The Happiest Place On Earth?!?!?! The Conclusion

DAY 6

We wake up and Eric isn't feeling real well. Apparently the day before took more out of him than either of us thought it might. It meant I was driving again. In California. On crazy freeways. I decided I wanted to get out of the hotel and on the road ASAP.

We get packed up and Eric goes to find a luggage rack. Someone that works at the hotel tells him he needs to call the front desk and they'll send one up. Well we call and she says she'll send one up. Then we wait and wait and wait.

Finally Eric's had enough and goes in search of one on his own again. But then we see someone in my family and we take theirs after they are done. Cody asks if he can help out and so him and Eric take the rack down and the rest of us follow behind. Because of valet parking we do our best to get loaded up quickly and get the car out of the way.

We say goodbye to my family that was still around and they say they're heading to the beach if we want to go. We obviously don't, so we head on our way.

We're all hungry and decide we'll have a 'nice' breakfast before heading out. It was about 10:30 or so, so we figured if we ate now, we could travel a little bit longer before the kids got hungry. We stopped at a Denny's and there was a guy making balloon characters. We passed right by him, but the girls couldn't stop talking about him. I wondered aloud how much he charged and decided that maybe on our way out we'd stop and ask him.

He ended up leaving before us, but not before he came over and asked if we wanted the Ariel balloon he had had on display. I didn't quite understand what he was asking, but he kind of just handed it to me. I then understood that he was asking if we wanted it. I asked him how much it was but he walked off. I felt bad and a little dumbfounded. Had I not been so dumbfounded I would've paid him for his efforts. Ailey was thrilled to have the balloon and I wanted to get a picture, but just didn't before it got ruined. Tanis did manage the following before she was destroyed too terribly.

The traffic wasn't nearly as bad being earlier in the morning, but there were still some scary parts for me.

It was a pretty uneventful ride until we get a few miles outside of Vegas. There was a wreck that had caused a major backup on the freeway. So many cars going so slow was a little nerve wracking. When we finally got passed the wreck they were just clearing it up. It made me thankful that we were behind it and not involved in it.

I continue the drive to Mesquite and I'm getting tired and it's getting late. I was so anxious and on edge and just wanted to get to the hotel. Eric can tell I'm getting tired and keeps trying to keep me going. We decide we'll check into the hotel and then go get food at the pizza place I wanted to go to on Sunday.

We find the Pizza Place and thankfully got there an hour before closing. Their food was good and I was glad we had a nice meal. We get to our room and because Eric used some travel site to book our hotel we were stuck in a Smoking Room. We walked in and I immediately start coughing. We immediately turn on the fan to try to dissipate the smell. It actually worked pretty good and even though it wasn't the best of circumstances, we got there late enough that we would only be sleeping there and then heading out in the morning.

DAY 7

We wake up in the morning and I'm gearing myself up for the drive home. Eric surprises me and says he thinks he can handle the drive home. I am thankful as I need some rest. I'd been way too stressed for way too many days. There are a few times during the drive he mentions that he should've had me drive, but he pulls through.

We get home and lounge. It felt good to be home. That night into the early morning hours, Shaylyn starts puking which ends up bringing a fun next 2 weeks to our home, but that's another story.

MY CLOSING THOUGHTS

While our trip was obviously less than ideal, I'm still glad we were able to make it. I was thankful for my sisters sacrifice that allowed us the opportunity to go on the trip. I was super grateful for a wonderful mother-in-law who sacrificed her time and sanity to help us out where she felt she could. I was so glad Jace was in a safe environment where he could play and move without being constrained by carseats and strollers, and that he was away from a raving, lunatic of a mother.

I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for the people they are and that we all just take care of each other's needs where we see that we can. I am thankful that my mom and sisters stepped in when they realized just how stressed I was and did what they could to lighten the load. I am thankful for a father and a brother who both honor their Priesthood and that my little sister married a man who also honors his Priesthood and that they were all worthy to give my husband a blessing in his time of need.

I learned just how much I rely on Eric and how much he does when we go on a trip. Eric and I have taken on very traditional roles in our marriage and I realized how much the 'man' has to do on a family vacation. I also learned that I much more enjoy being Mom than being Dad. I also learned that it sucks being Mom & Dad, so to those of you my friends who are doing both jobs - kudos to you. You are amazing! And there are those of us who admire you more than you know.

I also learned just what I am capable of. There's nothing like trial by fire to learn just how strong you are. While I didn't do everything the very best I could do, I did overcome some obstacles. I vowed I'd never drive in California. I did it. I struggle taking all of my kids anywhere by myself, but I was able to do it for 2 days in crowded theme parks. I can do so much more than I usually give myself credit for and while I would never want to go through such trials again, I am thankful to have had them so I could learn more about myself.