Family vacation pt. 1

(Too much to cover in 1 post, so I will break the vacation into a number of posts.)

5/22

Leave @ 6:00 MST, after hectic afternoon of packing amidst intermittent batterings from wind driven rain squalls coming down over the mountains. The car is packed and the kids are in their seats.

Some protests over the seating, and the inevitable squawking:

"I want the game he (James, Daniel) is playing."

Kim drove as far as Limon where we thankfully stopped for a break from the car and dinner. Get the kids in their PJ's and set up the DVD player. I take over the driving while Kim attempts to rest while playing peacekeeper and technology troubleshooter.

I slip on my iPod and listen to Bill Simmons while watching a tremendous lightning storm in the distance. Wonder if we will hit the storm.

Kim finally got some rest around Hayes. I was pretty tired but I decided to just keep going until Salina. In Salina we got gas and switched, and I finally slept some.

I woke up around Topeka when we had to get Daniel out and get him some tylenol for his legs which were hurting from sitting in the car seat. And I stayed awake while we drove the Kansas City and helped Kim make it the Gerald & Karen's house. And we only made wrong turn in Odessa! We arrived in Odessa around 6:00 MST, so ~12 hour trip. Gerald & Karen let us nap some while the boys played, eventually only Daniel stayed awake while the rest of us napped some.Then it was time fro some breakfast, and up to the camp site.

Tomorrow I will cover the first 2 days of camping, followed by the Memorial service, last night and then trip back. I have uploaded all of the good pictures on my Picasa site under the Missouri 2008 folder.