Are We There Yet?

I love fall and I love my kids, so I thought I would post this cute fall-ish picture of the three of them (plus Sophie's garage sale stuffed dog named Princess) in a big pile of leaves.  This photo was taken after a 7 hour car ride home from Devil's Lake, ND.  As you can see, they somehow managed to not kill each other.

You know how you plan a family event, whether it's a trip or just an afternoon outing, and you think it's going to be "quality family time" but it really just turns into a mess of yelling, hurt feelings, disappointment and a drive home in stifled silence?  When we planned to drive 7+ hours each way for a family wedding, that is exactly what I figured would happen.  So you can imagine my surprise when I was wrong.

The drive out was easy.  We caravanned with my parents (is caravanned a word?) and Sophie rode part of the way with them.  About 5 and a half hours in they turned off to pick up my brother, who was flying in from Florida to officiate the wedding.  We kept going on to Devil's Lake and checked into our hotel.  After unpacking the van, Wade ran out to get dinner (and coffee creamer - because he knows better than to let me wake up in the morning without it).  While he was gone the kids were, understandably, getting restless and getting on my nerves.  So, I told them to line up in front of the television.  We had a series of competitions - who could run in place the longest, who could freeze in place the longest, who could do the most jumping jacks - and surprisingly, it worked!  By the time Wade got back the kids were ready to sit in peace and eat some pizza.  Then we ensured they would sleep through the night by letting them swim until 10pm. 

Devil's Lake might be in the middle of nowhere, but it's the center of some of my favorite childhood memories.  Growing up, we would visit our cousins most summers.  I remember games of Truth or Dare and swimming in Devil's Lake, until I watched my cousin Aaron pee off the dock, that is.  But it's more than memories for my mom, who grew up in a tiny town about 25 miles outside of Devil's Lake. 

On Saturday morning we stopped to visit Ruth, who I'm named after, and who is like a second mother to my mom.  She's 90, and as sharp as ever.  Next we drove out to Starkweather.  Again, we caravenned with my parents (if that isn't a word, it really should be).  My brother rode in our van while we had my phone on speaker and listened to my mom give us the tour.  The quonset where my parents had their wedding reception.  The church her family attended.  The old soda fountain, now abandoned.  My mom's elementary school.

 And then we drove the 6 miles out of town to the farm.  The part behind my mom and I looks exactly as I remember.  But we all agreed that the farm quonset looked different, newer (and we later learned that the old one had been taken out by a tornado years ago).  And the farm house has a big, brand new addition and has been painted, so it was hard to tell that it's the same little white house we ran around 25 years ago. But even with the changes, being out there as an adult, with my mom, gave me a whole new appreciation for where she comes from.  We also stopped at the cemetery just down the road from the farm, where my grandparents and my mom's baby sister are buried. My kids once again surprised me by listening to grandma's stories and showing respect at the grave sites.  I loved watching my mom tell my kids about her life on the farm.

That evening was the wedding.  My cousin Aaron (who may have grown out of his peeing-in-the-lake phase by now) married Laurie, a beautiful bride, inside and out.  Matt did a great job and gave a us all a reminder of what a marriage should be. 

Lily is missing, but she had a full dance card and no time for pictures.

The drive home on Sunday was uneventful and, again, went far better and faster than I imagined it would.  I'm glad to be home, in my own bed and with my own coffee maker, but it was one of the best weekends I've had in a long time.  I plan to go back again soon (as in, less than 25 years from now).