Family Vacation: Getting there . . .

We recently returned from our 8 day trip to the beautiful beaches of the Oregon Coast, the busy streets of Seattle Washington, and a few days visiting our cousins in Richland Washington. I really want to remember the details of the trip, so I am going to write about it in several boring posts filled with pictures and memories. We left on Saturday night (the 17th). Benson was so so so so so excited to ride the airplane. And the bus that takes you from the parking lot to the airport. Basically any mode of transportation is complete joy for my little boys.

Benson also had several expectations for the trip. He told us several weeks in advance that he would get pretzels and apple juice on the airplane. He got his wish . . .

This is Keith and our long line of luggage. We were quite the site at the airport. Keith took care of all our cargo, while I held the boys hands and tried to keep myself from giving birth. Seriously, I laugh just thinking about how ridiculous we must have looked. I was just grateful I wasn't doing it alone.

The boys loved loved loved the airplane ride. This was Griffin's first trip on an airplane. Benson has been on several, but it has been a long time. They loved going fast and taking off, looking out the window, the tv screens on the seats in front of them, they loved it all. Griffin felt the pressure change during the landing. He didn't cry, just sat and patted his ears.

These pictures are out of order, oh well. Here is Griffey and I on the shuttle bus. No carseats or seatbelts in a motorized vehicle was very exhilarating for the boys. I had so much fun just laughing at them.

We were so excited to go, that we got to the airport insanely early. This gave the boys plenty of time to act crazy and get all riled up before departing. Griffin even attempting drinking out of a complete stranger's soda, which was awesome. Ok, not really. Already at this point in the trip I was thinking, why did we bring the kids? hahaha. Keith and I generally "vacation" without the kids. It makes for a much more relaxing experience.

Benson was a great traveller. I think he would have been happy if we spent the entire time on airplanes and buses. And maybe trains and boats.

We finally made it to Portland at about 10:00 pm. This is Griffin making a slide out of the rental car building. We reserved a "Pontiac G6 or similar." When we arrived, all they had was a Lincoln Town and Country (seriously?), an 18 Passenger Van (Keith really wanted this one) or a Ford F150. Ultimately, Keith chose the truck. It had 7 miles on it and Keith was in heaven. Don't be surprised if an upcoming post is entitled, "Our new truck" instead of "Our new minivan."

So, we made it there safe and sound. By the time we made it to the hotel, we were exhausted! Stay tuned for the rest of the trip in later posts . . .