Utah-bound

MAAAAAAAYBE just maybe I'm ready to sit down and gather pictures from everywhere and document this load of amazing/crazy trip.

Our flight to Utah left on July 1st at 7 in the morning, so we had decided to drive down to Charlotte (2 hrs away) the night before our flight to spend the night. PLUS, I THOUGHT I was genius and I booked through a parksleepfly type thing where you stay a night at a hotel and you can park your car there for free. AND they have shuttle service to the airport. 

Okay.....it all SOUNDS good on paper, but it was kinda a nightmare.

First we pull up to the hotel and realize.....ummmm, this isn't a hotel we are used to staying it (meaning: can FIT my family, let alone in a CLEAN space). There were scary loiter-ers all outside and Brooks didn't even let me walk to the van by myself to get things out. (He sent Camden or Bronson with me, because they are so tough and can scare off any drug-dealing gansta I'm sure).

But before I show our room, I need to say that we asked for a NON-smoking room. When we opened the door, we didn't smell any cigarette smoke. No-siree! It was some foreign smoked smell or some drug I had no clue existed. Great. 

At LEAST the whole wall was mirrored to entertain Kellyn and Everly since my girls are vain and just want to stare at themselves. The phones didn't work which also made for great toys for the kids. We got there around bedtime though so it was a matter of 1) checking the bed for bedbugs 2) brushing teeth and turning on Animal Planet for a while. Then lights out.

Nastiest. room. ever.

ANYWAY, it turns out the "airport shuttle" only fits 8 people, which is a problem with a family of 10 and other people from the hotel that want to ride. Brooks and I decided to have me drive him and 5 of the kids to the airport while I left Bronson at the hotel with sleeping babies. Then I came back packed them up and the four of us rode the shuttle to the airport. Seriously, getting kids up at 5-ish was super hard. There's no way I could've done that without Bronson.

But we made it to the airport and I was THRILLED to say good-bye to that marajuana joint they call a hotel. I sat there hoping my van would still be there when we got back. But hey, it was free to park there, right?

So.Much.Stuff!

We packed all our things in carry-ons for the Utah trip. We just had to check the golf clubs and a bag for Brooks. I kept rubbing it in that I got ALL my clothes/junk for Utah in a carry-on when he couldn't. But then again, I also didn't pack golf shoes, church shoes his size, basketball shoes, tennis shoes, etc. 

I found this carry-on for Royce at Goodwill a few weeks before. Sure they say never to monogram your luggage for fear of child-abduction, but when it's not even your kids' NAME, it's actually genius. I thwarted all the creeper-dudes in the airport, I'm sure.

None of the kids ever remember flying on an airplane (Bronson was 3 when we went back last), so before we got on Brooks had the nice ol' "talk" of how to behave, what's expected of them and the "OR-ELSE" claus at the end. Emerson actually looks concerned........ good, it worked.

We took up three rows and I thought out the seating arrangement prior to getting on to set us up for success.

1) Everly could NOT see me or sit by me or she would want to get out

2) Royce needed to be contained and not allowed near an aisle

3) Since Brooks can get Royce to do anything, HE would be the man to enforce that.

All of those worked since Royce is trapped against the window (can't see him), Everly asleep in the carseat and Brooks just reading on his phone.

I sat with Aleeya, Iris and Kellyn on my lap doing play dough or coloring and it seemed to work the whole flight. (The three oldest boys just played on a kindle in a row by themselves but close enough where Brooks could grab their ear if needed.....it wasn't needed.)

The end got a little tricky when Kellyn and Everly switched seats, and Brooks' face describes all inner-parent-feelings on any flight with kids.

It actually was pretty easy though with people commenting that they didn't realize the kids were even on the flight. #miraclesnevercease

We got to the airport where my parents (Grams and Grampy) greeted us, even though Brooks' dad was picking us up to take us to their home. It was sweet my parents drove 1.5 hours just to be there. I love Aleeya's big ol' smile.

She brought bright colored balloons for the kids too! What kids don't like balloons?!?!?!

Then we let them off to watch them go in the sky....AND to see who's balloon wins (there must always be a winner, right?)

Kellyn's pink one won.

RA (Brooks' dad) showed up later with our van that we bought.
Yes, we bought one. It ended up being cheaper to BUY one then rent one for three weeks. So here's the Utah-Yeti (it has a nice ring to it).

Later that day Brooks stayed home with Kellyn and Everly while Pat ("Grandma") and I took the older 6 to Lagoon to meet up with some of their cousins.
My older three kids had been to an amusement park 3 years ago, but that's it. This was really kinda the first time for everyone and they had a BLAST. Such joy on their faces.

Aleeya, Royce and cousin Emma (who Iris wouldn't LEAVE her side) in the back left.

I rode these jeeps with Royce and Iris was sitting alone. I motioned to Pat to hop in with her. Here is Grandma asking Iris if she could ride with her.

Iris did NOT want Grandma to ride with her, as her body language showed so obviously. Well, suck-it-up-buttercup!

All the boys with their cousins. They really hit it off immediately (since they really have only met once before.....5 years ago.....). In fact my boys LOVE Luke and Lincoln and still talk about them.

I had to include this picture. He's too much. He didn't even have a nap on the plane. I can't believe he was still putting one foot in front of the other by the end of the day.

Let's just say, we ALL hit the beds pretty hard that night.