A brief overview

We're BACK!
Warning: Title misleading, brief is not possible when considering a 3 week trip!

We made it and we're finally home. I was going to post some pictures, but they'll have to wait for another day. I pulled out my camera to download the pictures and the stinking thing has a lens error going on with it. I'm so happy I purchased the warranty on it. I have the worst luck with cameras lately. I need to be smarter in the way I treat them.
So back to what somebody may care to know. We left on July 7th bright and early in the morning. We made it to North Platte, Nebraska that night. The pool was closed and so the kids didn't get to swim, Luke had a traveling meltdown and decided that the next morning we were turning around and going home. I was so mad, I almost bought him a plane ticket. On July 8th we left a little later than we wanted, but still made it to Salt Lake City, Utah by about 7:30 PM. We dropped Angella and her kids off at her parents and then we went to Layton to stay at my brother Neil's house. We got there late, it was dark, and there was construction, but we made it safe and sound, and boy were we happy to be out of the car. The kids all did well while we were driving, there were some tears and sad time, but I was expecting the worst, and came close to getting the best. We stayed at Neil's and Becca's for a few days and enjoyed seeing them while we could. Neil and Becca and Ty, Angella, Brooklyn and Kaiya and Luke, Livvy, and I all met up to go swimming. Luke loved every minute of it and Livvy thought we were doing our best to torture her.
On Sunday the 13th, Ryan flew in, we picked him up and then went over to his brother's (Travis and Jenny) house where we had a family reunion with them. Everyone but one brother-in-law was able to make it. We had a wonderful Dutch Oven dinner and enjoyed seeing everyone, and catching up on life. The next day as part of the reunion we went to Cherry Hill swimming complex. It was so much fun for the kids and the adults. Luke is a fish and had the time of his life, and Livvy after a few hours relaxed and had a lot of fun swimming too. Livvy was nervous around Ryan's family, but she soon opened up and had fun "mothering or perhaps smothering" her younger cousins. Ryan's parents and his sisters had to leave after that. For the next couple of days we hung out with Ryan's brothers hiking, and playing. Ryan and I were even able to go to the Salt Lake Temple for a session, and ran into a family from the Kalamazoo 3rd Ward.

Ryan had to fly out on the 16th, and after we dropped him off me and the kids headed up to Idaho. We stopped for a bathroom break at one of our friend's house. We surprised them, we never told them we were coming. Luckily they were home, and when they saw Luke, Mariann started screaming and she ran out to find me and give me a hug. It was so fun. The kids started playing and having a great time. Our bathroom break turned into a "swimming pool and jumping on the trampoline with the sprinklers going" break.
We made it to my parent's house. Olivia was very afraid of Grandpa. Luke was so excited to see Grandpa's school and Luke loved seeing the fish, snakes, lizards, tarantulas, and turtles. Livvy was interested enough to even let Grandpa hold her. We had fun visiting friends and enjoyed letting Luke play with friends he hasn't seen in a couple of years. It's so fun to watch them pick up and play like it was just yesterday that they saw each other last. It was so nice too, because I was able to go to the Rexburg Temple. It was so nice to be minutes away from a Temple. I woke up at 6:18 AM and was able to make it to a 6:45 AM session.
Next we went to Star Valley Wyoming to my parent's cabin. Angella, Brooklyn and Kaiya met us up there with my parents and we were able to have a few fun filled day in the mountains. Boy it is beautiful. Livvy even warmed up to Grandpa and had fun playing with him.
Sadly(because it's so hard to be so far away from family and friends), yet happily(because we get to see Ryan), it came time for us to return home on July 26th. The trip home wasn't as smooth as the drive out, but the kids still did the best they could. Luke decided that he loves road trip and travelling in the car (nope, I'm not being sarcastic). Livvy was done, she kept asking to get down out of her car seat. We made it to Grand Island, Nebraska, that night and were lucky to find one of the last available rooms just after midnight. Surprisingly, the rooms were not that bad, and we got a better deal than what we thought we were going to have to pay.
We left at about 9:00 AM and made it home around 11:15 PM. If you want to see happy, take a look at Olivia's face when she sees her dad after missing him for a couple of weeks. She has been stuck to him like glue. The first thing she asked for this morning was her Dada. And when he just came home from work she went running and screaming to him. And if you want to see really happy, take a look at Ryan's face when he comes home from work and his family is home waiting for him. (Unfortunately, due to time differences and the lack of desire to go to the grocery store, there is no dinner available at the dinner hour. There may be something available to eat around 6 PM Mountain Time).
Our trip was great, the van did great, not a problem with it at all, the kids did great, and the adults survived. I had a wonderful time! For all those we were able to see, it was so great to see you and thanks for all you did for us. And for all those who we couldn't squeeze in a visit to your house, I'm so sorry, it wasn't that we didn't want to, it's that we ran out of time. Time, I wish there was more of it. We really wanted to catch up with you. Maybe next time.
And speaking of next time, it will probably be a long while before we attempt this trip again. But we would love for you to come and visit us in Michigan. There are fun things to do here, we have room and would love to have visitors. Summertime is fun. Autumn is pretty. Winter is cold, ugly and harsh. Spring is beautiful, but the best play time is summer with the beaches and outdoor activities. Come on out and see us, we'll leave the light on.
So when I can get the pictures on, I'll post some more details, and later tell more stories about how Ryan and I got lost on a walk in Bountiful, and other things we did. I just wanted to journal some things before all was forgotten.