the long drive home ...

Thursday the sixteenth had come so quick - too quick!
but we were all packed up and ready to get on
the road ...

we got to break up the trip a little ... we drove two hours to my aunt's
house and had a delicious dinner with her, my grandma, and my parents!
leave it to me to get photos of everyone except my poor aunt,
she probably felt very left out and now I feel really bad!

Zoey and her great grandma

the kids loved my aunt's piano

I was sure to get some pics of all the children
with their great grandma, my dad's mom!

I was also sure to get some photos of my parents
with all of the children! they may not be
anything spectacular, but they are definitely memories ...

oh dear, we're losing Liam ...

there he goes ...

loving this one!

after dinner, photos, and a little visiting - it
was time, once again, to get in the van and get going ...
this time, headed all the way home!

I had driven to my aunt's and the hubby
didn't really nap, so he asked me to drive the first
stretch - I took a "five hour energy" because
when I drive at night, I fade fast!
(ie - on the way to Oregon, I drove one hour total - and it was hard!)
I'd say it worked pretty well because
I was nearing three hours before I started to fade ...
we pulled over and switched at that point!
I drove one more stretch later, so in the end I drove
about seven hours ... made me feel good to
be much more helpful with the driving than I usually am!
I enjoyed the driving too - I saw two bright shooting
stars while driving and I was driving during
the sunrise - which I love!

(I think these next two were actually after breakfast,
beginning our final leg of the long journey home - just a few hours left)

we stopped a little after
7am for breakfast at a cute little place called
"old fashion burger queen" ... I got a kick
out of Jericho saying "it's burger king - not queen"!
it took a while for our food, it was cooked
fresh ...

being silly

sharing with daddy

there's the "tiny firetruck mater"

nothing beats french fries for breakfast!
(his was actually pancakes and eggs, but we shared)

Annicka and I had burgers, yes - for breakfast!

I love these pics!

and just a couple hours later we were home sweet home! we walked in and it felt so weird and different ... of course, my awesome friend had picked up (yah, I left it a little messy) and vacuumed and even had done some cleaning ... AND her and her hubby had even bought us some food so we'd have stuff when we got home, seriously - how nice are they!!! (they had also been hamster sitting, and delivered Ohna home for us - Annicka was thrilled to see her straight away!)

so, there you have it folks, the entire Oregon journey
has now been documented to remember
forever and ever!

I miss you mom, I miss you dad ... we all do!