3 Tents, That'll be $35.....

$35 for 3 tents?

Well you see, they're all very nice tents.

I think that's fair Clark, it seems like a nice place, and they have a pool and everything.

If you haven't a clue what I am talking about here, then you really must drop what you are doing and run out and rent National Lampoon's Vacation ~ classic! Just after this is said Rus and Audrey are running to the pool talking about how they can't wait to get in ~ and when they get to the above ground pool it is totally green and slimy and there are swans swimming in it. This was the running joke our first night when we stayed at the truck stop~ all the kids were interested in was swimming in the pool and this particular scene is what came to mind! Fortunately the pool was in-ground and was clear blue just like it should be.

Tonight we are in Moriarty, New Mexico ~ little town pretty much in the middle of nothing ~ that seems to be the theme of this vacation doesn't it? I think we saw more nothing today than I have seen in my life! We got into the hills today ~ not mountains, hills, and they are massive! Pulling a trailer in this is no kinds of fun ~ my left calf muscle hurts after all of the vertical pedal pushing I did today ~ seriously, you have got to get all up on the gas just to make it up these things at a respectable speed! Pretty bad when you see the 18 wheelers putting their hazards on to go up them because they are just crawling ~ it's quite possible that I could get out and run faster than they are going! Mom is having a rougher time than I am since she is hauling 4000 pounds of horse behind her, but we did manage to make it here, even in a decent amount of time. Tomorrow is the last day on the road and we will be pulling into Pagossa Springs ~ really looking forward to getting there and being done with all of this car time! Should only be about 4 1/2 hours tomorrow ~ our shortest day yet! This also means that we will be checking out of technology land tomorrow as well ~ no guarantees that I will be posting before mid July! The scenery is really very pretty here ~ mom told Hunter and Bryce to look out at the scenery, and she said Hunter looked out the window and said "where?" ~ too funny! She informed him that the scenery was all around him and to take his face out of his TV screen long enough to take some of it in! Can't wait to get there tomorrow ~ will give an update when I can!

Haven't Had to Kill Anyone.....Yet!

Maisie was needing a nap so badly before we

left that she unpacked her blanket and laid on the floor!

Isn't she too cute!

Dad is NOT a morning person!

So we are 2 days into this little cross country adventure and haven't even made it out of the great state of Texas! Damn this is a BIG state! We managed to make it off without a hitch ~ how unlike this group! We left my house about noon and stopped in Segovia which is just outside of Junction ~ not that you have probably heard of either one of those places! We are doing about 300 miles a day, although yesterday was a little more. Maisie did very well ~ she didn't really make so much as a peep until her diaper was so wet that she had peed all out of it and into her car seat ~ fortunately the place we stayed last night had a laundry so I took her car seat out and washed it and then put it back in this morning ~ not nearly as easy a feat as it should have been! Let me just say I drive a Japanese car and Maisie sits in a British car seat ~ these 2 foreign objects go together like peas and carrots ~ then you go throwing an American car into the mix and it no longer works so well! The seat installs with great ease, like it should, if the LATCH is upside down ~ not exactly safe or feasible since then you can't tighten the thing up ~ so I think you are supposed to use an allen wrench to undo the bar that the LATCH straps are on and flip them over for use in an American made auto ~ what a pain in the ass! So twice now I have fought and wrestled installing the usually easy as pie seat until I was sweating ~ ugh! I told her if she pees in it again she's just gonna have to get used to it! The drive was very uneventful ~ we dropped the horses at their hotel and went just down the street to the truck stop ~ thank god it was very clean and literally about 1 minute from the horses. We got off about 11 today and made it to Lubbock ~ again where the horses have a reservation. As we were unloading them they were walking around having some grass and I had Rio when something spooked the supposedly spook proof horse ~ so Wilson, I call bullshit on that label, and I was of course wearing my usual footwear ~ flip flops ~ not much protection when a 2000 pond horse comes landing down on your foot!!!! OUCH!!!!!! I thought at first that he had broken my toes, but I have decided that they aren't broken, just very swollen and purple! Nice! Damn horse scuffed up my freshly pedi-ed toes too! I think tomorrow when we go back to retrieve them I will be pulling my boots out of my bag and making a real fashion statement with them and shorts! We went through several wind farms today ~ one was HUGE!!! It went on for miles and miles ~ I just couldn't believe the size of it ~ really very impressive ~ and there is certainly enough wind out here to turn those things! I have become a real trailer pullin' mama in the last 2 days ~ I even had to back it up tonight and did it all by myself and only had to pull forward 1 time to start over~ guess all of these times I have watched Scott back ours into the garage has paid off ~thanks babe! Tomorrow we will actually be crossing the state line into New Mexico ~ I might have to pull over and take Hunter's picture by the sign ~ he asked mom if we were going to have to go through Mississippi to get to Colorado ~ ahhh the innocence! Maisie has really traveled well ~ as long as you keep Elmo rolling on the TV and toss her a cup of milk and some snacks every once in a while she's good to go. Speaking of keeping Elmo rolling I would like to thank Apple for the i-Pod ~ I am keeping one bud in and listening to stuff I want to hear, but keeping it so I can still hear what's going on around me. I think if I had to listen "la la la la Elmo's World" for 6 hours a day I might slit my own wrists! We didn't have cell service for the majority of the day today ~ really kind of annoying ~ now that you are all kinds of used to being able to make a call whenever, it is odd when you can't ~ guess I had better get used to it!

The Y Chromosome and Instructions

Okay, so we all know that "real men" wouldn't dare stop and ask for directions, much less actually pick up the instruction manual for a child's toy to figure out how it works ~ I guess they all must think that they are smarter than said toy so instructions aer of no use! For Christmas Hunter got a Creepy Crawler Bug Maker Oven ~ what more could a little boy ask for! Anyway, I came home one day, within a few days of Christmas, and Scott had gotten the oven out, filled the molds up, put it in the oven, and turned it on. When I got there he informed me that the oven didn't appear to be working ~ not realizing at the time that he hadn't dared to pick up the instruction sheet, I took his word for it since the oven indeed did not appear to be working. I returned said bug maker for a new one a few days later and brought it home and put it away ~ figuring Hunter had so many new things already we would just stash that for a little later. Yesterday he wanted to get the bug oven out and cook up a few before we left ~ so I pulled the oven out, plugged it in, and turned it on the make sure that it worked before I filled up the molds ~ guess what, the oven again didn't appear to work. I thought, you've got to be kidding me! This one doesn't work either? So being the double X chromosome that I am, I went and got the instruction sheet and right on the front in HUGE letters there is a picture of a light bulb and the words "how to install the light bulb (not included) and prepare your creepy crawlers maker for use". Damn man eyes! I did just as the instructions said and guess what, the oven now works! So in short, there wasn't a damn thing wrong with the first oven either, other than a man had attempted to set it up!

Departure Update

Well you notice it is Tuesday and I am still posting which much mean we are still here! Dad was cleared by the eye surgeon yesterday to leave, so that is a least no longer an issue. Mom called last night to say that Dad had agreed that Tuesday was really just too lofty a goal, so why not postpone it until Wednesday ~ wise decision old man! So figuring that we truly are leaving tomorrow I have finished packing us up, so now all we have to do is wait for our chariot to arrive tomorrow and load it up! I think I have set this up to be able to post via text and email ~ if I have truly managed to accomplish this then I will post again when we stop in Junction! Wish me luck!

Memorial Weekend ~ Better Late Than Never!

Hunter and his new best friend!

Aren't we a motley crew?

We had a very busy Memorial weekend ~ my sister called on Thursday because Wilson wanted to invite Hunter to come up and hang out ~ I'm really glad I wasn't face to face when she said this because I am fairly confident that I had a completely dumbfounded look on my face which would have probably hurt her feelings ~ I was taken by surprise by the invitation to say the least. In Lee's world little kids are nothing but walking, talking, petri dishes (although I think I may have to agree with her on this one given the number of times I have been sick so far this year) ~ she is also a NEUROTIC picker upper ~ so the fact that little people leave a trail of stuff everywhere they go does her in! Although big people who leave a trail behind them also does her in ~ so I guess you can't say that is a little people prejudice. Wilson doesn't have kids either, so they're just not accustomed to having them around and dealing with them and the noise that comes along with them ~ they live in a lovely quiet world! Hunter thinks Wilson is the cat's meow, so he was quite excited to be invited! Anyway, we had plans to go to a crawfish boil on Saturday, but said that we would get up and come Sunday morning ~ they live on Lake Livingston which is about 2 hours or so from here. We loaded up in the morning and were there before lunch ~ really a very pretty place. I haven't ever been to Lake Livingston before and it is much nicer than Conroe ~ still pretty serene, where Conroe is bumper to bumper boats, jet skis, and houses. The weather was beautiful ~ Wilson got out and mowed the bocce ball court, and then proceeded to paint the lines in the right places so Hunter could play. Keep in mind that he is a landscape architect so nothing is done half ass ~ instead of just spraying the lines by sight, he pulled out the string to ensure they were straight! Only an architect! Across the street from there house is some vacant property that they lease and this is where Wilson's huge garden is and where Rio (the horse) and his horse friend Winston live. Hunter had so much fun getting to go over there and harvest stuff from the garden ~ we had green beans with dinner that night that Hunter picked ~ Their lot is HUGE so there was plenty of room for the kids to run around. There is also a beach ~ so instead of there being just a bulkhead that drops off into the water there is an honest to god beach that the kids had a blast playing on. Well, Maisie didn't so much enjoy the beach when she toppled off the bulkhead and landed on her head on said beach! We were getting ready to go out into the lake and float so I had put her life jacket on her ~ you know they have that weighted thing at the back of the head on infant vests to flip them over the right direction should they fall in ~ well let me just say that life jacket weighs damn near as much as Maisie does ~ anyway, I had put the jacket on her while she stood in the grass near the edge of the bulkhead and then I turned around to grab something and let her go and over the edge she went! Lee was standing right there too ~ Maisie was in the middle of both of us and yet neither one of us could grab her before she hit the sand! When I say she landed on top of her head I'm not kidding ~ there was a spot in the sand where her head had gone into it! Poor kid! Thank god she wasn't hurt! We went out and floated in the lake for a little while and then came back in because a storm was undoubtedly coming across the lake ~ made it back inside and got everything picked up just in time! It rained for the rest of the night ~ fortunately we had the entire day before it rolled in. Wilson cooked the most delicious meat I have ever eaten for dinner ~ he has a water smoker, something I had never heard of, and used it to cook some back strap ~ now normally I don't eat just plain old game, it has to be cut 50/50 with beef or pork for me to get rid of that wild taste ~ Lee soaks it in water until there is no more blood and then marinates it ~ man it was AWESOME! It surpassed the smoked sirloin at Texas Land and Cattle and that is by far my favorite carnivore meal ever! The next day Hunter had about 16 hours worth of activities planned to cram into about 4 hours! We were heading to Liberty for the day to the place Scott hunts to ride 4-wheelers and attend a party there so we had to get moving. Hunter opted to spend what time he had left at the lake on a boat ride ~ Wilson owns one of every big boy toy there is ~ so we put Maisie back into her death suit ~ let me say that she remembered the traumatic events that unfolded the day before because of that thing ~ and off we went. We packed up and headed off for the ranch when we left there ~ hung out for the day ~ Maisie is a real 4-wheeler riding mama ~ and then came back that night to get ready for life back in reality on Tuesday! Had a great weekend ~ Lee has been on me about not posting about our trip to the lake ~ I think Wilson secretly enjoys being the star of my blog ~ so I figured I had better get this posted before we are never invited back! Maybe we can go back later this summer and spend the entire weekend ~ Hunter would be convinced that he had indeed died and gone to heaven! So Lee and Wilson thanks for a great time ~ we'll be watching the mail for our next invite!

Still Here

Thought I would post a few things that needed to be caught up on before the big road trip! In theory, we were supposed to have departed by now ~ last week actually, but my Dad had cataract surgery about a month ago that did not go as planned, so we have been waiting on him to recover before taking off. Certainly don't want to get out in the middle of nowhere and decide that he needs serious medical attention! He has another appointment today and if it looks good then we are planning on heading out tomorrow ~ mom said that is an awful lofty goal, but she didn't have the heart to tell him that! Yesterday I got Hunter all packed up ~ all of his crap took up an ENTIRE bag! That's what happens when you are going to a climate that requires different dress throughout the day ~ I can already tell you I could NEVER live there! I like to know that what I put on in the morning is going to be sufficient for the ENTIRE day until I crawl into bed! Phooey on that cold in the morning only to warm up to shorts weather by lunch and then go back to being cold as soon as the big ball of fire in the sky slips below the horizon! So we all have to pack both summer and winter gear (luckily I found 4 pair of pants that still have the knees) ~ still about 38 in the mornings (yikes!) ~ and I also packed him some 4-wheeler clothes so he doesn't ruin his good stuff while he's out being a boy! Scott took Hunter and my dad's 4 wheelers over there yesterday and got them all packed up in the trailer ~ more like stuffed them all into the trailer he said ~ good thing they fit! When we are truly leaving my parent's will drive over here to get us and all of our stuff and then off on the open road we go. We are going as far a Junction the first night ~ our stops have been determined by where there is a horse hotel ~ I had no idea there was such a thing until now, and then day 2 of this adventure ends in Amarillo ~ after that I haven't a clue where we go. We are taking 4 days to get there ~ yes, you read that right, 4 days! The theory being that you can't go as fast while pulling a trailer, the horses need to get out, and the kids are only going to make so many hours a day being pinned in the car. Will probably work out best for all of our sanity ~ at least once you are no longer behind the wheel you can drink heavily to forget about the day you've just had and prepare yourself for what lies ahead! Scott informed me that we would not be taking 4 days to get back home ~ I told him I had no intentions of taking more than a day to get back! The plan for our return is to head out around 5:00 in the afternoon and just keep on going ~ let the little people slip into a coma in the car and keep on rolling. I will try and post some while we are gone ~ I am going to set my phone up, I think, so that I can post via text. Maybe by doing that I can post a little something should I accidentally find some cell service! No promises, you may just have to wait until July!

I'm Baaaaack......

Alright, so once again I have not fallen off the face of the earth ~ or maybe I did since I seem to be having some issues accounting for my whereabouts these last couple of weeks! It's really all just one big blur at this point in time! I figure I had better get back to blogging before I do make a run from civilization in about 3 weeks! We are going to a place that DOESN'T have Internet access or cell phone service, and the TV is very limited!!!!! Seriously????? Who knew such a place existed????? I am either going to be relaxed to the point of drooling by the end of this trip or dealing with a major case of the shakes from technology withdrawal! Where exactly is this elusive place I speak of? The home of the Rocky Mountains, The Miners' Banquet Beer, Asssspen (from Dumb and Dumber for those of you not up to par on your movie lines) ~ Colorado my friend. Okay, so obviously the entire state does not live in the technological dark ages ~ geez I have 2 friends on Facebook who reside there so obviously they have access ~ but the place where we will be does not boast these amenities ~ the town itself does, but of course we will be out in deliverance country where there is nothing! Why Colorado you ask? Well, it goes a little something like this ~ the summer heat around these parts is getting to be too much for my dad, so I guess this is their version of becoming "snowbirds". My parent's have rented a house in Colorado for the summer, so the kids and I are packing up and moving to Colorado with them for a month! In all honesty, I think we were really only invited to drive the 2nd car that will be pulling the 2nd trailer that is going! The house is on something like 50 acres and has stables and all of that jazz so my mom is going to pull her horse and possibly take Wilson's horse as well ~ when asked why she was going to bring Rio she said so that I would have a horse to ride ~ ummmm hello? Have you met me? And seriously, what am I going to do with Maisie while I am out riding said horse? Put her in the backpack and saddle up? I have ridden a horse 2 times in my life ~ once through the rain forest in Costa Rica (during college), and once a couple of years ago while Hunter was at riding lessons because there was an extra horse to ride. Cowgirl I am not! I far prefer my mode of transport to have shocks and A/C! The 2nd trailer that is going will contain the 4 wheelers for my dad and the kids (my niece is going as well) so they can spend their days riding the trails and all of these 50 acres. So if this really plays out that the kids and my dad spend their days out 4 wheeling that will certainly make for a quiet house ~ if they instead spend their every waking minute around this technologically desolate house I think I will instead take up drinking heavily and then check myself into The Betty Ford Clinic when we get back! Did I mention that after about 3 days together Hunter and my niece do nothing but fight? Should make for a pleasant stay ~ I was unaware of these arrangements when I agreed to go. I was also going to have to bring my niece back in the car with me when we leave ~ I have since been informed that she will be flying back home ~ good thing ~ otherwise I feel I would be forced to tie one of them to the luggage rack on the way back ~ and since we know you love your own children better than anyone else's that means my niece loses and had better dress warmly for her ride home! Can you imagine anything more unpleasant than putting 3 kids in the car who have been together for a solid month to drive across 3 states? Oh good god! Makes me need a drink just thinking about it! So what am I going to do for a month in solitude while my boy is off riding the trails with my dad, and my mom is out riding her horse? Well, I do still have another child to care for ~ but when I find myself with some time on my hands I think I just may catch up on my scrapbooking and possibly even read a book ~ I have borrowed a copy of My Sister's Keeper that I hope to actually have time to read. Scott is going to come join us our last week there and then we will pack up and head home with him to continue our busy summer! It's either going to be a lot of fun or a month of pure misery ~ I'm hoping for the first! My parent's and I get along just fine ~ if my dad gets out of line we can always dispose of him in a shallow grave somewhere in all of that nothingness ~ I'm far more concerned about Hunter and my niece fighting. Wish me luck!