Road Trip

On the 18th of June we left for a road trip to California. We took the kids out of school early because their last day was Monday the 21st and it was a half day and so really what do they do the last day of school or actually the last week of school. So when Madison got home from School on Friday we took off and headed to Olympia first and stayed there with Larry's brother and sister-in-law and had a bbq. Then on Saturday we left at around 8 in the morning and headed to Redding California. We were a little worried about driving because the last time we did this trip Carson was not a very good traveler in the car. Fortunately he like to watch movies in the car so I loaded up on almost every movie we had int he house just so that we would be covered and I also had our portable dvd player that we take on the planes for Madison in the back because well she is the only girl and she is older now and she doesn't always like the same movies the boys do. So off we went to Redding California and all the kids did great. There was no complaining and it was a great drive. We left rainy weather to the beautiful sunny California. So we stopped in Redding California and stayed there. Oh by the way the whole point of our trip was to go and visit friends that we have in Vacaville and Livermore California. We stayed in Redding and the kids got to swim for a little bit because we got there later then we wanted and the pool water was really cold. Carson wanted nothing to do with the water and that wasn't a good sign since both of our friends have pools at their houses. The kids swam and then we all went to bed so that we could get up and head to Vacaville the next morning.

We headed to Vacaville and it was a good thing that we didn't have that far to go because I don't think that Carson was liking being in the car anymore. So here are a few pictures from our trip. We took so many that I couldn't choose which one I wanted to post and I didn't want to post all of them or I would be here forever.

This is how I packed the kids. I wanted to be organized this trip so that I didn't have clothes all over the place. I got this from somebody else and I thought that this was a good idea. Larry told me that I was a freak because this was all done probably 5 days before we had to leave, but I like to be ready so that all I have to do is put it in the car the day we have to leave. So each row is for each child and they are rolled up in outfits and it has their name on it and what day they are whearing it so that they aren't going through the suit case finding something to wear. It worked out great. The only thing that I forgot was an extra bag for the dirty clothes.

This is what it looked like.

I think that this is in Portland because after portland it wasn't that green anymore.

All the kids fell asleep in the car it was nice.

carson being happy

This is the first day at our friends Brian and Nicki's house. That is their son Reese with Zach they are catching some rays. Unfortunately they on screen didn't work that first day and I don't know why because both Madison and Zach got sub burned really really bad, Zach got the worst of it. He was sore the whole week we were gone.

Carson had to get used to the idea of a pool, but after he got used to it he loved it, we couldn't get him out of it.

They have a nice waterfall in their pool.

Carson wouldn't put his swimsuit on while we were at Brian and Nicki's so he went naked for most of his swimming.

See how bad he got sunburned.

On our Last night their Brian roasted a tri tip and they wanted to try roasting a pineapple as well but they didn't know how they were going to get a whole right in the middle of the pineapple so how else would you put a whole in but with a drill.

The end result.

The pineapple and the tri tip was great by the way.

Later on after dinner the kids all got ice cream and they all loved it.

We left Brian and Nicki's on Tuesday the 22nd and headed to Livermore California to visit our other friends Mike and Sou and their five kids.

We finally got a swimsuit on carson

Mike and Sou have a great slide at their place and Madison was the only one out of my kids who would go down it.

Here are the girls out of the group. Starting from the left is Emily, then Madison then Abbie.

They wanted to make funny faces for the second picture.

On our last day of our visit we decided to go to six flags, it was so much fun and the kids just about when on every single ride their was. They had so much fun.

Here we are getting started.

Zach was a littel hesitant on going on the rides but he did try some of them.

Here are all the kids except for Mike and Sou's oldest. Starting from the left

Emily, Madison, Abbie, Carter, Baker, and Zach. Carson wasn't in the mood for a picture.

I think that this was the second ride that the kids went on and Madison didn't want to go on it but Larry got her to go on it and she loved it.

There they are getting going up.Here they are coming back down, Madison and Larry were in the back. I tried to get a better picture but I was holding carson and couldn't get a good picture.

This is the end result and look at Madison she looks happy. They got soaked.

Madison after the ride.

Zach found a ride that he wanted to go oncarson got to go on some of the rides too but unfortunately he couldn't go on by himself which was to bad becuase we looked pretty funny going on his rides with him.

Here they are on some more rides.

They finally let carson go on a ride all by himself and he loved it.

We went and saw both the dolphin and the whale show they were great.

Here is Madison and Abbie.

More rides.

Larry went on this ride with the kids and then after that the kids went on it by themselves again, and then again.

There they go.

can you see them in this picture that is them way over there.

Here they are waiting in line for more rides.

Larry riding on a ride with Carson.

Carson found the animals.

I even got a chance to go on rides with carson.

We had a great time visiting with our friends and the weather was great. I think I could move there was a store available. It is the weather that gets me. I love the warm weather. The drive back went well as well. We stopped in Redding first then in Vacouver Wa and then home. It was so nice to be home and in our own bed. Carson still hasn't quite back onto his routine of things. I hope the does soon though.