Changement Mama: Spring Break- Driving to Utah

For Spring Break 2012, we decided to load up the mini-van and head to Utah. My parents moved there Summer 2011, so we wanted to check out their new house, and visit the city where Shane and I fell in love and lived together for the first 4 years of our marriage. Their new house is SO close to where our apartment was: we could see it from their balcony! They live close, but they are off of Highland Dr., so further east, which is considered a good area. You see, as one head up 3300 South, for instance, towards the East bench of the Salt Lake Valley, the area gets more and more desirable and snobby. Our old apartment is in the Ghetto on 900 East (flat land). We took Emma there to see where she used to live, and she was so excited! She wanted to get out and walk around the apartment complex to see the pool and play area, but I wouldn't let he get out of the car in such a rough looking area. (wth???) Shane wasn't as intimidated, so he took all the kids to Iceberg, on the corner of 3300 S & 900 E, where we used to walk and enjoy the famous malts and shakes for FHE (Family Home Evening).

But I digress. Before we enjoyed our week in Salt Lake City, we endured the drive though rural Colorado and Utah to get there. The morning we left was the day after normal life craziness, so we slept-in a little bit too long, and hurriedly packed up the kids, suitcases, and our little Chihuahua, Chico. No, he didn't get to go to Utah; he had to be dropped off at the boarding kennels in the Alamosa Valley Veterinarian Clinic, where Shane used to work before he had a good job with paid vacation. (Yay!!!) We left our sweet, little guy there with trusted staff, and visited with Dr. Steffens for way too long. Funny, he didn't even recognize me. I had been getting that a lot, so it didn't bother me. I mean, how can one be bothered by lack of recognition due to losing 35 lbs.??? "On to Utah for new (skinny) clothes," I thought to myself happily, as we headed West on the 285.

By the time we got to Saguache, there were full bladders, and requests for treats. That is the point where only 1 public restroom exists for many miles (and hours) so we decided to top of the gas tank and take a beat. As I ushered the kids into the convenience store, Shane noticed a red SUV pull into the parking lot a little too quickly, and the man driving hastily parked in two spaces, threw open his door, and left his wife in the running vehicle as he dashed into the convenience store with a panicked look on his face. At this moment, I was trying to get the kids to stop ogling the slushy machines and get to taking care of their potty business, but the man beat me to the unisex bathroom. Dang it! I was bugged at my lack of focus on the task at hand, so I used my stern voice as I insisted that the kids come form a line outside the bathroom door before any other travelers got in front of us. We stood there a while. We heard noises. Shane and I glanced at each other with raised eyebrows and silently communicated our concerns, which were confirmed when the man opened the bathroom door and let out a stench that could both wake the dead and encourage children to make rude comments, which they did. With no other choice, we plugged our noses and got 5 people in and out of there in record time. Big mistake.

As we drove on to Utah, the kids enjoyed their gas station treats, including a drumstick ice cream cone for Emma, who quickly noticed that the bottom of her cone was broken, and that the ice cream was already melting all over her cupped hands. Now, I don't know what kind of a Mother travels without handy wipes, but this moment found me completely unprepared. I don't remember the dialogue, but somehow Shane and I decided to use a tampon out of my purse (always have those) and wet it with water so that she could clean up the mess on her hands. Shane threw the cone out the window: somehow, we ended up traveling without a trash bag, not even one from the gas station. After that incident, we had smooth sailing for quite some time, and as the kids were behaving well, we decided to forgo stopping for a meal until Grand Junction, since the kids had plenty of snacks and drinks. At the time, we were in Montrose, which is home to the last McD's for quite some time, and we worried that the little ones would see those golden arches and want to stop. At that point, Shane and I decided to calmly and quietly do a McDonald's drive-by, as we referred to it as, and hope they didn't notice. Luckily, we prevailed! The rest of the journey was pretty chill, and we made good time with Shane behind the wheel.

Here I am, with Sally-Mom and Caroline, happily doing the dishes.

When we made it to our destination of Salt Lake City, my parents welcomed us into their (stunning) new home, and directed us to the guest bedrooms, furnished with new bedroom sets. We immediately began to enjoy our vacation and time with Dave and Sally-Mom, and the Harris family. We made plans for the week, and I smiled as I closed my eyes for a stress-free slumber, anticipating a morning to sleep-in. Unfortunately, the next day, the day after, and then still another day after that, we found out why stinky bathroom guy was in such a hurry when he pulled into the gas station parking lot. Stomach bug! All of us had our turn with this nasty virus, including Sally-Mom. And I worried about gaining weight on this trip. Ha!