I thought I had all kinds of time to post the photos from our Grand Excursion this summer. And here I am staring September square in the face.
So, without any additional procrastination and delay, here are a few of the many highlights of our summer road trip, from Colorado to New York and everything in between...
First Stop: Somewhere in Kansas. This was the first time our kids shared a bed, and because they are both very active sleepers, it was so fun to see the various positions they ended up in. We thought we could use this someday to prove they really do love each other:
Second Stop: After spending a few days with my parents, John and I left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa and spent four (count them, FOUR) nights away as guests at this amazing home.
We were there with the leadership team and spouses from John's office and had a very refreshing time there together. While we weren't eating the most delicious meals or delving into how our personalities operate under stress, we spent free time in the backyard:
It was heavenly...
We also got to swing by our alma mater, Taylor University! Though it was a very brief detour, we enjoyed a quick drive around the one-mile campus loop. Naturally, we had to stop at Ivanhoe's for a shake, too.
After rescuing my parents from our children, we spent a few more days with them as the stars in the universe aligned. Okay, not really, but it almost felt like it when we got to see the Jones family and the Dillons, who all just happened to be passing through town on the same day!
We absolutely treasure these times with our dearest of friends...
We also got some cousin time. It was a treat to celebrate my youngest niece's first birthday with our whole family! And we spent as much time together on our days there as we could.
We love to visit my brother when he is on shift at the fire station. The kids get to sit in the engines and hold the nozzles and watch their Uncle slide down the fire pole. My mom especially loved this shot of all five of her grandkids sitting on the bumper of the ladder truck.
Once we had outworn our welcome in Indiana we loaded up the van and proceeded to the Adirondacks in upstate New York to see John's parents. Nana and Papa live close to Camp of the Woods with its perfect little stretch of beach. Of the ten days we spent with them, eight of those included beach time!
Adam's first exposure to so much sand was a big adjustment for him. This photo pretty much sums up how he felt about The Beach for the first six days:
I love that face -- it makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time!
But we made sure he had a nice little spot on the blanket under the umbrella, with minimal sand and a few toys.
It actually made my time far more relaxing than I thought it would be! I didn't have to chase him anywhere for the first time in months!
Put him on pretty much anything that was relatively sand-free and he was happy.
But one day toward the end of the week something inside him switched and he got brave and wanted to play with the sand...
...then he ventured out to walk on the sand...
(Look at those chubby little piggies!)
...and then he wanted to touch the water...
...and eventually the sand made it into his mouth, of course. That's my beach boy!
Swim lessons earlier in the summer helped give Josiah confidence in the water at the lake. He loved every minute on that beach and jumped and played and splashed and smiled until we dragged him out and dried him off.
Lucy built sand castles, went kayaking with Nana and Papa, practiced her new swimming skills, collected shells and rocks, made new friends, and nearly cried every day when we had to leave.
I don't blame her. Do you?
She also got to scramble up the camp's massive climbing wall -- THREE times!
John's folks took us on a couple short hikes to see some beautiful waterfalls.
(I know the next photo looks posed, but I was contemplating being at eye level with the rushing water--it was gorgeous and powerful. And I'm surprisingly pleased that my husband actually took some photos of me for a change!)
A friend of my in-laws took us on a lovely pontoon boat (a.k.a. Party Barge) ride around a peaceful neighboring lake.
Besides all this, we had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows for s'mores, met up with old friends, heard some gifted and godly speakers, ate mammoth cinnamon rolls, read and played board games, went antiquing, watched sea planes land, played miniature golf, and ate ice cream every day that we were on the beach. Yes, every day.
And never once watched TV or checked email.
*sigh*
Once our time in New York was up, we headed back to Indiana to catch our breath. Lucy got to fulfill a long-time dream (something she came up with about two weeks prior) to have a lemonade stand. Grandma made it extra-ordinary. And she earned about $8 in the hour they were out there!
Once we knew the kids were ready to numb their bottoms for another 18 hours, we loaded up for the last time and headed west toward home. Starting out at 4 a.m. brought us back to the Rockies in time to be welcomed home by this beautiful sight:
One minivan with car-top carrier, two adults, three kids, 24 days away from home, a total of 71 hours in the van, and 4,015 miles traveled across eight states.
It was indeed an unforgettable trip.
