Road Trip Part I

Well, by this note, it's obvious that we all survived our road trip to Colorado.  AND, you'll be happy to hear, I brought all the kids back with me too!  =)  Actually, all joking aside, they were awesome!  I still can't believe how well behaved they were.  We actually had total strangers coming up to us in restaurants telling us how good they were!  Don't worry.  They made up for it when we got home.

Getting back and into a normal routine again is almost as much work as it to prepare for the trip.  I'm also happy to say that my photography business has boomed in the past few weeks, which of course is keeping me busier...in a good way.  :)  I finally made time to sit down and get my South Dakota pictures edited for you.  Colorado will be next, I promise.  Hopefully tomorrow???

We are also happy to announce that our house will be going on the market, hopefully next week!  I'm so super duper excited, because I found a house that will fit our family!  It's still (pretty much) in the neighborhood, and is a potential 6 bedroom!  The one room is a HUGE game room right now, so I'm planning on putting up a partial wall down the middle, and having the boys share.  That way they can have their own privacy, while still sharing the room.  The extra room will be my photography room.  It might be a little dark for a studio, but either way, I have lots of things to store!
We have to sell our house before we can buy the new one, so if you know of anyone that's interested in a 4 bedroom, 3 stall in an awesome, kid-friendly neighborhood, send them my way!!  The listing will be under TimDanielson.com

Now, onto the pictures that you've been waiting for!!  Like I said earlier, they are all from South Dakota.  The Badlands and Mount Rushmore in particular.  Treyton was really interested in Mount Rushmore, whereas the other 3 were just too young to appreciate it.  They did like the Badlands though.  I grabbed my camera as much as possible, but it's a struggle to snap away when you have an 8 month old squirming in your arms.  The camera shots don't do the memories justice.  The sounds of their laughter and the curious, innocent questions were priceless.  Enjoy!!!

Treyton in the Badlands

Maddex playing with his new horsie.

Trying to keep up with Daddy!

This is the result of a family picture taken by a guy heading to Sturgis.   Hahaha!

I love this picture!!

Insanity=Reality

The countdown has begun!  We have been crazy hectic busy in the Akers household, because we are getting ready for our first ever (not annual, I promise!) road trip!  I am super excited and very, very scared.  We are taking all 4 kids, and driving, driving, driving, to Colorado.  That's a total of 14 1/2 hours!!  We leave on Tuesday afternoon and plan to drive to Mitchell, SD to see the famous Corn Palace, and then stay the night somewhere around that town.  Wednesday we want to show the kids Wall Drug and Mt. Rushmore.

Every site that I visit for tips keeps telling me to have a plan, but I doubt that those writers traveled with 4 kids, ages 6 & under.  I still can't help it though, I'm actually excited!  I figure it'll be really good until about 2-6 hours into the trip.  The first couple, everyone will be all happy and getting along.  After about hour 2 though, reality sets in.  There is going to be screaming, fighting, whining, and bawling.  The kids are probably going to plan together and have each one do their part,      one     at      a       time.  I meant to use the spaces there, because that's how the trip is going to drag on!  The best part is though, I'm going to involve all of you to participate!  Yay!!!   Ok, seriously now.  I'm going to take pictures along the way, and try to post them here on my blog.  They will just be cell phone pictures, but I want you to be as involved as we are.  Seriously, you can thank me later.  :)

Regardless of all the chaos that WILL happen, I'm still excited.  So many memories, for both us and the kids!  (ok, the kids that are old enough to remember)  We will be getting back either Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week.  Just in time for Maddex's fourth birthday!  Talk about fun times with the fam!  

Now I know that I can't write on this blog without adding pictures, and I also know that these pictures have nothing in common with my post, but I had to share.  They are of Little Lady Reeyin, of course, taking her bath in the sink.  I don't use the sink too often for baths, but know that it's a classic picture that I'll treasure forever.  I just love the chunky little fingers, their pudgy little elbows, as well as the wet eyelashes and the pure concentration of doing simple tasks like holding a cup.  I love my babies, and (not counting what I'm about to endure with the road trip) never want them to grow up!