ROAD TRIP!!!!!

For our big vacation this year we decided to have a ROAD TRIP! and I mean ROAD TRIP! 3500 miles, 9 days and 9 states total!!! It was so much fun. Tiresome at times, some frustrating moments.... but overall such a fantastic time! We went with Shaun's dad, his 2 sisters and their families. It can be a test of patience sometimes to take such a big trip with extended family, but I think we got along really well for being together 9 days straight. The kids had a great time! Picture overload... and I could have posted SO MANY more, but kept it to a minimum.

Here is our sweet ride. GAS HOG, yes, but comfortable and roomy which was much needed for all those miles!

Ready to hit the road... we are all smiles now.... lets see if it lasts!

Passing the long miles.....

Manicure time... another way to pass the time.

State Welcome sign overload... These are not in geographical order and we missed Missouri and Nebraska.... some states do not put their signs in easy places to stop for pictures....

Brooklyn had her heart set on driving through Kansas... not sure why, possibly something to do with the Wizard of OZ and hearing about Kansas there. If you have never seen it... it REALLY is flat!

Of course we had to stop for BBQ in Kansas City!

This is the Liberty Jail

Hauns Mill

Far West Temple site.... we ran into rain, thunder and lightening so we didn't stay long.

More rain at Adam-Ondi-Ohmen. Beautiful... but we got literally SOAKED.

The Nauvoo Temple. We were lucky enough to be able to do a temple session and then the kids who could did baptisms for the dead. Very special experience.

Rolling down the temple lawn and catching fireflies!!! This was such a highlight because none of us had ever seen fireflies in real life before! We were mesmerized... they are so magical to just watch light up at night!

Carthage Jail. This was very special. Sydnee and Brooklyn both said this was their favorite place of the entire trip.

"Someone" may have been a little cranky when this picture was taken... hmmmmm. Wonder who?

Doing some of the pioneer games before the pageant. The pageant was AMAZING! Loved it.

The girls and their cousin Makenna

So glad Chase was home from his mission just a few weeks earlier to be able to come with us... Brooklyn adores him.

We stayed in a rental house outside of Nauvoo and it was so nice to have a comfortable place to say and having a pool didn't hurt!

Pit stop on the way to Mt Rushmore

G-Pa and all the G-Kids

Seeing Mt Rushmore was neat. It is something everyone should do at least once in their life if they can. What an amazing feat... so much work went into this.

This is Brooklyn Street in Kansas City.... we had to get a picture of that!!!