Family

 My long awaited trip to see my kids finally arrived!  We awoke at 5 am and were ready to go by 5:30. We left the dogs at home and got into the car we loaded the night before.

The trip started out great and we were zipping along the interstate making good time. I was happily calculating our time of arrival in Des Moines, thinking how surprised they would be when we arrived so early. You know what they say about the best laid plans ........

We encountered some seriously icy roads when we hit highway 63. I saw some cars in the ditches and then we started to swerve. I told he who does not have night blindness that he was not cute and to cut it out ........ It wasn't him, but the ice. We had to slow down to 40 and it was treacherous until we finally saw the salt trucks out.

As soon as I could hear the ice hitting the back bumper, I did what I do best when on a trip. I slept. I did offer to drive, but he turned me down. What else was I supposed to do? The sun finally came up. I don't know when ...... I was sleeping.

The voice of that woman on the Garmin woke me. I knew the hotel was right off I-80 and I figured I could just watch the road signs and when I saw the Ramada we would exit. But, no we had to listen to that insane voice telling us to turn this way and that. We ended up on I-235 and pulled into a Walgreen's parking lot where I called my son-in-law.
Turns out I was right about the signs on the road.

 This is one of the sweet faces I was happy to kiss! He is getting so tall. Seems like just yesterday I was holding him in my arms.

 This is my granddaughter. At 11 she is almost as tall as me! With long,long legs and so graceful. I could not stop looking at her.

Too many sweets left her with a tummy ache and she couldn't eat lunch. She looks so sad here.

We met our newest granddaughter on this trip. She is so sweet and easy to be around. She is helping Gavin color here. I was restrained and did not smother her with a big hug the minute I saw her ....... I waited until we said our goodbyes. She had been warned that we are demonstrative with affection. Her name is Kyra and she is 14. None of my children bothered to name a child after me, but Kyra starts with "K" .......

We only got to spend a few hours with them. They headed north to Minnesota and we headed south to Missouri. Des Moines was a good compromise. Still, 10 hours on the road was tiring.

I was happy to see my bed when I got home, don't know why, since I slept on the trip home, too. I miss them all over again and can't wait to see them!