Day 5

Day 5:
We awoke to overcast skies and the threat of rain. The temperatures were quite a bit cooler than I was expecting, long sleeves and long pants were a must have. Before we left for the trip Ben found out I didn’t pack any sweatshirts. I thought he was crazy when he threw them in the car, it was 100 degrees in Missouri, but now I am glad he did.
Our plan was to drive up Mount Washington, which at 6,288 feet ,is the highest point in the northeast. It is the self proclaimed home to the world’s worst weather and has the second fastest land wind speed ever recorded at 231 miles per hour. Hurricane force winds are present well over 100 days per year. Unfortunately, it did not look like the weather was going to cooperate with us today.
We had breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Dickey at the Pine Cone Inn and enjoyed visiting with them. Here is a picture of the place where we ate.


We headed up towards Mount Washington(a little more than an hour drive) and, with no improvement in the weather, went shopping at the outlet malls in Conway, NH. Maddox spent most of the time pushing his stroller around the sidewalk, refusing to ride in it. He didn’t like to share the walking space so he almost ran over several other shoppers. I had a lot of apologizing to do on his behalf. On the way up we saw several moose crossing signs:





After shopping we went to a local railroad station for a scenic train ride through the valley of Mount Washington. It was Maddox’s first train ride! The sky was overcast, so we couldn’t see a lot of the views, but Maddox had a great time looking out the window and saying “Toot, toot!” every time the whistle blew.

Day 4

Day 4:
It’s wedding day!! We got up early to enjoy some time with Ben’s friends Jill and Damon and their boys before heading out. Maddox had a great time playing with Keagan, Zephan, and Brady. I wish I would have gotten some pictures, but both batteries were dead. The boys are coming back up on Tuesday, so we will get some good ones then.

On the way to Nashua there are a couple of Toll Booths. As we pulled up to one I got a dollar out of my wallet and gave it to Ben. He rolled down the window and butter-fingers lets it fly out the window! He stops in the middle of the freeway and I can tell he’s about to jump out of the car. I tell him not to get out, that I have another dollar, but as I reach for my wallet all I can hear is him yelling “I got it, I got it!” Out of the corner of my eye I see him leap out the door and run into the road. Yes, he was chasing a dollar bill down the freeway. Thankfully it didn’t go far. Cars were lining up behind us and the toll booth man was sticking his head out of his cubicle curious as to what was going on. It was only a matter of seconds before Ben hopped back in the driver's seat, but it felt like an eternity. I couldn’t help but crack up as we pulled up to the toll booth and Ben explained himself to the money collector, who also chuckled a bit.

We got to Pete’s hotel and went upstairs where everyone was getting ready.

Around 3:30 all of the groomsmen and the groom piled into my Dodge Journey. A few days ago Cassie had asked if I would usher them to the wedding venue since my car seats 7, so of course I said yes. I didn’t realize how little room there is in the 3rd row until the 5 men, who are all 5’9” and up and weighing 200+ pounds, piled in. Let’s just say there was a lot of grunting and groaning going on as they tried to get situated. They were packed like sardines, but we made it to the wedding!

The wedding was beautiful. Maddox did a great job walking down the aisle with the two flower girls. I was supposed to grab him when he got in the front, but he kept screaming when I tried to make him sit with me. Reluctantly I let him down to roam. He grabbed the flower basket from his cousin, Mallie, and spent the whole ceremony picking up all of the rose petals. He stopped a couple times to watch what was going one up front, but then got right back to work. It kept him content, so we were happy.
He was a handful after the ceremony though, running around all over the place and trying to throw dirt. During the first half hour of the reception Ben and I were getting tired of chasing him. Ben gave Mallie $20 to watch him for the rest of the night, and I must say that was a genius idea. We had a great time and were glad we could be here on Pete and Cassie’s special day.

Day 3

Day 3:
The Motel 6 we stayed at had an IHop embedded in the complex, so of course we had to stop there for breakfast. After a scrumptious meal of omlettes and pancakes we headed to Men’s Wearhouse to pick up Ben’s tux, then we decided to go see Tom and Nancy, Ben’s dad and step-mother, before heading up to the lake. About halfway there we realize that WE FORGOT TO CHECK OUT! Great. We had to drive all the way back to drop off the keys and check out. Thank goodness they have a late checkout of noon and not 10 or 11. We finally made it to Ben’s dad’s house and Maddox got to meet them for first time. He was a little shy at first but warmed up quickly. We watched one of Susan’s horse shows on DVD, during which Maddox found Tom’s John Deer tractor collection on the bookshelf and had to get one to play with.

He had fun petting Grandpa’s chickens, getting his picture taken on ALL of the tractors and even going for a ride on one.
















We left soon after the tractor ride and headed up to Lake Winnepasaki, where Ben’s friends Damon and Jill are nice enough to let us stay during our visit. Of course we hit traffic along the way due to construction. Thankfully Maddox was asleep and we tried to keep our patience by rolling down the windows and enjoying the 80 temperatures and nice breeze. After 20 minutes of going 5 miles an hour we are back in business. Looks like we’ll have just enough time to drop the dogs off and turn around to head back to Nashua, NH for the rehearsal.

On the drive to Nashua we hit construction traffic jam number 5….this is getting a bit ridiculous. I have never had this much bad luck on a road trip. We finally got there almost 3 hours later. The wedding venue is absolutely gorgeous. I completely understand why people drive all this way to get married here.








Maddox and Ben had fun playing in the field. He is the ring bearer, so he has to walk down a very long winding aisle with 2 flower girls. He follows a dirt road around a curve then through a field to the alter. I hope he makes it without throwing a fit or wandering off. Thankfully, Maddox fell asleep on the ride back home and we had no traffic, so it only took 2 hours instead of 3. We got to the house around 10 and went straight to bed. The dogs wouldn’t stop barking at the drunk neighbors yelling next door so Ben had to put them in the car over night. I’ll deal with that mess of dog hair in the morning. We put another 375 miles =7 hours in the car today….soooo sick of this car at this point.

Day 2

Day 2 : (Been without internet access for a while, but I've been bloggin in MS word - now time to copy, paste, and post.)

On day one we drove 744 miles ,about 13 hours, with 5 bathroom breaks. Today we drove another 10 hours and only had to take 3 bathroom breaks. Pretty good for 7.5 months pregnant. Our total trip mileage is 1,327 miles so far. Ben wanted me to add that we achieved a high of 28.1 miles per gallon, which is 4 miles per gallon over what the dealership said we’d get. We were both pleasantly surprised. But that promptly dropped once we reached the Berkshires and we ended our trip 25.7 mpg.

Ben woke up at 3am and started packing while I stubbornly stayed in bed until 3:30. We were all set and ready to hit the road at exactly 4:12am. Our goal: Make it to Pete and Cassie’s Rehearsal Dinner at 6:30 tonight.

Maddox slept a good portion of the trip. He did wake up a few times to get into some shenanigans. I heard lots of giggling at one point, so I turned around and he had put both pacifiers in his mouth. He thought he was the funniest toddler around. Here’s a picture.

We stopped at a drive thru for lunch and Maddox spent more time playing with his French fries than eating anything. Yesterday he got very creative with them and stuck 2 up his nose, wish I would have gotten a picture but I was too slow. Things got serious though when he decided to stick them in his ear. We’ve had enough trouble with those, don’t need a fry puncturing an ear drum too. Today he went a safer route and enjoyed putting them in between his toes. Whatever keeps him happy….



The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, which is a good thing. Maddox slept most of the way and when he did wake up he was kept happy by sugar cookies that grandma baked him.

We stayed at a hotel outside of Boston so we would be close to the restaurant and so we could pick up Ben’s tux tomorrow. We ended up staying at Motel 6 because it was cheap, and they accept dogs at no fee. As soon as Maddox got in the room he started running around and it didn’t take him but a few seconds to find the phone. So, unplugging that was the first thing we did. By the looks of things we were going to have a pretty hyper toddler on our hands tonight. We relaxed for a few minutes, took showers, and headed to the rehearsal dinner. We were even early. The photographer enjoyed taking pictures of Maddox running around the tables, grabbing plates and silverware, and trying to steal other diners food. This was all in the first 15 minutes…boy are we in for it. We ended up taking him outside 3 different times to let him run up and down the sidewalk and throw rocks. We brought him back in when it was time for dinner and he was quite charming, sticking 2 straws up his nostrils, dropping his pizza on the floor, and refusing to stay in his high chair. Thankfully, everyone there had a great sense of humor and found him entertaining. I brought my camera but forgot to take pictures. We enjoyed the evening visiting with Cassie and Pete, Ben’s sister Tammy, and her daughter Nicole. …oh and lets not forget her slightly older looking boyfriend (comment added by Ben.)

As soon as we got back to the hotel, I was out. Ben and Maddox were in one bed and I was in another. I spent the whole night without any kicks in the ribs or punches in the face…that’s Ben’s job tonight. He and Maddox fell asleep watching their first Patriots game of the season.

Pictures from the quick stop in Ohio

Yummy dessert:

Showing Papa how big his belly is:

Playing outside:

Basketball!

Wanting to go outside to play:

With Grandma and Grandpa:

Day 1

The car was packed all nice and neat with every nook, cranny and hidden storage area planned out strategically. The cargo area held the big black suitcase tipped up on it's side and the pack-n-play stacked on top to give the dogs ample room for the trip. Every exposed piece of fabric was covered to ward off the evil dog hair. There was a plastic cargo mat on the floor, one blanket covering the luggage, and another tucked under the headrest of the backseat and draped over the back. They had plenty of room...as long as everything stays put.

Maddox was set up in his carseat with the new Travel Play Tray attached, toy cars, a sippy cup and some chicken nuggets to keep him entertained. He liked the play tray for the first few minutes but soon got tired of it sitting on his legs and wanted it off (which was no easy chore since it straps around the carseat).





About an hour and a half into the trip we hit traffic. Why is there traffic? Construction. We completely forgot that it was a summer with record high temperatures, which means: construction will be happening at night. But surely the wait won't be too bad, since it's not a popular time to be traveling the highways, not like rush hour. As we slowed and slowed we realized that Missouri does not make their workers wear reflective gear while working on the highway. They had little helmets with lights on and you could barely see the bodies working so closely to traffic. As a result, we ended up crawling down the freeway at 4 miles per hour. Thankfully that only lasted about 10 minutes or so...and Maddox fell asleep :)

Ben wanted to stop at the QT in Eureka because they have some of the best coffee/cappuccino we've ever seen at a gas station AND the Brett Micheals' Celebrity Apprentice Snapple Tea. As we pulled in I needed to use the restroom (of course) and I was starting to get pretty tired. I quickly hopped out of the car and walked to the gas station. Not really looking up, I walked into the restroom. We had stopped here many times before, but something seemed different, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. But no time to think about that, the baby was kicking me in the bladder. I rushed into the stall, and when I came out I realized the stall was on the wrong side of the wall. I walked to the sink and saw urinals on the wall...I had walked into the MENS restroom! How mortifyng. Hopefully no one saw me. I rushed out and went to the womens to wash my hands. Good one, Tara. To top it off, the coffee machine was getting cleaned and they were out of Brett's Tea. Not a successful stop, we will have to stop at the next exit for Ben to get coffee....I know he was disappointed.

As we pull back onto the freeway Ben takes a curve a little too fast and "Boom", the pack-n-play tumbles off of the suitcase and squashes the dogs (not hard enough to cause permanent injury...unfortunately j/k!) I yell at Ben (which I had to apologize for later) and he snaps back at me...the tension of the trip is getting to us already. I crawl in the back, which was not easy with my ever enlarging mid section, and try to fix things but the pack and play was just too heavy for me to lift. Good thing we are stopping. Another good reason we are stopping is because I cannot get my big butt back in the front seat! We pull into a gas station, don't bother to pull in a parking space, and Ben hops out, lifts the back hatch to save the pooches, and they jump out! They start running around the parking lot and Ben has to yell at them to get back in the car, scaring a poor lady who is pumping gas nearby. With all this chaos going on I maneuver my way back to the front seat. Fun.

Not long after this stop, Maddox wakes up and will not go back to sleep. Poor guy can't get comfortable, so I hop in the back to keep him company.



We hit another traffic jam due to construction once we passed St. Louis (at least this time the workers were wearing reflective gear. Illinois knows what they are doing.) Maddox falls back to sleep around midnight and we switch drivers about a half hour before Indianapolis. I'm driving this time and right after the city we hit another traffic jam due to construction!! Man, this is going to be a long trip. Thankfully I find a caravan of travelers going at a descent speed and I make up some time between Dayton and Columbus. Everyone is asleep and I enjoy the quiet time listening to the radio.

Maddox woke up when we had about 3 hours left in the trip, but thankfully Winnie the Pooh and tiger headphones kept him happy for most of the way.



We hit rush hour traffic on 271, close to Cleveland. So close, yet so far away.... Who would have thought that while traveling through the night anyone would hit that many jams.

We finally made it! A sigh of relief. Our 12 hour trip turned into a 13 hour trip. All things considered, we didn't do too bad.

Now time for Maddox to play with grandma and grandpa and for us to get some shut eye. Pictures to come...

Last Minute Items

Ben can sign out at midnight, so of course he wants to leave then instead of sleeping. He wants to drive all through the night, hoping Maddox will sleep, but I'm worried Ben will end up sleeping too and I'll be stuck driving all night since he didn't sleep hardly at all last night. My husband has developed a bit of insomnia due to working 3 years as a Drill Sgt. I think his body is so used to running off of 3 hours or 4 hours of sleep that when he tries to go to bed early it doesn't know what to do with itself. We got in bed around 9pm last night, hoping to rest up for the big trip, but at 2am he was still awake. He's tried everything from soothing sound machines to warm baths, drinking warm milk to reading in bed, even forcing himself to lay in the dark for hours waiting to fall asleep. I feel really bad for him because I know he's exhuasted. Maybe these two weeks off will give him enough time to get his sleep habits back in check.

Two weeks with with my husband...I'm really excited about that :)

I still have a lot left on my "To Do" list. We did a lot yesterday. Maddox got a haircut, Ben mowed the lawn, I worked on packing and cleaning, we put the mail on hold, and gave the beasts a bath! There was no way I was letting them in the car without one. They've spent the last few months laying in the dirt to keep cool and shedding all over the place. We brushed them like crazy and scrubbed them up. Hank is looking pretty good, but Tiny...that dog will be the death of me. He continues to shed like mad. I don't know how he still has hair on his body. I swept the whole house yesterday, let the dogs in for the night, and I've already got tumble weeds going down the hallway. I wish I was allowed to just shave him!

I got a little distracted with the decision to dye my hair last night. I had bought black hair dye to cover up the unwelcomed "natural highlights" that pop up with age. I was about to dye it and jokingly said "Why don't I just make it blonde." Ben was really enthusiastic about that and came home with blond hair dye, so....Why not! Well...there's not one strand of blond in my hair. It turned out like a brownish red and really doesn't go too well with my skin tone. Maybe that's why the box said it's "Not Recommended" for dark brown to black hair. Now to decided wether to go back to black or get another box of blond and try again.

But, there's not time to do that now! I have to finish packing and cleaning so we are ready to go whenever Ben is ready....not to mention I hear dog food being thrown across the kitchen floor....better go check on that....