Back on the Map

After traveling across the map for two weeks, we are now in Arizona, somewhat unpacked, and ready to plant some roots here in Arizona. I'll spare you the long, dramatic, time and money wasting details of our search for housing. I don't feel the need to write them out for memory either since we'd like to forget them as quickly as we can. So, I'll share with you the better part of our trip, which oddly enough, was the part where we spent 45 hours in our van and traveled over 2500 miles. 

We went through Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and finally....ARIZONA! We realize this wasn't the most direct route, but this way we got to make the trip more like a vacation and stop and stay with family and friends for a few days here and there. In all that time, we only had one night in a hotel. Yeah....we're pretty popular. :) 


We started the trip with the most awful, heartbreaking, gut wrenching goodbye I think I've ever had.....our last night and goodbye with my sister Kim and the Butler clan. I couldn't even think straight for those last few days just thinking about leaving my sis and splitting up Jayden and Alex...who were fast friends from the moment they met.

To make matters worse, Rebekah and Tilly, who mostly just parallel played the whole year we were in MD, decided on our last night to become buddies as well. My sis told me that since we've been gone, Tilly keeps asking when Rebekah is coming over. :) 

Uncle Bryant. The boys love him. 

We couldn't leave without one last wrestling match. 

Look at those two curly girlies. So cute!

My sister's new nickname for Kaitlyn is "Ug." She is the only person that Kaitlyn would go up to (all the time) and say, "Ug!" "Ug!" (hug, hug)

On the road to somewhere....I think this was our leg from Maryland to Ohio. 

At Mana and Papa's house in Chicago. Playing tea party. I'm thinking Alex needs some boy cousins his age. ;)

Uncle Ben and Kaitlyn playing peek-a-boo. 

We also went to the zoo and to the splash pad and had a fun adults only night where we talked and laughed for hours. I was just so not good at taking pictures this time.

Our goodbye from our Chicago family was heart wrenching too. Rebekah became even more attached to Mana this time and when we drove away, Rebekah wouldn't smile, talk, nothing. She was so depressed. As we drove away, her lip quivered as she said, "I miss my Mana. I want her to come with us." It was so sad. That doll on the picnic table in the photo above is now dubbed, "Molly" and is Rebekah's new favorite sleeping pal...it is from "her Mana."

Then it was off to Iowa. Since driving up North to my parent's house would have added another 4 hours to our trip, we decided to stay in Iowa City with our friends the Hachtman's and my parents just came down to see us there. As soon as we pulled into the Courtright's driveway (our neighbors when we lived in IC), I jumped out of the car, Alex jumped out of the car, and Alex Courtright came flying out the door followed by Nicole who was video taping. The second I hugged Nicole, I just started crying. I missed her so much. It was like seeing a sister again. I also did not take hardly any photos here, which I am really annoyed with myself about. I guess we were to busy catching up and staying up until all hours of the night to remember to do that. But, here is what I got.

When I my parents came down, they took us out to dinner. I wanted the Alexes to have as much time together as possible, so we took AC with us to dinner. So fun. I just love these boys. 

Happy to be together again. 

 

This is outside the restaurant. The kids were having so much fun and being so silly, we let them stay and throw rocks for a little bit. Kaitlyn has turned into quite the ham. We were all cracking up at these faces she was making. Here are a few more for your enjoyment. I love her personality.

And my Rebekah. Love this girl. 

Our last night there we let the kids have a little "sleepover." We let them fall asleep together while we sat and talked and then woke them up to take them to their real beds later. 

Saying our goodbyes to the Hachtmans. Thank you for letting us stay with you!!!  We miss you. 

Alex and Miriam had so much fun playing together. I think they played Pirates for about 4 hours a day. 

Next, we were on our way to Kansas City, Kansas, so see our friends, the Brintons and Joseph's brother and his wife, Jon and Steph. This one was a shorter visit, but we had such a great time. I didn't take any pictures while we were there...only in the car on the way.

We got these princesses for Rebekah for the car trip. Good buy. She played with them A LOT!

Next stop would be our first and only hotel stay. It was our longest day of travel between Kansas City and Amarillo, TX. The kids did awesome. 

We stopped at a rest stop in Oklahoma, cause we wanted to say we'd been there. :) Here is a dead butterfly the kids found in the parking lot. They begged to take it with us. We said no. :)

 

Gotta love hotels. Kids love em. 

There's the Texas flag! 

Cracker Barrel for dinner. Fun place. Food...not so great. 

You know you're in Texas when your hotel serves Texas shaped waffles for breakfast. Awesome. They were goooood too. 

I honestly don't remember if they were actually sleeping like this. Either way....it's cute. :)

We stopped and stayed with our friends, the Yorgason's between Texas and AZ. They live in Albuquerque, NM and have three boys.....Alex was in heaven and was sooooo upset that we were only there for one night. Alex and Hyrum, their oldest, got along so well. They are only about 7 hours away, so we'll have to make a trip back there sometime and go see the Rattlesnake Museum. Thanks Yorgasons! Again....no pictures. I am lame.

And, at last....in Arizona!!!!  The day after we got here, Joseph's cousin Kristin (who we were staying with while we looked for a place to live) offered up some free tickets to the amazing children's museum here. Seriously, never ever ever been to one that is better. It is awesome. I only got a photo of this one part where they have this cute little car wash where the kids can ride tricycles through. So cool.  

The girls thought this was so awesome being pulled by their brother. 

And I had to include this. It describes how we feel. Happy....not to say it's been a bed of roses....in fact, from the moment we landed ourselves in AZ, it seems like everything has gone completely opposite of how we spent hours planning before we came. Just goes to show....sometimes our plan isn't what the Lord intends for us. Well, to make a long and dramatic story short, at this point one of two things is happening. Either things are finally coming together or we are finally seeking the right plan instead of our own. Either way...Joseph has started work (which he loves so far), we are in a good place, and we are happy.