So in posting the White Sands pictures, it occurred to me that I never posted any pictures from our cross-country caravan.
In June, my cousin Heather and I packed up our four Croc-clad daughters, their four sleeping bags, seven lovies (four belonged to Ava), four backpacks crammed with activity books and crayons,
Uncle Moose (look how helpful he is),
and ourselves into her van.
Over the next two days we drove 1,151 miles through 5 states and about 15 states of mind to get to our hometown in Southern New Mexico. Her baby brother was marrying his childhood sweetheart, and we had four flower girls and one groomsman to deliver.
Oh, and some presents that needed a little extra reinforcing.
Food and potty breaks became recess.
Uncle Moose led the girls in calisthenics, helping them run off the energy stored
from 19 hours of this:
Uncle Moose, however, was completely mystified by the amount of time it took for six girls to use the bathroom. “What is going on in there. Come On. Just stick them in pampers. Let’s go!”
We started in lush, green farmland, crossing over Rockie Mountain switchbacks to come to the wild and beautiful desert.
“Cate, if we were on top of that mountain, we could touch the sky!”
“Well, we would need a stool.”
“Cate, if we had a stool on top of that mountain, we could touch the sky!”
“Well, we would need to hold our mama’s hand.”
In the valley of these mountains sits the home of my aunt and uncle, an oasis of green fenced in with mulberry trees, pecan trees, and my favorite willow tree.
No buckles, no straps, no windows, no doors, no recycled air–we’re free!
Push us higher Uncle Mark!
After two weeks of baby meeting,
tree climbing,
cowgirl dreaming,
petal dropping,
picture taking (bonus points if you can find Uncle Mark, the groom, and his beautiful bride, Joanna),
all-night dancing,
birthday celebrating (Happy Birthday Audrey!),
Mexican band hearing
(Ava: Mama, why are they talking funny?
Mr. Mexican Band: We’re speaking Spanish
Mrs. Mexican Band: We’re Mexican. You need to teach your daughter about Mexicans!),
and water drinking 
(hey it’s hot here and dry!),
it was time to get back in the boosters again. It’s a mystery to us why Uncle Moose chose an alternative riding arrangement home.
Sleep tight little ones. We are almost home.
Only ten more hours to go!
Oh, and thanks for making the first trek with us Uncle Moose! We couldn’t have done it without you or the “hip-hip-hip-po-pah-tu-mus!”
WOW! You are brave. Sounds like fun though! We make the same trek to Wyoming every year so see Ross’ family. Where the heck do you live? I just figured you still lived in NM.
Rachel,
You are braver than I am! I dread the 2 1/2 hour drive to my parents house with just TWO little girls in the backseat. You’ve inspired me to make that trip more often with little complaining! Glad to see you are well.
Michelle Cook
I loved reading about your traveling adventure and seeing the great pics as well!!!
I’m so glad to see pictures from your trip and to see that you lengthened your post so that we could see Ava as a flower girl. She looks beautiful! My, what a lot of children were in the wedding! And what a great adventure you and Heather embarked on!
Oh…and I agree…you guys are so BRAVE taking this trip with the girls (who are so cute) that included so much driving…the 4 1/2 hour trip to Minneapolis is enough for MY kids!!!
Oh, I forgot to mention that my cousin Heather lives 9 hours away! So that adds two more travel days and 18 more hours to the complete excursion. I was definitely an adventure–Naomi, Audrey, Cate, & Ava are troopers!
Thanks a lot. Now I have that hippo song stuck in my head!
(It was so fun to read about your adventure.)
I have a different version of that story, and just for the record, I am the brave one. It was 2 mothers and 4 lovely little girls, and they were lovely until they were hungry or tired or one of the other lil ones wouldnt let them play or hit them in the head with a bottle. And many times it was like having 4 little copycats in the back; if one cried, another would, then another, then the other would complete the chorus of boohoos; it was amazing how all their little tummies would conspire to instantly become extremely hungry at the exact same time; and their jokes were priceless and they would be created and recreated and added onto for hours on end without ever being unfunny.
I’ll just say this, my favorite seat was the drivers…that way I had no duty to keep six women’s emotions jolly at the same time over the course of a 20-hour, two-day road trip.
I wish I had a video of Rachel’s made up stories that the girls begged for. The stories were awesome but that bird chirp sound that came out of your mouth was awful, and I know you did it just to pester me as only a big sis would.
Seriously it was a lot of fun, and one adventure that I will never forget, nor will it ever happen again.
Love,
UNCLE MOOSE
What!? I did NOT know you had posted this. I am so used to just one post at a time from you, that when I saw a new one a few days ago, I assumed it was the only one and didn’t look below and have been building upwards ever since! Glad I finally found this tonight…fun to hear more about your big trip and see photos to boot!