it's taken me all week to write this because part of me wishes i could forget.
it was the trip to end all trips.
(it's a long story but if you read it all you will be laughing (or crying) with me.)
there are pictures at the end...i promise.
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we went to my parents' this past weekend for an early Thanksgiving.
My grandma needed her car there also so she rode with me and craig drove her car.
20 minutes later than scheduled we wrangled everyone into the 2 vehicles.
all the girls (me, my girls, my grandma) in my Suburban.
craig and the boys in grandma's car.
oh yes...and waffle in the kennel in the back with me.
craig and i both get out of our cars twice to run back inside for forgotten things.
we pull out of the driveway...finally.
craig is leading.
we get to the last gas station at the edge of town.
craig pulls over...needs to fix sean's seat belt.
annie says "i have to go to the bath-frroom"
i park and take her inside the lovely gas station bathroom. talby shows up too.
ok...on the road again. 30 minutes late.
grandma and i chit chat while being constantly interrupted by annie.
constantly!
craig hits his brakes. i look for deer.
he comes to a stop and pulls over....i almost hit him from the back.
his back door flies open and we get a side view of scott's projectile vomit.
i am shocked.
and of course...like i always do at inappropriate times...i start to laugh.
bad mother.
craig throws his hand up, smiles and shouts "first puke of the day!"
(when someone spills at dinner we (try to) say "first spill of the day!" instead of yell)
i get out and help craig clean things up...as best we can.
the wind was so strong everything was blowing around.
scott changed his clothes and calmed down.
i gave craig my package of baby wipes...just in case.
sean announced "i'm going in mom's car!"
we get back on the road.
veggie tales is crankin' and grandma and i are talking again.
about 10 minutes has gone by...
i smell something.
i ask sean to look at the dog....and oh yes...
he has pooped in his kennel and is sliding around in it.
i call craig's cell & he says "i'm going to the station up the road...i'll meet you there."
i am on my own...in the wind...with the poop.
i pulled out his rug and blanket and toss it in the ditch.
goodbye forever winnie the pooh sleeping bag.
lauren is supposed to have waffle and she lets go...
now we have a dog running in the ditch of the highway,
a nicely dressed woman in leopard shoes cleaning up dog poop with notebook paper
and 3 kids shouting "ewwwwwwwww!!!!"
i get it semi-clean and we get back in....
sean announces "i wish i was with Dad now"
and talby shouts "first POOP of the day!"
we meet back up with craig and get the wipes back!
i think for the first time grandma was happy she'd lost her sense of smell.
lauren is dousing our car with her pineapple perfume and it's even worse than before.
i had to just put my nose into my shirt.
we drove onto lawrence (another 1.5 hours) with no more problems.
miraculously.
it felt like a never ending candid camera episode.
i told my grandma "i dare you to have that much fun on your way home!"
aren't you glad i had no pictures to go with that story?
here are some sweet pictures after all the insanity ended.
my mom put on a big spread for 20+ family members.
it was all very yummy.
my cousin came with husband and children all the way from minnesota.
that is so nice of them to make the trip. i love spending time with them!
the kids made glove turkeys...very cute.
aren't annie's twin cousins just as cute as can be?
she sure loved having TWO four year olds to play with.
grandma turned 91 this week and talby helped her blow our her candles.
thank you for hosting mom and dad.
my uncles, my father, my husband, my sons, my brother-in-law, my cousin dave....all the men
were here also but for some reason there are only girls in these pictures?
i guess i should have gone in by the football....
