Since our last trip to Utah went so well (haha!), we decided to try our luck once again, this time with the promise of seeing ALL of my siblings and their families (for the first time in over 3 years).
We left late one Thursday afternoon after spending all day packing and preparing. Why am I always surprised how long it takes to leave on vacation? Grandma Graff sent a road-trip entertainment package that fortuitously arrived just as we were pulling out.
Thankfully, our first destination was only a couple hours away. By the time we pulled up to Ashlee and Tyler's, our kids were bouncing up and down in their seats. When their friends met us at the car with exciting tales of brand new puppies, it took only .3 seconds for all of them to unbuckle and disappear. Ashlee had dinner ready for us and even provided homemade vanilla ice-cream with fresh picked raspberries for dessert. Graham could not have been happier (and the rest of us agreed).
We agreed to let the big kids stay up and watch "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" before realizing it's a ridiculously long movie! At 9:30pm we determined they could watch the last 1/2 hour the following morning.
I had really good intentions of going to bed reasonably early, knowing I had a long day of travel ahead of me. But I should know myself better by now. I recently read a quote that asked the following question: "When you and your friend get together, are your conversations about responsibility, aspirations, and taking initiative?" With Ashlee, the answers are yes, yes, and double yes! So, in the wee hours of the morning we finally dragged our tired, but contented selves to bed.
The kids were all up bright and early, of course, eager to get in a few hours of playtime before we had to leave again. Ashlee and Tyler had just returned from spending two weeks volunteering at an orphanage in Haiti, and brought their friend Al to stay with them for the summer. Thane and Max designated themselves Al's shadows, and in return, he rewarded them with patient attention.
Graham found the piano - no surprise there.
Have I mentioned before how much he loves music?
Bryce and Maggie slipped outside to play. Considering the gorgeous view, I can't say I blame them.
Aubree, Gracee, and Jaylen played with their American Girl dolls and let their imaginations run wild (no surprise there either!).
Eventually, though, we did need to pry the kids (and ourselves) away from our friends. We loaded back into the car for the 6 hour trip to Boise. We arrived at the Hawkins' home (friends from Florida), just in time for dinner (I know, I know - we are super spoiled!). Anna and Mike have 6 kids, which made for quite a crew at the dinner table.
After dinner we went for a walk along a river near their home. At every opportunity, the boys looked for rocks to throw in the irrigation ditches. Thane found a huge stone, and was completely determined to get it down the hill and into the water (we finally convinced him to leave it be).
It was a very warm evening, and we forgot to grab water bottles, so we didn't make it too far down the path. We did, however, get to see this neat little dam.
When we started the walk, Mike and Anna asked if we wanted to use a stroller. "No thanks," we replied, "we'll be fine." By the end of the walk, their kids had jumped out of their stroller, and my boys had edged in. Oops, sorry!
We got to sleep in their RV, and the kids couldn't have been more thrilled. They still remembered sleeping in the RV at my aunt's home two summers ago, and were eager to have another such experience. Unfortunately, despite (or because of) the excitement of the day, none of them were able to get to sleep easily. Graham, usually so easy-going, screamed and fought. Not fun.
Once I finally got them (mostly) asleep, I snuck back inside to talk to Mike and Anna. I've always loved talking to Anna because she's so real and honest. Yes, I stayed up way too late, but I cherish the chance to have good conversations with great friends.
The next morning we were up and ready for our final leg of the journey to Utah. Overall, we were uber impressed with how well the kids travelled. An hour from our final destination, Mark whispered, "The kids have travelled so well!" "Shhh!" I joked, "Don't jinx us!"
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