wrap up

Now that I've procrastinated a couple weeks, let's see if I can summarize the last several days of our trip!

On the 15th we drove from Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX.  We had just a little time to spend driving through Palo Duro Canyon.  We had hoped to spend the night there and have a little more time to explore, but it was full.  :(  The boys had been looking forward to sleeping where Indians used to sleep, and they don't handle a change in plans real well!

On the 16th we drove from Amarillo, TX, to Wichita, KS.  I can't remember if it was this day or the day before that we got pulled over for speeding.  Oops!  Surprisingly, the officer let us go with just a warning.  The boys were watching a movie the whole time and didn't even realize what was going on.  Levi came up and asked why we were stopped, we told him to look out the back window, and then he tried to tell Caleb and Logan there was a police car back there, but they were too focused on the tv.  Oh brother.  When we got to Wichita it was windy and hot!  That evening we went out for burgers and ice cream to celebrate my dad's birthday.

The 17th we spent the whole day at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita.  Not the greatest weather (it cooled down SIGNIFICANTLY from the day before and was still windy), but we had fun seeing all the animals.

The 18th we drove ALL DAY from just outside Wichita and arrived home at 9:30pm.  We had thought about breaking it down into two shorter days, but once we got going we were really anxious to get home!  Props to my hubby for the stamina to keep going.  :)  We had a GREAT vacation, but it was so nice to get home and sleep in our own beds, cook in my own kitchen, do laundry in my own laundry room....

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Thursday morning we all loaded up in my parent's Yukon and headed out to Zion National Park.  I had considered nixing that part of the trip, but I'm so glad we didn't!  The scenery was breathtaking, the boys loved the long tunnel with a few cut-out windows, we enjoyed a nice lunch at the restaurant in the lodge there, and then Mike, my dad, Caleb, Logan, Levi, and I went on a nice long hike.  The hike was pretty cool - started out easy then got more challenging.  The boys did great!  And, it was really neat at the end to see the waterfall and pool.

Friday morning we hit the road for Albuquerque.  It was a bit of a drive, but as usual, the changing scenery makes it enjoyable.  For the most part the boys are still doing well in the motor home.  Certainly, there are "moments, but a lot of the time they play pretty nice, and of course it's helpful to be able to put a movie on for a while (we usually do that in the afternoon after lunch).  In Albuquerque we're at a nice campground, and our site is right near the playground - the boys are LOVING it.  There are lots of other kids around, and they've spent a lot of time playing there. 

This morning, after breakfast (a continental breakfast in the campground office!), and some playtime at the playground, we loaded into the Yukon and drove to Madrid.  It's an old ghost town that now has a bunch of fun little shops and restaurants.  Maybe not the most fun for the male contingent (especially since the minding museum was closed), but my mom and I enjoyed browsing through the shops.  We had a delicious lunch at an outdoor restaurant, and after the men and women split up, my mom and I ended up buying my first pair of cowboy boots!!  Talk about an impulse purchase...  She mentioned wanting to shop for my birthday present, I saw these boots and couldn't resist trying them on, and she convinced me to get them.  :)  This afternoon we actually sat and enjoyed the sunshine for awhile, while the boys played on the playground.  After supper and some pie (to celebrate "Pi Day), we're going to start winding down soon.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Yesterday morning we took off from Sedona for the Grand Canyon.  What a beautiful drive!  We stopped in Flagstaff for gas, groceries, and coffee (just the important things! :) ) We arrived at the Grand Canyon right after lunch, got a campsite, and then headed out to do some sightseeing.  We were able to catch the shuttle bus right from our campground and take it to different points around the canyon.  The boys weren't as impressed as I'd hoped, but it was still neat to see.  :)  I think they enjoyed riding the bus more!

This morning we did some more sightseeing at different points around the canyon.  The anxiety level was a little high as some areas don't have good fencing...three little boys, plus the Grand Canyon...yikes!  After lunch in the motorhome in the parking lot, we hit the road and made it to Page, AZ, early this evening.  Supper at a local burger joint, Slackers, and now we're winding down for the evening.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Saturday morning we got up early (most of us, Logan didn't wake up until we were down the road a ways!), and headed for Hoover Dam. We enjoyed walking across the Memorial Bridge, and then the dam itself.  It was a beautiful morning!  We didn't do a tour of the dam, we'll have to save that for someday when the kids are older.  :)

After finishing at the dam we headed for Sedona, AZ.  Another beautiful drive and we got to a high enough elevation to see snow again.  :(  Not to worry, though, no snow here in Sedona, and it's been nice and warm.  We arrived at our friends', the Carthcart's, and have had a nice time visiting and seeing the beautiful mountains around.  Sunday we attended their church, and then had a nice lunch at Oak Creek Brewery.  Later in the afternoon, Mike and the boys played at a park while I did some "shopping".  Then we were able to head up towards the airport for a great view of the sunset.

Today we went on a hike nearby in the morning, took a drive around the area in the afternoon, and this evening Mike and I were able to go on a Pink Jeep Tour.  It was so neat!  Some serious off-roading with the reward of incredible vistas of the area.

The boys, especially Levi, are showing signs of being busy for a few days and not getting enough down time.  Generally, our schedule so far has been a day of activity, then a day of driving, which gives them a chance to have a bit of a break from all the stimulation.  Levi was being especially challenging today, and I know a big part of it is just that he must be so tired.  Hope he gets a nap tomorrow while we're on the road!

Friday, March 6, 2015

Wednesday morning we headed out from Carlsbad, NM, and made the drive to Tucson, AZ.  What a beautiful drive!  We thoroughly enjoyed the drive.  The boys did quite well - they seem to be adjusting just fine to life on the road.  We arrived in Tucson and stayed in an RV park that didn't technically have age restrictions, but it was packed and mostly with 55+.  :)  They had a heated pool, which we took advantage of that evening, despite it being fairly chilly out after dark!

Thursday morning after breakfast I went out to stock up on some groceries.  After returning from that we all headed out to the Pima Air & Space Museum.  Pretty neat.  The boys got a kick out of all the different airplanes.  They all start to look the same to me after awhile...  We got back to the campground with plenty of time to go swimming before supper, and soak up some sun.  All three of the boys loved the pool!  Caleb and Logan are both doing very well - swimming a little on their own without a lifejacket, jumping in, going under water, etc.  Levi still wants to hang on pretty tight, but is getting more comfortable.

This morning we left Tucson and by mid-afternoon arrived in Oatman, AZ.  The last 8 miles were rather nerve-wracking!  Two lane road, no shoulder, very curvy, on the side of a mountain, and of course I was on the outside edge practically hanging off the edge in our big, lumbering motor home...  Had we been heading the other direction and I could have been on the inside against the mountain I would have enjoyed it a little more.  :)  Anyways, Oatman was quite something.  It's an old mining town that has donkeys just roaming around down the street.  They've got lots of little shops and it was a nice place to just walk around a bit.  After finishing there, we headed to Needles, CA, to find our campground for the night.  So, we made it to California on this trip!  Barely.  The boys had fun playing in the dirt before supper, and now are all showered up and ready for bed.

Part of the road to Oatman, AZ.

Some of the donkeys in Oatman, AZ.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Finally we have some nice weather for our vacation!  This morning started out cold and cloudy, but now it's pretty sunny and 60 degrees.  Love it.

Late Sunday evening, after bedtime, Levi woke up coughing (he had started with a runny nose for a day or two), and got into such a coughing fit that he threw up.  Lovely.  Late at night, in a motor home, puke all over Levi, myself, and my sleeping bag.  I'm just thankful that it was due to congestion and not a stomach bug!

Monday morning, after doing some laundry, we left San Antonio and drove to Carlsbad, NM.  Beautiful scenery, and it's neat to watch the landscape change.  Last night, after arriving at the campground, we pretty much just ate supper and went to bed - everyone was so tired!

On the road in Texas.

At a lunch stop.

This morning we headed out to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.  Incredible!  Mike, the boys, my dad, and I did a hike down into the cavern; my mom took the elevator down.  :)  The boys did so good and really enjoyed seeing the cavern.  I am exhausted now!

Outside Carlsbad Caverns.

and we're off!

Friday morning, February 27, about 7:15am, we pulled out of our driveway at home for our big southwest adventure!  My parent's in their Yukon, us in the motor home we're renting for three weeks.  The temps were below zero, but thankfully, the roads were clear and driving went well.  We made it as far as Joplin, MO that night.  Still cold and snowy there, though!  But, not as cold as home, and not as much snow as home.  :)

Cold and snowy before leaving home.

The boys (and Mike and I, too!) were so excited to get going!  Being able to ride in a motor home has been nice.  It's a little hard to keep the boys occupied, and they still manage to bug each other, but it sure is nice to turn a movie on for them, have them be able to use the bathroom, and put them to bed for the night while we're still driving.  Both Friday night and Saturday night Caleb and Logan fell asleep in the bunk while we still had a fair amount of driving to do.  Levi on the other hand...  He's been so tired, but then at night while we were driving he was pretty wound up.  He did nap in his car seat in the Yukon on Friday while I drove.

In our home for the next three weeks.

Breakfast in the motor home.

The Arch in St. Louis, MO.

Saturday the driving wasn't as nice.  Snowy, icy, rain.  After lunch I took a turn driving the Yukon again so we could try for a nap for Levi in there.  (He didn't fall asleep until about 5 minutes before we were going to stop again....)  Somewhere in northern Texas we saw several cars that had gone off the highway, but the roads didn't necessarily seem THAT bad.  Then all of the sudden a pick-up truck was coming across the median right at us.  He almost hit the back end of the motor home, then was coming for us head on.  Thankfully, I was able to swerve to avoid him, and also not hit any surrounding cars (there was a fair amount of traffic, and I had just passed a car).  Phew!  That will get the heart pounding!  So thankful the Lord protected us.  We ended up arriving in San Antonio much later than we had hoped due to the weather slowdowns.  But, we did make it, and practically fell into bed.

Snowy roads in Oklahoma.

Icicles hanging from the overhang of the motor home.

Today we spent some time exploring in San Antonio.  Quick look at the Alamo, walking along the River Walk, and "shopping" and lunch at the Market Square.  I could definitely spend more time here!  But, a few hours was enough for three little boys.  :)  It is cool (40's/50's) and rainy here today.  We had lunch at a great Mexican restaurant in Market Square.  Bought the boys each a little bird whistle that I will be surprised if they survive vacation.  :)  I am beat from all the walking!  Having a little relax time now.

The Alamo.

The River Walk.