.day.TWELVE.

This is a BIG day! Lots we saw and did... well I guess "lots" is pretty relative! Lol The schedule for today entailed Albequrque, NM to Phoenix, AZ. Grandma couldn't have hurried this day along fast enough considering we were ending up at her sister's house! ❤️

We woke up able to see where we had actually parked last night. It was a pretty good spot except we happened to pick one of the few without a sewer hook-up. It wasn't the end of the world since we could stop at their sewer dump on our way out. So while our spectacular driver filled us up with water, dumped the sewer and went into the office to pay, the kids, Grandma and I walked around the park and looked at all their vintage decor and vintage trailers. It was a pretty cute place! :)

Yep! That tree is as much 'green,' as you get in New Mexico! Lol

There was only one problem...

The area is apparently known for their GRASSHOPPERS!!!! I'm not just talking a couple or even ten grasshoppers! I mean thousands, probably more like millions of grasshoppers!!!! Can you say 'the plague?' Lol Like so many that you don't even look where you are walking, just walk, don't look down and ignore the constant crunching under foot! :p

The boys thought it was pretty cool so from the moment they woke up they were trying to catch them! 

They also had a pool which apparently was not "up and running" for the season yet. So in the meantime, it was graciously given over to a grasshopper colony (herd, school, world, galaxy... you pick! Lol).

Can you say a resounding "ewwwww" with me!?! Lol 

They also had these cute restored vintage trailers that you could actually rent like a hotel room. They were all dolled up and cute inside! Oh and these pics are really for our friends, the Niemeyers, who love and restore vintage trailers themselves! :) They were locked up so we could only look through the windows.

This long one below even had a full size oven/stove in it!!!

The four trailers were surrounding a cute little patch of grass, the ONLY cute little patch of grass in the entire place! Lol

We all knew (ok - the adults) that priority #1 was the first stop after checking out of  Enchanted Trails RV Park. The lady in the office had given Kevin a few breakfast suggestions as well. And the majority vote in the tin can was a full breakfast vs priority #1. One of those suggestions was for Cracker Barrell. We had never been to one but heard good things so we decided to head there.

On the front porch of the restaurant they have a big line-up of every kind of rocking chair imaginable. So Grandma stopped to try one out... 

I'm told we now just need to put her on top of the motor home in her rocking chair!?! Lol

Let me just say.... the owners of Cracker Barrell are brilliant! Lol They have these little peg games on the table for anyone to play. It's kind of an addictive, make time pass quickly kind of game. See the brilliance!?! Grant & Tate were totally enthralled in it and begged to buy one from the gift store to bring home. And Grandma couldn't resist the spoiling. Or maybe she was just following along with the brilliance of the owners knowing we still had many many more hours ahead in the motor home! Lol

Even Prince Charming got into the game. :)

The food was scrumptious as well and I think we had enough to feed about a dozen people so we were only 5 people short! If you've ever been there for breakfast you'll attest to the fact that the hash brown casserole is the bomb!!!

This is a great pic because it happens often throughout the trip.... Reed and Grandma hand in hand! ❤️

And little missy only let's us take a good pic of her once in awhile, so we took advantage of this instance.

{And this is clearly one of those female gestures that we are still not used to seeing.... hands behind head, twirling or playing with hair!}

If you've never been to a Cracker Barrel before they have a sales trap you have to pass in and out (see pic above w/ Reed & Grandma. You also pay for your meal out there as well. So as the kids and I were looking around, Kevin took Reed out to the motor home to change a dirty diaper, then Esther didn't want to miss out so Grandma took her out to change her next while I corralled G & T and paid for the meal. So we collected our items to purchase and I went up to pay, she had rung in all our purchases and I look in my purse.... NO WALLET!!! But it's not as bad as you are are thinking, I knew right where it was in the motor home. I asked Tate (the only surviving shopping member left with me) to run out quickly and grab it. NOW WE HAVE A PROBLEM.... the motor home is NOT where we originally parked it. 

A text to Kevin... no reply! 

Another text to Kevin... no reply! 

A text to grandma.... no reply! 

A phone call to Kevin... no answer! 

Really people? Is no one by their phone? Did I miss the rapture or something? Lol 

Finally a reply text from Kevin... Mr Efficient went to fill up with gas two businesses away! Great! {That's just what I wanted to hear! I was totally thrilled with that!}

Now a phone call to Grandma... she answers! Hallejulah! I explain the situation and ask her to send Grant right over with my wallet and explain where it is in the tin can. Nope - can't find it! Now I'm listening to the back and forth yelling between Grandma, Grant {who is thoroughly engrossed playing with a sibling} and the driver {who is pumping gas}! Grandma also explains that they are more like five businesses away! {lovely!}

All this time the nice cashier girl is waiting for me, right! And I've stepped outside the front door (don't worry - without my unpaid merchandise!) to talk on the phone and try to spot this supposed gas station two businesses away. So I'm sure the nice cashier girl inside thought I was totally feeding her a line and trying to pull a dine and dash! Lol I finally go back inside and pretend I'm looking around some more while I anxiously await some family member to bring my wallet! Eventually son #1 comes in and I'm thoroughly relieved to complete this never-ending transaction and let the nice cashier girl move on with her day and not have to worry about writing off our meal! 

Out to the awaiting (now back from getting gas) tin can I gracefully glide, determined to move on and just "smile and wave boys, smile and wave!" 

Finally on the road headed towards Phoenix! And a little ways into the journey we spot the coolest town... GRANTS!!!! No joke - that was the name of it! Lol

And here's our sweet thing cuddling her pink stuffed animal! I know boys have favorite stuffed animals too but not going to lie, Essie's affection to this stuffed animal is totally different! Lol

Our next excuse to pull over and stretch our legs was the Continental Divide in New Mexico. And it's, of course, a great educational moment! Lol

Our driver so kindly took the nearest exit so we could all jump out and have a photo op! :)

I have a friend who's son is hiking the Continental Divide Trail so this is for her and seeing where he'll be passing through! 

We mosied on our way and stopped (yes - again!) at a Safeway somewhere along the route to run in and get a few lunch and snack items for the road! Our driver also filled up with gas, which happens quite frequently. After departing and getting on the road again, I had the bright idea to make myself some chai and enjoy it in my pretty new mug I found while on the road. I mean sometimes a girl just needs a hot drink in a cute mug, right!?! :) I had purchased some liquid Tazo Chocolate Chai that you mix with milk and it sounded yummy. So I'd need to mix it together and then microwave it, which means turning on the generator while we are driving. That's not a huge deal in and of itself, we do it when we need to eat on the road and heat something up. HOWEVER, the problem arose when the highway we were on wasn't what you'd call 'smooth.' It was more like the bumpy, hilly and completely unmaintained highway of the country! So I'd put my {too} full cup in the microwave and count the seconds until one of my spotters warned me of an upcoming obstacle to my plan. Just think jumping cup of liquid on turntable in moving tin can. It really is a recipe for a disaster but I was sooooo close to indulging in my oh-so-satisfying drink! 

NOPE! Hoping full cup + bumpy road + unsympathetic driver + two mischievous boys = chai showered microwave! :(

But a little spillage doesn't deter me.... I put it back in and tried it again! Here's the result, minus a few sips, of my on-the-road drink! And it was worth every ounce of effort! 

Put it this way, stopping for Starbucks will now seem more desireable to our driver! Lol :)

And FINALLY we see the sign!!! 

We rolled into Phoenix about 7:30pm and met Aunt Rose Marie right at In n Out! We were thrilled to hear there were In n Outs in Phoenix so it was a no brainier that, THAT was to be dinner! :)

We all enjoyed every morsel of our scrumptious dinner and I even learned from my aunt that you can order the burger 'lettuce wrapped!' :) Too bad I didn't know that till after the meal. It probably would've saved me 1000 calories of bun! Lol

The kids were ecstatic and jumping out of their skin to go swimming in Aunt Rose Marie's pool but alas, sleep must come first!

We arrived at Aunt Rose Marie's, backed the tin can into her driveway, put the slides out and plugged in! Oh and Grandma is thrilled because she gets a real bed inside her sisters house while we are here in Phoenix! :) 

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