Journey “home”

Tried to snap some pics along the way to our new…uhm…"home”.  There.  I said it.  Still kinda get a lumpy throat thinking about that too much.

We started our journey after filling our bellies in Derby following tearful good-byes at church.  We filled up the truck on it’s last bit of good gasoline it would see until Phoenix and pulled out of the West side of Wichtia about 3.

We made it a whooping what? 30 minutes to Kingman for the first pottybreak for our walnut-sized-bladder-son Aidan! We had dinner in Liberal before tearing through the remainder of KS, pan handle of OK, and a small section of TX.  There were several more stops for potty breaks, and at other times had Aidan pee in a cup.  I know Matt was frustrated, but I also recall his parents discussing a little boy who did the same on their trips to TX. Hehe!

Once dark hit in TX they all became calm and sleepy…that was until the horrrrrid smell of the feed lots!!! Isaac woke from a dead sleep screaming from the smell.  Pretty certain the thought he had messed himself!! :)  We agreed it would be a terriable place for  your car to break down.  On we went.

About 100 miles out side of Albuquerqe Isaac was D.O.N.E with his carseat.  We pulled into our hotel at about 1:15 KS time.  He had been in and out of his seat since 2 pm.  Poor guy!

The kids were so excited to wake, look out the window and see a mountain right behind us!!

The next day seeing New Mexico in the daylight proved me wrong!! It was really pretty!  I drrreaded the thought of crossing an entire state that was most likely dirt and weeds and miles of straight roads like this…. 

Not so!  The kids were sooo excited to see mountains…or piles of rocks. :) 

Much to my surprise we didn’t get a “are we there yet” until very shortly before we saw this….

We took the route to Flagstaff which would then bring us into the north side of Phoenix.  That route was a very pleasant trip!  The area around Flagstaff is waaaay different than what you would picture AZ or what I knew Phoenix to be.  It was very similar to CO and about 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix!

I was NOT fond of the highways going doooown the mountain and curvey…with speed limits of 60 and my hubby going…well OVER that!  Especially when I only spent about 100 of the 1068 miles actually looking out the front window.  There always seemed to be someone crying, needing a drink, a toy picked-up, or SOMEthing! :)

The closer we got to Phoenix the kids began their “cacus” hunt.  They had been begging since the middle of NM to see a “cacus” and then suddenly the trees were gone and there were hundreds of “cacus”. They were so excited!!!  Aidan’s response “Oh my smokies!” (That’s his combo of OMG which he’s been getting in trouble for and his other famous phrase Holy Smokes)

At one (or shall I say ANOTHER) point Aidan needed to potty and wanted to get out and potty on a “cacus” put was worried he’d hurt his “neked”.  Whew…he’s a funny boy!!

We cruised into our hotel about 6 pm Phoenix time in time for dinner (since it was 8 to the kiddos!!), bath and bed!!! Whew!!