Making decisions

Dear friends and family, I am starting a blog so I can easily update all of you at the same time FROM THE ROAD. We are so excited about the 99% possibility that we will be spending the Summer seeing the West. While we will miss all of you, this Summer represents our best chance to see America (at least a good chunk of it) with our kids. Traveling by RV, we hope to spend Aidan's birthday in St. Louis at the top of the Gateway Arch. We hope to see the Independence Day fireworks at Mt. Rushmore (actually on July 3rd this year...I already checked). Maybe the kids will see the famous Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD, Wall Drug Store in Wall, SD, Devil's Tower over the border from SD in Wyoming (Remember Close Encounters of the Third Kind?). Sheep, sheep, sheep, and more sheep in Montana. We will visit friends in Coeur d'Alene for a couple of days rest before heading for the Cascades. We will make the Cascade loop a two day trip. Why rush it? We will bypass Seattle and head for the ferry at Vancouver. When we get to Victoria, we will spend a week or so visiting with family and attending a wedding before heading "up island" to show the kids the beach where mom and dad were engaged. We hope to spend a couple of nights in a KOA at Long Beach or Tofino. The kids will love the scenery. After that, it's back to Victoria for a couple of days before heading back to the U.S. On the way home, we hope we will have the time to spend a day or two at Yellowstone seeing the geysers and a day to visit friends in Denver.

Aidan is old enough to remember all of this trip at his age. Abby and Ella will remember bits and pieces. Mom and Dad will ALWAYS remember the chaos, joy, tears, and triumphs of traveling across country with 3 kids.

Cross your fingers that all of this comes true. If anyone can handle the chaos, a McLay can!