Jon’s family lives in Northern California and we do our best to get out there every summer to visit! This year, we were extra ready to go because we had a new nephew we were waiting to meet.

It’s a 17.5 hour drive to get there and due to a few things, we decided to do it in one day. So I went into Planning Mode early. (A little sidebar, and if you know me in life, this is not news to you: I make all of my family and friends insane a good 68% of the time because of my need for organization. So normal me is already pretty annoying to be around. Planning Mode Me? Impossible to be around.) Jon made fun of me for weeks because of all the stuff I was planning for the kids to do on the drive.

We left at 4:15am, Albuquerque time in total darkness, hoping that the kids would fall back asleep for a little bit. Parker and Eisley both did. Nathan was too excited to sleep.

New Mexico sunrise – you just cannot beat New Mexico skies.

All of the kids loved the magic marker pads I found for them. So fun and the marker didn’t show up on anything except the pad. 😉

I had an activity planned in 90-minute increments for the entire trip. Ha! Possibly a little overboard, but when we pulled into Nonnie and Papa O’s house at 10:30pm Albuquerque time after 17.5 hours in the car and only Eisley had fussed for just the last few minutes of the drive and everyone else was happy the whole trip, it was TOTALLY worth all the work I put into it!!

We made such great time that we actually got to the In-N-Out that we were planning to eat lunch at before it opened – just so crazy. So we ended up having snacks until about 2pm when we got to the next In-N-Out. 😉 Ha! It’s a treat because we don’t have one in the entire state!

He had no idea why we were making him pose with the Coke bottle. 😉 We made sure that Jon and I stayed caffeinated the whole drive so we stayed awake.

And this one decided maybe she should make that her goal too. 😉 Little Miss was in the room with us and between the time difference and the different room everything else, she ended up in the bed with us more than in her own bed and by 5am, I gave up trying to sleep and we moved into the living room so at least Jon could. She finally slept perfect the last night we were there.

We did family pictures on Friday! Our kids were not in prime picture taking mode, but we tried our best. 😉 Jon’s sweet cousin came and took them for us.

Love this one of all the kids. 🙂

This picture basically sums up what my kids were doing the entire photo session. Nathan, who has always had the super power of smiling, was apparently exposed to kryptonite, Parker was tired and Eisley was FEISTY. Goodness.

That night, we all went to Olive Garden for dinner since we were all dressed nice and clean. Nonnie bought a cake for Nathan and he thought it was hilarious.

Nonnie and Papa O live in a retirement community that is meticulously maintained and gorgeous. The boys were SO excited to go fishing in the fishing pond and both of them each caught a fish! They were so happy! (And smelled SO bad!)

Snuggling with the new cousin. 🙂 Eisley loved baby Campbell!

We did the 17.5 hour drive home in one day again and the kids did great again – a little more grouchy but that was to be expected after such a busy trip! We got home, got the kids showered and in bed by around 11pm. And NO ONE THREW UP THE WHOLE ROUND TRIP. It was a road trip miracle!! Nathan did break out in full body hives the last day there and the drive home, but Benadryl seemed to keep them under control until we could get home and wash everything in our normal detergent. A good trip all around! Always so good to see everyone!