Here is a picture of Bruce last time we saw him. L is named after Bruce and this is the best picture we got of the two of them together.
Papa's Grandpa Bruce has been very sick for several months but it was still a bit of a shock to hear that he'd died recently. When I found out I called Papa at work and told him and asked him if we were going to the funeral. Papa told me yes.. and my mind started in on the list of things that would need to be done before we headed out. Bruce and his wife Vivian (Granny) lived about 13 hours driving from us.. in a different country and we had 5 days to get ready to go.
Granny and her boys had planned a potluck for that Saturday and Papa was determined to be there! We made it but it was quite the trip. Anyway Papa got home that night and I went out to chat with him while he milked the cows. I had already called a few people who I thought might do chores for us but hadn't gotten a farm sitter yet. So as I was telling him about this Papa turned and just stared at me! It turns out he had TOTALLY FORGOTTEN we'd need a farm sitter. His mind was so full of Bruce and Granny and the trip that he'd skipped over our biggest obstacle. Thankfully he instantly thought of one person who would and did farm sit for us and we got our sitter with much less hassle then I thought!! Thank You Pat!! Pat hadn't ever used a milk machine before but was very brave about the whole thing. Later she told me that she could always call her husband or father in law and that helped her feel like she wasn't doing it alone and that she felt she had help if she needed it.
We packed, and I have to admit, worried all week. We didn't have the proper papers to ALL cross the border. The kids and Papa could get across anytime but I needed a passport and didn't have one. Also Papa's paperwork is in the works and he only had a expired PR card to get him back into our country!! So the big question was would they let me in?? And if Papa went thru would they let him back?? Our good friend Mr. H who works at said border had told us what to bring and so we brought everything on the list and more but we really wanted to talk to him and make sure we'd be fine.. too bad he wasn't home and we never did get to talk with him about it. Thankfully both border crossings went really well, except Baby J screamed thru one, and we had no problems either way!! PTL!!
We left on a Friday morning and drove all day and well into the night. We hit the border after 10pm and didn't hit a bed till midnight. The kids slept in the truck while we drove which was great!! The hotel room was exciting for them but they were all disappointed that there was only a standing shower.. I'd told them there would be tubs. The next morning they forgave the lack of tub as they watched cartoons on the bed and ate breakfast until we were ready to go. Baby J did really well on the trip and other then screaming at the border he cried very little. Every time we stopped he would nurse and I think he gained a pound in just the 4 days we were gone. At night he slept in his car seat on a chair beside the bed and was rarely up more then 3 times a night. Baby J is the smallest of our babies ever to take such a long trip with us. He was 11 days old when we left and we could not even buy travelers insurance for him as they must be 15 days old!! He did have a scare or two. At one point we were driving along with the windows down and a motorcycle ROARED past us and poor Baby J jumped and SCREAMED!!! He was so scared it took me a full minute to calm him down.. then he went back to sleep like nothing had happened!!
Saturday morning we headed out again and finally reached our destination at 1pm. We checked into a hotel and the kids jumped right into the tub!! It was HOT and even with all the windows open the truck still was warm. We found out later it was 35 C outside!! No wonder we were melting! After everyone had a bath or shower and felt more human, Baby J, had his 1st bath in one country and his second in another!, we tried to call Granny and G &S but couldn't get anyone. We had no idea what to bring to the potluck or what to expect of the evening. So we got ready to go and drove out trying to find propane for the truck. Easier said then done.. 3 places later we finally got propane.. and COOKED in the sun while they filled the tank, and headed to Walmart to find something to bring to the potluck. We ran in and grabbed some stuff and headed over to G&S to see the family.
Almost every family member was able to come. Only one Granddaughter was missing! About 28 people in all. Most had not met me or our kids. There was tons of food and a pool for the kids to swim in, which they did for hours, lots of chatting and picture taking. Grandpa and Grandma G got to see Baby J for the 1st time and he got passed around a lot as everyone loved him. Our younger kids loved the older 2nd cousins and they all had a blast together in and out of the pool. Granny really enjoyed seeing us all together and I think everyone enjoyed the time together. Later that night we headed down the to River where Granny and the boys poured Bruce's ashes into the river.. no ceremony, no prayer, no words.. just the family standing on a dock thinking of the man he was and saying good bye. It was very simple and I think that must have been the way Bruce wanted it.
The Great Grandkids. Missing one who was asleep.
The grandchildren and their spouses.
Granny, the boys and their wives.
Granny and her Boys.
The next morning we ate breakfast at the hotel and took the kids swimming in the pool. The hotel had a small kids pool 1.5 feet deep and we let the kids play in it for a while. At one point I had them all running around the edge of the round pool making a whirlpool and all of a sudden R slipped and went under and floated head down for a second.. then Papa was there picking her up! In his boots and jeans! She was fine! Wanted and went right back in. Papa and I shook our heads and then laughed. If it had been E she'd have sat on the edge for the rest of the time! When we got to Granny's later Papa put his boots on her front lawn to dry and when we left almost 3 hours later they were dry! Did I mention it was HOT!! Papa felt sorry for us and we ate more ice cream in those 4 days then we normally do in a month!! We went thru drive thru's and ate junk but we stayed cooler that way!! Grandpa and Grandma Griggs and Auntie R and M were at Granny's and the kids played together while we adults chatted the morning away. Then we all said our goodbyes and headed in different directions. It was strange to be so close to the home place and not go there. We traveled the rest of that day and all of the next, in the hot sun which slowly cooled off the farther north we got, with the boys playing in their seats in the back of the Travelall, the girls playing happily in the middle, and Papa and I up front watching the fields go by and thinking and dreaming and wishing and Baby J slept in his car seat between us. Waking only to eat every few hours. He really is a great baby! We had the book "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' on Papa's Ipod and listened to the whole thing while we drove along! We got home late on Monday and we were SUPER thankful that Pat had already done chores. I put the kids to bed while Papa did the farm check then we fell into bed happy to be home again.
Some interesting things..
It took us 18 hours to get there and 18 to get back. This is hours in the truck! Not including the hotel stays. So we were on the road 32 hours total
We spent 26 hours in the city we where the funeral was!
2 boys can play with a couple of water bottles and socks for several hours and not get bored.
2 water bottles can easily morph into swords!!
2 little girls can play with 2 forks and a spoon for hours.
1 little girl can play with a wooden based bead strings thing for several hours and those beads can do a LOT more then just move on their metal rods!!
Baby J can suck on a syringe full of gripe water for over an hour.. before happily falling asleep with said syringe in his mouth!!
The squishy end of a baby Tylenol bottle is great for sucking on if you have nothing else for your baby to suck on while your driving. (He had eaten just was unhappy!)
I NOW understand why mothers use baby plugs (soothers)!!
It's creepy how much Papa looks like some of his cousins!
Supposedly R looks JUST like Papa's sister R did at her age! I still would like to see pic's of R at this age :)
L loves parks.. I finally told him.. "we are going to see lots of cool places to play.. we are NOT stopping at all of them.. maybe one or two.. deal with it!!'
Kids have an INCREDIBLE memory. We have not made a trip down in 2 years and on the way home we stopped in at the place Papa and I got married.. and J remembered one of the toys in the play ground there. L didn't remember the toy but remembered we took pictures under the tree we got married under!
The kids had 2 baths and went swimming 2 times in 4 days and none of either on the 1st day.
Even when you think your truck is full you can always find room for fruit!!
