Road Trip (Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico)

I've always wanted to see the famous caverns at Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Ever since I heard my mom tell cool storries about the cave formations and the bat flights at night.

Alas,

We made it there too late to see the caverns :(

Maybe next time.

Atleast we got some cute pictures.

Road Trip (New Mexico)

We hopped in the car and headed to Las Cruses, New Mexico. 

I know it's a bad picture, but I just stuck the camera out the sun roof so my dad could see the place of his birth. 

Love ya Daddy!

After that I was stopped and interrogated by the US Boarder Patrol.

They asked me if I was a citizen, and where I was going and if I was alone.

(all except the illegal Mexicans I had somehow managed to stuff in my trunk with the sleeping bags, pillows and camping gear I had already packed)

Seriously?

Then it was on to White Sands National Monument.

The kids played in the sand.

Until...

I found some small animal tracks in the sand.

 We followed them and wondered what we would find.

How exciting.

Except all we found was a puddle of soaked blood in the white sand.

(Natures Finest)

 

I danced. 

 The boys ran.

It was a nice place to stop to run some energy off. 

Road Trip (leaving Arizona)

Deciding to come on a road trip was a difficult decision.

I worried about having a freak-out moment and being so far away from home.

I hemmed and I hawed about it and finally convinced myself that I could do it.

I packed some medication that helps me calm down in the event of an anxiety attack.

I ran through some scenarios about what I could do, who I could call etc.

And there you have it.

I drove, and drove, and drove some more.

There so many things that I love about Arizona.

I love the sunshine, the roads, the people, and the familiarity.

I visited my old psychiatrist Dr. Leicken

(amazing doctor I highly recommend him)

I saw Loraine.

I hung out with a couple army veterans and talked about how far we have come in the last 5 years.

I visited with family.

I enjoyed people and places that I love and miss.

...but there are things that are hard in Arizona.

The memories and the triggers are hard.

In the end....

Things don't always happen the way I plan them out in my mind.

I forgot to pack my emergency anxiety medication so I was runing on over-load.

I was staying up late reminicing about some of the good...I mean bad ole' days,

I wasn't sleeping well and was completely over-stimulated.

I broke down in tears.

Tears of anger.

Tears of sorrow.

Tears of leave me a lone.

All I wanted to do was get in the car and leave.

but I didn't

not then anyway

I sent the kids to the zoo with their cousins.

I called my my mom and cried.

I tood a nap.

And I made up my mind to leave when the kids got back.

I booked a hotel somewhere in New Mexico and left.

And it was good. 

Because we jumped on the bed. 

Road Trip Arizona Cousins

Arizona was filled with cousins,

and more cousins.

We paddled around Tempe Town Lake in a paddle boat.

We ran around at the park and threw a frisbee.

We hugged the ones we love and jumped in the car for another adventure.

...more to come about that later.

Road Trip (drive to AZ)

On Sunday morning we packed up from Goblin Valley to drive to Arizona,

The views were amazing.  I love driving through southern Utah.

 

I love taking state road 261

It's after Natural Bridges National Monument and on your way to Mexican Hat. 
You drive down the side of a cliff where you can BARELY fit 2 cars on a gravel road.
I love it.

We stopped for a picture.

There were many great national parks and monuments that we could have stopped at along the way.

But the kids wanted to get to Aunt Marie's!

...I guess the Grand Canyon doesn't stand a chance when compared to cousins.

Road Trip First Leg of the Journey

Happy Birthday to Loo,

Happy Birthday to Loo,

Happy Birthday dear Looskie,

Happy Birthday to YOU!

My sister planned a camping trip to Goblin Valley State Park to celebrate her Birthday.

We Climbed

We Hiked

We Played with Brother's Hair 

We Crawled in a Cave 

We were Eaten by Rocks

We Played Sardines

We Frightened the Children 

And Squose Down a Hole 

Jumped over the Birthday Girl 

Read Scriptures in the Tent 

Hiked Through Little Wild Horse Canyon 

Made Faces at the Rocks

 Rode in the Back of the Truck

Kissed in the Canyon 

 Lifted Huge Boulders

And Posed for the Camera

What more could you ask for???

Road Trip

I've always dreamed about taking my kids on Vacation. 






We have traveled before to California for a funeral, or to Utah for a wedding, but we've never gone on a vacation just us. 

Not until....

Now :)







Oh trust me.  I tried to talk myself in and out of it since March, but finally I decided that while my kids are out of school, we are going for fun.  I have worried about having a PTSD melt down so far away from home and all of the "What ifs???" That pop into my head.  I thought about purchasing a gun and thankfully talked myself out of that disaster.

Luckily, I know that my Mom is a phone call away in case of an emergency.

Wish me luck.