Road Trip

While Derek tore down wood paneling and put up new drywall, I took the boys on a trip for a week to visit my best friend from high school, Kim, and her family.  Her husband is the park ranger at a reservoir in the middle-of-nowhere-Nevada so we don’t get to see them as much as we’d like.  We had so much fun and it gave Daddy and Grandpa some time to get work done without little “helpers” running around.

We had kind of a rough start to our trip.  We woke up late, started late and ended up having to stop 4 times before we even got to the freeway.  Isaac choked on a fruit snack and threw up so we stopped and changed clothes within two miles from home.  After eight stops we finally made it to the state border for lunch (not even half way there!).  We ate at McDonald’s because I was sure they’d have a play place.  I was hoping the boys could get some energy out.  Unfortunately, I had found the least kid-friendly McDonald’s in the country.  They didn’t even have high chairs!  Luckily the boys were so tired after lunch that they slept almost the rest of the way and we only had to make two more quick stops for gas and diaper changes.

The first thing we did when we got to Kim’s was play with the animals.  They have a dog and two cats.  Josh was also taking care of his boss’s horses so we got to go help feed them.  The boys were in heaven.  I didn’t even think about bringing allergy medicine and more importantly the nebulizer with their albuterol.  I was worried they’d have a reaction and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.  Isaac had a hard time breathing that night but I said a prayer and found some Vicks to rub on his chest.  Within a few minutes he was breathing easily again and didn’t have any other problems all week.  Such a blessing and a relief.  We had dinner, let the kids play and ended the night with glow stick dancing.

The next day we spent down at the river.  The boys didn’t do much swimming but they played in the dirt and were happy as clams.  A couple of Kim’s friends brought their kids down to play too.  Josh stayed up at the house while the kids napped so Kim and I could have some girl time with the other ladies.  It was really lovely.

Day three we were planning on spending swimming again, this time in the reservoir with more of Kim’s friends and their kids.  The boys had had a rough night though and wanted nothing to do with it.  I took three wailing boys back home and let Kim, Josh and the girls play with their friends.  We spent the afternoon lounging around, watching movies and playing in the yard.   

After dinner, Kim and I drove into town for a relief society meeting and left Josh with the 5 kids.  I was a little worried for him but he popped a huge bucket of popcorn and they watched a couple of movies until we got home.  The youngest three even fell asleep for him.  

He handled dirty diapers and even some Isaac barf (that kid is the pukiest kid I know).  Kim and I had a nice girls night out.  Wish she lived closer so we could do that more often.

The following day, we all piled into the Pilot (first time I used all of the seat belts!) and took a trip to Reno so that Kim and Josh could go to the temple.

I had told them that I wanted to watch the girls for them while I was there so they could go on a date.  They live so far from anyone that they aren’t able to get sitters very often.  They decided that rather than leave me at home with the kids all day, we’d go to town together.  We went to the park at an elementary school for a couple of hours while Kim and Josh were in the temple.  I found the Kindergarten playground that was totally enclosed and was able to herd the kids pretty easily.   After the kids went to bed that night Kim and Josh and I played my all time favorite game which Derek hates: Boggle.  I won, of course.  😉  Actually Kim was killing us the whole time and I barely won the last round because she was falling asleep.

Our last day with Kim and the girls we went to Safe Haven Rescue Zoo.  They house wild animals that have been injured or confiscated from people who were trying to keep them as pets.  They have tigers, lions, bobcats, coyote, foxes and a tortoise.  Isaac knew we were going to the zoo so he kept asking to see the monkeys and elephants.  Ha.  We had a picnic lunch in the park in a cute little town/settlement called Unionville.  The boys took a three hour nap that day while Kim and I just talked away the afternoon.  Have I mentioned that I wish she lived closer?  Game night that night was Tripoley.  I lost miserably.

Our drive home was much less eventful than the ride out.  We only stopped twice!  Once for lunch in Wells (we bought Burger King and ate it in the park) and once for gas.  We got home so early that Daddy, Grandpa and Uncle Lee weren’t ready for us yet and we had to play outside for awhile.  It was good to be home.         

I am a better Momma for having taken the boys on our trip. I played more with them than I do at home because I didn’t have to worry about cleaning or making meals or being in charge.  I got to watch Kim and Josh be awesome parents to their girls and learned some lessons about how I can be better.  I gained more confidence and motivation to be a good Momma.  I relaxed.  It was just what I needed.  Thank you, my friends, for taking care of me and my boys!  I miss you already.