Finally, our trip to see Richard

Well the children and I left around 9:30 Wednesday morning, stopped and got gas at Walmart so we were on the officially on the road around 10. It took us roughly 12 hours to get to Lawton, OK. I don't know why either. But we got to the hotel, I put everyone to bed and hopped in the shower and went to bed myself.

Thursday morning the children were all run through the shower and we loaded up to head over to Ft Sill. We got on post but didn't have a map and I had no clue where anything was, so I went to a building I was told would have one, they did but it really wasn't the greatest. But Richard was in that same building, and he came out right as I was leaving and gave me his map. So we went to the PX, got breakfast at Cinnabon yummy, and waiting for him to call me letting me know that he was done and we could pick him up.

Once we got him, we went to the Commissary for food stuff then got on the road to head to Dallas/Ft Worth. It was a really nice drive, and didn't take to long, there are even parts of the highway over there where you can do 75 mph. Yup it's posted that fast it was cool and yet a little scary. I really can't imagine going that fast with a lot of traffic around.

So we arrived in Dallas and head over to The Central Market, this has to be the coolest grocery store ever. But right beside it was a really nice educational store that I have to get the receipt for because I've forgotten the name, but there are a couple here in AL. The Central Market is only in TX. I don't even know how long we were in that store but it was late, so we headed to our hotel and then I made our supper-hummus, turkey, cheese, sprouts, carrots all in a wrap. They were very good. The children started falling asleep and we called it a night.

Friday we got up, headed to the mall to the Build a Bear, and began making our new family members. We didn't do the voice recordings in the ones for Caleb and Rachel because they didn't have any and the truck hadn't arrived yet. So Caleb got a frog and his name is Hopper Rachel got a kitty and her name is Francis. Then the voice things arrived and they boys had picked a puppy for Richard and they said "we love you Daddy" and we put that in Georges paw. He will be traveling with him for this trip. I plan on sending him more clothes so that he can have fun and send us pictures.

After we were done there we headed over to IKEA, we looked at everything, ate lunch, looked around some more. The boys that were able to went to the play place for an hour, while we looked some more. I have no idea what time we got there but it was almost 9 when we left. Before we left that part of town we also went into The Container Store, which was a great place. A lot of organizational type stuff, like the bag said Contain yourself!

Then it was time to go back to the hotel, fix supper and baths. We had very late nights the entire trip.

I have to mention about our meals, we were on a tight budget this trip, so we had really only had two hot meals and those were the meatballs at IKEA, so yummy and the chocolate cake. Anyway we had turkey wraps with three different types of sprouts, hummus, some really good dill mustard, nice spicy cheese, shredded carrots. We also had lots of fresh fruit, fresh baked bread, some cookies that I am going to try to make here-Cranberry w/pecans they were so good.

Saturday was our lazy day, we watched Discovery channel most of the day. Rachel and I took a really long nap. Then I think it was around 5 we went to Target and Sam's. Caleb and Rachel got new summer sandals. I got some really cute flip flops that are really comfortable. We went back to the room with our stuff and had supper and pretty much went to bed.

Sunday we went back to IKEA for a few hours, ate dinner there, decided on Rachel's bed, mattress, which colors of BIlly bookcases I'm going to be getting. Tried to figure out which cabinet face we liked, and counter tops. When we weren't able to really look at anything else we left there and went back to The Central Market. We got more yummy food, looked at all the stuff that we missed the first time, which I think that there was still more stuff to see. Then it was back to the room for supper.

Monday it was time to head back up to OK. So we cleaned the room, loaded the van and got on the road. When we got back, there was a bit of a grassy area in front of the building Richard was living in with a nice gazboo, so we just let them run, play and be out of the van for a few hours. Richard washed all of our clothes, while they were all playing. Then it was time to get to the hotel, where we had supper. Caleb and Rachel got the bath given to them by Daddy. Everyone was wound up so silly. But then it was time to run him back to post, we took some silly pictures before we said our goodbyes and then we went back to the room. I talked to him for bit, but Rachel was being silly and wouldn't go to sleep. So I had told him I'd call him back, I didn't cause I feel asleep. So I called him in the morning and we talked for a little bit. Somehow the bag of socks I had taken out with me got left in the van so I ran those over to him, we didn't get to see him which is probably a good thing because Caleb was having a hard time of it. When we had left the night before he kept saying we never ever never leave Daddy, over and over. I had to keep telling him that yes we do because he's going to work.

After giving him well his buddy Roland the socks we quickly got on the road home, even though the trip seemed to take forever to get there it went rather quickly coming home. We really only stopped 4 times maybe, potty, gas and that was it.

I got home around 10.30 I think, got the really important stuff inside and then we all went to bed.

Over all it was a wonderful trip, stressful yes but I think that was mainly because we weren't home in the van so much. But in the end it was so great to spend time with Richard for the children to be with their Daddy and to make those special memories that I hope they don't ever forget.

I will come back and post some of the few pictures that I have. Don't know what I was thinking in not really taking pictures.