Wednesday we are heading up to
Rockin' R Ranch in Southern Utah for a Olson Family Reunion. I am super excited and have a lot to look forward to. We have a family reunion every three years and everyone makes an effort to come. This year we're going to have a great time. The ranch has lots of fun activities to offer: horseback riding, tubing down the river, hay rides, live entertainment, great meals are provided, and it's an all-inclusive deal! We're going to drive to Las Vegas on Wednesday night and stay in a nice suite (killer deal on Expedia) and then go the rest of the way on Thursday morning. We check out and head home on Sunday morning.
So here is my list of things I'm looking forward to on this trip.
- Letting the girls enjoy our new dual screen portable DVD player!!
- Eating all kinds of great snack/junk food with out worrying about it for a few days.
- Horseback riding.
- Seeing my cousins, grandparents, aunt, uncles, etc.
- Seeing my sisters and nephews who live too far away!!!
- Enjoying some new activities with my kids.
- Brushing up on my line dancing skills.
- Not cooking.
- One decent night's sleep at the hotel in Vegas 'cuz the girls will be in a different room.
I have to stay focused on the things I'm looking forward to, otherwise I start to have panic attacks when I think about all the things that are going to be hard and unfun.
- The 12 hour drive home on Sunday.
- All five of us in one room for three nights.
- Trying to pack and keep track of clothes, accessories, shoes, socks, binkies, burpclothes, etc. for five people.
- Keeping Rachel safe from everything and also allowing her to have some freedom to roam and be happy.
It may not sound like those things are that hard, but memories of the last family reunion keep cropping up. Three years ago, Miriam was about 9 months old and Lizzie was 2. It was the longest, hardest trip I've ever taken!!! Despite all that, the first list still wins out. I am SO excited. But if you have any suggestions of things to keep my 3 & 5 yr old entertained in the car once they get bored of DVDs, I would surely appreciate it!!!
4 comments:
My family went there several years ago and we had a lot of fun. Tell the men to watch out riding the bulls (calves). My uncles were all pretty sore afterwards. :) My favorite was when they let the little kids run around and try to catch chickens, pretty funny to watch.
Here is an idea I found off the internet: "Surprise packages-
Prepare ahead with paper bags of items to be given out every 25, 50 or 75 miles -- marked on a map with the location, it takes a little bit of preparation to do this but it REALLY helps young children. In each bag put a wrapped item -- usually a small toy. Then in some of the surprise packages you can add juice or a snack, stickers and a piece of paper, or something pertaining to the trip that you can talk about."
Here is the website I got it from: http://www.momsminivan.com/index.html
One of my psychology professors in college once said he would give his kids a roll of quarters, and for every misbehavior the kids would lose a quarter and whatever was left was what they got to spend on whatever they wanted when they reached their destination.
You know what helps me at a destination if we are going to be there for 2-3 days? To unpack all of our stuff. That way you're never digging through a bag looking for something. Get those burp cloths out and leave them on a side table. Place all pacifiers in a drawer. Clear a space for your "changing table". Do what you can to make it more like a home setting. It is also helpful if you have to send someone else to your room to grab something. The only downside is to make sure you've packed everything when you leave.
Oh I am SOOOO excited for you!!!! I would be just waiting to go. yes, some of it will be hard and difficult, but hopefully once you are there there will be lots of hands helping to keep it all under control :) Happy thoughts to you!! Too bad I wish the Snowball family would do a reunion every 3 years. It would be so fun to get to be all together :)
Travel with kids is never very relaxing for the mom, but we are lucky that there will be plenty of other people who will be happy to keep our kids entertained. I am so looking forward to the reunion! A little nervous about how everyone will sleep, but still way excited. Can't wait to see you! Drive safe!
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