Our first real family road trip

      My oldest step daughter graduated high school this year and she lives in Boise, Idaho where my husband is from so we packed up the kids the dog and 2 kittens and set out for our destination. I made some healthy snacks and packed fruits and drinks and baked a batch of cowboy cookies (oatmeal and peanut butter chips) and we set off for the long trip through upper Texas where we made it out just before the crazy tornadoes but not before the high winds shredded our car top carrier to pieces. We did get to see some awesome dirt devils though. Then we went through New Mexico with a short trip down route 66 then to Utah on to Idaho. It was great to get all the kids together in one place and it was so lovely in Idaho with the cool fresh breezy air as compared to the sweltering humid heat of Texas. We went to several of the parks in Boise including camel back park which is set around what I being from Texas consider a small mountain but there they call it a hill. I got convinced to climb to the top of it where once I reached the top it began to rain then while trying to keep my screaming two year old from gleefully sliding down the steep front because while she is fearless I am very afraid of heights. so about halfway down it began hailing on us, just my luck, but I made it down in one piece. I let my husband know how much I was enjoying being there and it was all fun and games until he announced to me that he was offered a job position at the Boise hp location. So now I really had to think about this because I have grown up in Texas my whole life and I would really miss not seeing my parents when I want but then I also have to consider his kids who don't get to see his as often because of distance. So at the end of our 2 week stay we packed up our stuff, the dog, no kittens because we found them homes and two more kids and headed back toward Houston eating junk and fun foods such as indian fry bread and the best beef jerky in the world from Centerville, TX. Now I am working out the details to move the family to Idaho. I think my husband lucked out on asking me now because when I got back home after being in 70* weather and had to deal with 104* My mind was made up and I set out on craigslist to find free packing boxes.