The drive is 16 hours. 16 hours is brutal, but we survived. My trick is to let the kids stay up to their heart's desire the night before we hit the road so that before we even get on the highway they are knocked out. I think they were only awake for about four hours of the trip, no exaggeration.
When we finally arrived it was as if we had never been apart from the family - that's why I love being around them because it's as if we pick right back up where we left off with the joking, laughing, talking, music playing, board game playing, and family dinners.
When we finally arrived it was as if we had never been apart from the family - that's why I love being around them because it's as if we pick right back up where we left off with the joking, laughing, talking, music playing, board game playing, and family dinners.
I think it's so refreshing to go home because they are among the few people that know me, like really, really, know me. I can be my dorky, silly self with them and they're good with it.
Since the trip was a last minute decision, I had no clue that the forecast called for snow, but let me tell ya, it was tres fun to play in the snow with the kids.
They've seen snow before but not snow like I grew up in. We'd get a foot of snow and still not know if school was gonna be cancelled, whereas my kids' school was cancelled in New Mexico one time because of flurries. Seriously, I drove me kids to school not even considering the possibility of school closures because it had snowed not even an inch and it didn't stick much but I pulled up to an empty parking lot, I phoned one of my girlfriends and she told me that school had been cancelled. The chaos.
I feel like this photo below should have a caption, you know, like one of those funny ecards...
Word to ya motha. Now that I got that out of my system let's get back to the snow-related wholesomeness, shall we?
They've seen snow before but not snow like I grew up in. We'd get a foot of snow and still not know if school was gonna be cancelled, whereas my kids' school was cancelled in New Mexico one time because of flurries. Seriously, I drove me kids to school not even considering the possibility of school closures because it had snowed not even an inch and it didn't stick much but I pulled up to an empty parking lot, I phoned one of my girlfriends and she told me that school had been cancelled. The chaos.
I feel like this photo below should have a caption, you know, like one of those funny ecards...
Word to ya motha. Now that I got that out of my system let's get back to the snow-related wholesomeness, shall we?
Ari built a munchkin of a snowman with Uncle Nate, of course Owen took credit too.
And leave it to my little dude to find something to eat while out in the snow. Yup, icicles. I let him partake, because c'mon, you're only a kid once.
My mom and I went for a drive, I love when it's just me and her because we do silly things like say, "Oooooooh, look at that bright purple garage, let's stop and take a picture!" And with zero shame we roll up and hop out for a photo op. Holla!
The parentals loving on each other, say it with me.."Awwwwww!"
Ari being the beauty she is...
My favorite cousin and I had some one on one quality time. We had sushi and martinis at the Drunken Fish in downtown KCMO, seriously, best. sushi.ever.
And fear not, no one's feelings are hurt that I call her my fave. Our family is so ginourmous that as kids we only saw certain aunts, uncles, cousins, etc on the regular so we naturally built closer bonds with certain family members. But when we all get together it's like we are all equally close-knit. #LargeFamilyProblems
Owen is on the Mommy-Pleasing kick lately. He wants to cater to me constantly, so when he saw me shivered up in a ball laying back in my Daddy's recliner he offered to warm a pillow and blanket for me with the fire. #MommasBoy #GoodWorkKid
And I'll wrap things up with some random photos to include more snow fun, an injured eye, and a random purging of the fridge. Yeah, you read that right, all the adults were sitting around at the kitchen table after eating and randomly my father and one of my uncles got up and starting cleaning out the fridge without saying a word about it beforehand. On a week night. At like 11pm. And they were so serious. It was amusing. So I snapped a photo while my mother chuckled and looked on.
And the day we left we said goodbye about 10 times. Seriously. And I felt like a child again. I don't think it hit me that I'm leaving the country until I hugged my parents goodbye. That's when it hit me and I felt like I did when I was 18 and moving away from home for the first time. My dad hugged me for a few minutes while telling me encouraging things and as I felt his grip loosen to let me go I simply held on tighter and fought back tear unsuccessfully.
I don't cry. I'm not a crier. I cry over very few situations. Ask anyone who knows me. So if you've ever seen me cry I most likely care about you tremendously because either I'm crying because of you or I feel close enough to share with you something that brings me to tears. But that day I held on to my Dad for dear life and only let go when I felt strong again. "You're strong, girl, you got this." my mom said as she kissed me goodbye. And so we drove away, waving goodbye, and smiling through tears.
Peace & Love,
Lor
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I like your trick about having the kids stay up late the night before. :)
ReplyDeleteI spoke to you while you were there so I knew you had a great time. (I still loved reading the blog and seeing the pics.) But since I had not spoken to you since then, I didn't know how the goodbyes went. I don't think any of us know how bad the goodbyes will be until they happen. I hope that the time you spent with them will get you through til your next visit. When you are missing them think back to that great hug with your dad; feel like his arms are still wrapped around you and hear your mom say "you're strong girl, you got this". You have such an amazing family. You are so blessed.
~hugs
Rhonda Cross