Friday

We made it and as we were driving into Texas in the black of night I never realized how smelly Texas is or how much just between Louisiana and Texas the bugs buildup. From TX to WI, WI to OH and OH to La barely any bugs. Get to La and then destination in TX and the shield is covered. We covered 13 states and it was a worthwhile trip that I didn't think we could make and we did it.

Thursday

After seeing the Arch in St. Louis and driving across Inidiana, we have crossed the border to Ohio and are here. The birthday party went off without a hitch. We visited last night with some relatives and some of the girls snuck out while the dad's played poker and watched a movie, so that was fun. Tonight, one more dinner at another brother's house and then in the car tomorrow back to hotness that is Tejas.

Arrival in Watertown

I am actually kind of misty to see Watertown, WI again, and we drive around after we check in and show the boys where they grew up, the house they lived as babies. Bad idea as the person that is in it now has let it go and that made me somewhat sad. We got to see Jenn and hangout at the park. Had dinner at Settler's Bay, went to the zoo and on our last night ate at Mullen's. Ian was so sad to leave Jenn, her family, and the dogs, Izzy and Missy.

Finally out of Texas

Austin has not said he wants to come home, the equivalant to "are we there yet." I have not come unglued on them just yet, and we all fade almost to WI in Illnois thank God for Double Trees. We wake up refreshed and ready to see WI.

We make it to Texarkansas

We're in Texarkana and the boys are really excited, we've driven 6 hours and we stop at hotel choice #1, no rooms. What is when we travel that we pick the time to travel when the weirdest things in the US are going... The great convetion of golfers wearing chicken suits. Anyway we find this room, the boys are jazzed because it has a pull out bed, they think this is the best thing since sliced bread. The next day we eat breakfast at a Shoney's and my picky Pete's who never eat are gobbling everything they ordered.

Car trips

It was a beautiful, HOT day in Houston, TX when we pulled out of our driveway, the car was packed, the boys were excited and I was, well, menopausal (or circling the wagon, since my doctors call it perimenopause). With one thought circling inside my head please let us make it out of Houston without me bungee tying the children to the car. Now you see my husband and I had made this trip many times before with his two girls, and we had just started at night and they more or less slept. We also had a larger vehicle. This time we were in a VW Passat, and traveling in closer proximity. Also, my youngest child TSC with a smattering of other syndromes that make "change in routine" a tad interesting.