Road Trip (part 2)

If you haven't read part 1.......scroll down and read it first.....LOL.









After we left the circle K and I got everyone back in the car, in car seats, various entertainment devices handed to them....I strapped in and headed back down the road. Thankfully our destination was not to much further. But the cries of "how much longer" were becoming more intense. I tried in vain to keep them entertained and by this time if I heard one more song from Bob the Tomato or Larry the Cucumber I was going to find a salad shooter and do them in. So I switch of the cd and try to get them to sing or talk or something other than complain. At that last possible minute of my endurance we reach our first destination. I get out unplug everyone from their seats, go in the building, pick up our item and do the talking and such while the kids try to run amuck. After all they have been cooped up in the car for an hour and a half. Finally I corral them, finish my business and head back to the car. NOW we are on the way to the play park to meet with friends. The kids are excited and wound up like tops on energiizer batteries. I get on the interstate for a 5 minute trip to our destination, only I miss my exit and have to go down to the next exit and take the service road. While the kids cry......you missed the play ground you missed it.....cause you can see our destination from the interstate as we pass it. I tell them......don't worry, we can get there. Finally we arrive, the first to do so. I get the children unfastened and they literally BURST from the car. I go and speak with some friends inside the church office while we wait for everyone to arrive. And then they arrive and it happens.......we get to the playground and sweet and utter peace reigns and this kids run and climb, swing and jump and slide with all abandon. We stayed for hours. Then the whole group of us went to mcdonald's. I had a salad(good girl). We got all 9 children fed and happy and went back to the playground. By the time we left my kids were hot, sweaty and DIRTY. VERY dirty. So I go into my diaper bag to get the wipies. Remember the circle K......yep that is where I left them.....that is the only place I took them out. So now I must load my hot, sticky, dirty, sweaty children into my van and drive an hour and a half to pick up my dh and then get them home to bathe and feed them. It is almost 3 pm and my kids are tired, cranky, hot, dirty and sticky. I get them buckled in and realize I have to get gas. Jennifer falls asleep the moment I strap her in. The other 2 are relatively quiet. I get to the gas station to fill up. Now normally my husband gets gas, and while I realize guess is high I never saw it myself in numbers when we filled up. I pump the gas and gasp in shock....42.50! YIKES.........I am in shock! I new it added up...but come on....this is beyond reason. I shake off my shock and get back in my car and drive. The kids blessedly fall asleep and I turn on the radio for myself and have a nice drive singing and praising God to my praise and worship music. Ahh.....it has been a nice day. Despite the minor hitches, cranky kids and dirty faces it has been nice. I visited with friends, we laughed, we prayed, we had fun. The kids are happy and content and I feel blessed. We arrive at walgreen's sooner than I think because there was no traffic. My husband comes out and the kids wake up and Hannah begins crying. Because........she is dirty and she doesn't want her beloved daddy to see her so dirty. She after all has her first crush and the recipient of that crush is her daddy. He scoops her up, dirt, tears, stickiness and all and lets her know he loves here and doesnt care that she is dirty. We go into the break room at the store and he buys me a container of wipes and I clean her up, change her clothes and make her more presentable. She is so happy for her daddy to see her clean. After daddy gets off work we go home and everyone has dinner and gets clean. The kids are happy, well fed and content. Our road trip while bumpy at times, proves to have been one of the best of my life. Which goes to show you....it might have been a little more difficult but the memories and the love far outweigh the bumps. The realization that a little girl's first crush is her daddy is beautiful and her realization that daddy loves her no matter what is beyond description. She is happy as she gives her daddy night night kisses and he carries her sweet smelling self to bed. He tucks hi son in and gets those big boy hugs and kisses while Mommy follows close behind. Our little one is walking around the floor not yet ready to go down.....but she walks with the pride of new accomplishment and I realize, this road trip is the best ever. I am blessed beyond words because I have a family filled with love. And though gas prices are high we are rich in love, faith, family and friends. We are blessed beyond compare because we have so much, so much LOVE.