The End of the Line

A COLLAGE OF PICTURES (I tried to use pictures that you haven't seen yet)

We left Deer Lodge, Montana in the morning after only a handful of sleep hours and made it home around 4pm. It was VERY good to get home. Max the dog was hyper when we walked through the door and the kids chased around the kitten that had grown a little bit.

The C and the Cross that sit on Colville Mountain guarding the city.

While on the road heading home, I surveyed the family on what some of their favorite parts of the trip was. The question was, "What was your favorite part..."

1. ...while at Uncle Punk and Aunt Ag's house in Helena, Montana?

Ella - The chickens that laid eggs.

Sam - Fireworks

Marci - Watching my kids have fun like I used to at the farm.

Brent - Cooking in the kitchen with Aggie.

2. ...when we went to the Mt. Rushmore area?

Ella - Going down the waterslide.

Sam - Seeing the faces on the mountain.

Marci - The espresso stand we found that opened at 6am.

Brent - Acting like one of the kids (waterslide, etc...).

3. ...after Rushmore, we did a long day in the car to Minnesota. What was your favorite part about traveling in the car?
Ella and Marci - Getting closer to Illinois.

Sam - Playing my DS.

Brent - Being together alone as a family.

4. ...during the six days we spent in Illinois?

Ella - I liked having fun with Evan and Aunt Barb.

Sam - Playing baseball at the farm with dad.

Marci - Everything. There is no way I can narrow it down to one thing.
Brent - How Aunt Barb would make a pot of coffee for Marci (with flavoring) and a pot of black for me. We would wake up and she had them set out on the counter in urns, labeled and ready for us. You don't get that kind of service at the Purvis home.

5. ...at the Pawnee Lake Campground in Nebraska?

Ella - I liked that when Dad got up early and caught a bunch of fish.

Sam - I liked it when Dad was fighting that big bass.

Marci - Nothing, I was too sad about leaving Morrison.

Brent - The leech story. Sam was wading in the water and told me that he saw a leech swim by. I said, "No way. There are no leeches in this lake. Don't worry about it." Sure enough, when he got out of the water, we had a leech attached to his leg sucking away.

6. ...at Torrington, Wyoming with Aunt Alice and Uncle Kent?

Ella - Playing tag with the neighbor kids.

Sam - Pulling the settler cart at Fort Laramie, just like the old days.

Marci - Hearing stories of Brent's parents when they were young and seeing pictures of them.

Brent - Hearing Uncle Kent's stories.

7. ...while at Yellowstone National Park?

Ella - Putting sand on the lake that was on the edge of our campground.

Sam - Setting up the fire.

Marci - The mudpots and geysers.

Brent - Fishing in the Yellowstone River.

8. What was your favorite part of the whole trip?

Ella - Going down the waterslide and splashing down into the water, and seeing the baby horse that had a broken leg when we went out to Uncle Kent's ranch.

Sam - That is a hard one, we have done lots of fun stuff. I can't think of it. Riding on the freeway...no, no...watching the cows and horses pass the gravel road on the way back from the ranch in Wyoming.

Marci - Going on a roadtrip with my family like I used to do when I was young!

Brent - The feeling of success. We pulled it off. No major car breakdowns, no major family breakdowns, the itinerary was solid, we stayed within our budget, the kids will have some good memories, and we made it home! I might actually try something like that again sometime.

9. What is your favorite part of getting home?

Ella - Seeing Gizmo and watching Max run all over the place.

Sam - Watching Max make a hole through the screen door.

Marci - To be stationary for a while, not moving around, being at home.

Brent - Never having to deal with that *&%$^# Big Mac Car Top carrier again!

I can't help but think that we have a beautiful country. Some thoughts after driving through nine states:

- There is so much to see in our country, let alone the world. We just stopped at the touristy spots, too. I am tired of tourists.

- Washington State is one of the most beautiful states that I have ever been to. It has every type of terrain that we saw on our trip.

- Colville, Wa has the highest gas prices out of anywhere that we explored. Lucky us.

- I like Colville's grocery stores (price and quality) better than anywhere we went. Lucky us for real.

- Driving is way better than flying. You get to really see the country and get a feel for life and culture. I only was given the bird once, too.

This was a good trip for our family. Thanks for following along. I appreciate the requests for the FROG to continue. We'll have to see about that. Maybe once or twice a month we can get something up there. Brent

PS - (I have to have a PS, don't I?) We had so much fun, we are already considering a trip next year. We would like to see Mom and Dad in Ketchikan, so maybe a roadtrip through BC? We'll get back to you on that one.

PSS - (Is it PPS pr PSS?) In our stack of mail upon returning home, Alaska Airlines sent Ella an offer for a credit card. THAT is NOT what we need!