That's all Folks!

Day 25-29 Were spent in the car driving home!  We stopped in Needles, Ca where it was 109 degrees and got Hagen Das Bars and had to eat them quickly, because they melted fast!  We stayed the night in Amarillo, and enjoyed a visit with my Uncle Gene, Aunt Sandra, and their daughter and family who I have not seen for years.  Then it was off to Missouri and then to Kentucky.  After Kentucky we could smell home.  We arrived safe and sound at 9:00PM and all the kids wanted to do was wake our good friends who live across the street and tell them all about the trip.  

We had an experience when we stopped for dinner in West Virginia, it was kind of a run down hamburger place, as we sat down to eat, this gentleman turned around and said, "My wife and I have a problem with your family!"  I was thinking what in the world, we hadn't done anything too horrific yet!  Then he goes to explain that first he saw my husband walk in with two kids, then he turned around and saw another, then turned around and saw another.  He then counted everyone to make sure more weren't turning up!  We laughed and chatted with them for awhile and you would have thought we were long lost family.  They were just a cute set of Grandparents missing little ones.  

I was truly amazed at how many nice people we met on our trip.  

Well this ends the cross country adventure!  What an amazing experience, one to last a life time!  The kids were wonderful and I love all the memories we made.  I have to admit, even though I was honestly camped out by the end of the trip, I saw a mini van at a "rest stop" stuffed full and I was wishing we were back on the road!   For all of you who joined us I hope you enjoyed the ride.

When you wish upon a Star......

Day 22-26 we spent in Disneyland, California!  What an experience!  The kids had a great time.  And indeed we burnt the candle at both ends.  We went until we couldn't go anymore.  We got to the park early, went home for lunch, then stayed until late.  Madeline loved running from ride to ride when the evening shows were going, because there were no lines.  Robb warmed up to the rides and by the time day 4 came around he had designated Space Mtn and Thunder Mtn railroad as his favorite.  Alexa loved everything, the log ride scared her a little when it went down the steep hill, but she was the perfect age for it all.  Kate was hilarious, her favorite part was being queen of the stroller in her"Minnie Mouse" hat eating a lollipop!  She loved all the characters, which made it really fun.  There is so much to tell and so much you just have to experience.  As a family our favorite event was seeing Aladdin the play, where Jasmine and Aladdin flew around the theater singing on a magic carpet, (above our heads) and the Jeanie was so funny we laughed until our sides hurt.   We all loved when standing in line, we look over at Robb and he has pleasantly attached himself to another mans arm.  And being a kind man just let Robb walk with him as he turned around and smiled at us.  When Robb finally realized it wasn't his dad's arm he just shyly let go.  It was cute.  

Just being together as a family was the real magic.

"Minnie"

See that little arm, Kate lifting her arms on the "Gaget Coaster" (she's a little dare devil)

We're goin' to Disneyland!

Dwane was selected to be a "Dancing Daddy" along with a few other brave souls, 

the kids loved it!

Family Reunion Time!

Day 15 - 21

We Wish We All Could Be "Northern" California Girls!  Originally I was!!!  So our next stop was back to my roots in Fair Oaks, California.  There is nothing more wonderful than to pull up and see a home that has so many treasured memories.  The smell when you walk through the door just makes me practically limp, like I want to flop on the couch for hours and drink it all in!  Not to mention the wonderful people I get to claim as parents that hug and kiss you and make it PERFECT! (HOME: there is no place like it) So not only were my parents there, but my brother, his wife and his two children.  I was so excited!  That afternoon there was church and a quick stop to visit a close friend from high school, who just happened to be in town one day overlapping with me.  It was short, but wonderful! A few days at the Johnson suite then off to camping at Bodega Dunes.  We had so much fun.  The air was crisp and cold, but the love was warm.  We did family skits one night that were a hit, (my youngest sister taught us how to belly dance) and we all shared favorite memories about my, one and only brother who was turning "40"!  We spent two days at the beach, ate sandy gummy bears, taco salad(every Johnson's favorite), collected shells, played games, had scooter races, made crafts, climbed trees, got dirty and much more.  It was AWESOME!

Taco Salad Rocks!  If you ever visit a Johnson Family for dinner, it is guaranteed that this meal will probably be served!

Cousins rock!  click on this picture for a closer look!  They are touching their noses with their tongues!

Scooter Races!

Campfire!

Our newest addition, Baby Myles Castillas.  (What a Doll)

All the grandkids!

Sisters!

Relay races on the beach!

Those wonderful Northern beach waves!

The famous climbing tree!

Behind the scene pictures!

Attack of those Wyoming Mosquitos! No these are not my hairy legs, they are Dwane's!

The flash took away how black these little feet were!  

Tent fun!

Dwane laughed so hard when he saw this sign we had to take a picture!(Crater Lake)

They Might be Giants!

Day 13 and 14

By far this was our favorite campsite.  The REDWOODS surrounded us and the kids couldn't believe how big they were.  They are so beautiful.  We went to this tourist trap where they have a statue of Paul Bunyan and Babe his ox, and low and behold Paul talks.  There is actually a man in this huge statue that personalizes each conversation.  Alexa was so excited about this that she started flapping, Paul commented,"Wow, you are waving with both hands!"  It was fun!  We loved crawling through the trees trunks and riding above them on an sky tram.  We viewed an ospreys nest and oohed and awed over the chain saw sculptures.  Hurray we officially made it from coast to coast! 

The beautiful Trees of Mystery!

Climbing through tree roots!

Redwoods Grow trees out of existing trees.  Here is a fallen tree that has three more trees growing out of it!  Cool huh!

Chain saw sculpture!

This picture cracks me up! They were trying to see if Dwane was right when he told them the trees were so tall that they couldn't see the top!

Crater Lake (Oregon)

Day 12 

BREATH TAKING! If you want to see something that gives you chills this is a place to get them. Unfortunately the pictures do not do this justice.  What we thought was most interesting about our summer travels is that we had been spending most of our time in places that were created by Volcanos.  Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon, and Crater Lake.  Fascinating huh!  Anyway the campsite was beautiful and everything smelled like pine the kids had the best time playing on the piles of snow and getting dirty!  We felt like pro campers by now!  You would be amazed at how fast we could put up and take down the tent.  Madeline we found out is a master tent roller!  Go Madeline!!

The family!

I wish these pictures did this amazing lake justice!

Who would have thought snow in mid July!  This was definitely and unexpected treat!

Madeline and Robb made the family hoagies for dinner.  They loved the part about throwing them in the fire!  They were amazingly delicious even the burnt crispy parts!

Our Little Bears!  Dwane was so excited about the "Bear Box" I guess this is a manly thing to have on your campsite.  The kids thought it was fun to hide in.  Alexa and Kate played puppy for at least an hour, closing each other in it! (it was easy to keep an eye on them)

Stayin' in Idaho Falls!

Day 11 

Just a travelin' day!  Some of our favorite memories about this place is our view of the Idaho Falls temple, though I was a little concerned when we drove around to our room and there was a Magic touch Massage!!!! (this was a last minute stop so hotels were limited) Yikes!!  If you are from N.C. you'll know why I was creeped out!  We ate our breakfast out by the river yet before we were done we were attacked by a gaggle of geese they were not friendly at all!  We had to run for our lives to the car.  It was funny!  We drove until we hit Crater Lake!

My favorite, sprinklers in open fields.

Killer Geese!

Idaho Falls Temple!

Kate's favorite sleeping position!