circle all the differences

This seems like something straight out of the Highlights magazine. Are those still around?

Before 3000 miles


After 3000 miles


Once our house is mostly presentable Erin will post some pics and she also will be taking a few more of the area as well.

they'll probably survive

For a few days there, I thought we left our children in Idaho (or at least West Virginia) and replaced them with monsters.

In all fairness to them, the first few days of the drive went really well. The kids were well behaved, even when they weren't watching Blue's Clues or Dora. (Though they did plenty of that.) And we only had one very mild barf incident.

After we left Dave's parents everything changed.

About an hour into the drive, while Jack was (finally) sleeping peacefully, we got cut off on the interstate by a big, white, van with Kansas license plates and a "my grass is blue" bumper sticker. We had to slam our brakes so hard to not hit the crazy lady and it woke Jack up.

I wish we somehow could have pumped Jack's screams and whines into her car as punishment for inattentive driving.

The rest of that day and the 5 hour drive the next were filled with my scrambling to keep our children from crying and whining. Unless they were asleep. That was bliss.

We arrived at our very empty apartment on Monday evening. It is a great apartment and we really love it. There isn't much to keep kids occupied in it when it is empty. So we did what any normal person would do and we went to the store.

That's when we realized our children had gone crazy. And that we were exhausted.

I think after a good night's sleep on our own beds and a house that isn't quite so empty, we're starting to feel normal again.

Moving across the country is one of those experiences as a parent where you wonder if you have permanently scarred your children.

we made it

by the numbers:

3056 miles
48 hrs 13 minutes of driving time
7 days
13 states
60 construction zones
40 state license plates (plus Washington DC, Ontario, and Quebec.)



favorite moments:

*Ana catching a firefly at a rest stop in Illinois.
*Crossing the border into Vermont. I think Heaven will look like this place.
*Seeing family all along the way.

Its good to finally be here!

west virginia

We all had a great time in WV when we stayed with my parents. We got there Saturday afternoon and left Sunday afternoon after church. We got to attend the baptism of someone they helped teach on Saturday as well.


The kids did not leave Grandma alone for one second. She liked it.


The had a good time with Grandpa as well.


They played the choo-choo train game.


Ana stood like this and said "Dad you should take a picture of me like this."


And of course Jack wanted to be like his sister. He loves doing what she is doing.


Then we drove through hills for a long time and got to Vermont this afternoon. Erin will probably post about that and many other things tomorrow. I do ok with pictures but she actually likes to type stuff. She is cool.

a day in dayton

Erin and her sister Wendy went to get matching pedicures today. Can you tell who's who?


The cousins played at the park this afternoon.




Ana and Alex having a snack together before bed.


It was a much needed day off from driving. Ana is SOOOO excited to see her grandma and grandpa tomorrow in West Virginia. We are getting closer!!!

through nebraska

We said goodbye to Erin's sister Teri and family. It was great staying with them.


Our kids are pretty much awesome in the car. After two long days of driving, this is the face we saw most of the way through Nebraska.


We drove by Chimney Rock.


Through a big storm with rain and wind.


This morning we went swimming in the pool at the hotel. Ana loved it and said that staying in hotels is fun. Jack wasn't too excited about the pool for some reason.



More to come at our next stop!

drive to wyoming

We made it to Casper with no problems. The kids have traveled well so far. Google maps said it would take about an hour longer than it did. Our GPS was right on.

Erin was planning to get contacts before moving but with the appendicitis and all we didn't get around to it. So, she really wanted to get some sunglasses that would fit over her glasses for the drive. Here they are:


They are huge. She isn't a fan of big sunglasses but they work for now.

This is Ana pretending to be a bee.


Here are a couple pictures of us at Independence Rock. Ana and I climbed to the top. It was really windy up there.




We also saw my sister Terri. She came down from Sheridan and had dinner with us. It was nice to see them on our way out.

four

Ana turns 4 this week. We celebrated last Friday. I wrote this that night.

Dear Ana,

I'm so glad you are 4! And so are you. You have been "pretending" for weeks that you were 4 and I know you've been excited. When you were eating your cake tonight you said to me, "Mom, what happens when you are 4?"





You have had a hard time wrapping your head around moving to Vermont. We've tried to help you understand that it would be far away and you wouldn't get to see your friends and cousins for a long time. I think it finally sunk in this week. I hope that it will be okay and that you'll make new friends and that you'll grow to love it there.

You are an incredible little girl. You opened a present tonight and immediately made sure your cousins had a piece to play with. You want people around you to be happy, and this is such an incredible thing. I hope you continue to be as loving and generous as you are now.

I can't even tell you how many questions you come up with every day. Where is that train going? Where does water come from? How do trees grow? Are stars going to outer space? How do babies get in the Mommy's tummy? A lot of the time you want me to define words: What does 'early' mean? Or spell words: How do you spell 'clouds'? How do you say 'clouds' in Spanish? How do you spell 'nubes.' I think I answer questions all day long. I hope you keep asking. That is how you learn things.

You have been clinging to me a lot more than usual. Probably all the changes coming up. The other day in church Daddy caught you looking at me and then crossing your legs and folding your arms just like me. I hope that I am always a good example for you.

Your brother loves you so much. He learns almost everything he does from you. It is so precious to watch! Tonight you got to sleep out on an old mattress with Daddy under the stars. I love how full of life you are.



You are wonderful. I am so happy to be your mommy!

Love, me

moving day

Tomorrow is the big moving day. The day when the our car is loaded, we say our last goodbyes and head out. We'll stay at my parents until Monday morning and then we head east.

Last night we had a bbq with some of our friends from our ward.We ate, laughed, and then a few of us last to leave-ers played Bocce Ball. (I rocked it for a first timer.)

This is the first time I was sad to leave to many great friends. I love these girls:

Ana will miss her friends, too!


Tonight some of Dave's family stayed over til way late talking and chatting. Man, I love his sisters!

Its bittersweet. Its always sad to leave, but its good to move on and to know that good things are still to come.

writers block

I have been sitting in front of a blank page for 10 minutes trying to decide what to write.

I could say that we went to Zoo Boise and a splash park with my sister a few weeks ago. We've spent several weekends at their house the last few months and even though we are driving away sans canoe (its not quite done.), it was totally worth being able to spend time with my big sis. Also we got to see Dave's Aunt Sheila, which was great.

Dave modeling the wing span of a bald eagle.

My awesome sis. Can you believe she has 6 kids?

I also could write about what we've been doing between my on-the-couch episodes.

Like watching the fireworks at one of Ana's favorite friends' house.



Or doing sparklers and playing in the pool.

And spending time at Granny and Gramps' house

This is another awesome sister of mine and Jack loves her.

We did a photo shoot with Granny and Gramps. Aren't they cute?

I could also write about how I can't believe in less than a week we'll be moving across the country.

But my mind is too scattered to put two rational thoughts together tonight. So I think I'll just go to bed.