Graham tries puffs!

Graham tried puffs this month for the first time. He took right off eating them like he's always known how!

"hmmmmm.... good, Momma!"

Trip to WI, day 10

The next morning we attempted once again to get going first thing, but Austin was in a grumpy mood and having only two adults means we basically only have one adult since one can do loading and such while the other is confined to watching the boys. The hotel didn't have free breakfast, so we went to the Waffle House across the parking lot, but just going over and back is bit of a circus, so it was probably 9 before we hit the road. uck. I'd like to be up and going much sooner than that! Anyways, we headed for home and we knew it was the last day of our trip, so it made me feel in a bigger hurry.

More backseat smiles. 

We had really beautiful scenery on this trip and it reminded me of how ugly it is around Dallas.

It was a day of movies. We were all worn out.

It was a long day of driving through Kansas. I think Kansas must know that people are just passing through, because the stretch you take through their state is not only a toll road, but has zero stops that aren't in the middle of the road (between north and south bound) and have a gas station and a McDonalds. I was so sick of McDonalds! We had to keep stopping at them at the very minimum to change diapers and well, yuck.

Only one more state!

My grandma has talked about the Oklahoma City National Memorial for years, saying that I need, need, NEED to go and I'm so glad she pushed it on us. We weren't sure what we were getting ourselves into, and Austin was in no mood to go through a tour, but he enjoyed running around outside in the heat for an hour while I took everything in (and took pictures). Then we went to the gift shop and got a magnet and Christmas ornament (the two souvenir things we do), I got a shirt (one of my favorite from the trip!), and Austin got two emergency vehicle cars that have lights and sounds. I was feeling bad that the whole trip had basically been sorta like torture to him (not knowing the places, people, things, not getting good sleep, etc) that I totally caved when he started loving on these cars. I figured they were good souvenirs from the trip, so I didn't mind that much.

This is the center of the memorial, a big memory tree.

The reflecting pool is only like an inch deep. It's the craziest thing... the water is moving and yet still and going down the cracks but you can't tell.

Each chair represents a person killed that day...

Big ones for adults and Little ones for children. 

It's a very moving memorial. I do recommend it. I wish I knew more about the bombing before I went, but it's at least served as a catalyst for reading up on it!

Who knew that southern Oklahoma was so beautiful!?

We're in the home stretch now!

Loved this cloud/sun combination.

We made it home about 7pm on Saturday night and it was perfect timing to get the car unloaded, boys bathed and to bed before we went to bed ourselves. That left all of Sunday to unpack and do laundry and get groceries, etc. We wanted to have an entire day back here to adjust to normal life. I didn't want to start the week still pulling clothes from suitcases and without any food!

I think we would definitely drive again. It's easier that way, with carseats and all the driving we did while there (not having to rent or borrow anything) in addition to all the equipment we need with kids this young. It also allowed (within reason) for me to bring lots of stuff back with us. My mom had stuff for us, my grandma sent the boys' birthday gifts, etc. I think trying to do the trip in 1.5 days on the way up was rough. I definitely think we'll split it more evenly like we did on the return trip which would allow for some dinner and fun in the middle of the drive. 3,986.3 miles later we're a closer family as a result and I already can't wait for my next turkey pita and chocolate chipper! And to see friends and family again. ;-)

Many thanks to all of the people who hosted us, fed us, coordinated with us, planned around us, went out of your way for us, etc. Coming home every other year is a big deal and very important to me. I couldn't do it without y'all! (If anyone ever heads south, please let me know. We'd love to have you stay with us!)

Trip to WI, day 9

Friday morning it was time to get things officially packed up and we hit the road as soon as possible. we stopped in Hudson to get some coffee and while some (northern) people might love Caribou Coffee, both of our drinks were burnt so it didn't make a great impression on us.

We were PACKED.

First, we traveled west on 94 to Minnesota and then we jump on 35 and take it all the way to Dallas!

I have no idea what this was, but it's cool.

All smiles from the backseat.

Austin asked me to take this picture. Such a silly man.

"Was that a keg!?"

From the cities, we hop on 35 south, hitting Iowa first.

Another one of those "I don't know what this is, but it's cool" things.

windmills!

Passed out during our "quiet time" in the afternoon.

This is what happens to your face when you sleep on your carseat buckle. ouch!

South of Iowa is Missouri...

We stopped in Kansas City for the night (it's almost exactly halfway). We dropped off some things at the hotel and headed just down the road to a BBQ place for dinner. (Kansas City has a Great Wolf Lodge and in the future, we might try to stay there both on the way up and the way down.. it'll give the trip more of a vacation/fun feel. Especially as the boys will be older next time and getting to see all of my friends and family isn't exactly fun for them. Even though eating pizza and playing at parks were things designed around them.)

We ate dinner at the Smokebox BBQ Cafe and the Embassy Suites van totally photobombed me. (I meant to take a new one afterwards, but totally forgot, so this was the best I got.) 
This place served the best onion rings I've ever had in my entire life.

After dinner, we went back to the hotel room for a bath and bottle for Graham. Then he crawled around the room while I watched HGTV! woohoo! Seth and Austin went to the hotel pool during this time and had a good time tossing our beach ball around. (and then we left it there) Then it was a bath for them and bedtime. Seth and I watched a few more HGTV shows and Austin tried his darndest to stay awake, but finally crashed after about an hour.

Trip to WI, day 8

Thursday morning was our last lazy morning. We took our time getting ready and eating breakfast and then headed out to see some sights. My grandma had been helping us do laundry during the week, so we were always sorting and packing clothes, keeping the dirty in a pile and the clean back in the suitcases.

The weather was awesome and we weren't in a hurry so we just let the boys roam and play.

The first stop was my parents' house. It's currently rented and for sale and my parents live in the cabin in Gordon full-time so I didn't get to go in, but I wanted to at least see the house I grew up in. (It looks a little shady with the missing shutter right now, but it didn't always look like that!)

HOME.

Then we went to the Menomonie "airport" to see the things that had been erected in my family's names. Specifically, my uncle Bill, who passed away in 1994, and my dad, who spent time at Antarctica while in the Navy. This has been there for years, but every time I've been home and tried to go see it, it's been closed! My grandma was along for the ride that day, so we left her in the car with the boys while Seth and I went in to see it and take some pictures.

Menomonie is a town of about 60k, so airport is loosely-used term.

This is the center of the floor in the waiting area.

Then they took us to the pilot breakroom to see the framed stuff of my dad...

There's a typo in the plaque... Antartica, not Antarctica as it should be. womp, womp, womp...

That's my dad at the pole!

We went to my cousin Katie's house for a little bit to hang out--let her kids and my kids meet and play, see her house, etc. and I forgot to take a single picture! After hanging out with her it was time for lunch and since we were close to Menomonie, we headed into town for Acoustic Cafe again. Yup, another Turkey Pita. YUM. After lunch we went to Grandma's and succeeded in getting Austin to take a nap! I laid down with him and he was soon out cold!

After naps headed to Wakanda park in Menomonie again to meet up with Katie (and her son Oliver) and then have Ted's pizza. Katie's from Eau Claire and never spent much time in Menomonie, so had never had Ted's pizza. I told her that's a travesty that must be corrected, so we made it official.

I love Oliver's expression here and Austin's smile.
(I thought "they" outlawed these spinning things!?)

Two boys sitting on a dinosaur.

This kid totally photo bombed this picture. I was trying to take a picture of Oliver and Austin and he ran over and climbed aboard and gave me this award-winning face. I had to take the picture, then!

Oliver, Austin, & Seth.
Love this. Such awesome manly sweetness.

:-) I hate that Katie's face is half-blocked, but you can tell by her eyes she's smiling big!

It's a picture totally depicting the craziness of that night. And Graham looks great!

We ate super yummy Ted's pizza for the second time that trip and then it was back to Eau Claire for bedtime. (Whew! I'm tired just blogging this trip!) I loved getting together with Katie and seeing our boys play together! (Thanks for coming all the way to Menomonie/Eau Claire, Katie!)

After we got the boys down for bed, Seth and I headed to Dairy Queen (the one near campus I used to go to all the time) for a few minutes of alone time. Between the boys and family and friends, we hadn't have more than a couple minutes of just he and I and it was perfect weather to sit outside and enjoy some ice cream. We were gone maybe 45 minutes (I just had this feeling we needed to not take too long) and the boys were both crying their heads off when we got back. Sheesh! Talk about ruining any relaxation we had just enjoyed. Graham got to the point where he was hysterical and I completely checked out. I hadn't had any alone time (and this makes an introvert like me feel claustrophobic after awhile as well as simply exhausted--as if getting together with so many dear friends and family members wouldn't do that by itself!) in over a week and I just lost it.

I went into my grandma's room (the one Seth and I were sleeping in) and started packing. Seth may ror may not have come in and seen me doing absolutely nothing to help with the boys and decided to take them for a car ride. I came out of the bedroom 10 minutes later as though I had just woken up. I even had to ask my grandma "Where are the boys? It's so quiet now." She explained they went for a drive and 45 minutes later (after I was finished with almost all the packing) Seth came back with a sleeping baby and calm toddler. They both went to bed easily and we crashed into bed ourselves.