Traveling with kids….man it is A LOT of work, but work that is totally worth it! One of our favorite things to do as a family is to get in the car and explore the beauty around us! Naturally moving across country allowed for us to do a lot of exploration. After packing up the house in Phoenix and loading up our car with endless supplies for three kids and the two dogs, our family did one of the things we do best…move, just kidding, we hit the open road. I wanted to share some of our exciting adventures on our journey from Phoenix to New York City, I will be doing this over two separate blog post, so hold tight!
First stop, Monument Valley, just kidding this wasn’t our first stop, this was actually the 111th stop because little kids = little bladders, but Monument Valley was the actual first intended destination. Monument Valley had special meaning to me; it was one of the last stops my dad made while traveling down to Phoenix. My dad boasted about Monument Valley and its beauty, so we had to check it out and see what it was all about. I think my dad’s love for Westerns definitely made him love the place a little more than I did, but nevertheless I was happy we made the stop. We were able explain the rock formations to the kids, share a little bit about how much their Papa loved “The West,” and buy Flynn a turtle necklace that was cool for about 5 minutes!
Our second stop was Moab Utah. We had two reasons for stopping in Moab. The first reason, it was yet another stop of Aaron and my Dad’s before his passing, while it might sound crazy to some, it was definitely important to me to make these stops to help just a little with my grieving process, but I’ll spare you that today because that could be a post in its own! The second, and quite possibly the one thing that just made my heart so happy was that our family was able to meet up with our best family friends (is that a thing?!) from Minnesota, The Smiths. Addie and Jairus were instant friends one Sunday in the coffee and donut line at church, their instant friendship led our two families to be the best of friends and rely on each other so much in Minnesota. The Smiths were making a momentous journey as well, as they were moving to Las Vegas. For one day only our paths crossed and it literally felt like not a second had passed from the last time we saw them, though our growing families were evident that it certainly had. Addie and Jairus chatted and played all evening and morning long and Flynn became the tag along little brother that I remembered. It literally made my heart so happy and I pray that we can continue to make sure our paths cross again as we journey through life. In Moab we were able to spend a little time at Arches Nation Park, the kids were able to stretch their legs and loved climbing the rock formations. One thing is for sure, I could have spent days in this National Park, it is so unbelievably beautiful!
Our third destination was Breckinridge, Colorado. Our reasoning for stopping in Breckinridge was a little special, my cousin Kevin was getting married and all of us cousins were finally getting together on a happy occasion! The beauty of Breckinridge and the Rockies is absolutely breathtaking, though altitude sickness is no joke!! Of course, Nick got sick the first night and I was sick the following morning, I literally felt like I was back in college and had drank an entire bottle of UV Blue Vodka and needed to function the next morning, not that I’m speaking from experience. I became best friends with coconut water and spent some time in the oxygen bar, my advice when going to Breckenridge, pre-hydrate!! After we all felt like a million bucks again we spent time enjoying the scenery and spending time with one another. My cousin Kevin, and his new wife, Carey, said their “I do’s” in front of literally one of the most beautiful sceneries that I have ever witness. Their wedding was beautiful, quaint, and full of love! On our last day in Breckenridge we drove over to Rocky Mountain National Park and again, this was another National Park that did not disappoint, there is something about being 14,000+ feet above sea level and witnessing the many habitats that reminds you that we are all just guest on this beautiful planet and our time here should not be taken for granted.
Up next...going home, Albia to NYC