Road Trip

Gayle as leading actress....on the right

Spontaneity....it's what still makes life go round, keeps it fun and stave's off the mundane. With a phone call from LA living brother an excited invitation was extended to meet him in El Paso, as they were making an impromptu appearance at the film festival at which girlfriend's film was being shown. With only 4 hours notice a trip was thrown together and we set off after only a few hours worth of sleep. Gas leaking van still not entirely road worthy decision was made to take the truck, as shift husband volunteered to stay home with the 6 children left that would not exactly fit in the six seat quad cab.

Grayson, Evye and I, with little twins in tow, set off at 8am to pick up Mother and to the road we took. With Grayson's birthday trip to LA having been postponed indefinitely since it apparently takes an act of God to get a minor on an airplane alone this seemed to be the answer for which my heart was yearning for him. A road trip, still being able to see Scott and something wild and crazy enough to keep it fun. Early Thursday morning before departing arrangements were finally made through a kinder airline and it was official that Grayson would be traveling back by car to LA with them and staying the week...flying home a week later. The trip that was so disappointingly set aside taking shape within only matter of an hour before leaving. Instructions were hurriedly given to pack for the week and the day after his 13th birthday he was bound for California to spend a week with Scott, see LA, attend the awards ceremony in Idyllwild, CA where the film Finding Jenua would take Best Screenplay, climb to the peak of the highest mountain there and just, in general, have the time of his life and be blessed by the outpouring of love it took to get him there.

And I'm always up for a road trip. This is, after all, the same person that did an insane 3,000 miles alone with 7 very young children and in the 1st trimester with baby #8....the smell of wet wipes enough to cause 1st trimester retching, feral mountain cats urinating in the seats of a van with doors left open, puking kids with diarrhea, and a radiator blowing up only half way home. It keeps it all interesting. Life would be nothing without it all...the wild, the crazy, the insane.



So it is that we took off for a turn around trip to El Paso. Border Patrol was thick and the presence of law enforcement heavy enough to make anyone highly aware of even 1 mile over the posted speed limit. We attended the showing of the film with two very happy babies in tow, snuggled happily in their ERGO's. Dinner was spent with Scott, the cast of the movie and the producers. Visiting in the hotel until the night grew late the trip back home eventually began. I overestimated my abilities a bit by thinking I could actually drive until 4 am after only 4 hours of sleep the night before. 2:00 am drew near and I finally gave up trying to prove to myself I could do the impossible. And so it was that we slept in a roadside rest area for an hour and 20 minutes with about 150 truckers until I at least had some coherent functioning ability. I wasn't quite sure whether to feel safe due to the sheer volume of large, diesel rumbling vehicles around us or threatened by the sheer number of men with which surrounded us. I decided to go with the former just so I could sleep for a bit.



And, I might add...we did have to stop at a border checkpoint on our way home. I was questioned as to my reasons for only staying within the city 6 hours, where we were from, where we had been, where we were headed and after a long slow walk completely circling the truck he finally decided we could go. I'm not exactly sure what he saw as a threat with 2 females, a little girl and 2 infants but he certainly seemed to not entirely dismiss suspicious activity on our part. It was quite the experience with law enforcement everywhere, numerous narcotic dogs barking excitedly and vehicles being searched. Eventually we were waved on through and continued into the dark moonless, starry night. Mountains looming ominously before us in the dark with millions of stars twinkling, headlights lighting the dark forsaken highway. Quiet truck as everyone slept while wheels continued forth in the vigil of turning us ever closer to home. We arrived back home at 8:30 am the next morning.



Grayson called home Sunday and was full of nothing but funny stories and complete awe over the views from the mountain they had climbed. So it is that hiking husband and son will return to California within the near future to make an entire weekend of it, camp and hike to the top with LA living, Eagle Scout brother. I think once babies are weaned the trip arrangements can be made and the 3 of us will venture up there to meet brother and girlfriend to hike the thing as a group. Excitement awaits.



And, on the road trip note, the children and I are making a weekend trip to Corpus, located on the gulf, the 1st weekend of February. Working husband will stay behind as we continue to stick with the plan and not deviate from the many hours a week it will take to becoming debt free in 12 months. Twelve more months and there will be no more financial bondage. Twelve more months and we will be free to pursue every dream we have ever had. Twelve more months and we can start over again.....anywhere.

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything discussed but is one of the many laughable moments with children. Watching Indespicable Me on a cold day. Edited a day later to correct....that would be Despicable Me. Not exactly Indespicable Me. Is that even really a word??? I think it is. It sounds like it should be. Thanks to my lovely children for the correction on the movie title.

This is how he watched the entire movie



Mother holding Gatlin, Scott, Gayle and Evye

Gayle and Evye


Uncle Scott with Gatlin

All of us

Gayle, a fraternal twin herself, getting the hang of doing the twin thing as her mom did.

The quarter mile long line for one of the many checkpoints

Sights along the way.

A topic of discussion for many miles. Who put it up there...and why?

Davis mountain range

2 of the 5 military aircraft that flew so low over us it vibrated the truck....and the amazing views of the vast west Texas landscape.

#1 of the 15 Guadalupe peaks we saw. Brad and Grayson hiked to the top a little over a year ago so we spent half of the way there trying to figure out which exact one it was. This was the 1st of many Guadalupes. We never did quite figure

it out.