Father Harry and I raised five children in an eighteen-hundred square foot home.  Four of these busy little critters were boys and one sister, who is the youngest.  Twenty plus years of busyness filled that simple, happy home.  I was describing our ‘small’ house one day to a dear friend.  She sweetly reprimanded me and said this paradigm shifting comment,  “Don’t say ‘small’, say ‘intimate’ “.

What a different frame it put around my thoughts of our smaller-than-everyone else’s place.  We had suddenly become a family that was no longer crowed together,  but rather characterized by “close personal relations;  warm friendship;  warm, cozy.”  How strong and wonderful words are!

This was the exact word I used when we packed the pick-up truck full of one grown son (our main driver),  his sister-in-law, her three adorable children  (with one still in a car seat), and this Primary Farm Operator.  On the road for a 1,300+ mile trip out West to attend a family wedding.  It was the first time for my sweet DIL and children to be away from their dad/husband, who could not get time off work.  Uncle Gordon would have to do for the nine days.

Leaving their dad/husband was a bit rough, but we were all packed and ready to go.  I have always believed everyone should make a road trip across our mighty country at least once.  It is stunning, fun, and tiresome (I don’t know why Dorothy ever wanted to go  back to Kansas!)  Just the same, it is beautiful to drive through.

It took about 27-28 hours to drive from our farm here in Virginia to the Gordon’s, Longtime Ranch, in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado.  We stopped for a quick nights rest on the west side of St. Louis.  Snacks, fruit, sandwiches, books, i-pads, toys, blankets, pillows and of course a good atlas had all found a traveling space.  The luggage carrier strapped in the truck bed was full.

The joy of traveling with little ones, and a momma that have not experienced a cross-country trip made it all the more fun.  Crossing the Ohio, Mighty Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers were thrilling.  Passing through towns that look so different in form and feature from our own filled us with wonder.  How amazingly different our country is!

My twinster and her family went beyond the call to make us feel comfortable and welcomed.  Even with the amount of work at their ranch for their daughter’s wedding, they had time for us.  It was truly a blessing from start to finish.

Perhaps this little blog post will give you the notion that traveling with family can be done.  It surely was well worth it!

Happy Family Travels!