I love a good well planned road trip. Luckily James does too and even better for me is that my kids get just as excited about a good road trip. We are so grateful for our time overseas because we were able to see so many fantastic places. Ever since we moved back we have all been feeling a little bit restless and anxious to go and do something to satisfy our itch for exploring the world around us.
So we decided a couple weeks ago to plan a road trip and head out on a Church History tour. There are so many amazing stories in both of our families about ancestors who faced religious persecution for their beliefs that we wanted to show our children why we talk about the Mormon pioneers with gratitude and respect. They endured so much in their lives just to worship how they wanted. So it seems only fitting that for Pioneer Day we take our own family on a trek to discover a little bit of history and hopefully a better understanding of where we came from and who we are.

I can only imagine in my head how difficult it was to pack a family and head out across the unknown with a handcart and only what we could fit inside of it. It’s not the lack of stuff that is hard for me to imagine it’s how to fit basic needs for a family our size into a space that small.  As I was packing and preparing for this trip the thought kept going through my head “I wonder what the Pioneers would think of all this?” We told the kids we were going electronic free except once it gets dark. So I did my best to be creative and plan activities and songs and games to keep everyone in good spirits. Because at least if you were bugged with your siblings as a pioneer you could maybe walk a little faster or slower to get some space, but in Tiny there is NOWHERE to hide. We have been rehearsing our pioneer hymns to sing while we do a short 2 mile family handcart trek once we are in Nauvoo.

I am not really a fan of being that family who pulls up to get gas and everyone stands there watching you all pile out counting like a clown car only to have each person kick trash and junk out the door as they jump out. So everybody gets one cinch bag for their entertainment and water bottle in hopes to keep the stares and gawking to a minimum. We are only traveling for 10 days I can’t even imagine 3 months like they endured.

So far we have only had 1 car seat filling diaper blowout and 1 lost tooth. Hopefully the tooth fairy has her act together enough to find the hotel room. I know there will be plenty of other “fun” things that happen before we roll back into the driveway but honestly those moments make the trips so memorable. We stopped off for a night in Dallas to see amazing friends who we haven’t seen in about 3 years. Way too much laughing and not nearly enough sleep makes for a fabulous pit stop. Now we are hanging around Oklahoma City for a couple days to see James parents who are serving a mission right now. We love getting to spend time with friends and family.