18 July 2009

DAY 2 : BRIDGES, WATER AND A CANYON

Auntie Darlene, Darcie and her lovely BFF stopped by Ate Mina's house for breakfast. It was fun sharing a meal together because Brandon's mom is H-I-L-A-R-O-U-S! Ate Mina and Mike live in a gated community and their security guards take their jobs very seriously. Mike forgot to leave a message at the front desk that Auntie Darlene would be coming so when she arrived at the gates, the security officer refused to let her car through. Without skipping a beat, Auntie Darlene morphed into classic diva.

With her coifed hair and ruby red lips pursed, Auntie Darlene spoke. "My son and his family is staying at 1234 blah blah blah. Mike Cross knows I'm coming. Call him."

The guard did as she was told and after a brief conversation with Mike she hung up. "Okay, you can come through."

"Thank you." The gates opened and Auntie Darlene drove through. Crisis averted.

Ate Mina and Mike's house looks even better during the daytime. After an exhausting evening fixing the flat tire it was nice for Brandon and Atelei to sleep in while the kids played with Bella and Zeek. Here's some photos of their lovely home:

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HAVING FUN, CHRIS?

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WE'RE SO HAPPY TO BE IN AN A/C HOUSE

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COME ON, MAILE, YOU CAN DO IT

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YOU DID IT, MAILE GIRL!
{ look closely at her left foot }

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3500 SF OF PURE LOVELINESS

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THE ROTUNDA FOYER

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THIS IS WHAT KALE'A DID ALL MORNING

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ATELEI OBVIOUSLY SLEPT WELL

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AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO BE ON HOLIDAY?

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GOOD BYE VEGAS


DESTINATION 02 : HOOVER DAM AND THE GRAND CANYON

Guess who drove today? I did! At first I was very nervous, but after saying a quick prayer and with dadio riding shot gun and giving me helpful pointers, I finally relaxed five miles away from Hoover Dam and enjoyed the drive. They are currently building a beautiful suspension bridge over the dam and it's quite a site.

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TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING AND IT'S STILL NOT COMPLETED

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THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE HOVERS 1000 FEET OVER THE COLORADO RIVER, I THINK

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FDR'S PET PROJECT

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THE KIDS ARE READY TO SWIM AT THE HOOVER DAM

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After stopping to take a few photos of the dam we began driving through northern Arizona. The vistas are beautiful; the desert can be such a serene place. With rolling hills juxtaposed with ragged mountains off in the distance I savored the wide open road. Listening to Nat King Cole and Heritage Singers helped with the long drive and by 2130 we arrived safely at Trailer Village inside the Grand Canyon.

We set up camp, hooked the RV and began cooking dinner. A quick walk around the campsite admiring the Milky Way { yes, we can see a zillion stars and galaxies here. It's breathtaking and I wish I had the proper lens to capture the night sky } allowed the children down time before we showered and dressed them for the night. After evening worship the kids headed to bed around midnight. Goodness, my little guy is going to lose a lot of sleep on this trip!

I am now relaxing on my bed { the dining table converts to a bigger-than-a-twin bed } typing this post and feeling quite thrilled that God helped me drive this monster of an RV with no harm. He is good, no? { Husband, I miss you terribly. I wish you were here to see the sights, smell the summer breeze and laugh with me when Gian goes bezerk because he can't have another yogurt cup. After the Grand Canyon we are heading up to Arches National Park and then north to the Rockies, new sites for me that I wish I could share with you. Road trips just aren't the same without my better half. Hurry up and join us. }

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