Our Trip (What an oh so original title....)

As mentioned earlier in the blog, the purpose for going out to California was to pick up a new car. We've purchased a 2007 Toyota Matrix. When we bought it, it had under 20,000 miles. (NICE!) As a family member recently complained while looking at the pictures on my digital camera, "you didn't take a picture of the car."

So here's a picture from some other car dealers website of a car that looks exactly like ours...it's even the same color!

While in California, we stayed with Mike's brother Harold's family. It was a lot of fun. Mike got to go with Harold to Elly and Matthew's Tae Kwon Do class and watch them. Here's an exchange as told to me by Mike between Elly and Mathew and Master Don, their teacher.

MasterDon: "Who's that guy over there with your dad?"

Elly and Matthew, looking up with somewhat blank stares... "ummmmm."

MasterDon: "What's his name?"

Elly and Matthew: "ummmm"

MasterDon to Mike: "What's your name?"

Mike: "My name is Mike."

MasterDon to Elly and Matthew: "What's his name?"

Matthew: "Mike"

MasterDon: "That's not what YOU call him. What's his name?"

Elly: "Uncle Mike!"

MasterDon: "Where's he from?"

Matthew and Elly: "Umm...."

MasterDon to Mike: "Where are you from?"

Mike: "Chicago."

MasterDon to Matthew: "Where is Uncle Mike from?"

Matthew: "Ummmm"

Elly: "Chicago!"

MasterDon: "Thank you Elly, but I was asking Matthew."

:)

They are great kids! I love 'em!

The next day, we drove to LasVegas, NV to visit with Mike's sister Tanya and her family. We got to go to Gavin's baseball game and Mike and Gavin played Wii. Channing is a lovebug always giving hugs.

Knowing that we couldn't bring Dale with us, I brought pictures on my camera instead. Channing saw the four pictures and stated, "You have four pictures of Dale, you need four pictures of me." She paused, then went on "And one picture of Gavin."

Here's a great picture of Tanya, Roy, Gavin and Channing.

After leaving Las Vegas, we drove up I15 to Salt Lake City, where we stayed with Mike's Dad and had dinner with Johanna and Sheldon. It was lovely to get to see them again. I didn't get any pictures though. :( I only wish we'd had more time and could have visited with Johanna's kids.

From Utah, we drove for 12 hours to the middle of Nebraska and stayed in Kearny. Utah and Wyoming have some spectacular scenery. Nebraska....is flat...and brown....and empty. We honestly recommend to all our friends, that if you ever have to drive straight through Nebraska on I-80, do it at night, 'cause you won't miss anything.

The next day we stopped for a short visit with Ben, Lori and Ayla. Even that visit was too short. At that point, we were only 3 hours from home, and VERY ready to get there.

This trip did show us one thing...How very blessed we are to have such a loving family. And I LOVE all my nieces and nephews. They're each very unique and wonderful individuals.

And, Ailene....if Mike could have gotten some extra days off of work, we promise, we would have come to Albuquerque to visit with you and Clarke.

I've got some pretty good pictures of the scenery from the Highway from California through to Iowa. I'll upload them to photobucket and put them on the blog soon. :)