Highlights of Our Cross Country Trip!

I have to say that I really did enjoy our trip across the country this summer!!  Although, I pray we don't have to do it again for awhile...two summers in a row is plenty for me :).  Here are some highlights of our trip!

Day 1 to Cody, WY....

As we were driving through Yellowstone,  we came around a curve and ran into some buffalo.....I couldn't believe how big they were.  Plus, they were shedding their coats and looked alot different than I expected.

Daisy was missing from our room that night in the hotel and this is where we found her....lol

Day 2.... Cody, WY

For lunch, we ate at a local restaurant, and were surprised when our waitress showed up....she was 8 yrs old!!  Her parents were the owners and I have to admit she was really good!!

This was the first time we had eaten a buffalo burger and they were YUMMY!!

After lunch we headed to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center!

Day 3 headed to Keystone, SD

My favorite part of the trip...Mt. Rushmore.....breathtaking!!

Day 5-6 Chicago IL

We stayed at the Hotel Monaco, close to the Navy Pier.  This was the room Josh's mom and the kids stayed in!

  

The kids loved sitting at the window and looking at the city!!!  

 Funny story with the peanuts....we were staying in two different rooms.  Josh's mom and the kids stayed in one room and we stayed in the other.  We all went to our rooms to get settled in, once I finished unpacking I walked over to Gran's room. As I enter I Ethan says, Mom we are eating snacks, they have all kinds for us in the refrigerator!!  I immediately said "Stop, those aren't free guys!"  Josh's mom goes " Oh, no, I was thinking man this is a nice hotel to be giving all these things away for free...glad I didn't give the kids the candy they wanted"......lol  In the end, the kids had eaten one can of peanuts, a bag of cheese crackers, and drank a bottle of water...total = $21.00!!!!  CRAZY!!

Night at the Navy Pier...first stop Bubba Gump Shrimp Co...it was GREAT!

Caleb's favorite part of the evening, riding Thomas the Train....

I wish I had a picture of Ethan's face when he started on the swings...it totally took his stomach and I thought the poor kids wasn't going to make it!  In the end he got used to the feeling and had a great time!!!

The highlight of the trip for Rachel was visiting the American Girl Store and eating in their Cafe....she was in heaven, especially when her Daddy got her the girl of the year, Kanani!

View from the Hancock Building....

The glass ledge at the Sears Tower.  Ethan and Rachel loved it..me, not so much!

Day 8 heading to Washington, DC ( it was also July 4th)

We were all so happy to finally be in DC....

Until Next Time,

Michelle

Settling In....

 After 5 days in a hotel in Idaho,  7 days on the road to travel cross country ( I will post some highlight pics soon),  5 more days in a hotel to find out the moving company messed up our door to door move, quick trip to TN to visit family, back to VA to camp out on our floor for two more days, we are finally settling in in VA!!!!
  To say these past couple of weeks have been an adventure is an understatement!!  I wish I could go into all the details, but I'm so over it that it hurts my head to even think about it!!  It all comes down to the fact that we had HORRIBLE packers this time around.  The house is almost completely set up and I will try to get pictures up this weekend.   We are still missing some things ( bowls, hardware to put the boys bunk beds together, power cord to my treadmill, etc), but we also have about 7-8 more boxes to go through.  I'm really hoping everything shows up, but the way this move has been going who knows how things are going to turn out!
  We really like the area and our neighbors!  Ethan and Rachel have already become really good friends with a boy and girl across the street.  I'm also enjoying the fact that within 10 mins I can get to almost everything I need.....shopping, eating, grocery stores, schools, etc. I have missed that SO much!!  I also got the chance to meet the kids principal and visit their school.  So far I'm really impressed and look forward to when the school year starts to see how things fall into place. The only thing that has been crazy around here is figuring out the best way to get Josh to and from work.  Once we get that figured out things will be great!
  We visited a church this past Sunday and LOVED it!!  From the moment we entered the building until we left, the people were so friendly to us.  The first thing we did was drop the kids off.  I was very impressed with their organization and how much they have invested in the youth of their church.  They have an awesome kids program and our kids had a blast.  When we picked them up from their service they were begging to go back.  That makes me very happy!  After we dropped them off, Josh and I went  to the main service.  We were very impressed. After going back for their Sunday night service and talking to the pastor,  we decided that would be the church for us while we are here.  It had everything we were looking for, plus it is only 10 mins from the house!!

So thankful everything is falling into place and that the kids are all adjusting well!

Until next time,

Michelle