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Wow, how do we begin to explain May?? It's a long story but about two years ago Cindy talked to her sisters about beginning to think about planning their parents 50th anniversary. Everyone agreed it was a good idea until Cindy's Mom declared that parties were too much of a hassle and she intended to go on a cruise instead. Fast forward to March of this year. Mom and Dad will be married 50 years on May 5th 2006, they aren't going on a cruise until the end of the month and do indeed really want a party. Cindy's sisters in California frantically begin helping Mom with the plans. Cindy and family are 2600 miles away in Canada and with $3.20 a gallon for diesel at 5-6 mpg we can't imagine a round trip to San Jose for the party and back. We won't be there.
We arrive in Niagara Falls on Monday (Canadian side) and after a nice bath (yes, the KOA had a bathtub!) we are sitting outside enjoying some warm weather and talking. The kids ask when Grandma and Grandpa's party is and I tell them Friday, then they go on about how they can't believe we're going to miss it. "I mean it's their 50th Anniversary! this only happens once", Maddie informed us. "Yeah", Matthew agreed. Clearly disappointed
I (Cindy) responded, "Look guys, I'm already upset that we won't be there, if it had been planned differently we could have worked it into our travel plans. There's still have a lot of the country we haven't seen, and our time on the road is growing short. Please just leave it alone". After that we all talked about seeing the falls the next day and taking a jet boat ride.
Tuesday morning May 2nd as we're getting ready to drive over to Niagara Falls, Jim asks us if we really planned to live anywhere around the Great Lakes or the northern US border states. NO! we all declared (we have discovered that our tolerance for extreme cold is nonexistent). "Well", he replied "I've been thinking that if we can agree to save this part of the country for another vacation, we could drive west today nonstop and be in San Jose by Thursday night. After the party, we can concentrate on the Pacific Northwest and the four-corners area, places we think we'd really want to live."
We were stunned, it sounded great, crazy but great! It was 9am, and we figured that we could hurry over to the falls, snap a few photos, oooh and ahhh and hit the road by noon. We were so exited, and we weren't going to tell anyone we were coming!
We all hop in the Jeep and about a block away we hear a horrible screeching sound coming from our wheels. Our rear axle bearing had seized up and we were barely able to get back to the campground! After calling around, we quickly figured that fixing it wasn't an option, so we rented a tow dolly and towed the Jeep backwards. We stopped near Dunkirk, NY and had our tow bar reinforced, it was 8pm on Tuesday when we finally hit the road.
Matthew and Maddie slept in shifts with us so we each had a copilot to fetch us coffee, change music, etc.
We passed this thing in Utah (I think)....interesting.
We became slightly punchy from lack of sleep.
Did you know it snows in Wyoming in May?
Maddie did pushups the entire trip...she's ripped dude!!
Matthew just ate corn nuts.
Yes, we all went slightly crazy.
We arrived in San Jose at 4am on Friday May 5th. The ceremony was scheduled for 3pm, we dropped the Jeep off to be fixed and returned the tow dolly by 8am. We stopped off at our storage to pick up Jim's suit (yes, he cleans up nice) and grabbed a nutritious breakfast at McDonald's. Next we invaded Jim's Mom's house to shower (3 days no shower...gross huh?), "Thanks for the showers, can't stay and visit, gotta go... love 'ya...bye!". Now we were fed and clean but one major obstacle remained.......Cindy and Maddie had nothing to wear!!!
We pulled up to Nordstrom at noon and Maddie and I hit the store like a pair of seasoned pros, "We'll back in a hour" we promised. The men were doubtful but in the meantime they picked up the now fixed Jeep (Jim has amazing contacts in the Jeep world) and cleaned the bus (they ROCK). At 1:30pm Maddie and I emerged from Nordstrom with a dress shirt and socks for Matthew, two fabulous dresses, shoes, jewelry and a few unmentionables (we have skills)! Jim was already dressed and as we drove to my Mom's, Maddie and I got ready. Polishing your nails in a moving vehicle is harder than it looks!
We arrived around 2pm and walked into my parents room just as my mom was putting on her lipstick and my dad was fixing his tuxedo tie!! They were VERY surprised, and as the kids predicted, my dad was all choked up!
Driving 2600 miles across the country.... $1400
300 bags of corn nuts...$400
54 hours of driving....??
Being surprise guests at your parents 50th wedding anniversary.....Priceless!
Are they the cutest couple or what??
Bro-in-Law Michael, Sister Linda and our godson Aidan.
It was a beautiful evening. After the party we crashed hard.
Then we had the more casual "party the day after the party".
Cindy's Mom, sisters and Maddie.
Our timing was great because as it turned out Jim's sister, Heather, was getting married the following weekend! We drove to Oakdale, CA on Friday and found out that Heather had been ill that week and was just getting out of the hospital. It was really hot that week so she and her fiancée, Troy, decided to move the ceremony to their ranch where the reception was being held. With a last minute change there was lots of work to do, so we rolled up our sleeves and helped make it happen.
It was a beautiful wedding.
Ahhh...gotta love family celebrations!!
After a while Maddie and Matthew escaped the scorching sun with their cousin Trevor and hung out in the bus with the AC full blast. It was cool for them to be able to hang out with a cousin they didn't know too well. They hit it off and were soon stealing bottles of sparkling cider (nonalcoholic) and playing cards until the wee hours. Trevor tried convincing us that the goats they're raising are cool animals, but we weren't buying it. Goats....eeewwww!
Back home, Cindy's nephew, Michael, turned 18!!
Some of Jim's clients got word he was in town, so we stayed the remainder of the month. This suited the kids perfectly since they got a chance to reconnect with lots of their old homeschool pals.
Matthew and his best pal Patrick.
Even better Maddie got to hang out with what would have been her graduating class and being cool homeschoolers, they graciously invited her to participate in all the usual rites of passage...campout, beach trips etc.
Families learning, playing and just being together, a truly beautiful community. It was wonderful to be able to renew some of these connection.
We spent a couple of weeks in the mountains of Los Gatos with our friends the Kellys. Their house is for sale and they are getting ready to buy a bus and hit the road. We always have a great time with them and have decided that when together we are...The Kellyssous!
