I am a Survivor

Good news. Logan, Griffin, and I survived day one of our 22 hour drive. We pulled into my brother's house at 12:35 am last night. Having left at 11:30 am, and considering we took the scenic route, took many potty stops and got stuck in construction traffic, we made pretty good time.

Some highlights: We stopped in Orderville, UT for dinner. We were driving through, and I couldn't resist the adorable Soup Cafe. Really, too quaint to pass up, and who needs another burger anyway? So we stopped and enjoyed tuna fish sandwiches on marble rye with cream of asparagus soup. Well, I did. The kids had hot dogs, but Logan did eat the soup, even though it was very green and she said, "Sometimes things can look gross but taste better." A good lesson to learn in one's youth.

I also bought a $3.00 homemade booklet regarding the history of town, which, you may not know was settled under the direction of Brigham Young and dedicated to living the United Order, which they did successfully for many years. I haven't been able to finish it yet, but here is one fascinating point. The group initially settled in a nearby town, (I forget the name) but one large family became disgruntled and refused to participate. A bishop was sent from Salt Lake to find a solution, and finding the family unbending, suggested the rest of the company move 10 or so miles away, which was when Orderville was founded. I wonder how all the descendents get along now? Or how they feel about it? I mean the towns are a stone's throw away from each other now, and I am sure there are family members on both sides in the area.

Another interesting tidbit from Orderville: The whole town ate their meals together in the community cafeteria. I'll blog more on this historic little town later. So fascinating to me.

A second highlight from our trip was the unfortunate decision I made to take Highway 14 over the mountains into Cedar City. On the map, it looked like the shorter version; however, it turned out to be a scenic byway. You know what that means: The road for those not in a hurry. And also the road on which you will most likely hit or be hit by a deer. We had 5 close calls. But to make lemonade out of lemons, the children LOVED seeing the deer up close and personal, and we did have to stop to enjoy one of the scenic overlooks, which was be-a-u-tiful!! An absolutely fantastic view that filled my soul with well-being until Logan stepped on a sharp rock and began crying bloody murder. So much for the soul--back in the car!

The final hightlight is my increased love for my IPod. I found that it muffles a lot of the whining and complaining. (Although that was fairly minimal, I am happy to say.) Before leaving home I downloaded "The Boleyn Inheritance" by Philippa Gregory. A great book on tape, by the way. Thank you, Lord, for modern technology!

So on Monday we will set out on the final leg of our trip. Only 9 hours to go. I'm not thinking about our return home. As in the words of the ultimate survivor--NO! Not Richard Hatch!--but rather Scarlet O'Hara: "I will think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day."