Hope you bet big.

Hey Guys! I am back! And I'm in New Mexico! Todd totally loves it, it's so warm here. Today has been a whole lot of driving. Like a lot. There was a crazy trucker who chose to swerve around in front of me and ride the center line as his own special lane. So, tonight I am especially grateful to be here.

Four corners was pretty awesome actually. There was much talk leading up to the actual photo taking. So many great ideas for photo opportunities. In the end, there ended up being a line so I felt pressured to hurry. I think it was Siobhan's idea for them to all point at each other. Then there was a fight over who got what state, (no one wanted Utah, bo-ring).This is apparently, a classic Lindgren photo that Pete remembers taking with his Dad. So, I think it's pretty sweet that we got it. Overall, I really enjoyed this spot. It would have been extra cool if things happened when you changed state to state. Like, when you are in New Mexico you have a sombrero on and then you walk into Arizona and there is a cactus and then you get to Utah and you are Mormon. No disrespect, just an idea.


The rest of the drive was mostly just long and somewhat desolate. We opted to drive mostly through the Navajo Nation. It is a beautiful drive, but not a lot going on. We did enjoy this view though. Oscar imagined it as Oz. Olive as a castle. Pete and I imagined it as being the Dark Tower. Anyone else ever read that series? So good.

The kids did fairly well. Not too much craziness. Besides Oscar and Todd anyway. They used to be so close, but have drifted as they've aged. Anyway, they were super excited to get here and see how awesome our hotel is. They are looking forward to hitting the town tomorrow. So am I . I may also hit some margaritas and Mexican pastries. I'll keep it in check though and go for three posts in a row!

Surprise!

Hey guys, we are totally taking Todd on vacation! You remember Todd, right? We decided he would really love to see some new states, like Colorado and New Mexico. So, we left today and are on our way. Halfway through the trip Todd had to ditch the jacket, it is hot!

There was actually school today and since I have been threatened with legal action if my delinquent children miss another day, we opted to leave after school got out. This allowed me to have a lovely coffee date with my dear neighbor, whom I adore. This also left time for poor Oscar to witness the death of our first chicken. She was spooked by another chicken, fell off the ramp to the coop and broke her neck. I am extremely saddened by her death, Yes, I know she is chicken, but I think I have become even more emotional as I age. If that is possible.

This was our first stop for Olive, Soldier Summit. We stopped at the lone gas station and parked in front of this empty cabin like thing. I cannot begin to tell you how disturbing the amount of flies inside were. I am positive something was dead in there. I had to take a picture because I was sure we were now entering our own version of The Stand. I will find a positive however, watermelon flavored Zotz. Oh how I love Zotz, and watermelon flavor was a first for me!

So, first official stop is Green River, Utah. We have stayed here once before a couple of years back. We checked into a KOA and it poured most of the time, next morning there was two pit bulls running wild and we were sequestered to our cabin until they were detained. This time around we opted for Holiday Inn. Not a lot to do here but it was a good little head start. Plus, Hans found a nice rock to sink into and listen to some Michael Jackson. Don't think he wasn't dancing on this rock five minutes before this.

Since my last blog Siobhan has acquired a job. She is a master bagger at Harmons grocery store, the most beautiful grocery store I have ever been in. Luckily they were able to spare her for the week. As she gets older, I am trying to grasp the last few family trips we can squeeze in before she is out on her own. Sigh.
So, Oscar. I think I should probably dedicate an entire post just to the crazy amount of change that is going on with this kid. He is swaggy. Yeah, I said it. He is pretty excited for Roswell, NM. I should probably add that he is also being home schooled now. This trip has been a part of my "lesson plan", and I use that term loosely. He is keeping a journal in an amazing Sean John notebook that Pete brought home from his vendor meetings in Seattle this past week. No joke. A Sean to the John, P Diddy notebook. I might give him an A just for that.

Olive Jane is part excited, part totally bored. Remember this? Yeah, not a lot has changed except for the number of teeth. Well, tomorrow will be an awesome day. Four corners, Albuquerque and Trader Joes! Cannot wait! Neither can Todd. Who wants to hedge a bet on whether I actually blog tomorrows activities?