Des Moines, IA

Have you ever seen The Goofy Movie? Remember the part of the movie where Max erases the map and changes the direction, so he can go where he wanted to instead of where his dad planned? Well I am MAX haha. Matt was def wanting to kill me, but I kept changing the map, to get where I wanted to go. The typical route from NC to WY probably doesn't include a stop in IL.  But, one of my best friends moved back there a year or so ago, and we HAD to stop along the way.  So we stopped in Elmwood, IL for lunch with Leslie and her kiddos.

My oldest and her youngest have been friends since they were babies. It's crazy to see the 10 year olds they have become. And this little girl I met when she was maybe 6-ish (can't remember exactly) has grown into this young lady (feeling old here). So grateful for the chance to stop and see them, Ive missed them like crazy. 

Then we hopped back on the road to Des Moines. It was another FULL day of driving. We finally reached our campground Cherry Glen Campground.  The campground was BEAUTIFUL! I was shocked it was only $20 for the night, a serious steal. 

I may of happen to strategically plan this stop so it was near Ames, IA. Growing up we lived in Ames for 3 years while my dad taught at Iowa State. So after arriving we checked out the campground and then loaded up to go see mommy's old house. 

Matt thought it was getting weird when I wanted a picture, so we quickly left. 6 am came very early every morning, but we wanted to get as much driving out of the way while the boys slept. So we were back up again at 6 and on our way to Mount Rushmore (another one of my "out of the way" stops :)).

Here are some extra pictures we took along the way between Kentucky and Iowa.

Kentucky Horse Park

The first night of our "across country trip" we stopped at a campground called the Kentucky Horse Park. We really loved this campground, and wish we could of stayed longer. It think this is typically used for people attending a derby. It is definitely geared toward horse owners. It was fairly empty for us, and was perfect.

 It was still daylight when we arrived, so we took the boys geocaching. If you haven't heard of geocaching you really need to look into it. Its pretty much a scavenger hunt, all over the country. People have hidden little containers, some with items in it and some with just logs to sign. Read this post my my aunt-in-love (Matt's aunt-but pretty sure Ive stolen her ;) Pig Tails and Boxer Shorts, she describes it pretty well. We have been geocaching for a few years and the boys LOVE it. They are EVERYWHERE.... many in our small hometown.

 As it got dark, we grilled some hotdogs and the boys ran around catching lightening bugs. Maybe I am just missing them, but I have never seen them in South Georgia. I can remember catching them growing up in Iowa, so I'm thrilled the boys got that experience.

Also Brayden lost a tooth somewhere while driving in Kentucky. Cant wait to here him tell the story later, about losing a tooth in Kentucky. 

Next Stop Des Moines, IA- by way of Elmwood, IL :)

Go BIG or Go Home

When planning this "adventure" I begged Matt to find a job out west.  I really wanted to go see the west side of the country and show the boys everything it had to offer.  I even said multiple times to my friends that I wanted to sit our camper beside the Rocky Mountains.  Well, ask and you shall receive. Matt got a call for a job in Wyoming, just a few hours north of Denver. So we packed up and headed west, by way of North Carolina (to see his family).

My Mother in Law's house is the best. Its like a child's playground, and we always have the best time there.

The boys had never slept in a tent (outside), so we put up the tent for a cousin camp out. Not everyone made it, but I slept amazing squished between two sweet 5 year olds.

My Father in Law is from Brasil, so you can guess who everyone is rooting for in the World Cup. My boys have been cheering "Brasil, Brasil, Brasil!!!" for days. 

 We also celebrated Matthew's 10th Birthday while there. Honestly Can't believe we have a 10 year old. Time is completely flying by.

 After a couple of days in N.C we headed off. Our first stop was in Kentucky for the night.

To Be Continued....

See you later ....

I had my last day of work this week (which doesn't even seem real). Thursday was so sad saying goodbye, well see you later, to my coworkers/friends. Have you ever had those coworkers that turn into family. That you group text everyday, whether or not you are working. Well these girls are it. I love them, and I'm so sad not to get to spend 3 days a week with them. plus Chelse'!

So after working Thursday I woke up at at day break, well actually like 4 am, and packed up the car. We headed to see Matt, by way of Disney.

In May and June Disney transforms Hollywood Studios into Star Wars Weekend. My boys are in a huge Star Wars phase, so we just HAD to go. They had a blast. Warning though, if you are planning on going to the Jedi training, you must sign up first thing in the morning. Sign ups are done somewhere else in the park. The boys were super disappointed we missed out on that one. :/

We read about the cupcakes before going, and just had to try them.

After a long day at Disney we continued down to Matt.  On Sunday we took the boys on a bike ride in a nearby park. It was BEAUTIFUL!

Oh and the TV went out on the first night. Which isn't terrible, because we honestly don't watch a lot of television, but I am really missing the news in the morning, while I drink my coffee. Heading back to Georgia for a couple days later this week and will fix the TV problem then. 

As I am sad to say goodbye to this "Normal" life, I am so excited to see what is ahead. If this weekend is a glimpse of what is to come, its going to be amazing. While I realize there well be hard days, the great days will make it worth it. At the end of the day, this makes it all worth it.....

We all sat down around the Picnic table for dinner. It's really the simple things...

Avoidance = Canning

 I would say my coping mechanism of choice would definitely be avoidance. I honestly do some of my best work/coolest projects, while avoiding doing something else. I can remember during nursing school cleaning my house the best, while avoiding studying for a big test. Or me and my bestie trying out new recipes while "studying".  So its only fitting that while I should be cleaning out this house, I have learned to can.

Earlier this week, my first attempt was homemade Spaghetti Sauce. Which honestly wasn't too hard. I followed the recipe here.  Here is what my process looked like.

A couple things I learned from this first time. 1st- I imagine canning is much easier without a 20 month old screaming at your feet to be held. So nap time would be a much better time to try this. (Already failed at this with attempt 2, and paid for it!). 2nd- taste your product! Through this canning/cooking process, I kept thinking I need to wait and taste at the end, and then forgot. So I really hope it turned out good. I ended up with 11 Jars of (no sugar added) Spaghetti Sauce. 

I just finished up my Blueberry-Strawberry Jam. I used the recipe found here. 

The boys and I went blueberry picking at our local organic blueberry farm this week and got A LOT of berries.  If you haven't been, it's a MUST. My kids had a ball, and even Trenton picked a ton of berries. The owner is the nicest guy, and has even spent time showing Brayden how to work the sorting machines. I used strawberries I bought from a local strawberry field, and had put up in the freezer earlier this month. 

And here is my finished product! I ended up with 5 jars of Blueberry-Strawberry Jam. One of my favorite things about the internet/blogs is that you can learn to do anything. Growing up I can remember always having jam and fruit that my Grandma canned for us. Although I never got the chance to have her teach me how (she lived across the country, and passed away a few years ago),  I was able to learn through blogs and a few tips from some friends at work that can. 

It was tasted this time, and kid approved. In fact Brayden immediately wanted a PB&J sandwich made with it. 

So now that I have stalled enough for the day, I am going to put this crazy kiddo down for a nap, and get to the real work. 

PS. A big THANK YOU to my friend Cathy, for letting me borrow her canning supplies. I hope you enjoy your spaghetti sauce and jam (her payment for rent ;)).