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Well … It’s almost 1:00AM on day 6 … Jamie is really wanting to push thru New Mexico … But after a late night last night … I’m not sure how much longer he can really go … He is already starting to tire and we are going to stop soon for a stretch … I just gave him another mountain dew and a honey bun … The food of road warriors across America …

As I was getting Jamie a honey bun … A can fell out of the cabinet and landed on Bailey’s head … She was not happy .. And I think she will have a knot there tomorrow … These beds are probably not made for sleeping while driving … or opening cabinets while in motiong … with dancing mermaids sleeping … my poor proncess … she always seems to get the worst of things

Ok … My ankles and lower legs are killing me … Not sure if it’s left overs from the crazy “virus” I had .. Or if it’s something I’m doing in the RV … How I’m sitting??? …. could be the way I’m climbing around this thing …. trying to accommodate every one … Anyway … May need to buy stock in Motrin!!!!

We have been watching the lightening storm in the distance … Very cool … Just glad it’s not on top of us … BUT the weather is much cooler right now … Little blessings are everywhere … just need to acknowledge them!!!!!

The youngest 3 are asleep and the rest of us are trucking across NM … Don’t really have a plan … Just playing it by ear …I figure everything thus far has worked out well (yep! that’s what I said .. and I really mean it) …. The next part will too!!! THe Big Man has got this covered!

I am having a great time … This is the biggest adventure I have ever been on … I went to Europe the summer before my senior year … And that was awesome … I will never forget all the cool stuff we did and saw .. However …

Doing this with 4 kids is HUGE … And I am loving every minute of it … Survivor/Man vs. Wild/ Bear Grylls/Big Brother/Real World … Have nothing on this … 6 people ….3 weeks … 1 RV … Limited funds … Come on people!!!! This is reality … Not reality TV …. Just all out …full throttle … adrenaline filled … sometime panic attacked … mostly high intensity ….. FAMILY FUN!!!!!

Well …. Better help the Captain navigate and decide where to stop for the night … Trying to get the the Petrified Forest and the Painter Dessert ASAP!!!!

Keep the prayers for safety and sanity coming … They are working

FYI … our odometer registers 1800 miles as of this post Wooohoooo the Stricklands are burning it down!!!

The tire dragon has been slain!!!!! Three cheers for the Captain!!! Hip Hip Hooray!! Hip Hip Hooray!! Hip Hip Hooray!!

We are on the road again … Makes me think of the song … Rip loves Willie Nelson!!!

After a great lunch, the Captain picked up the Flying Dutchman and we loaded our clean clothes and dishes … Thanks soooooo much, Scotts …. And of course, a few pictures before we got going

We left shortly after 3PM …

The little guys fell asleep as soon as we got on the road good .. I had been delaying their naps (today) so they could sleep in the camper…. We wanted them to sleep as much as possible so we could make up for the time we lost due to our battle with the tire dragon … In reality …. it wasn’t a lot of time … Just didn’t get to do anything in OK that we had planned …. BUT we did get to spend some quality time with friends AND that was much better than any museum or exhibit … And now the Flying Dutchman as new sails ….. she is safer, hopefully will get better gas mileage, and should cut out future delays.

The Captain, in his great wisdom, did add the road side hazard to our new tires … so … if we have any more problems …. they will be covered

Good news about Jikkal’s bike … He was able to get it fixed for $10 … Yea!!!!

It’s about 8:00 now and we are well into Texas (over 100 miles …. still on I40)…. Heading toward Conway and then Amarillo … Seeing lots of Wind Mills …. Cows … Horses …. Farms …. Rolling hills …. Oil rigs … Grain bins …. Also … Smelling cows …. And horses

Just saw the largest cross in the western hemisphere! Cool!

The big guys and I played a game of Counting Cows. Dancing Mermaid won … Of course …. she was the most serious about the game … It was really fun … We will make up a new one tomorrow and see who wins that one!

We are currently at a travel center for a quick break and then back on the road again.

We are in Oklahoma City, OK … Visiting our friends Rip and Meagan Scott … They use to be in our life group when they lived in Myrtle Beach … The Captain and Jordan picked orange shirts for today!!!

We got here after mid-night … The Scotts had dinner ready … You guys rock!!!! We stayed up talking and looking at pics until 3:00AM … Jordan slept till 7:30 which was awesome … I just knew he would be up at the crack of dawn … Rip was up early with fresh coffee and blueberry pancakes for breakfast. YUMMMY!!!!!

The Captain, Jikkal, Marley, and Rip have gone to slay the tire dragon this morning … We are hoping this will be the end of our tire problems. They also plan to stop by the bike shop and get Jikkal’s bike fixed … Well … Jikkal has said he has a $20 limit on the tire … If it costs too much … Then he had rather just go to Wal*Mart and buy new bike

Meagan, I, and the rest of the kids are hanging out here at the house … I’m doing laundry … for FREE again … can’t beat that … Not so mention Meagan as the super nice washer and dryer set … I was worried that I wouldn’t know how to work such hi-tech stuff!!! …. Meagan also washed my dishes from the camper … Thanks girl!! …The kids are enjoying playing, having fun with someone other than siblings, and watching TV and …. Just being relaxed and with space to spread out

So that’s what’s happening here …

Well … It is 11 PM on July 14th … The 5th day of our big adventure … From sea to shining sea …

And … I’m sorry to say that there is not much to report … Well as far as distance …. We have left AR and heading towards Oklahoma City.

We started the morning with a sickly tire … That we pampered all day … … If you remember we lost a tire on Day 1 on the right side of the Flying Dutchman … Well … The sickly tire was on the left side and the Captain took extra care with it all day … as we drove down I40 … Shortly after crossing into Oklahoma … We literally blew out a second tire on the right side … … Parts of the tire flying down the road behind us … And loud noises under the camper that freaked-out the kids .. Totally crazy … I’m thinking these “new” tires that were on here … Well … Maybe they weren’t quite soooooo new …. Ummmmm

Needless to say …. As soon as we can get to an open tire shop … We will replace the rest of these tires so that our journey is not interrupted again … Well … At least not by these sad tires !!!

We called Good Sams Club to come out and help …. You know … that “road-side” assistance we signed up for before we “set sail” … And well … My first impression was not so good …. They said they would have someone out in 30 minutes … NOT!!! More like over an hour before they got here … And … Here’s the kicker … They called back to ask if we had a jack???? The captain was like … Uh, no …. That’s what we called you guys for …. Anyway … It was one of the longest tire changes I have ever been involved with …. I’m talking hot and the flies were about to fly away with the Dutchman …. By the time thet arrived, the Captain had already started without them … He is the man!!! (He did find a small jack under the camper to get started with … But was happy to have some muscle to work those bolts/nuts on these big tires!)

We are finally on the road again …Heading to the Scotts for some much needed food and A/C … Yep! They still want us to come by even though it will be close to midnight when we arrive … That, everyone … Is what I call true friends … Let’s hope they still feel this hospitable when Jordan sounds his morning wake up call at 6:00 AM.

Well … We are on an adventure and every adventure must have a villain … And ours (for today) was the tires … We will slay this dragon and continue on our quest … Still got some cute pics from today and still had lots of laughs

Good Morning!!!!

It’s the morning of day 5 …. (7/14/09) …. It’s Stormy Cloud’s turn to pick what color shirts … And she picked “cornflower” … That’s a light blue/purple color … (we have 8 colors to choose from … Only $5 each .. Designed, printed and shipped from … www.stickersandmore.com)

When I checked the odometer this morning … we had driven …. drum roll please …. 1031 miles ….
When we started out, the odometer was at 23802 …. this morning it was at 24833!!!!

We have packed up the camper … A quick vacuum … Everyone dressed … Quick breakfast of cereal and ramen noodles … And we are off … so easy/fast to clean this small space )

We made a stop by the visitors center to grab a little souvenir to remember our stay … Jessie and I both bought “hiking stick medallions” … These are small and not expensive …. about $5…. I think it will be great to get one from each park and then make a stick to put them all on … And hang it in the house … Well … That’s my thought process this morning … The rest of our crowd didn’t find anything they wanted … Not much selection as far as small and inexpensive goes … The hiking stick and medallions will be a family thing anyway …

Next, we made a short stop at Petit Jean’s grave site and overlook … MAN!! What a cool spot! The clouds were rolling over the mountain this morning … We were standing in the clouds!!! Great view of the Arkansas river.

We also learned some history about Petit Jean … She was a girl from France who was in love with the Captain of a ship who was to explore part of the Louisiana territory … But Captain Chavez wouldn’t allow her to sail with him to explore the New World … He had promised they could be married on his return … They sailed up the Arkansas River and encountered a friendly tribe of Indians and spent the summer with them …. No one ever suspected who Petit Jean (Little John) was … Until … She became ill …. and soon died … She is believed to be buried at the top of the mountain … Ahhhh …. What a sweet story …

Well …. We made a quick stop to check the air in the tires … And a quick stop at Wal*Mart to restock before we get back on I-40 …. Going thru some drinks!!!!

Back in the Flying Dutchmen and on the road again … Kids are watching a Scooby Doo Movie … Monsters in Mexico I think …. And we are heading to Oklahoma City!!!! Hope to take pics and the bomb site and see the Scotts while we are there!

Oh … And Kayla got a Tinker Bell Pez dispenser (she is into those lately) to remember Arkansas ….