Road Trip 2014

Day 1: June 30

Driving: 6 1/2 hours 415 miles Ohio - Kentucky - Tennessee

We left our home in Cincinnati, Ohio at 7:00 am and headed to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. When we got close the GPS told us to get off the freeway, which Adam did, and I argued against the GPS saying there was a better exit to take. So Adam was backing the van up to get back on the freeway and backed up into an orange construction sign, so now we have orange paint on the side of our van (Adam: "In my defense, the base and pole of the sign were REALLY skinny and I was looking in the backup camera so I missed the actual sign. This is the first thing I have ever hit in my car ever, so much for a perfect record :P")(Carrie:"What about the deer you hit a couple years ago?).

After taking a tour of the cave we drove to Jackson, Tennessee to stay the night. We made great time and decided to go swimming in the hotel's pool. Shortly after getting in the pool Catarina said she needed to go to the bathroom. Adam quickly got her out of the pool, but it was too late. She had pooped in her bathing suit (and it was soft messy poop, but luckily nothing got in the pool). Adam cleaned her up in our room and they both returned to the pool. After swimming for a half hour or so, Adam was playing with Kellen and picked him up and tossed him into the pool, which then made Kellen throw up... in the pool. We were done swimming at that point, and so were the other people who were using the pool (we let the hotel staff know about the mess to which the lady looked at the pool with a bewildered look). That was just the first day.

Day 2: July 1

Driving: 8 hours 530 miles Tennessee - Arkansas - Texas

We drove from Jackson, Tennessee to McKinney, Texas where my sister Amber and her family live. Before we start driving we usually pray, so Adam asked the kids before we left "What do we need to do before we leave?" and Kellen answered "Back into an orange sign?" We both about died laughing, Kellen has quite a sense of humor.

In December Amber and Jason flew to China to pick up their daughter Liliana. Meeting Liliana was one of our reasons for making this road trip, we needed to meet our new niece. What a cutie she is, so sweet and happy. Catarina now has a playmate around her age when we visit.

Day 3: July 2

We went to the Perot Museum in Dallas.

Day 4: July 3

Amber and I took the kids to Kid Mania to play while the guys stayed home playing video games. In the evening Adam and I went to Studio Movie Grill for a date and saw the new Transformers movie. Studio Movie Grill is like a restaurant inside a movie theater, you eat your dinner while you watch the movie. The young woman in the chair in front of us fell over backwards, I felt bad for her but it was also totally hilarious.

Day 5: July 4

We started our holiday celebration at In-N-Out, yum. After that the kids ran around in the fountains and we of course ended the day watching fireworks.

Day 6: July 5

In the morning the kids played at the playground, then in the afternoon we all swam in the pool. Catarina ended the day by throwing up on Daddy and the neighbors air mattress my sister had borrowed.

Day 7: July 6

Water balloon fight and more swimming in the pool.

Day 8: July 7

Catarina was still not feeling well, so she and Daddy had to miss going to the Frisco Athletic Center. She was so sad, she loves to swim.

The rest of us had tons of fun at the Athletic Center.

Day 9: July 8

Driving: 7 3/4 hour 480 miles Texas - Oklahoma - Missouri

We left McKinney, Texas right after breakfast and drove to Kansas City, Missouri where we stayed for the night. We ate dinner at Fritz's Railroad Restaurant, which the kids thought was the coolest. You order your food using a telephone and then a train brings you your food along an overhead track. When the train gets to your table it drops the food on a platform that then lowers it down so you can reach it. It was so cool!

After dinner we drove to this statue where we had an amazing view of the city.

Day 10: July 9

Driving: 7 hours 460 miles Missouri - Iowa - Minnesota

We drove to Rockford, Minnesota to visit Adam's family. Adam's aunts, uncles, cousins, Grandpa, and Grandma live in Minnesota and Adam's mom flew out from California to visit.

Day 11: July 10

We stayed with Adam's Uncle Bruce and Aunt Dawn. Their kids, Adam's cousins, are 7 and 9 years old. The kids spent the day playing and we visited with Bruce, Dawn, Grandma Garnie (Great-Grandma to our kids), and Adam's mom Tammy.

Day 12: July 11

Mall of America - Nickelodeon Universe (Indoor amusement park inside of the Mall of America). We spent the whole day there going on rides. The kids had so much fun. Catarina was able to go on a lot of the rides, but she would cry when there was a ride she wasn't tall enough for (because she REALLY wanted to go on them).

Day 13: July 12

BBQ with the family.

1st pic: Adam's mom Tammy with her two brothers Greg and Bruce

2nd pic: (Back row) Adam, Me, Aunt Dawn, Aunt Shannon, Grandma Garnie, Grandpa Les, Grandma Tammy, Catarina (Front row) Kellen, Lorelei, Aiden, Emily, Uncle Bruce, Uncle Greg

3rd pic: Four generations photo

(Adam: "I love this picture on the left, my family is just a bunch of goofballs :P")

Day 14: July 13

The kids played at the playground and there was a lake in this park, but unfortunately we did not bring the kids suits.

Day 15: July 14

Driving: 4 hours 250 miles Minnesota - Wisconsin

We left Minnesota after breakfast and drove to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. If you ever go to Wisconsin Dells eat at Macs, it was so good. It is a macaroni and cheese place and they put all kinds of stuff in the macaroni, Adam and I both wish we had one of these where we lived, we would eat there all the time. Catarina might look like she isn't interested in her food, but she ate all of her macaroni and even some of Lorelei's. Lorelei is not a fan of stringy cheese, so she did not care for her meal.

We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge because we love this hotel.

We love playing in the waterpark too. The kids got goggles with their pup pass and Kellen and Catarina insisted on wearing their's, even though it makes them look crazy.

Day 16: July 15

We took a Ride the Ducks tour along the Wisconsin River. It was cold that day. Of course I forgot Catarina's sweater at home so that picture you see below of Adam and Catarina, they are both in that sweater.

Day 17: July 16

Driving: 3 hours 175 miles Wisconsin - Illinois

We spent the morning finishing Lorelei's Shadow Quest game at the hotel and playing in the hotel's waterpark. Then after lunch we drove to Chicago, Illinois and spent the evening at Legoland Discovery Center.

Day 18: July 17

Millennium Park in the morning (we were lucky enough to get to listen to the orchestra practice in the park)
Giordano's for lunch/dinner (it was so filling we didn't have dinner)
Navy Pier and the Chicago Children's Museum in the evening (the museum was free that evening, very crowded but the kids still had lots of fun)

Day 19: July 18

Driving: 5 1/2 hours 335 miles Illinois - Indiana - Ohio

We spent the morning at the Lincoln Park Zoo and then headed home. We arrived home at 10:00pm.

I know it seems a little crazy that we combined our Texas and Minnesota trip into one considering they are not near each other at all, but we omit one leg of our trip by combining them (3 long drives instead of 4). Plus, we broke up the last leg of the trip by stopping in Wisconsin Dells for 2 nights and Chicago for 2 nights. We all had so much fun on our trip, the kids were great and we are all glad that we were able to see so much family.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by The Escobedos

Hocking Hills

In mid-October we went on a little vacation to Hocking Hills. We had a wonderful time relaxing, hiking, hanging out in our hot tub and watching kid cartoons at night (this was not my favorite part). This first picture is of the road to our cabin.

This was our cabin. We arrived in the afternoon and it was drizzling, so we just cooked dinner and hung out at the cabin. The kids loved playing outside on the deck and by the fire pit.

The next morning we went hiking (walking) to Old Man's Cave.

Old Man's Cave, not to shock you or anything, is named after an old man who lived in the cave a long time ago (I never would have guessed). It was absolutely beautiful, not that he probably chose this cave because of its beauty.

After Old Man's Cave we went back to the cabin so Adam and Catarina could take a nap (It was Adam's birthday) and Lorelei and Kellen played outside.

We had a crackling fire two of the nights we were there, how cozy.

The next day we went hiking to Cedar Falls...

Ash Cave...

and The Rock House. The Rock House was really cool. We read that criminals used to hide out there, which of course makes it even cooler.

They're trying to look like criminals.

This is a picture of The Rock House from the outside.

Adam was already wearing down because of having to carry Catarina so much that day, not because she isn't a good hiker, but because she's slow. He somehow ended up carrying the two girls back to the car.

Our cabin had a hot tub overlooking the woods, I could have stayed there forever. Luckily Catarina took care of that both times by spitting up in the water. Lorelei and Kellen could touch the bottom but Catarina could not. She kept jumping into the middle of the hot tub and would go under for a second until Adam or I rescued her. Both times we went in she choked on the water and it made her spit up a little. Luckily the second time Adam was able to hoist her over the side before she got any in the water.

On the day we left it was raining, but the kids really wanted to go back to Old Man's Cave.

On our way home poor Catarina fell asleep and got stickered.

We had a wonderful time and Hocking Hills is so beautiful. I hope we can go back in a couple of years so we can enjoy the many fun activities that we couldn't with little kids, like zip lining.

Read More 0 comments | Posted by The Escobedos

Fall & Christmas

Adam commented to me the other day about how it's been a long time since I've posted a blog. The fall is such a busy time for us with the beginning of activities and school, the many fun fall and holiday things to do, and 4 of the 5 of us have our birthdays in the fall. So the fall is just busy. Now that the fall and the holidays are over I am so bored and we are all just cooped up in the house irritating each other. Here's a little bit to catch you up on all of us:

Lorelei: Lorelei is doing wonderfully in Kindergarten. We are doing an online school this year and she has completed her social studies work and is about to finish her Language Arts, which means first grade work is going to be coming in the mail soon. I don't usually feel like I am teaching her anything because she learns it pretty quick. She can read pretty well too. She is in the Children's Choir at church, attends Awana at church, and is taking an art class.
Kellen: Kellen turned 3 last month and let me just say, I don't like that age. Half the time he is talking it comes out in a whine. He is also starting to not need a nap all the time, but if he doesn't nap he's grumpy and if he does nap he takes forever to go to sleep at night. For now I just try to wake him up early from his nap. Aside from that he is the sweetest child and so funny, he is always making us laugh. He also gives me so many kisses and cuddles. This week Kellen started a new Kindermusik class that he goes to by himself (he and I went to one together in the fall). He was so excited the rest of the day and kept playing his new instrument.
Catarina: Catarina is learning so many new words, one of them being "no". She sounds so cute saying it I keep asking her the same thing so she'll say it again. She also started a new Kindermusik class this week and I go to the class with her. I think she was a bit overwhelmed, but I'm sure she'll start loving it in a few weeks once she has gotten used to it.
Adam: He goes to work... in our basement or to the office, wearing shorts year round. On Monday I stopped by to bring him dinner (he works late on Mondays because Lorelei goes to Awana at church and his work is right next to our church) and he came running out to the car in shorts and a short sleeve shirt, and it was 26 degrees out.
Me: My days are filled with cleaning, homeschooling, taking care of kids, and occasionally I get out of the house, sometimes even without the kids.

So enough about us, here are some photos from the fall and Christmas. I only included fall pictures from when we were out enjoying the fall foliage, we did so much this fall there would be way too many pictures.

On Halloween we took the kids to the Cincinnati Art Museum for storytime and a craft. They dressed up in their costumes and received a treat from each of the storytime ladies (there are 4 people who sit at different places around the museum and they read a story that somehow goes with the painting or sculpture next to them, and so you travel around the museum from story to story).

It was cold and wet, horrible trick-or-treating weather.

My mom and sister plus family visited us for Christmas. My mom and sister spent most of the time working on ancestry stuff, Adam and Jason didn't start playing video games together until around the end of their trip (I don't know why they didn't figure that out sooner, they are both video game aholics), Lorelei and Sydney were playing non stop together, and Catarina was screaming (oh so much screaming and crying, we discovered on the day everyone was leaving that she had an ear infection).