We got a pretty good start this morning, after getting up early. Gabriella felt a lot better after her rough evening, so that made things go even smoother. After we packed up the cars and drove-thru McDonald’s, we were on our way out of Dodge!

We made pretty good time, stopping a couple of times for gas and bathroom breaks before deciding it was time to stop for lunch around 1:00. It was perfect timing, because just as we decided, we turned the corner and found a really nice park with shaded picnic tables.

While we set up for lunch, Uncle Greg and Gabriella took a tour of the park, trying out the slides, swings, and even the teeter-totter. We probably took a little bit longer of a break than Papa would have liked, but we got a good rest in and Gabriella was ready for the second leg of today’s trip.

Thankfully, we had lots of things to keep Gabriella busy today, that we didn’t have to break out yesterday. After a full day in the car, she was definitely over the excitement of being on a roadtrip. The built in DVD player was a big help. She got to watch her favorite show, Little Einsteins, and even a couple of movies.

As we drove, you could really tell that we had made it to Colorado, just by the beautiful rest areas that they have off of the highways. The grass is pretty and green and meticulously cared for, the restrooms are clean, there are information stands and people actually enjoy stopping at them. That’s a big contrast from the ones in Oklahoma where IF you can find them, you are lucky if the even have “facilities” and even luckier if you can stand the smell and the walk in from the car is usually across a barren dirt path that is covered with trash… At one of the rest areas in Colorado, we met a nice older couple who were returning from vacation to their home outside of Denver. They were walking and playing with their puppy, who just happened to be a cute little Bichon, just like Gabriella’s dogs, Max and Annie. Gabriella was drawn in immediately and she and Petey ran around and played for a while until we were all ready to go.

By the time we finally made it into Colorado Springs and then Denver, the traffic was horrible. Everyone must have been coming home from the holiday weekend, because the cars we backed up for miles. A couple of small fender benders on the side of the highway didn’t help much either. We finally came to the conclusion that we weren’t going to make it to Estes before dinnertime, so we decided to pull over and eat and try to wait out a little of the traffic.

We finally made it into Estes around 8:00 Colorado time. It was dark already, so we didn’t get to enjoy the scenic drive in, but none the less, we were all happy to be there. The cabin was fantastic. It was a great combination of new and cozy, which is a sometimes a little difficult to find. We got our things inside and got settled in, and it wasn’t long before one by one, everyone retired to bed after a long day of traveling.

Trying on Aunt Jacinda’s hat just before leaving the hotel:

Stopping for gas:

Posing with Uncle Greg & Jacinda:

Swinging at the park with Uncle G:

Lunchtime. Say cheese:

Rubbing Nona’s finger, and watching the Little Einsteins:

Uncle Greg and Jacinda following close behind:

Playing in the park with Petey:

Pulling into Estes Park:

Finally, relaxing in the living room, before bedtime:

CD: Natalie Merchant – Retrospective 1995-2005, Neil Diamond – 12 Songs, Dave Brubeck – Time Was Vol. 2 – Lyon’s Busy, Dave Brubeck – Time Was Vol. 3 – These Foolish Things

Well, our trip is finally here. We packed and organized all week and finally got everything ready last night. We woke up this morning and got our showers. It wasn’t long before Nona and Papa were in the driveway with the big huge while Suburban ready to load us up. Uncle Greg and Jacinda followed not too far behind.

Gabriella was so excited to be in the car and going on the trip with Papa, Nona, Mama and daddy all in the car at the same time, that it didn’t take much to entertain her today. Of course we have plenty of things with us, but luckily we can save them until later.

Our first stop was McDonalds a little before noon. With a 7 1/2 month pregnant Mama, the stops on this trip are going to be frequent. We stopped for lunch about an hour later. We had a pretty nice feast. Nona and Mama had made lots of yummies for the trip including a ton of homemade fried chicken, muffins, and all kinds of cookies.

We ate and got back on the road. After a few more stops for the bathroom and gas, we finally rolled into Dodge City, Kansas around 7:30PM and got rooms at the Holiday Inn Express and then headed back out to find someplace to have dinner. We decided on Montana Mike’s, got in, got our table and ordered our food. Unfortunately, Gabriella had a little meltdown, like she’s never had before. She was holding her tummy and saying hurts, so Mama and daddy got her back in the car and headed back to the room.

After a little rest and the comfort of her own potty chair, she felt a LOT better. Daddy went back to the restaurant and picked up everyone else (and our dinner). When we got back to the hotel, Nona came over to our room and helped feed Gabriella while we ate. Since she was feeling so much better, she ate really well, and it didn’t take long before the little girl was passed out from a long day of travel and a full little belly.

Packed up and ready to be picked up:

First stop, with Nona:

With Uncle Gregory, daddy and Nona:

Second stop, stretching out:

Happy and sassy:

At dinner, before the meltdown, with Aunt Jacinda:

Feeling better and having dinner in bed:

CD: Neil Diamond – 12 Songs, Dave Brubeck – Time Was Vol. 1 – Playland At The Beach, Natalie Merchant – Retrospective (1990-2005), Jose Gonzalez – Veneer