First stop was in South Carolina. We needed to get out and stretch our legs - especially Cooper. After driving around a bit, looking for a park, we ended up at a little "mall". We thought it would be fun to look around and get the wiggles out. We weren't there for more than 60 seconds before we realized we were in an "antique mall" and all of these breakables were just piled on top of one another and the walkways were narrow. But by then, we all needed to go to the bathroom and we just had to forge ahead. It was amazing that between the four of them, nothing broke. The glares of the many proprietors was a general deterrent for the older three. But Cooper just plowed ahead and was so eager to touch everything and scrambled out of your arms at any chance - it felt like the LONGEST stop ever. The kids begged to purchase one of the many iron creatures - especially the dinosaurs but alas, there was no room in the minivan.
After South Carolina, we trudged along all the way to Washington D.C. I had told Marc that I didn't mind driving as long as it wasn't in the major cities - D.C., New York, etc. He grew tired right before D.C. and so not only did I have to drive at rush hour traffic in Washington D.C., but it was pouring rain. I expected there to be somewhere to pull in for our hotel, but there wasn't and a car was blocking the entrance on the street to just pull over and drop someone off. So, I kept going and Marc said, "Just turn around and we'll try again." So, I turn at the next street - heading into oncoming traffic on a one way street. It was late, pouring rain, and I just screamed and pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out, yelling "You drive!" Not my proudest moment. But D.C. was full of adventures - for the next blog.
It took us a mere 8 days to travel from Utah to Florida. We planned to visit friends and hit some sights along the way. Traveling back to Utah, we decided to take almost 2 weeks and see even more of this gorgeous country.
Pictures were taken as we headed out of Florida but my sweet friend that
took them just had a baby and still has not sent them my way.
Hopefully, soon. The first cross country trip we took had us
separated. Marc was alone in the big ol' moving truck and I was with
the three kids in the minivan. This time around, we shipped everything
back to Utah in PODS and made the drive together - all six of us!
Again, I spent months gathering up surprises for all four kids and even wrapped them all up to prevent the kids from seeing them before the trip. Traveling wasn't too bad. The kids all had "homework" to work on and toys and games to play, books to read and goodies to eat and movies to watch.
They all did quite well traveling but Cooper tired out quicker than any of us and he left us ALL know when he was done. If it was during the day, we would stop anywhere for a quick break. We would walk around and maybe get a bite to eat. Usually, that was enough to put Cooper right back in a cherry mood. If it were night or we were unable to stop for awhile it was a different story. We found that once he had succumbed to his exhaustion and the screaming and wailing would not abate, there were only two things that might buy us a little more time - singing our theme song as a family at the top of our lungs and Elmo. I tell you - by the end of the trip, we all have that song completely memorized and Elmo was our hero. Even as I was putting the videos on, Cooper came running into the room, climbed on my lap and begged to watch more Elmo.
Please watch the videos and experience just a taste of our magical adventure!
I found this draft of my very first blog post. It is crazy to think of how little the kids were and how strange it felt to be starting out in Florida.
As you can tell, this is our first blog. I have resisted as long as I could but taking the grandkids all the way across the country resulting in a sworn oath to create a blog to document the crazy adventures of the Hone kids.
We are now in Florida after 8 days in the car. I'm not sure who had it worse - Marc in the gigantic and bumpy moving truck or me in the van with the three little ones. Luckily, I had spent a month gathering up items to entertain and distract them which ended up working like a charm. Of course the stops along the way helped - who doesn't want to see an enormous eyeball?
Lots of memories were made and then we moved in and are still slowly getting everything unpacked and situated. It will help once we get more furniture. Coleman has started school and is loving it. Marc has started work and seems to be enjoying himself as well. Campbell is anxious to find his preschool but has enjoyed the time playing and doing puzzles with Addison. He gets to be the boss which seems to be working out just fine for him. Addie is loving cooking in her little kitchen which we finally set up and being with "the brothers" as she often calls them.
I will be the first to admit that transitioning from Utah to Florida
was a rough road for me. A wise friend told me to give myself a good
year to adjust. Patience isn't really one of my strong suits and that
year seemed like one of the longest years of my life. I was definitely
starting to settle in and feel more comfortable in our routines but
Florida was not home.
It was nearly a year to the day when it all just started to fall into place. And when I truly felt like Florida had become home and I was so comfortable with our routines - we had to move. Of course, we were moving back to Utah - which was truly home, so you'd think it would be easy. But it wasn't. It wasn't the weather - however wonderful it can be, or the thrill of splashing in the puddles as we danced in the rain. It wasn't the schools - although our children loved their teachers and had found fun friends to play with each day. It wasn't the house - even though I know I will deeply miss the chance to swim at any moment and the thrill of midnight swimming in the spring. It wasn't the amusement parks - although we enjoyed our fair share of Disney, Busch Gardens and Legoland. It was the friendships. I knew it would be difficult to leave my Dad, but I knew that we would see him in Utah and when we came out to Florida. But being able to find a group of women who were all so different and unique and that I respected so much and enjoyed being with them - that I miss. There are some truly incredible women down there and I'm so grateful that our friendships haven't ended just because I moved across the country.
It has been wonderful to be back with our families and to renew our friendships with those we left behind a couple of years ago. And to meet new friends in our new neighborhood. It is still an adventure.
