Getting There
Family Vacation to Iowa
May 21-27, 2008
This year we decided that it was time for us to visit Iowa. It's been about a year and a half since we visited and about 2 years since we were there in the spring. Ryan's parents live up there, hence the trip. They've lived there roughly 2 1/2 years.
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Our journey started with preparing to go. The cleaning, washing, packing and loading of the car. I had this wonderful plan of getting everything finished by Monday night before we left, so all Ryan and I would have to do is do the last minute packing and load the car, and head to bed early. At 10:30pm Tuesday night we were still getting things together and finally starting to pack the car. Ryan, in a bit of sarcasm, says, "Why don't we leave tonight?" I say "lets do it!" And we decided that if we were able to get our To Do list finished by midnight we would be on our way.
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At midnight we were putting the kids in the car and heading out. This sounds great, right? Leaving in the middle of the night, the kids will sleep, you wont have to stop as often AND we'll get there hours earlier than planned. This was not to be for us. We are well into Oklahoma and it is 2am. The kids are still awake and Ryan and I are getting tired. Ryan drove the first leg and I tried to sleep when I could. The kids were up after a good 5 hour "nap" and were wide awake and excited for the adventure we were taking them on in the middle of the night. Finally they girls fell asleep and I got a good chance to rest. We switched drivers about an hour later and in doing so woke the kids up.
We opt to not get gas at this point and just do a quick switcheroo of drivers and be on our way. The girls are up again for a while. They finally go back to sleep again around 4am. Not long after that I realize that we really should have gotten gas when we had the chance because we are now in Kansas with no gas station in sight for 60 miles and my gas tank gauge is dropping fast. I do my best to drive as long and as fast (as legally or slightly illegally) as possible to get us to the next stop. We get to the gas station where we fill up and switch drivers yet again. The sun is rising at this time, Kyra sleeps through the stop (Hallelujah), but Addy does not.
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While we are stopped we decide to get breakfast, too. {If any of you are familiar with the Kansas Turnpike you will understand what I just said. For those of you who are not let me explain. The Kansas Turnpike is an evil place. They have graciously prepared a way for you to stop for gas and food without having to officially get off the Turnpike. In the median between the north and south bound lanes are semi-convenient stopping spots for these items. However, the only choice for food is McDonald's and the gas prices are a bit higher than the local, non-Turnpike, prices. So you say, why not get off the Turnpike and get gas and food there? Oh, no. They have placed exits to the Turnpike at barren waste places in Kansas. There aren't gas stations or restaurants to be seen for miles off the Turnpike, only McDonald's in the median. Evil!} It is now that Kyra wakes up. We order food and keep on going.
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The kids play with toys they are now able to see. We pull out the activity bag I made for Kyra to hold her coloring books, crayons and markers. She really loved this and we really liked not having to hold these things for her.
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The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful. Around 9am we call up mom/grandma to see if she was ready for us. She was sweating it out at the gym and I think we nearly caused her to fall off the treadmill when she thought we were in the driveway. When we told her we were not in the driveway she breathed a slight sigh of relief. She asked how far away we were from Des Moines we told her 130 miles. Her reply, "Oh, okay. WHAT!?!?!" It took her a second to realize that we were 130 miles from Des Moines and not 130 miles from Dallas, which would have been about right if we left when we planned.
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After she talked to us, she promptly calls dad/grandpa to tell him we were on our way and that we would be there around 11am, not 6pm. He, while excited to have us there early, was a little panicked as well as he did not have anything planned for the afternoon. As I looked at the schedule (when we got there) I informed him that he had planned relaxing and unwinding and that was exactly what we planned on doing. Okay, more sleeping than anything, but relaxing nonetheless.
We got there just before 11 that morning.
To Be Continued...
{Sorry no pictures were taken during this portion of the trip. You will have to settle for older, yet just as cute pictures. :) }
May 21-27, 2008
This year we decided that it was time for us to visit Iowa. It's been about a year and a half since we visited and about 2 years since we were there in the spring. Ryan's parents live up there, hence the trip. They've lived there roughly 2 1/2 years.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~Our journey started with preparing to go. The cleaning, washing, packing and loading of the car. I had this wonderful plan of getting everything finished by Monday night before we left, so all Ryan and I would have to do is do the last minute packing and load the car, and head to bed early. At 10:30pm Tuesday night we were still getting things together and finally starting to pack the car. Ryan, in a bit of sarcasm, says, "Why don't we leave tonight?" I say "lets do it!" And we decided that if we were able to get our To Do list finished by midnight we would be on our way.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~At midnight we were putting the kids in the car and heading out. This sounds great, right? Leaving in the middle of the night, the kids will sleep, you wont have to stop as often AND we'll get there hours earlier than planned. This was not to be for us. We are well into Oklahoma and it is 2am. The kids are still awake and Ryan and I are getting tired. Ryan drove the first leg and I tried to sleep when I could. The kids were up after a good 5 hour "nap" and were wide awake and excited for the adventure we were taking them on in the middle of the night. Finally they girls fell asleep and I got a good chance to rest. We switched drivers about an hour later and in doing so woke the kids up.
We opt to not get gas at this point and just do a quick switcheroo of drivers and be on our way. The girls are up again for a while. They finally go back to sleep again around 4am. Not long after that I realize that we really should have gotten gas when we had the chance because we are now in Kansas with no gas station in sight for 60 miles and my gas tank gauge is dropping fast. I do my best to drive as long and as fast (as legally or slightly illegally) as possible to get us to the next stop. We get to the gas station where we fill up and switch drivers yet again. The sun is rising at this time, Kyra sleeps through the stop (Hallelujah), but Addy does not.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~While we are stopped we decide to get breakfast, too. {If any of you are familiar with the Kansas Turnpike you will understand what I just said. For those of you who are not let me explain. The Kansas Turnpike is an evil place. They have graciously prepared a way for you to stop for gas and food without having to officially get off the Turnpike. In the median between the north and south bound lanes are semi-convenient stopping spots for these items. However, the only choice for food is McDonald's and the gas prices are a bit higher than the local, non-Turnpike, prices. So you say, why not get off the Turnpike and get gas and food there? Oh, no. They have placed exits to the Turnpike at barren waste places in Kansas. There aren't gas stations or restaurants to be seen for miles off the Turnpike, only McDonald's in the median. Evil!} It is now that Kyra wakes up. We order food and keep on going.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~The kids play with toys they are now able to see. We pull out the activity bag I made for Kyra to hold her coloring books, crayons and markers. She really loved this and we really liked not having to hold these things for her.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful. Around 9am we call up mom/grandma to see if she was ready for us. She was sweating it out at the gym and I think we nearly caused her to fall off the treadmill when she thought we were in the driveway. When we told her we were not in the driveway she breathed a slight sigh of relief. She asked how far away we were from Des Moines we told her 130 miles. Her reply, "Oh, okay. WHAT!?!?!" It took her a second to realize that we were 130 miles from Des Moines and not 130 miles from Dallas, which would have been about right if we left when we planned.
~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~After she talked to us, she promptly calls dad/grandpa to tell him we were on our way and that we would be there around 11am, not 6pm. He, while excited to have us there early, was a little panicked as well as he did not have anything planned for the afternoon. As I looked at the schedule (when we got there) I informed him that he had planned relaxing and unwinding and that was exactly what we planned on doing. Okay, more sleeping than anything, but relaxing nonetheless.
We got there just before 11 that morning.
To Be Continued...
{Sorry no pictures were taken during this portion of the trip. You will have to settle for older, yet just as cute pictures. :) }
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