Mom's Turn: The Rest of the Story

Thanks to all of you who are following and encouraging us!  We've decided this is a fun way to keep in touch while we're away from home.  Technology is an amazing thing. 

Unless it's a GPS. 

For the record, I really appreciate the comments from some of you who find it hard to believe I'd say "shut up" to anyone or anything.  You're mostly right!  It's something we've taught our kids not to say.  I think that's why I got so much attention when the words spontaneously popped out of my mouth the other day!  My family has not let me live it down, harrassing me daily ever since.  Frankly, I just got tired of the crazy gizmo telling Craig to "as soon as possible, make a U-turn" in its too-pleasant voice when that was exactly what we did NOT want to do!  At one point, Craig wasn't sure whether to listen to HER voice or mine -- that's when I told HER to shut up.  I couldn't help it.  Everyone else exploded with laughter.  And the GPS voice got turned off until SHE figured out where we were going.  And now that she and I have an understanding, we haven't had a problem since.   :-)

Tyler's been doing a pretty good job of posting the details of our daily adventures, and I hope you've enjoyed them.  Today marks the half-way point of our trip.  Our original plan for today changed, and it turned out great.  This became a day of rest.  We played at the Crayola Factory for several hours, then came back to the hotel for lunch and naps.  I even found time to read the book I've been trying to get to for a couple months! 

Tomorrow we visit historic destinations in Philadelphia on our way to WDC.  We'll stay at the next hotel for a week -- which will help me keep up with laundry!  We've become very familiar with hotel laundry facilities. 

We've also done a pretty good job of eating mostly healthy food.  I think we've eaten three meals "out" the whole time we've been gone, with the rest being homemade in our room and brown-bagging our lunches.  Our favorite foods so far have to be the enormous variety of healthy snacks we discovered at one of the Amish country stores and again at a local healthy-food grocery store.  Our hotel room is well-stocked!  We also enjoyed amazing crab cakes and experienced deep-fried pickles (don't knock it till you've tried it!) at one of the meals we ate out.  So we're enjoying culinary adventures, even from our room.

As much as we're having fun, we'll also be glad to go home.  We miss the simplicity of our one-stoplight town.  And we'll be glad to see our dogs, goats, and chickens.  And you wouldn't believe the little bumps they call mountains around here!  Too funny.