Roadtrip 2016: Day 1

Today was the first day of the annual road-trip that Amber and I take with our kids. We got up early, loaded my car to the literal brim with kids, beach bags, snacks, and the like, and after MUCH anticipation we finally hit the road.

In case you missed it, last week I shared all about this tradition that we’ve started, and a few things we’ve learned over the years (the hard way). You can read about our past triumphs and tribulations here.

This year is a little bit special though, because we’ve decided to pull out all the stops. We’re going big, partly because we just wanted to, and partly because we threw the idea out there only halfway seriously, but then failed to plan anything else before it was time to actually go.

So it’s really happening.

We are going to Disneyland, people.

That means a 12 hour drive across state lines.

In the same car as the children.

It is either the best or the worst idea that we’ve ever had.

We told them this morning, and the kids had no idea, which was nothing short of a miracle because I have a hard time keeping a lid on fun surprises because EXCITEMENT and FEELS! So we waited all the way until today, and we let Teya (Amber’s oldest, who is 12 now, and opted for middle school church camp instead of the road-trip this year) tell them so she still felt involved on some level.

There was an excessive amount of hooting, hollering, and cheering upon hearing the word “Disneyland” so Amber and I were sufficiently pleased with ourselves.

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I didn’t plan on posting anything until later in the week, but after a very long and fun filled day we finally made it to our hotel, showered, and it turns out I can’t just fall asleep without a little bit of time to unwind. So while I’m up, I thought I’d pop in and say hello. It is currently 12:01am for me, which means that by the time I schedule this post and actually fall asleep, some of you subscribers will already be receiving it in your email.

By the way, if you’re not a subscriber, you totally should be! Subscribing is the jam! Just click that little blue bar at the end of this post and enter your email, that way you won’t miss out on any of the fun this summer! I still have some really amazing guest posts lined up for you guys and I’d hate for you to miss out on any of the excitement.

There. I said it.

Normally I would never pander for subscriptions but it turns out that when I’m past a certain level of exhaustion it acts as a truth serum and I lose the ability to filter myself. (So it’s probably best not to ask about the dream I had last night).

But I digress.

Back to the road-trip…

Day 1 was long, but I’d say it was a success. We drove 6 hours to Sacramento and decided to spend the afternoon at a water park, which is always a big win with the kids. They were able to swim and get their energy out, and Amber and I were able to read a whole magazine in it’s entirety. I mean, I would almost drive 6 hours just for that, because Lord knows I miss my US Weekly. I just don’t have time to read it at home, which is really sad because now I never know when big name celebrities are pumping their own gas or buying avocados at the farmers market.

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After we left the water park we loaded up and found our way to the nearest Target because I decided I needed a smaller purse to lug around for the week, and also because we will make up any excuse to walk around Target together. After that we gambled with our luck at a nearby restaurant that actually won over everyone in our group because they had noodles AND tacos AND burgers and it wasn’t even a food truck. It was actually kind of fancy, which made us nervous when the waiter unwittingly sat us (and our 4 children) right next to a very giant and very open fireplace. Luckily the kids were all so tired they just sort of sat there, comatose, until their food came and we made it through the whole meal without incident.

Then we piled back in to the car and drove two more hours to our hotel for the night, at which point the children went from crying that we woke them up, to begging to go for a night swim.

I tried really hard not to be sarcastic when I told them no. I feel I should get points for that.

So now here we are, friends. It’s 12:24am and I’m very tired and fairly dehydrated and this is definitely the fastest I’ve ever written a letter to you so I hope this all still makes sense in the light of day tomorrow.

But I just remembered (900 words later) why I sat down to write! There is something I just HAD to share with you guys, because I know you’ll appreciate it. I came across this piece by Beth Woolsey tonight that had Amber and I laughing so hard in the car we just about died. I was reading it aloud and I had to stop multiple times just so I could wipe my eyes and catch my breath long enough to keep going.

It’s titled “The Day I Pooped My Closet” so it obviously doesn’t need much of a set up, but you guys, trust me when I say this is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time and I don’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. Maybe it was just the fact that is was our 8th hour in the car today, but I don’t think so. I think it is actually just that funny.

I have nothing particularly disastrous or hilarious to report yet, but don’t worry, it’s only Day 1 and we’ve still got a lot of road to cover, so in the meantime I’ll just leave you with one more quick snapshot of the day. As you can see, Bella and Presley managed to match outfits once again, so clearly all is still right with the world.

Okay, I’m finally off to bed now.

Seriously, here I go.

Don’t even try to stop me.

No, YOU hang up first!

No I love you more!

Okay, I’m really gone now.