Road Trip with BabyKicks Day 1: It’s Not Vacation Until Someone Gets Sick

We have a family motto when it comes to vacation: It’s not vacation until someone gets sick. Kai
decided to live up to it right as our road trip started. After two stops for two different messes and two sets of clothes later, he seemed in good spirits and eager to try out every snack available for the remainder of the trip.

With so much going on to prep before our big trip, we left with

very little sleep. We’d hoped to leave at 4 am, but prepping for summer renters and the trip simultaneously made departure more like 7 am.

The kids entertained themselves with videos, books, and coloring books. They viewed any stop as an awesome opportunity to run and explore, even if they were at usually rest stops. Tim and I talked and joked up front to remain alert and cut down on the sometimes monotonous, other times beautiful, views of farmland. We viewed any stop as an extension of a pretty long 11 hour drive.

I loved listening to the kids talk about all the things they planned for their vacation – swimming, riding a train, visiting family, and seeing “Rount Mushmore.” With the weather less than promising, we were all grateful to have a cabin to look forward to – a last minute change from our tent camping reservation when we saw the forecast.

The trip reminded me how grateful I am for my husband’s even temper and sense of adventure. While exhaustion overcame me, he kept up good spirits. I never liked road trips, but riding alongside Tim changed my mind two years ago. If I have to ride that many hours in a car, there’s no one else I’d rather have as my companion.

We finally arrived at our destination, praying for patience as the final 20 minutes turned into 35 in the pouring rain and our kids tried a very confused countdown from the back seat. We arrived exhausted and starving, but happy to get some rest and go explore the next day!