On The Road Again ...

Only I can blog about driving across country over and over and over again ... and still think you guys want to see pictures of it :-)  My "over-achieving" plan when we left was to get all 3 kids out of the car at each state line/sign and get pictures.  THAT plan quickly changed when all 3 kids were asleep at the Tennessee state line :-)  I decided maybe we would just save that for another trip across country :-)

We were PACKED and loaded down!!  AND even as we were driving away, I was thinking of how I still could have fit a little bit more in the van (and on top) :-)

The boys were all such troopers being packed in - and Mom and Dad, too!!  Here are some pictures from the trip!!  

Ready to roll....

Yep, that is Chase in there :-)

I drove by this church a ton of times while living with Mom and Dad ... and had no idea it was the ACTUAL building (and church) that was used in the Civil War as a church - and a hospital.  Such history.  That is so neat to me to think about.  

Just the way we like car trips ... nice and peaceful :-)

Even better ;-)

Knoxville, TN hotel :-)

Stretching out and showing off his muscles!  

More sleeping :-)

Memphis Bound.  Hollllla.

Papa Dee's "old stomping grounds" - Nashvillllle.

You will do anything as a Mom to make your kids happy while traveling ;-)

Highlight ALWAYS of these trips is FAMILY in Memphis.  

Have I ever mention how much I LOVE family?!  Okay, good.  

Always, always, always a blast!  

Jake and Cole were Andrew and Worth's shadows for sure!  

(and Andrew and Worth were so good to them)!!

Aunt Alice Marie with Chase.  She is kicking cancer's butt right now!!!

We were in Memphis on July 21 ... Chris's 30th birthday (that he spent in the field) ;-(

We celebrated him with Corky's BBQ!!!  

Patience helping Jake pass out and give everyone Angry Bird Tattoos (they were all such good sports)!

Jake giving Uncle John his tattoo....

and Uncle Ben ....

Absolutely LOVE this picture!!!!!!!  Classic!  

giving Worth his tattoo....

and Aunt Carrie :-)

Ignore this for now... it's a video that I put in as a picture ... video is at the end :-)

BUT we got to celebrate Worth's birthday and Chris's birthday while we were there! 

Patience showing off her yellow angry birds tattoo :-)

:-)

Saying bye always stinks :-(

BUT California and Daddy (or maybe Daddy and California) HERE WE COME!

Crossing the Mississippi :-)

It's seriously 111 degrees in OK today.  Really?

Sleeping never felt so good...

Truth be told, the boys all did AMAZING on this long road trip.  Really.  I'm not just saying that.  BUT there were a few moments with tears (normally from fighting over the same toy and not from being IN the car) :-)  I had to take a picture of this - mainly because they both look so pathetic - and it was only 6:15AM ... and we had been driving for like 6 minutes on this day :-)

Jake put on his helmet for the home stretch :-)

Sweet, precious, wonderful, amazing, lovable, sweet, adorable, sweet, cute, handsome, sweet baby boy!

Creating new adventures at every hotel...

ALMOST THERE ... ALMOST ALMOST ALMOST.  

Proof that PLENTY of laughing took place :-)


Sorry for camera angle .... BUT celebrating birthdays in Memphis :-)


Ambushing Uncle Ben when he got to the house with water balloons.  Such a HIT!!  Way FUN.  He was definitely a good sport :-)


Random video I found on my phone that Jake took of himself at some point during our 2,800 mile journey.


Thankful we made it safe ... and are settling in (more blogging to come really soon).  The swagger wagon is ready for a little rest itself for a while ...
(click "older posts" for more pictures) ...