of our faves.....
These two were David and mine's favorites there!!
I found it interesting that at a "man's event"....ok MOSTLY man's event that there were PINK port-a-potties!! Nice touch!! :)
Go-Kart fun too!!
When we arrived at this Car Show it was 10:30am.....when we left this Car Show it was just about 4:00pm and we still had the drive back to Houston. I will tell you right now that almost 6 hours at a Car Show, on a hot asphalt parking lot, with loud bass music constantly playing, only so many times you can look at the same cars, and be within ear shot or closer to people sharing their UN-intelligent words....is entirely TOO long!!! The first couple of hours was cool....and by the time lunch came around we were ready to go...we had seen what we wanted to. But stayed we did....for our son. O the things parents will do for their kids!! You see upon arriving, Levi spotted the raffle ticket give aways, and as we all know - - raffle tickets aren't called until the end of the show. So you know where this is going......
Anyways, the time had FINALLY came and guess what?! HE WON! He was sooooo excited and I guess it made up for maybe some of the time waited just to see his happy self. But wouldn't you know it....the part he won for his car was not even something he could use for his car!! That's right...so not what he thought it was. This guy handles disappointment in ways that would simple amaze you.....I know I've always been amazed at the maturity in which he handles it. Needless to say....I felt sorry for him. I wanted to tell him to take it back, but I knew that wouldn't happen. And so he accepted it and went on.
Poor guy......
And so it is that I finish this very lengthy Blog. A Blog of Trust- how a Mom trusted God and her husband to let her son do something he loved in so many ways. A Blog of Gratitude- how God sends people like Angel Andrew to help us and guide us through our times of unknowing. A Blog of Confidence- how a boy became a man with such confidence to join in a "man's world". A Blog of Firsts- how that he sailed right through them, and Mom and Dad let him trusting God all the while. A Blog of Adventure- how that David and I have such fun in our many adventures of life! And a Blog of Handling Disappointments- there are always gonna be disappointments in life, but we can make the choice to handle them well and simply go on.
Thank you, God, for giving me such an amazing boy to love and share in his passions. Thank you for the safety and protection you provided for him through your very own hand as well as through Angel Andrew's presence and friendliness. Thank you for a Dad who recognizes a boy's passion and does what he can to make it come true for him. And most of all.....thank you simply for You being the Faithful You that you are in our lives!:)
And just to let you all know now - - Levi states that he is now a professional driver - - no doubt the boy truly is!!
I will end with a picture of the beautiful view we had from our 11th floor room. There is a wonderful bike/walking trail that you will see. David enjoyed walking it together. O wait!! did I mention my O so wonderful and super sweet husband WALKED those 11 floors with me when we would leave or return to our room?!?!! That's right....this girl don't DO elevators if she doesn't have to and the way I saw it...I didn't have to!! Haha! :) I love that man!!
Being away is fun....but returning to your own germs, kooties, and BED can be O SO much fun too!!
THE END!!
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