Family Roadtrip

For the next few weeks, my blog postings will be sporadic.  I have to pack for four people and a dog.  I have to figure out what we are going to eat in the car that won't stain the freshly cleaned upholstery.  I have to clean my house in case someone breaks in while I'm gone, so they won't trip on the laundry baskets on the way to look for valuables that they won't be able to find (unless they consider Polly Pockets and Legos to be of value).

Because.....we are about to trek across the country to visit our families.  It will be a three day drive.  Oh boy!  See my big smile!  Last year, we made it interesting by making lots of touristy stops along the way.  We saw the Corn Palace, Winter Quarters, Mt. Rushmore, the Black Hills, Yellowstone, and the Tetons.

This year, we are just trying to get there.  I'm still smiling, brightly!

We'll be driving past here:

Across this:

Stopping along the way here:

Until we finally see this:

And then we'll arrive here:

For a family reunion with this crazy bunch:

Who, as of this year, have all grown up and got married and have families of their own.  My kiddos are excited to see their grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins.

Before we leave, we'll have to sample some of these:

from here:

and then we'll drive through this gorgeous canyon:

until we come to the valley where I grew up:

How rude!  They built houses where I used to sit and look over the valley and think about my future....

and where the Bionic Man used to land his paraglider. 

Pretty soon I'll be back in my ol' stompin' grounds, hiking up here:

And having fun with all my big brothers and sisters and their kids:

What?  There isn't a picture there?  That's because no one in my family likes to pose for pictures.  We're like snow leopards....we might exist....but there isn't any photographic evidence.  (Notice how I carefully avoided comparisons to the Sasquatch and Loch Ness monster?  I love you!)  Also, we are all too busy having fun together and seldom remember to break out the cameras.

Before we know it, we'll have to tell all our grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and friends and the horses at Aunt Lena and Uncle Boyd's farm goodbye.....

......and drive across Kansas:

(Which never looks this good from the freeway.)

And, the day after we get back, I have to take this sweet thing--who I SWEAR was just barely born, like, three years ago--to middle school orientation.  Middle school.  

(Sniff, sniff.  Gulp.)  You might be able to guess from some of the pictures that my internet service will be sporadic.  But maybe I'll be able to post pics sometime of the amazing activity books Endeavor put together for her siblings.  Totally unprompted and unassisted.  She's amazing.  No, she doesn't have a blog.  Yet.  (That was part of the agreement we made in the settlement with Martha Stewart.  I kid!)

Go forth and enjoy your summer!