Pictures and final day!

I'm really sorry I dropped off the face of the earth.  We were all so happy to be home and then we had all of the unpacking and laundry and the next day it was my birthday!  I was so glad to be home on my birthday that I didn't care about getting older!

The last day we drove from Richland to the cabin in Plain, WA where the kids took Ellie to the river and I unpacked and tried to help clean up the Four Winds a little.  (I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't look like a nuclear bomb had gone off in it.)  We left there around 5PM and got home around 7.  It was so lovely to be home in reasonable weather (i.e. 70 degrees) and sleep in our own beds and best of all - see Gaston!!

We had such a wonderful memorable time!  I loved how we all had moments of grumpiness but those moments were seasoned with grace and support and I think strengthened our family.  The last night I was tired and my mattress had a big lump in it and I was determined that no one was sleeping until momma was sleeping.  As my children softly cried as I am sure they were thinking to themselves, "My mom is so harsh and I'm just so tired and what is the big deal," Grandma Bernie came and saved all of our skins by getting it straightened out.  Just one example of many of extending that grace.

Surprisingly I didn't feel extra cramped in the motorhome, except when the kids left their stuff out all over.  And in the bathroom, of course.

And most importantly, we saw and experienced things we will never forget.  Spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountains majesty....

If you are contemplating a trip like this, here are some tips:

1.  Have a loose schedule.  I had the kids journal every morning and then play games or with toys until lunch.  After lunch we could watch movies or do electronics.  They enjoyed using white boards and playing car bingo or the license plate game.

2.  Have something to look forward to.  On the way there we stopped every couple of days, didn't drive anywhere, and did something fun but on the way back we didn't.

3.  Don't go when it is super hot.  OK, I know this is not necessarily something you can plan around but it was SO hot (did I mention it was pretty much over 95 the whole time) that it was hard not to let it bother you.

4.  Bring your camera cable so you can download pictures as you go (LOL!)  I actually had my cable the whole time but did not know my new camera had a cable and battery pack in one.

Here are some pictures...

 Custer's last stand (ignore the exploded gogurt in Legoguy's hair)

 Fun on the waterslide at Mt. Rushmore KOA

 Priming the pump

 Washing clothes the old fashioned way

 Boo Ingalls

 Country bumpkins at school

 Making corn cob dolls and superheroes

 Our little covered wagon - yes all six of us slept in there!

 From the Westward Expansion Museum under the Arch

 Cousins!

 Say "Arch!"

 St. Louis City Museum with our cute niece!

 Seven story slide!!!

 Saying "see y'all later" to Gaston's brother's family

Learning how to load, but not overload, a wagon 

We're not sure we would like to meet a real one 

Boo demonstrating girls clothing on the Oregon Trail 

 Following the trail

Mustache gang

Thanks for sharing this journey with us.  Not sure if I will keep this blog going or not.  It is more work than I expected to post on a regular basis.

P.S.  A funny:  Near Ft. Laramie, we were looking for a campground online and one of the comments about a campground stated, "If you like trains, this is the place for you."  We weren't sure what that meant until we were at some train tracks waiting for a huge train to go by and looked across to see a sign for that same campground.  I imagine a train goes by that campground every 3.7 minutes so you really do have to love trains to stay there.  It became a slogan for the rest of our trip.