Monday, March 22, 2010

Crazy Trek to San Antonio [Part 1]

Well we started out at 5:45 on Tuesday evening for our trek to South Texas.  Back of the truck loaded up most of the contents of our home, a small sleeping quarters if needed, Ms. GPS lady, snacks and drinks we were ready to hit the highway.  Here’s a shot as we’re all happy, excited and non tired.  Well ok I was tired from late nights packing and preparing for the trip (hence no photo of me as we were leaving).  Aidan and Emma had fun working on a worksheet packet I had made for her all themed on ocean animals.

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II blindly held my camera back and got this shot of the most awesomeness traveling baby EVER!

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The stud-a-riffic marathon driver hubby.

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Aidan was asleep by the OK line as was Isaac. We made a quick stop in OK City to see my Meg!!  It had been waaay to long!  We had an awesome dinner at Cheddars (I’d highly recommend for the food and the price!)  before dressing the kids in jammies and setting up the dvd player.

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Aidan and Emma watching Monsters Vrs. Aliens.  Emma and Isaac only made it about 30 minutes into it.  Aidan hung on until the end of the movie about midnight before falling asleep.

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About the time everyone was asleep we had to fuel up.  Not sure where we were, but near a huge casino along the interstate.  A quick fill up and all sleepers kept dreaming- as did I anticipating that at some point I’d need to relieve Matt.

We stopped in Dallas about 2 am so Matt could get a snack, stretch his legs, and wake up a bit.  He stopped at a QT travel plaza so he gassed up on the last bit of “good gasoline” for the trip and toured the HUGE QT. At this point Aidan got stir crazy in his car seat. “Get me outta here” he said. I held him while parked at QT and then (with much worry) laid him in the very back where I had left enough room in case of  a cranky sleeper. Isaac was ready to be fueled up as well.  Topped him off with a bottle.

About 150 miles outside of San Antonio Matt caved in and asked me to drive. I was a bit worried stopping would wake all our sleepers…but it didn’t. Matt slept for an hour…about 4-5 a.m.  While driving I realized we were going to hit SA earlier than expected so slowed down a bit so the kids would continue resting. Total time driving plus stopping in OK city was depart Derby at 5:45 pm and hit SA for breakfast at 6!!  We found an IHOP for breakfast and the waiter was shocked a fam of 5 was up and out for bfast at 6 am.  He finally asked and we told him we had drove through the night from KS. :)

Breakfast didn’t take very long so we had no where to go and ended up in the zoo parking lot and hour early!!  Wow! We’re never early!  Matt rested while the kids attempted to occupy themselves in the car they had been in for 12 hours!! Yeah…that didn’t go so well!  When Matt awoke the zoo parking lot was super CRAZY!  We thought maybe a new zoo exhibit had opened…they line was long or longer than when we went to the Tiger exhibit opening in Wichita!!  I asked a zoo worker and they said nope…just spring break! The zoo was worth the wait! Parts of it were better than the Sedgwick Co. zoo…and some parts wasn’t quite a good…but the entire zoo was beautifully landscaped.  And OH to see green grass and flowers in bloom!!  Not to mention the perfect temperatures!

Aidan with his favorite animals…the Dingos.  Or as Emma used to call them…Kamingos. This is him saying “dingOs”!!

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Anywhere we go Emma is obsessed with having her own copy of the  map! 

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WARNING what you are about to view is the most PRECIOUS baby face EVVVVA!!!

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The most precious baby face with his mama!  He was actually doing anything possible not to smile!! Lil’ stinker!

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The SA zoo had several of my favorite animal.  And they had them closer than our zoo.  Does this animal not demonstrate God’s creativity!!  The legs and back end are like a zebra, yet the face and ears are like a giraffe…and has a long neck…just not as long as a giraffe!! So unique!!

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Aidan’s highlight.  The train!!  It was so cute!  The train took you around the outer zoo grounds Brakenridge park and near a museum and golf course.  It went through a tunnel, over several bridges and on several occasions went through intersections were cars stopped and everyone waved!! 

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Here we are going over one bridge…ugh…I need to get over my anxiety about my kids and water…

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Isaac slept through the entire train ride!!

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We left the zoo and the hotel didn’t quite have our room ready for early check in so thanks to Ms. GPS lady we located a Chick-fil-A.  It was St. Patty’s day so the kids got free green balloons that had Chick-fil-A coupons in them.  Too bad we don’t have one close in KS!!  We arrived to the Hotel about 3 and we all Matt took a rest before cleaning up to go to dinner.  Yet again Ms. GPS gal helped us find Rainforest Cafe on the Riverwalk…but this time we were on foot!  Tell ya that GPS thing is awesome!  The wait for dinner was 1 hour 15 min! Yeah…with 3 kids in a very small location and tons of people!! E, A & myself tried to walk around a bit to kill time but it was St. Patty’s and the place was crazy packed!! Single file line walking everywhere and need I mention we were very close to the water…another time in which my anxiety with the kids and water cripples me!! :)

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Dinner was great.  The restaurant was in a 3 story building so not quite the atmosphere of the others I’ve been to (KC & Vegas), but the kids still had a good time.DSC03164

It was great that we walked to find Rainforest Cafe because it took us right by the Alamo.  The kids were less than thrilled about some old building…but we tried to explain the history behind it.  It’s pretty at night. 

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We didn’t get back to the hotel after dinner until after 9 p.m.  The kids did so great all day considering their night of sleep was in their car seats, up early, zoo all day with little nap!  We heard no peep out of Isaac they whole trip except when he was hungry at 2 a.m.  I fully expected a “Are we there yet"?” from Emma before the OK line and didn’t!! We tucked them in with a movie and were asleep before Matt got the movie started on the TV! Tired babies!!  Matt heard on the news that night that it was the busiest day on record at the SA zoo.  Glad we were a part of that history! :)  Matt and I passed out shortly after the kids…restin’ up for the big day at Sea World!

2 comments:

Meg said...

It was so great to see you! Definitely need to do some photoshopping on that pic, though, so I don't look quite so...pasty. Miss you!!!!

shondak said...

Okay... those are some of the cutest kids EVER!!!! Great photos! Glad to hear the trip went well... can't wait to catch up with you and hear more!

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