Thanksgiving was pretty eventful for us this year. We left Monday evening when Joe got home from work for Monticello. We didn't get on the road until after 5 pm because we had to finish running errands here in town before we could go. And then, we made it as far as Tri-Cities before the check engine light came on in the van. Joe's iPhone proved its worth for the first time on the trip as it allowed us to quickly locate a Schuck's where they diagnosed the problem as something minor and turned the light off.
With all the delays, we only made it to Baker City, Oregon before we decided to rest for the night. The hotel was the cheapest we could find, and we definitely got what we paid for, from the non-pre-heated room to the chintzy continental breakfast. Oh, well. It could have been worse.
Tuesday, we pretty much drove all day long. Our kids enjoyed a few movies courtesy of Joe’s work laptop along the way and read books or slept the rest of the way. We’re really grateful for seasoned travelers! We planned our stops to include Apollo Burger and Gandolfo’s, two of our favorite restaurants not found in Kansas or Washington. We made it to Monticello around 9 pm that night.
Joe got to go on a motorcycle ride with my brothers and dad on Wednesday. He only crashed pretty hard a couple of times! Thankfully, no major injuries were incurred. And Ben’s bike only received mild damage as well. Maybe Jed will send us the video of one of the wrecks. It was pretty funny.
The kids spent the day playing with the cousins and Uncle Scott, who has firmly solidified his status as favorite uncle. It’s like he just can’t help playing with the kids. I helped my mom bake pies and troubleshoot her oven, which was on the fritz.
Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, of course. We were saved by Grandma Harvey’s turkey, since the oven wasn’t working. My mom baked another turkey for leftovers in her big crock, but it took all day long to cook. Joe represented our family at the church for basketball and such.
Friday, my dad took my kids on a hike to see some ancient Indian ruins while Joe and I stayed home and rested. My dad’s hikes are notoriously farther and longer than he thinks they are. I decided that it probably wasn’t the best idea for me to go since I get winded going up the stairs these days. And Joe was coming down with one of the various illnesses going around the house, so he stayed home too. We’re told our kids were troopers and didn’t have to be carried at all!
What a fun thing to be able to have everyone (except Ben, of course) come down for the holiday! I know it’s really hard for us all to plan something like that, but it’s always worth it to be together at the same time.
Joe and I left for home Saturday morning. We had to stop every two hours all the way home for my poor pregnant body and its various ailments, so we took our time. We stayed the night in Boise and drove the rest of the way Sunday.
1 comment:
Sorry you had a long drive home. We did, too, but not as long as yours. I must say that AJ did a great job on the hike as Scout #1.
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