The Great Roadtrip...

We just returned from our very first long and drawn out road trip with our littles. 

And had you asked me in the beginning or even the mid-point of our little adventure how it was going, I would say that our boys were built for the road.

And that I could envision them in a VW van making their way across the western states together creating their own most excellent adventure in the near future. They exceeded all my expectations during the first half of our vacay (which admittedly were not set high).

 

The second half.... mmmm, let's just keep it simple and say that toddlers and babies thrive on routine, familiarity, and sleep.... none of which were all too present near the home stretch there.  I was beginning to question my sanity.  RyGar was beginning to question life in general.  We were all tired and ornery combined with that inexplicable exhaustion that comes with life's lovely sun/water combo.  Ugh.  We were a hot mess.

But let's not focus on that, shall we?

The details are as follows:
1 State spanned
600+ miles traveled
3 Cities (or Tiny Towns in some Cases) Visited
Hundreds of Stinky Cows
Thousands of Sheep
Six Motorcycles (which are actually four wheelers but, hey)
Three Dozen Popsicles
Three Boy Blue Roller Bags
Two Sandboxes
Two Pack n' Plays
Ten Bottles
Eight Sippy Cups
Two Strollers
Six Blankets
Two Baby Backpacks
One Swimming Pool
EIGHT Days
SEVEN Nights
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree  :)

I sincerely apologize to all fellow restroom patrons who repeatedly got a play by play of the bathroom events going on in our stall.  There were times when me and my four little travel companions were all crammed into one normal stall because the handicapped version was occupied.  I aim not to be offensive, but let me tell you... that scenario equals one massive handicap.

 I also wholly beg forgiveness of pool buddies who heard "Cannon Baw" five hundred and twelve times or more and endured the obligatory splashes that come from said Cannon Balls thanks to our two little water babies.

I pray that those who were loved upon with sticky fingers unknowingly will find joy in the power of Tide and will consider them "love marks".

I loathe all gas stations at the moment and the way they strategically place candy displays at eye level or lower for little hands to have free access to.  Let's not even touch on their gas prices, eh?

I love my husband who somehow saved me from having to pack up/clean up today and did it all himself.  Now you know why I hang out with him.  Among other things he's exceptionally good at, (Wink, Wink, Catch my drift...)  He is good at detecting when I'm about to lose my shiz.

But now, "WEEEeee'RRRRe BBAAAAAaaaaacccckkkKKK!"  Hallelujah, Praise Jesus.  We survived and we're home.  And like having a baby, I'm sure we'll forget the pain and get a wild hair and plan some other trip that will find all of us in tears at some point.  And smiles at a lot of other points.  And now that I review these little phone photos, I do see that smiles somehow abounded through the chaos.  

Dang those road trips... sneaky little buggers. :)