Day 1
We left Spring, TX at 8:45 AM and went through Texarkana, Little Rock, West Memphis and stopped at a motel for a snooze in Sikeston, MO at 9:45 PM. FYI, do not stay at a Super 8! Pay the extra $20 for an upgrade. I'm so glad that I am a little anal and brought our Lysol wipes! Otherwise, I'd be balled up in the fetal position in a corner rocking back and forth, sucking my thumb! But, on the bright side, Cooper was amazing as usual. He fussed a little when he was simply too fed up with his car seat. We're blessed!
Day 2
Aaron and I got out of that God forsaken motel at 9:45 AM and got to Vincennes, IN around 2:30 PM (1:30 PM CST). The time changes just as soon as you cross Illinois into Indiana. We decided to check into our hotel first to get Cooper fed and to relax a bit. We booked our stay at the Holiday Inn Express in advance based on reviews from other travelers. That was the wisest decision made and money spent so far. It's really accommodating and comfortable and, as many of you know, those things are important with a baby in tow. After an hour at the hotel, we visited Aaron's dad and grandparents. There were 4 generations of Van Weys in that room and it was really nice to catch up.
Day 3 - 4th of July
Today we took it easy. First, we relaxed a bit in the hotel. Then, we visited with family. A lot of Cooper's cousins came to see him and catch up. They were going crazy for Cooper and, of course, he was soaking up all the attention. Then, to end the night, PawPaw, Aaron and I took Cooper to his first fireworks show at the George Rogers Clark Memorial. It was beautiful and Cooper had his own glow sticks to celebrate Independence Day. He did really well with the loud noises. He even fell asleep!
Today, we decided to take Coop to the zoo! We figured he'd really enjoy discovering these really strange animals. So, PawPaw, Aaron and I took him to the Indy zoo. It was perfect! It was in the upper 80s (Hoosiers were complaining about how hot it was!) and the zoo wasn't too crowded or big; very manageable! Cooper loved anything in water! I bet he would've made MiMi proud! He was mesmerized with the dolphins and fish! He even got to pet an elephant!
And the penguins, too!
Day 5
Once again, we decided to take it easy. Hey, it's vacation! We slept in, went shopping, and grilled some burgers at Ani and Grandad's house. We even visited Aunt Dink and Uncle Jack. Aunt Dink said that Cooper is too pretty to be a boy! But, this day was a time for goodbyes too. It was hard leaving for everyone. We sure will miss you and promise to make it up there for a Christmas season soon! I want a true White Christmas!
Day 6
Of course, we got up late and left Vincennes around 12 PM. We always stop in Charleston, MO. to see Boomland on our trips up North. They have all kinds of goodies like homemade jams and sauces. But, the coolest thing they have is a giant shop of any kind of firecracker you can think of! We bought Cooper a little red Mini Cooper model car and a black bear named Midnight. We traveled for about seven more hours and made it Texarkana, AR. (literally just outside of the Texas state line) and stayed the night at the Clarion. It wasn't like the Super 8, but it definitely wasn't like the Holiday Inn. At first, they gave us a smoking room and I was not going to put Cooper's health at risk. So, I asked for another room and the receptionist politely agreed. Well, the second room smelled like sour throwup. Ewww! So, I explained that I was not trying to be a pest, but we could not stay in that room either. She said it was probably the cleaner, but indulged my request one last time. Thank goodness, third time was a charm. It smelled... normal.
Sound asleep at the Clarion
Day 7
On the road again! This time we went through Dallas, down Waco and reminisced in Belton, TX where Aaron and I went to college almost 4 years ago! Wow! It was so surreal to relive that period in time when our stresses were trivial and there was no Cooper. I realized that I am so blessed to have such a valuable education and an amazing, little family! We continued south through Austin and finally arrived to our last destination: Uncle Greg and Aunt Patsy's house in Kyle, TX. We ate bratwurst (well, I ate a hotdog) and watched House Hunters International till 1 AM! We're so cool!
One of our rest stops for Cooper
Day 8
Today, the boys went floating on the river. The girls and Cooper went shopping at the Outlet Mall. Cooper banked some new clothes and Mommy got a good deal at Bath & Body Works! Then, we all met up at Patsy's mom's house and swam the evening away. Cooper loves the water and was floating on his own for a few seconds! Then, we fixed up some fajitas and ate some homemade peanut butter ice cream cake! Yummy!
Day 9
Today is the day we make our voyage home! But, before we left Kyle, we got to see the US Girls soccer team win against Brazil! It was an amazing comeback and we were all so excited! I loved visiting family and friends, but living out of suitcases with an infant is tough!
