We Made It!!

For those of you who don't frequent the VanderLouw family blog (dad)...

So, after months of anticipation and preparation, we are finally here!! We actually got here a week ago, only to learn that the movers wouldn't be here with all of our stuff until FRIDAY!!! We are so lucky that Ray's work paid for movers, so I am totally not complaining, but 10 days?! That is how long it took from the time they loaded it until we got it. So we were living on air mattresses with a borrowed TV/DVD player for most of the week. We were so happy when they finally arrived on Friday. It was seriously exhausting trying to keep the kids all in check when they were unloading, but I was so relieved when I finally had my bed to sleep in (despite the fact that I am still waking up at 5 am every day!!). Anyway, the house is still a mess, but we have the kitchen and living room all unpacked. Ray is leaving tomorrow for the week for work, (nice timing, I know) so who knows when it will all get done! It has been absolutely frigid here since we arrived. I don't think it has gotten over 60 the entire week. The average has been the low to mid 50's. Needless to say, I didn't pack hardly any warm clothes (it was in the 80's in OK when we left!!) So the kid's clothes were seriously disgusting when we finally got our washer and dryer! It is supposed to start warming up next week, but Tuesday isn't supposed to get any warmer than 50!! Despite all that, it is so beautiful here. I sooo missed the mountains. It feels wonderful to be surrounded by them again!

Here is a little overview of our trip!

We stayed in Goodland, KS on our first night. I guess that Goodland is the sunflower growing capital of the US. There was this 80 ft. painting of Van Gough's "Sunflowers". The story is that when Van Gough painted this particular piece he did 7 different paintings. Some art teacher in Canada decided to do all 7 paintings on giant 80 ft. steel easels and place on on each continent in the world. Little ol' Goodland, KS got the North American painting! This was right by our hotel. We passed up the largest prairie dog in the world a few miles back!

Maggie wasn't in the Colorado pic because she was zonked!!

We actually missed the Wyoming sign when we got to WY because of construction. So we just crossed the street when we got to ID (we were on a little deserted 2 lane highway) and took the picture with they WY sign!

Yeah!! Back in beautiful Idaho!

We stopped in Pocatello and stayed for a day. It was a much needed break that all were grateful for. Unfortunately, grandma and grandpa were on vacation, but my sister Dana, her husband and kids are staying with my parents until they move to San Antonio next week. So we got to see them and all the cousins got to play. The had so much fun!!

Max was extremely grateful for the break. He loves grandma and grandpa's house more than just about anywhere else! (We had Max groomed before we left, when we picked him up Grace saw the green handkerchief around his neck and said "did they say that Max was a pioneer dog?" It was really cute.)

You can tell that Grace and Colby are related!! They had so much fun together!

Our trip to Walmart. I love the way Maggie is leaning over to get in the pic!!

Jez and Trina came to visit us while we were there. They are moving to Minnesota next week!

Ironically we didn't get a picture by the Washington sign because it was in the middle of the freeway, not on the left hand side. But we are here and very happy about it!