Road Trip!

Early on Good Friday we began packing up the car for the road trip south to Iowa! We got the back of the mini-van packed out, got the kiddos buckled in and PJ all situated. Robert pulled the mini-van out of the garage while I moved his car into the garage to stay while we were gone. But as Robert drove half-way around the block, a horrible noise was coming from the brakes.

We made a quick decision that driving 5+ hours with a loaded vehicle with grinding brakes was probably a poor idea, so we moved Robert's car out of the garage and pulled the mini-van back in. We then went on to mount the car-top carrier to hold all the luggage, since Robert's car is smaller and wouldn't fit all of us, the dog and the luggage without it. After some trying moments to hoist heavy suitcases into the carrier and get the carrier closed with all the luggage, we were ready to go. Poor PJ had significantly reduced space to stretch out, but he didn't complain.

The drive south was fun and the kids were in good spirits. We credit kids that travel well to the invention of the portable DVD player! :)

Halfway to my parents home in Iowa City we stopped to visit good friends of ours, Jacque and Justin who moved to Waterloo last year. It was fun to see them and the kids (and PJ) loved running around in their big fenced in backyard while the adults visited.

We stopped at a gas station in a random small town in Iowa (called 'Floyd'). The gas station had a number of monuments indicated that we were then in Floyd, IA - obviously there was some community pride this gas station had! The girls loved the monuments and wanted their pictures in front of them, as you'll see below! Juancho, meanwhile, helped Dad with 'boy stuff' like filling the car up with gas and washing the windows. He's such a great helper!

The Road Trip Cast:

Dad, aka - The Driver

Mom, aka - The Picture Taker

(PJ was captured in the background on this photo too!)

Juancho, aka - Sleepyhead

Lala - aka - Crazy Girl!

Angie, aka - Sweetie

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