Did this really happen or was it a dream? (part one)

Oh boy if it wasn't almost ten at night I'd tell you all about the first part of our road trip this summer.  I'd line all the pictures up and gush my feelings about this family.  (abigail is directly behind me in the playroom playing Calico Critters... I'm just putting that there so I can remember... and yes it's 9:40 and she was already tucked in for the night but then came out with pain from her EE... so she sits behind me as I type... I can hear doll house furniture moving around and the faint whisper of the mommy talking to the daddy in her little Calico world)

I know that tonight I don't have the time (or energy) I'd like to tell you everything.  But I have to start because I can't let these feelings go undocumented.  I don't ever want to forget our trip this summer.

Remember this post back here?  I was so scared about driving 15 hours.  (okay, well 30 total if you count driving back home) But I'll tell you right now, it was nothing.  No big deal.  Not half as bad as I pictured.  It was actually kinda fun.  Really!

Except for the Chicken Pox scare and the doctor visit in the middle of no where. And the possibility of having to turn around when we were 'almost there'.  But we're not there in our story yet.  I'll get to that.

I over packed, that's for sure.  Completely over packed the fun car stuff.  I did, really did have enough for driving straight from Connecticut to California... and back.  But more on that later too.

I know I'm jumping around here a bit but I think I just realized why I haven't downloaded my camera chip yet.  I'm afraid I didn't take enough pictures.  I KNOW I didn't.  And then I'm also kinda bummed I didn't bring my Canon mark iii.  I brought the Canon 7d so I could not 'worry about' my camera.  Not doing that again!

Okay, here goes, gotta just start.  Before school does!

Our first stop was here.  My friend and her amazing family live in such a beautiful part of the country.  Once you cross into their state and you see those rolling green hills you just feel so uplifted and relaxed.  I couldn't wait to get there!  It is just like she shows you in her blog except better.  Waaaay better.  It doesn't feel odd to me anymore to step into a blogging friends real life.  She's been in my 'real life' forever anyway.  It feels just feels as natural as can be.  So natural that I think I didn't even introduce my family.  I just knew that they all knew each other.

As soon as we pulled up the happiness in my heart that I was hoping for came true.  When Flynn and Abigail met they were instant friends.  Before I even turned around they were off and playing.  be. still. my. happy. heart.

Whispering secrets and giggling.



Even Kerby played.



Instant friends.



And then we sat on her porch and chatted for a long time. And it felt wooonderful!  I can't wait to dive into our travels more.  I'm still asking myself, did this really happen or was it a dream?