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You are here: Home / Archives for Road trips

Road trips

The one day road trip 2018

Road trips

For those of you who have been reading this blog for, lo, these many years now, you are well aware that every summer my best friend Gulley and I load up our kids and go on a summer road trip. And we usually start planning said road trip a little after Spring Break each year. Of course I'm playing fast and loose with the word "planning". It usually just consists of finding four to five days in Read More

Life on the road

Road trips

So, yes, we opted for a staycation for the first part of the road trip, but we are heading to Bryan/College Station this week because none of us want to have a road trip that doesn't ultimately involve the brownies at Honey and Big's house. But yesterday we had another full day at the JW Marriott and had the best time. Even though Gulley and I laughed because being at a nice resort doesn't Read More

The big apple

Family, Road trips

Well, all I can say is if you're one of those people that loves to look at slideshows of other people's vacations, then today is your lucky day. Of course if you like to look at slideshows it may also mean you like to time travel back to 1984 when people still watched slides on those little carousel things. I can still hear the "CHA-CHOO" that my Nanny's slide carousel made when you hit the Read More

Alligators who wear vests

Aggieland, Road trips

Well, I didn't mean not to post yesterday. Which isn't exactly true because I'm in Bryan with Gulley and the kids at Honey and Big's house and we were too busy laughing at a random assortment of things for me to take time to focus and write. Not that I really ever focus but, you know, there's always a first time. This trip wasn't originally part of our Thanksgiving week plan, but Gulley and Read More

Call me maybe

Road trips

Because we are nothing if not the last ones to jump on a bandwagon. road trip from Big Mama on Vimeo. This was one of our road trip goals. Because we are all about being goal-oriented even in the summertime. Especially when it comes to trivial pursuits that don't really amount to anything. You might notice the camera work is a little shoddy. And that the horn also honks twice during Read More

Come and take it

Road trips

Gulley and I packed up the car and the kids on Tuesday morning and headed out on the open road for our annual summer road trip. Which is why I didn't post anything last night. Well, that and the fact that the hotel we stayed in charged $15.00 for wi-fi access and I decided that was absurd. I debated trying to write a post using my phone but, good grief, my thumbs can't handle that kind of Read More

Some more thoughts from the road even though I’m home now

Road trips

This road trip marked a turning point for us. Gulley and I realized that our kids have all reached the age where they are more than 76% sure that we don't know how to do anything and that we're wrong most of the time. However, they are geniuses. They are experts on how to drive and buying tickets to baseball games and know all the facts about Mount Rushmore and can explain the workings of the Read More

It’s in the bag. And by “it”, I mean mildew.

Road trips

Well. We have now been away from home since Friday. And I'll tell you my biggest concern at this point. Other than the laundry and massive grocery store trip that awaits my arrival home. There is a 99.6% that I'm growing black mold in my purse. On Sunday we went to a baseball game at the new Blue Bell Park at Olsen Field to watch the Aggies. And it had been raining to beat the band ALL Read More

And now we’ve come….to the end of the road

Road trips

I believe it was Mark Twain who said there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. Or maybe it was someone else. Either way, our annual summer road trip ended on my back steps yesterday around noon and, I don't want to speak for Gulley, but I think we all still really like each other based on the fact that the kids begged to stay together and Read More

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Who is Melanie?

Melanie ShankleMy name is Melanie and, in some strange twist of fate, I’m also known as Big Mama because I started this blog in July of 2006 when my daughter, Caroline, was not quite three years old and I was in the process of convincing her that BIG girls use the potty and BIG girls don’t have pacifiers, thus she thought BIG was the highest compliment in the land and began referring to me as BIG MAMA.Read More

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Had the best time last night speaking at the @fede Had the best time last night speaking at the @federationtexasaggiemoms dinner. So grateful for all they do for Texas A&M students. ⁣
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There’s not much better than being in a room full of Aggies. Thanks and Gig’em. 👍🏻❤️
2022 was a year of seeing so much of God’s goodn 2022 was a year of seeing so much of God’s goodness. Like most years, there were highs and lows, but also so much joy and laughter with the people I love the most. 💕⁣
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We’re ready for you, 2023! 🎉🥂⁣
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“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.⁣
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord.⁣
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16: 5-8
It’s been a good week of Christmas festivities h It’s been a good week of Christmas festivities here. Family, friends, food and fishing. Basically all of our favorite things. ❤️🎄❤️
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. ❤️🎄❤️
It was an Aggie football season I’ll never forge It was an Aggie football season I’ll never forget for so many reasons…some of them bad, but mostly so much good⁣
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Sometimes it takes a less than stellar season on the field to highlight the things I really love about football season are the people, being with old friends, making new friends, the memories and everything that Texas A&M embodies⁣. There’s a quote Aggies love that says, “From the outside looking in, you don’t understand it. From the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.” Texas A&M is a magical place.
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Also, ending the season by beating the hell outta LSU didn’t hurt. Thanks and Gig’em.
Aggie game day with my girl. 💕⁣ ⁣ We strugg Aggie game day with my girl. 💕⁣
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We struggled against a 1-9 UMass team on a 40 degree, rainy day. ⁣
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In the words of Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”⁣
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Melanie Shankle @bigmama ·

Well, that was anti-climatic.

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Melanie Shankle @bigmama ·

Wow, Georgia! What a comeback!!

Reply on Twitter 1609414435394965506 Retweet on Twitter 1609414435394965506 Like on Twitter 1609414435394965506 48 Twitter 1609414435394965506

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