We went to Wyoming with Brett on business this week. It was a lot of time in the car for a little time together, but totally worth it. There were lots of memorable things from this trip, and so we're glad we were able to capture photos of most of them.
We left on Tuesday shortly before 10. We were hoping to get to Casper by 5. We had a stop at Little America for gas and a potty break. Shortly after we got back on the interstate we blew a tire. Thankfully Brett didn't loose control of the car, and it was on the passenger side of the car. Fortunately I had a smart phone to start looking up tire shops and call ahead. Unfortunately, there was a very limited supply of the tire we needed in the area. I think I called at least 7 shops before we actually found one. When we got there I felt like we had stepped back in time. The place is out of the 50's. It was totally filthy...like dust on the chairs in the waiting area and me saying "don't touch anything...it's dirty" to S for the whole time we were there. It was about 45 minutes and we were back on the road.
a trick I pulled out of my bag to keep her entertained :)
This kid is seriously the best traveler in the world. She was awake until around 5 then finally crashed. Normally I would never let her crash that late in the day, but she needed it...and she started to fall asleep right before we stopped to get the tire changed.
minutes between these pictures
We have a pass to Thanksgiving Point which gets us into other ASTC museums. We found one that was available in Casper that we spent a few hours at while Brett was at his conference. They had lots of reptiles that S loved to see. There was a toddler area, blocks, tanagrams, and lots of other stuff. It was fun to sit and explore with her :)
tanagram picture
visible piano
That evening Brett had a catered dinner with other oil and gas people. I told S we were going to have a fun mommy and S date. I opted to go to the mall so she could have lots of choices for dinner at the food court. After we were walking around a bit and she found this fun playground inside. I'd deem it a successful mommy S date :)
After we picked up dad from his meeting we grabbed a fun "treat" for us to share. S loves popcorn and had asked for some earlier. We picked up a bag of microwave popcorn to take back to our hotel. She thought it was the coolest thing because she had never seen it before. I realize this makes us sound like we're from the stone age, but we really prefer the taste of it popped on the stove...that's what she's used to seeing. Yes, it takes a tiny bit more effort, but is totally worth it :)
The morning we were leaving we just hung out in the hotel for a bit while Brett went to the last bit of his conference. We watched Daniel Tiger (aka "tiger show") and just played. She thought she needed all four pillows. What a crazy kid.
We made a stop at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center. They had all sorts of fun things from the Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail, and others. We got to ride in a covered wagon as it (virtually) crossed the Platte River. We rode in a stage coach and watched as others on the
frontier "passed" us by. There were lots of other fun hands on things to do there. If you are in Casper and are looking for something worthwhile I highly recommend a stop in.
S thought it would be fun to decorate herself with stickers on the ride home. She was full of giggles as she did it. She really is so fun!
It wasn't long on this trip before she conked out!
We enjoyed some really beautiful skies on our drive home. Some of them quite ominous and ready to pour at any minute. Others of them were quite serene and breathtaking. We really do have some beautiful creations we are able to enjoy!
One fun thing with S that has developed recently is a conversation that goes something like this:
S: Can I have _______, please?!
*brief pause
S: Say yes, say yes, say yyyeeeesssssssssss!
I seriously can't help but just about laugh every time I hear her say it. She is such a delight!
After church today she was just so excited. I had a cupcake that someone had brought to share. As soon as she saw it, it was, "Mom, can I have some?" To which I replied, "As soon as we get outside." I know all too well how crumby cupcakes are and didn't want to make that mess in the church. In her excitement she was pretty much dancing/running down the halls with a big smile on her face. I friend saw her and commented on how excited she is, and she is filled with "life is so great!" type of attitude. I smiled back and just said, "Pretty much!"
When you look back at experiences like that how can you not think life is great?! Sure, it is hard. Yes, we all have things that we really struggle with. Yes, there are things we all wish were different or weren't as hard for us. But, taking a step back to look at life. It is pretty great. We are so blessed. Despite the heartbreaks there's nothing I would change. Without them we wouldn't have this fantastic bundle of joy in our lives.
