We woke up Thursday morning ready to head to Tennessee to visit Ryan's sister Andi and niece Hailey. For weeks I have been telling the kids that we could use this spray hair color on their hair the day we leave. They were so excited that the time had come.
We found a spot to bury Merrick and Kierce's placentas, which were in the freezer since their birth. All of the kids enjoyed the process. A balloon plant from our old house was planted on top of the placentas, and they will nourish the plant and give it life.
Rowan was happy to get one last hug from Buddy, until the next... Buddy knew something was going on, and he wanted to come so badly, but we gave him some special gifts and we know he will be spoiled by his grandparents.
The kids enjoyed all of the extra hugs they got from Grandma and Grandpa Nevins as we shoved off from their house. Thank you Mom and Dad for all of your hospitality! Be sure to save room for us for our next visit!
Andi was so happy to see us, and the feeling was mutual! The kids loved spending time with baby Hailey and their Aunt or Cha Cha.
The kids thoroughly enjoyed this quick visit, and spent as much time interacting and playing with Hailey as possible. Teaching her and showing her the ways of her older cousins!
Ryan and the kids had fun unwinding for a few minutes in the pool at the really nice hotel we landed in Oklahoma City. The next morning we would be heading to Bernilillo, New Mexico, which is just north of Albiquerque to see some of my family!
I loved seeing all of the smiles on the kids faces during this journey. They were so well behaved and appreciative of this beautiful country we live in!
Kierce insisted on us posing for a picture at one of our few stops along the way on Saturday! We were definitely getting a little slap happy at this point!
Once we hit New Mexico, the scenery got better and better! There were many neat mountains and landmarks we were able to enjoy on the fly.
About 30 minutes from Aunt Jean's house we stopped due to some van trouble. Thankfully this nice man was at this service station after hours to give us guidance. It was looking like we were going to have to replace the transmission, boy were relieved to realize later on that the car was just struggling with the load the van had to deal with through the mountains.
Rowan (the up and coming photographer) had fun snapping tons of pictures. It just so happens that this gorgeous mountain, that is known for its watermelon color at sunset (which we were lucky enough to see) is the view my Aunt and cousins get to enjoy everyday!
We were thrilled to finally get to visit with my Aunt Jean and cousins Amy and Jess. It has been a long time coming, and now I can see why they chose to settle down in this area!
Happy Father's Day! We enjoyed our Father's Day morning with Aunt Jean. Even though it didn't really feel much like Father's Day, Ryan got a chance to wear the hat made of pipe cleaners that Rowan made for him. The kids are holding their special bag from Gamma. She had packed a bag for them to open everyday along the way.
Kierce pretty much fell in love with Aunt Jean's rescue dog Layla. She was sure to is get one last kiss before we took off.
...and Rowan had a chance to get one last lounge in Aunt Jean's hammock before we shoved off for Pheonix on Sunday.
Ryan and the kids loved the outdoor pool at the hotel once we hit Pheonix. They took a well deserved dip in the pool before going back to the room to relax. I ran to get some pizza for them and boy were the troops hungry when I returned!
Its pretty safe to say that the highlight of Arizona was the cacti. You should have been a fly on the wall when the girls and I were seeing a traditional cactus for the first time! ...camera crazy to say the least! At this point we were ready as ever to hit the California state line on this fine Monday morning!
Boy were we elated once we finally hit the California state line! Already the kids were noticing all of the palm trees and even different insects, which looked like giant bees!
The kids wanted us to pose for a picture. I just love how this picture shows the gorgeous mountains in the background.
Here is a picture captured in the most interesting and memorable restroom on the trip. The kids and I know what I am talking about here. I guess we should be thankful that we found a restroom!
The combination of emotion was very powerful when we finally arrived at Uncle Dana, Aunt Brooke and Eva's house in San Diego! I didn't realize just how emotional the moment would be, it was definitely a moment to remember forever! I told Brooke that they were the light at the end of a very long tunnel, to say the least.
Uncle Dana and Aunt Brooke, I think your backyard is going to get a lot of use now that we are in town! We can't wait for all of the fun we will have in this back yard! Dana, just let us know if you need some help in your garden, I may know some small seasoned gardeners :)
Little baby Eva better get used to all the love she got this day, because she will be spoiled with all the love we have to give her and hopefully her future siblings as well ;)
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