Traveling I-80 {mostly}

Our time in North Carolina cam to and end in April. So we packed up our life {again} in a Penkse and moved on.

Steve had mapped out for us a route that would take up about two and a half days. Steve's brother John flew out to help drive back to Utah. So Thursday morning we got up and one last look through the house we were off.

I had the dog and boys in the van with me while I pulled a trailer. Steve and John drove the Penske.

So with our life ready to go, so were we.

This trip was more of an adventure than we were expecting.

We drove up the Appalachain Mountains ever so slowly.... clearly map quest didn't take driving a full 26 foot moving truck up the mountain.... we were not able to go the speed limit. Actually we were quite under.... we were going about 25mph for the 3 hour drive up the mountain. {it was only suppose to take us about an hour to get up and over the mountain.

We had detour of 2.5 hours.... Something happened on the freeway in Nebraska and it took us on a long detour way out from the freeway and then back again.

We stopped for gas in Nebraska.... someone forgot the emergency break on the truck {I never drove it so it wasn't me...} And the truck rolled back and jack-knifed into the trailer that was carrying the car. This too, was not in the plan to get us to Utah in two and a half days.

There was flying tread from a wheel of the Penske truck, we had to have that fixed.

There was puke from Benji in the Penske, and then later from Tim... fortunately he did it in the bathroom garbage at a rest stop, and not in the car.

We had a dog that I'm sure thought we were going to leave him behind at some random stop, so he was dragged out of the car at each stop.

We stopped at IHOP and there was a random goose roaming the parking lot and the boys watched it for quite awhile, even in the rain.

Benji pointed out every train that we passed, or passed us. There were more trains on our route than I was expecting.

Much to my dismay we had to stop in Larime Wyoming. Do you remember this??? I got a huge ticket in Larime Wyoming for speeding. But there is not much in Wyoming so once we past Cheyenne we didn't have much of a choice for places to stop.

Steve left his sunglasses in the Penske.....

 So he had to use mine....

Finally Sunday afternoon we made it. It was sunny and beautiful the day we came. {we won't talk about the fact that is snowed two days later....}

We are staying with my parents in their basement apartment, and enjoying having family close by. Our stuff while out of the truck is in a storage unit waiting... just waiting for us.

Who knows what life holds for us. I would like to say that we are going to be in Utah for a while but our track record says something different.

States, Stats, and This and That.

My heavens, we are back!! Finally! It was fun but man I'm so glad to be back to my house, my space, my things,my mess. Here is a recap of our vacation.

We left home early... ok, at a good time and headed out. After 2 hours we stopped for breakfast and about 6 hours later we made it to Nevada.

*For those that don't know, the state line for Nevada is crossing the Hoover Dam. For what ever reason it was REALLY busy that day. This picture was taken while I was still in the car because traffic was so slow, due to all the people.

*Don't EVER try to find a gas station on the strip. Pointless!

Then it's a short drive through Arizona.

I think we were only in the top corner of Arizona for about 30 miles... nothing exciting happen during this time.

After that we were in Utah.
*We spent 3 weeks in Utah with friends and family.

(Now at this point if you are wondering YES, I took all these pictures. Stopped on the road and took them. I have a great camera and was able to enlarge them with out it being to blurry.) (Now I also know my dad is shaking his head at this)

*The boys got to help wash Grandma and Grandpa's Harley's, boy that was a highlight for them!

*We spent the 4th of July with the Hunsakers, and James loved the fireworks.

*We enjoyed time with Steve's family for a reunion.

*More time with family, and friends. We got to enjoyed a trip to the temple.

Then one Thursday morning we got up and started our trek out to see Steve.

*Because we got up so early we stopped for breakfast. I packed some stuff for us to eat at a rest stop. Well the one that we stopped at had a little playground!! GENIUS! So the boys got to play for a bit. And we saw buffalo!

*Wyoming is a whole lot of nothing, and the roads are very straight, and the signs that tell you how far you have to go, they are no where to be seen!

*Don't speed in Laramie, Wyoming the tickets are VERY expensive. Yes I got a ticket. (my dad, again shaking his head)

That takes us to Nebraska.

*So because we were making good time (speeding again?) I decided that we'ld meet Steve in Omaha. So we drove all the way across Wyoming and Nebraska in one day.

*The Highway Patrol are around and alert here too. (I know dad!) I only got a warning this time for swerving. In my defence I swerved because Tommy shrieked. do you want to know about what? A bug? No. James did something? Nope. He dropped his raisins!!

*I got lost in Omaha. What a joy that was.

*The PayPal building is in Omaha. (just if you wanted to know)

So the next day we caravaned to Missouri, but before that we go through Iowa.

We were in Iowa for about an hour. Fortunately no tickets here.

Ok, so we made it to Missouri!

(boring sign)

After spending the night in Omaha with Steve, it was nice coming to a bigger hotel room.

*We had tons of fun with Steve, and the boys just couldn't get enough of him.

*We went to a children's museum, had Family Home Evening, and lots of other things.

*We decided that we didn't like the Kansas City Zoo.

*We found a way to have more privacy in a hotel room with 3 boys.

*And we went to see some of the Church history in the area. (if you didn't get a chance to see this post take a look)

*The freeways in Missouri are like someone though spaghetti at a map and said..."Hey that looks good, let's build the roads there" No logic what so ever.

Unfortunately we were only able to stay a week, so here we go again. Back in the car to set out again. Hop skip and a jump later, we were in Kansas.

*Kansas is a big state and it took us a long time to cross it.

*Just so everyone knows there is a little town in Kansas called Liberal and as you are driving down the main road through town (that is a whole mile and a half of it) the speed limit is 30mph. Want to know how I know this.... the officer told me! (My heavens! I had to get out and see if someone put a sign on my car that said "Look at me.... I'm probably speeding") The cruse control and I became best friends after this. Fortunately the officer just told me to slow down.

*Every city in Kansas claims they are the one in Wizard of Oz

Next stop...

*There is a road in Oklahoma called 'Bazaar Cattle Crossing' Did nobody think this through?

*We stopped for the night in Guymon Oklahoma which smelled like stinky shoes.

*I'm boycotting (and would like all of you to do the same) the Taco Bell in Guymon. The service was horrible, and I won't be going back.

*Even though the service was bad at Taco Bell, we met a guy who was on cross county motorcycle ride and let the boys sit on his bike. The boys told him all about grandma and grandpa's motorcycles.

We left bright and early and made it to Texas in no time.

*Not a whole lot went on here (fortunately). Just drove right on through.

On too..

*Got stuck in traffic.

*There is a city in New Mexico called (are you ready) Truth or Consequences. I'm serious. Wouldn't you love to live in that city?

So that would bring us too...

HOME!!!!

We made it in one piece. Over 3,000 miles of the road. The boys were great, and did a great job in the car.

Here are a few random stats about our trip.

One or both boys peed on the highway of 9 out of 11 states that we went through. (Aren't boys great!) Tommy loved swaying in the wind telling me that he was making mud.

I can do 61 butt flexes in a mile going 75 miles an hour.

It takes 78 miles to listen to "My Turn on Earth" all the way through.

Wendy's is definitely better than McDonald's.

Missouri was the only state that when they had a "Men at Work" sign, they were really working.

We listen to an Omaha radio station 120 miles away from Omaha.

Got pulled over 3 times, one ticket, two warnings, only one was written up.

We now get counting down the days before Steve has some leave to fly out to Arizona. He'll be shipped out not long after that. Then it's one year "boots in country"

So that was our trip in a nutshell... Hope you enjoyed.

Happiness is Harleys

So after two days in the car we finally made it up to Utah. The rod trip was good, and because of the GPS, I didn't get lost in Phoenix!! (This really is a big thing for me) The GPS that I have... actually I'm borrowing, has are really crazy voice, and the lady tells me to turn left or right or what ever. I feel like when is going to yell at me ("You fool you didn't turn left like I told you too!!!) if I don't turn. And I think they really need to add a compliments feature to it. For people like me who get lost going to the store, I would really like someone to say, "Good job!!! You turned left!!!"

The trip was long but broken up several times by Tommy needing to pee. So as we are pulling on the side of the road, because of course he has to go when we are no where near an exit, he has learned the full joy of being a boy. Yes, Tommy has learned that it's fun to pee while swaying back and forth and watching the pee "water" all the dirt. Oh, the joys of boys!!!

The first day after we got there all the cousins where over. It was so much fun. There is 10 of them ranging in ages from 7 all the way down to 10 months. They all played in the pond, being careful not to get into it, but all being soaked to the skin a couple times that day. In and out all day long they had a great time.

It was fun spending time will all my family too. All my sisters came (minus Lauralynn, the newest addition), so it was fun to talk and laugh and just hang out.

The next day my brother Hyrum and his wife Christa invited the boys and I over to there house for breakfast. So we are getting ready, we are in the car and about 10 minutes from the house, and Tommy throws up. I guess all the change in elevation, and OJ on an empty stomach, makes him throw up, because he was fine after that. I looked ridicules though as I am trying to get to the exit and pull off the road. I jump out of the car and try to catch some of it in a bag. Try as I may, most of it went on him, thank goodness for washers!!!

Because of Tommy's incident, we didn't go out that night with my sister as planned. Tommy has a knack of infecting my sisters kids with anything and everything! But staying home gave the boys a chance to help Grandma and Grandpa wash the Harley's. Boy they where so excited for this.

This by far was my favorite picture. Tommy wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get one of him.

We are proud to present.....

"Leah and the Traveling Circus!!!!" Coming to a town, city, and state near you! Many shows daily, admission is FREE!

We are about to embark on the biggest road trip this family has seen so far, and all you lucky people get to be a part of that. The start will be here at home way, way down in Southern Arizona, yup, right near Mexico. So that means we will be traveling through the whole state of Arizona before bunking down for the night at my (fabulous) Aunt's house in Nevada. Then it's on to Utah, for three weeks, of friends, family and fun. (you really don't want to miss this show) Then we go on the road to Colorado, Kansas, and then to Missouri. While there we'll be adding a new act for about a week, this is great one we like to call "Dad". Then we'll be winding down as we pass through Kansas (again), Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico before we are home again in Arizona. We will be making many stops along the way to take it all in. (or just to avoid any melt downs)

We have been planning and preparing for about a month now and are ready to hit the road.

*Luggage packed -CHECK-

*Car packed -CHECK-

*Garbage out -CHECK-

*Dishes done -CHECK-

*House clean -CHECK-

*Floor mopped -CHECK-

*Lists checked off -CHECK-

*Dog house ready -CHECK- (and for those who don't know, but want to, this one does fit 3 kids and a dog!)

(all three kids are in there, in the process of kicking Captain out)

*Car washed -CHECK-

*Maps in hand -CHECK-

*GPS set -CHECK-

*Snacks, games, and books -CHECK, CHECK, & CHECK-

*Three kids.......???? (looks like I need to check the list again)