Thanksgiving 2017 Trip, Part 3.

On our way home, we had 2 options to avoid the Vegas traffic- drive up the 80 through Reno, or through the middle of Nevada. We had heard there was nothing in the middle of Nevada, but it was faster on the maps and we figured what's the harm? We've driven a lot of different stretches of abandoned freeway in our years together, so how bad COULD it be?

Well.

We turned off the 15 freeway near Santaquin and went west. Suddenly we felt like we were in Idaho again. The flat terrain and small bushes reminded us of Malad Idaho, and not the Rockies of Utah.

Then we hit this ghost town called Eureka. (Which, apparently, has a cabin that Porter Rockwell lived in on Main Street.) We turned west in Delta and kept driving. We could see the Nevada border thanks to the casino right on the border, so we stopped there for gas and to change drivers. 

While we were there, I was wondering if this was a town. At least there was cell phone service! So I opened up the maps and looked at where we were and

 

That really boded well. And BOY was it true!

Just about 10 minutes west is Great Basin National Park, which could be cool to see or camp in later on. It is said to have some of the most beautiful night skies, due to its remote location. I BELIEVE IT.
 We turned south at Ely, which was an interesting little town. Again, not anywhere I want to see.
We were about 90 miles from a gas station or cell phone service in either direction when James started crying a whole lot. I couldn't figure it out, so we pulled over in the middle of nowhere to nurse him. Then about half an hour later, he started SCREAMING. I could not figure it out, and it was making me nuts. He was clean, fed, and usually a good traveler. As a last resort I reached back to let him chew on my finger and felt A TOOTH. His first tooth had come all the way through and we hadn't even known! Poor kid.

The next few hours were rough. We had to stop a LOT to keep ourselves sane. I can't handle crying in the car, and James screaming in pain plus Cora yelling "BUDDY IT'S OK DON'T CRY BUDDY!" (Trying to be helpful) didn't help.
But thankfully we got to Beatty Nevada, which was a town big enough to have cell phone service, a subway and a Family Dollar to get the medicine and teething gel we needed. Since we got cell phone service we booked a hotel in Pahrump.

 There it is! All the way through.
Since Pahrump is so close to Death Valley, and we didn't know when we would be that close to Death Valley again, we decided to drive through. The landscape is fascinating.

 We decided to stop at Badwater Basin to let Cora stretch her legs and feed James since we didn't know when we would be back. Lowest point in the United States!

 That little tiny white rectangle is the sea level marker!

 The whole basin is a salt flat. They have a beaten path to run on, but everything else is super marshy. (We may have picked up a rock and licked it... it was nuts.)

 Look at how cute that is!

 9th national park that we have visited!

The other side of Death Valley wasn't much better. We had to get over a huge mountain, which was so scary. The windy road was scary enough, but then the steering wheel shook when I tapped on the  brakes. Everyone else was sleeping, and it felt very much like the song "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood.
Once we got into California, it wasn't much better. We hit one town in 3 hours. Thank GOODNESS for the Odyssey's gas tank. We finally stopped in Tehachapi, about an hour and a half from home. But we made it home safe and sound, and we learned. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEVADA! Especially with a baby who can apparently cut teeth at any point.

Thanksgiving 2017 Trip, Part 2.

The week of Thanksgiving was so fun. I forgot to take a lot of pictures that I wanted to, because we saw SO many people. It was good for the soul to be around so many people we love.
As a parent, you want to see your children be loved by other people as much as they are loved by you. It was so fun to see Cora and James be around their aunts and uncles and friends and see that they have a big support network!
Some highlights from the week:
- Cora really hit it off with Krystel. They even hula hooped together.

Cora loved being with Grandma Murphy.

 -Austin came over and taught Cora that chocolate covered almonds are called "rabbit poop", or "rabbit poopies" in Cora's words. She even offered some to Dad's cousin Wendy.

-We also had a cousin dinner. Look at poor James' face!

 -Angel baby fell asleep.

- We got to visit the grandpas. It was very peaceful, much more than I expected. We miss them so much, but we're glad that they're both in a better place now.

We also got to teach Cora and James about where their middle names come from, since Great Grandma Madsen was buried right next to Grandpa Myres.

 I love that they are only 3.7 miles apart, so we can always visit both of them now!

 -We also got to see Taylor and Emily, and go to dinner with a few more cousins. Then Brandon and Taylor went to play basketball with Austin and Dallin.

 We got to tour BYU campus and hang out with Krystel again while Brandon finally finished up notes. Cora LOVES the older girls right now!

Tuesday night we got to see some of our friends from Miami, Devon and Raechel (who are in the process of moving to Utah) and Jaran and Aubry (who moved to Utah in February) with their baby India! We went to a mall in Sandy that was decorated like Hogsmeade. It was kind of lackluster, but we had so much fun catching up and talking to them.

 (Don't mind James passed out on my shoulder above)

Just 2 bros doing bro things.

 We left Grandma Murphy's house on Wednesday to go to Grandma Myres'. I love that we can see each grandma EVERY time we go to Utah, but it never seems like enough time!

 As soon as we got to Grandma Myres' house, Cora took all her stuffed animals from the little bench on the stairwell. She called them "my muppets" and had so many in her hands that she slipped down the stairs. What a cute girl.

 I wouldn't mind Utah for the big yards and the view. It's stunning.

We were staying in the apartment in the basement, and Cora was in the front room of the apartment. The first night, James cried out randomly. Suddenly, we heard a door open and saw a flood of light. Cora had jumped up from a sound sleep and ran out the door to run upstairs because "Buddy is crying!" What an ANGEL big sister! (Brandon then slept on the couch by her so she couldn't run away in the middle of the night anymore. I think we're in trouble for when she gets into a big girl bed.)

 I didn't get a picture of the whole group, but Cora got along great with the Holladay Myres. She and Luke jockeyed for position a little bit, but they had so much fun running around!

 James got along with Krysel's grandma.

 On the way back from Thanksgiving dinner, we stopped at the house that is decorated like Up.

 James is a little thumb sucker!

 Both the kids napped HARD after Thanksgiving dinner.

 I loved this. The boys love the boys. They couldn't get enough of holding James' hands.

Would it really be Thanksgiving with a 2 year old if it didn't end in macaroni and cheese?

 Look at those buddies.

 We went to the park with all our siblings. Cora had a great time with her uncles chasing her around!

We left early Saturday morning to start the drive home. In order to avoid the Vegas traffic, we decided to take a new route home. That was sure exciting! (More on that later)

We loved seeing everyone in Utah! We had so much fun playing games, going to Jazz games (Brandon, not me), and just seeing so many people. It makes me almost want to move to Utah. If the medical profession wasn't so saturated and the schools weren't so bad I wouldn't mind it just for the love we feel there. But we still debate that every time we drive in!