A Sunday Drive

Sunday, October 16th was quite a day.

In the old days, folks would set out in their jalopy for a brief Sunday drive that probably only took them 5 miles round trip.

Well, our Sunday drive began before the sun was up and ended after the sun was down.

It was estimated to be 742 miles and a 12 hour drive. 

HA. 

I don't think Mapquest knows about lunch and bathroom breaks,

not to mention spilled soda,

tired eyes,

and panting dogs.

Kirk drove his truck with both boys, Victoria, and both the dogs.  (Heee heee)

(I figured after me driving the long haul twice when we went looking for a place to live, that the kids would have so much more fun with DAD than in the boring van with Mom and Daphne and the two kitties and don't forget the hermit crabs that I tried to pawn off on Kyle before we left. 
He didn't want them.  Oh well.

 I had the most peculiar feeling leaving our home of 17 years.

It felt like we were just going on a long trip, only I didn't have to worry about locking up our valuables.  Everything of value traveled in our two vehicles. 

My sister and Kyle was traveling just a couple hours ahead of us on the road.  We kept in touch with the cell phones asking along the way....  so where are you now, or did you see the...........

 Daphne took this picture out the window.

We couldn't believe how pretty the hills were.

I had never seen such a vibrant yellow during this time of year.

Daphne took this one out the windshield.

When I was a kid I remember crossing the state line and thinking that I should be able to see a "line" or something.  But no, it just looked the same as the other side.

We were so tired driving, we had to make quite a few stops just to close our eyes.

We found one spot at a trail head in the middle of no where.  There were quite a few cars parked so we figured it was pretty safe to just stop there.

Kirk and I napped with our windows open...because it was still warm, while the kids just sat there with the dogs either talking quietly or reading. 

My back and neck were so stiff from the previous weeks that my hands were numb. 

 Did I say we were tired. I didn't see these pictures until after our drive.  Sammy and Henry rode in Kaleb and Victoria's lap.  They look a little crammed. Aah it's good for them.

 Spoiled Rotton Dogs.

 Kaleb had moved into the van with Daphne and I.  I could barely see him because he was way in the back and I had left the middle seats at my cousins in Idaho so we could pack valuables in the van.
Sammy makes a good pillow for poor Victoria.  Henry was sitting on the floor with his head resting on the seat.

Kirk took this himself.  I don't know what is more cute, the distant stare of Victoria riding along bored out of her mind or Sammy resting his chin on the back of Kirk's seat while sitting in Victoria's lap.

Mattie and Toby did amazingly well.  I felt they were told old at the age of 15 to drug them for the trip so they did it "cold turkey".

They only howled for the first 3 hours and then when they figured that their situation wasn't changing I think they just gave up.  So they bumped along in their individual carriers set on top the ice chests facing eachother and where they can see out the front. 

They actually did quite well with "Cat Woman" (Daphne) sitting where she can talk to them to keep them calm.

Who knows how the hermit crabs did.  Every once in a while we would hear one of their shells crash into the glass making a clunk sound.  So we knew that they were crawling around their tank.

They probably thought there was a 14 hour earthquake or something.  I told them that they were going on an adventure.

It's funny, after 8 hours we pretty much have no pictures.  We were all so tired.

At one point we stopped in Ogden, just 1 hour away to gas up to make it the last leg of the trip.

It was dark, extremely windy, raining and so cold that Kirk and I were instantly shivering uncontrollably the minute we stepped out the door.  The kids didn't believe us that it was that cold but were not willing to get out to test it.  I think it had dropped down to 20 degrees with a wind chill probably making it below zero!  Atleast it felt like it.

We arrived in our new home atleast for the next year, tired, sore, and a little cold.

Victoria made it to the top of the stairs and crashed with her pillow.

Out like a light!

Day 1 of our new life.