SUMMER ROAD TRIP - 2013

YES, this is hokey! But it was a fun afternoon (for the girls anyway, the men tolerated it.

This is a picture of OLD people playing!

We joined Donna and Bill as they made their cross-country tour of "let's go visit the extended family" trip! There were lots of laughs, good food, and fun times.

The first leg of their journey lasted 8 hours from central Illinois to Tulsa, OK.  The car was packed as if they were going to Mars for 6 months! After a good nights sleep here, we all took off for Dallas, spending time along the way at several interesting antique shops. The guys quickly learned the meaning of "enjoy the journey" instead of racing from point A to point B in record time.

We spent the afternoon of Day 1 in Dallas with Nancy and the kiddos there, laughing, playing, eating and enjoying an impromptu talent show in their living room. (Philip was working in Brazil and missed the fun!) Everybody enjoyed meeting the relatives! (Wish we had taken a picture or video!)

On Day 2 we started the long trek to Colorado. Two full days of more sightseeing, shopping, eating and laughing in their car.

Spending a few days in the Rockies was certainly therapeutic! Andy and Jamie and the Colorado kids gave us the red carpet treatment. There was more shopping, exploring, eating, laughing, playing with the kids and sharing stories.

We all agreed that the highlight of that location (other than squeezing on the children) was forging the rapids of the Animas River. We were thrilled to be alive with all body parts intact at the end.  It was one of those afternoons that started with "am I going to die" and ended with "Yippee, let's do it again!!"

Staying at Camp Kivu was delightful. Watching the counselors prepare and the first campers arrive was great! It was hard NOT to "become a temporary teen" and enjoy all the hoop-la! We thrived in the most beautiful setting and most perfect weather in the world. (While we were there we were informed ON THE NATIONAL NEWS that our town of Broken Arrow was being hit by several tornadoes. That was weird!  But no one was hurt and our house was not in the path of the twisters.)

We added a couple of more people to the packed car as we left Durango. Tiki and Hays joined the fray as we drove to Denver for the last leg of our participation in the road trip. There we parted ways and flew home as they raced across Kansas to be back to work and reality. Many miles covered in a week!

Whew!  What memories!  Making them WAS the intention and the accomplishment!
We've got the pictures to prove it!