Memories along the way . . .
The best part about family vacations are the memories you create. And when you travel by car there are many memories to be made. Not just because there is so much time but because there is also so much to see. Here are a few of our favorite memories from our trip:
We were at a stop light and in front of us was a big tanker truck. We sat there wondering what was inside the tank, and when the truck turned the corner we were able to read the side, and at first glance I thought it read, "Butt's Sanitation and Disposal". We laughed and laughed over that one for a long time. Good thing it didn't have a leak.
We discovered a fun stop quite by accident; Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, KY. We didn't go into the cave but more it was a place with picnic tables to stop for lunch and grass areas to let the kids get the wiggles out. They also had this fun mining activity. You buy a bag of dirt, pour some in your mining tray and swish it through the water and gems (rocks) appear for us to discover. Liz and Rachel had a great time finding all of the different gems, John just liked playing in the water and Sarah was happy to be out of her car seat.
As we neared St. Louis we played "I spy the arch". We realized that St. Louis was the first "big" city the kids have seen, and when you drive on I-70 you drive almost right under the arch and near some of the tall buildings. As we were doing this we hear Rachel from the back seat, "This looks like Paris. This is the most beautiful city. I'm going to bring all of my children here." (The only things she knows about Paris, France is from the movie Ratatouille.)
All along our drive we would point out the "biiiig" trucks to John, as well as the "biiiig" bridges, and "biiiig" river. He loved seeing all of this and he began to point them out to us. When we stopped in Hannibal, MO to walk along the Mississippi River John looked at the barge floating by and says, "biiiig train". We kept trying to tell him it was a boat but he was convinced it was a train.
We were only intending to drive half way to Nauvoo on the first day, but the kids were doing well and Paul decided we would drive to the far side of St. Louis. The kids kept asking me when we would get to the hotel, because they wanted to go swimming. I referred them to Paul, who would answer for the next 2 hours "We haven't found the hotel yet." I think he was just trying to see how far we could drive in one day without the kids going crazy. Finally John and Sarah had fallen asleep and so did Elizabeth. We thought Rachel was asleep too when all of a sudden from the back seat we hear Rachel, "We've got a sleepy one back here!" She was talking about Elizabeth.
We were at a stop light and in front of us was a big tanker truck. We sat there wondering what was inside the tank, and when the truck turned the corner we were able to read the side, and at first glance I thought it read, "Butt's Sanitation and Disposal". We laughed and laughed over that one for a long time. Good thing it didn't have a leak.
We discovered a fun stop quite by accident; Lost River Cave in Bowling Green, KY. We didn't go into the cave but more it was a place with picnic tables to stop for lunch and grass areas to let the kids get the wiggles out. They also had this fun mining activity. You buy a bag of dirt, pour some in your mining tray and swish it through the water and gems (rocks) appear for us to discover. Liz and Rachel had a great time finding all of the different gems, John just liked playing in the water and Sarah was happy to be out of her car seat.
As we neared St. Louis we played "I spy the arch". We realized that St. Louis was the first "big" city the kids have seen, and when you drive on I-70 you drive almost right under the arch and near some of the tall buildings. As we were doing this we hear Rachel from the back seat, "This looks like Paris. This is the most beautiful city. I'm going to bring all of my children here." (The only things she knows about Paris, France is from the movie Ratatouille.)
All along our drive we would point out the "biiiig" trucks to John, as well as the "biiiig" bridges, and "biiiig" river. He loved seeing all of this and he began to point them out to us. When we stopped in Hannibal, MO to walk along the Mississippi River John looked at the barge floating by and says, "biiiig train". We kept trying to tell him it was a boat but he was convinced it was a train.
We were only intending to drive half way to Nauvoo on the first day, but the kids were doing well and Paul decided we would drive to the far side of St. Louis. The kids kept asking me when we would get to the hotel, because they wanted to go swimming. I referred them to Paul, who would answer for the next 2 hours "We haven't found the hotel yet." I think he was just trying to see how far we could drive in one day without the kids going crazy. Finally John and Sarah had fallen asleep and so did Elizabeth. We thought Rachel was asleep too when all of a sudden from the back seat we hear Rachel, "We've got a sleepy one back here!" She was talking about Elizabeth.
On the way home as we drove through St. Louis we stopped into to pay a visit to Big Foot himself at the home of Monster Trucks. John was so excited as we pulled up he reminded me of a giggly little girl.
Moments like these are what I consider to be defined as:
finding joy in the journey!
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