Day 3: Billboards

A writing memoir prompt series by Ann Dee Ellis that I found through the C. Jane Kendrick blog. I'll be trying my hand at these 8 minute memoirs because I miss writing, and I need something relatively productive to use my brainpower for that doesn't involve the ABCs or 123s. #momlife #poundit

I don't really notice billboards anymore.  I can't even remember the last time I took notice to what a billboard said.  

I take that back. 

On the way to Salt Lake City a few weeks ago, I did see a billboard I'd never noticed before.  It was a huge one of the SLC Temple.  The steeple of the temple with Moroni on top poking from the top of the billboard extending past the typical rectangular border.  

Nice headquarters, nice.

Other than that I mostly remember staring at billboards during road trips trying to find words that started with whatever letter of the alphabet I was on in the alphabet game.  You know...the one where you go through every letter of the alphabet and find a word that starts with that letter on billboards, signs, license plates, semi trucks...

Classic.

Growing up it was with my 3 younger siblings.  Road tripping to the beach or to visit family.  Grandma and Grandpa Dickerson.  Grandpa Wunnenberg and Aunt LouAnn.  Virginia Beach.  Williamsburg.  I miss those road trips.  I miss VA sometimes.  I miss childhood.  My grandma recently passed away.  She and my grandpa lived in Norfolk.  Their house was awesome.

Horseshoes in the backyard.  The creaky swing.  I remember swinging as high as I could to peek over their high fence.  Sneaking into their dog Quincey's area to cuddle him.  That was before he got crazy.  The creepy lady of the sea statue as you go down their stairs.  Uncle Kyle's bowling pins and streamers.  Hashbrowns for breakfast from Grandpa.  Don't go near the cereal.  Expiration date 10 years prior.  Sometimes the candy jar had fresh candy in it.  Sometimes it had candy from 3 Christmases prior.  The room upstairs with toys and videos to watch.   The waterbed.

I wish I could have gone to her funeral.  Being far away from family is really hard sometimes.  The more my littles grow up the more I realize how much I want family in their life.

I can't wait to take our kids on more road trips.  They can make their own memories from the billboards on the way to wherever we go adventuring.