Swag

(It's better to click on this and watch it on Youtube, our blog layout cuts off the edge)

We're still not interested in getting a minivan anytime soon or anything...

At Last

Rocking in her own rocking chair next to Abigail.

Eating Hannah's accessories.

Asher went to school for the first time.

A little story time with Uncle Bob.

Our original plan was to go from Oklahoma City to Memphis but shortly after we started the day, I discovered that Bella now had a fever. Asher was still feeling yuck so...we made it to Memphis and just kept on driving....all night long...and arrived in Charlotte at 7:30 am on Saturday morning. Scott is a beast, driving it all himself.
So, we made it....barely. :-) We've been here four days and still haven't left the Silver's beautiful home. We're wupped. Asher is slowly recovering and having a blast with his cousins! Bella is sick and mom is sick.
If we had been making this trip in covered wagons, all of us except Scott would be dead.

Oklahoma City

Our camping adventures were over once Asher got his fever. We started using Priceline to book our hotels at the last minute - to accommodate our distance for the day. We joked that it was always a surprise - you never knew what you were going to get until you got there. This hotel was valet only. Needless to say, it was a little too fancy for us! :-)

Driving West to East

The next day the winds died down and we took off. Asher still had a fever but he was a trooper!

Asher loved the trains.

The landscape started to change but we are still in Arizona.

And now....New Mexico!

Stuck in Flagstaff

We left the Grand Canyon early to start our driving trek across the country. We had been camping for 5 days straight and were ready for our hotel reservation in Albuquerque. But an hour down the road in Flagstaff, they shut I40 down until 8:00 that night! There was no visibility due to blowing sand and three semi trailers were blown over. We considered taking an alternate route but decided (wisely) that if you can't see on I40, you can't see on a side road either (and we were right).
Then...as were hanging out in Flagstaff trying to figure out what to do, I realized that Asher had a fever. :-( So...we got a hotel in Flagstaff.

This is when we were stuck in the car while Scott was trying to get more info online at a coffee shop. It was pretty fun.

The kids were playing in the hotel (the medicine had kicked in for Asher obviously)

Grand Canyon

Camping in the Grand Canyon

We stayed at a very beautiful, peaceful campground in the Grand Canyon. Our camp hosts gave Asher a ride on their golf cart. They actually brought him a little treat (Smokey The Bear bracelet, stickers, etc) every time they came by to check on us.

It was a little colder than anticipated....

Asher had a blast making up this game.

Mojave Desert

We drove across and camped in the Mojave Desert. It wasn't very hot but it was really windy. Bella is having dinner and a light sand shower.

Sequoia

We didn't get to do one of the hikes we'd planned because of the snow. We didn't camp where we'd originally planned for the same reason. But we did find a beautiful little campground nuzzled in the side of the mountain at a much lower elevation. It was an eventful night. A mama bear and cub visited the campground that night. Someone left an orange in their car by accident and the bear broke the window to get it! We put our oranges in the bear container - THANKS PETER! :-)

We saw the General Sherman - that is one big tree. The redwoods were tall but these sequoias are fat!

On the way to Sequoia

Our first experience at In 'N Out Burger. Our kid's first experience eating fast food! :-)

This fun man sold us oranges, avocado and raisins at his roadside fruit stand. They were mm mm good!

Yosemite - Part 2

Asher really wanted to walk over this bridge (every bridge).

It was really really cold camping in Yosemite. But it was a beautiful campground.

Yosemite - Part 1

All kinds of animals wanted to share in our picnic! We had to keep a close watch.

The Redwoods Ranger

This was Asher's favourite part of the day. The ranger was working at the trail head using a wheelbarrow and shovel. Asher asked him about his truck, every tool in his truck and ate some of his grapes.

Redwoods

We did a real hike here with both babes strapped to our backs. Whew!

She loves this thing.

Asher loves being in the woods.

There was a section of this hike where Asher could walk by himself, which was perfect. He loved running around and Scott's back got a break.

Driving to Redwoods

THIS is the Oregon Coast we expected. Still beautiful. We spent this day driving to the Redwoods, looking for a hotel room to dry off from the night before (it was a lot of rain!).

Asher announces our destination for the day

Sleeping beauties.

Note: we are currently in Fresno, CA on our way to Sequoia National Park. I'm behind on the posts but trying my best to keep it up....

Sunset Bay, Oregon

The view from our first night of camping at Sunset Bay, Oregon. It was a beautiful evening....and then...the rain started in the middle of the night and kept DUMPING on us as we drove away the next morning. :-) Good thing we had our "portable bomb-proof mansion" to keep us dry!

The Tent - 2

The Tent - 1