Me and the Pioneers: Looks Like we Made It

I am back in the land of my birth. We made it!! Even though I was dumb enough to leave SLC yesterday at 4 pm. Why? No good reason except that I am stupid. So that meant that we pulled into my mom's driveway at 1:30 am. Great thing though was that I wasn't even tired. See? That is the benefit of sleeping late and not hurrying out the door.

Highlights of our trip:
1. Buying fireworks in Evanston,Wyoming.
They've got it all! My kids are going to freak out over some silly
sparklers, bottle rockets, fountains and cakes. Can't wait!

2. Stopping for Sonic drinks in Rock Springs. Logan spotted the sign long before I did and directed me to it.

3. Our peepee stop 40 miles outside of Lander.

4. Following a rainstorm and savoring the sweet smell of wet earth, hay, and alfalfa.

5. Seeing the lights of my hometown.

6. Hearing my mom say, "You just sleep as long as you want tomorrow."

7. Waking to the sound of my children playing with their grandma.

A Funny Anecdote from our Trip:
As mentioned above, about 30 miles outside of Lander Griffin begins to wail, "I need to go POTTY!"

"Well, Griff, we've got to get to the next town, or I can stop and you can go outside."

"I don't want to go outside!" He's not happy.

"Well, you're going to have to hold it then."

"I HAVE-- to GO-- POTTY!"

"Okay! I'm pulling over and you are going to have to just go!"

I find a little turn out, open the doors and order him outside. As I'm getting him out of his seat I discover that he has been sitting in half of his Sonic Blue Coconut Cream Slush for approximately 1/2 hour. Delightful.

So he exits the other door while I use our supply of wet wipes on damage control. Logan, his sister, decides she needs to go to and joins him outside. I finish sopping up the mess and dig through our suitcases to find him new clothes. It was at this moment that I realize there is no way I can make 40 miles either. I NEED to go POTTY,
too!

Now, it has been many, many years since I have peed roadside, but I rationalize that it doesn't really count in Wyoming because, if you've ever driven the state's highways, you realize that there is little to zero traffic. I justify that it really could be considered camping. However, it's not something I necessarily want my children to witness because I will never hear the end of it, or, in all likelihood, neither will our friends.

"Okay, guys, get your jammies on." I get them sidetracked, look both ways for oncoming traffic (none for miles and miles), and squat. (I know. Not a great visualization.)

Next thing I know I hear Logan say, "MO-O-O-O-M! What are you doing?"

There is no way I can be distinguished in this situation, but I try. "I'm trying to go potty."

"Mom. You're such a...(I wait for it.)...pioneer!"

Relief! It could have been so much worse.

And you know what? She might be kind of right. I did travail cross country with two children and no husband. I encountered my own hardships to be sure. After all I narrowly avoided hitting 1 cow, 1 calf, 5 deer, 8 rabbits, 2 mice and 1 raccoon last night. And worst of all...the third part of my book on tape did not download to myIPod correctly. At 11 pm, that discovery was a tragedy of epic proportion. And like Brigham, I thought with relief as I pulled into town, "This is the place."

However, unlike the pioneers I have to turn around and do it all over again in 14 days. Poor me! Good thing I've got horsepower,IPod, TV, air conditioning, and drive-through. Yeah, I'm a real pioneer alright!