Day 1

As we drive, Ben is having me keep a list of gas prices by location. We are not both sure this is the best use of my time.

We cancelled our reservation at a nice hotel about 6.5 hours from home yesterday, and decided to pull 14 hours in the minivan and shave a day off our drive time.  This was a lovely idea until everyone fell the fuck apart at a Wendy's around 6:30 last night and then Cooper slept the whole way to the hotel, meaning he didn't really sleep at all AT the hotel. The hotel, one of those extended stay suite places, even though we are only staying like 9 hours, is fucking gross, by the way.  But there are 2 bedrooms and a bed in the living room, so we could all enjoy some personal space.  Except for me and Cooper, who spent 6 restless hours intertwined.  Can't wait to brush the previous occupant's dog hair off of me and take a shower in one of the bathrooms-- the one that has either rust or blood around the drain because vacations are for risk taking, right?

Cooper tried french fries from 2 different fast food chains.  MOTY.

Last night around 9:00 when it was pitch black and we were driving through mountains for the first time ever and Harry and Jack had fight number 55 about who got which iPad, we questioned our decision to pull such a long day.  But waking up today to show the kids their first mountains and their first glimpse of water that looks like it stretches forever, we're starting to agree with our optimistic, Starbucks fueled selves of yesterday afternoon.
The journey begins:

 Packed like sardines with all of their worldly possessions (Right before we left, Harry looked at his pink Build-a-Bear bunny that he's had for 2 years now and said, "Huh.  I made a girl toy.")

 Luckily, we have Cooper with his Baby Driver to give us a hand.

 Ben is so pissed at me in this picture because I failed to properly display my I-Pass and got a $1 fine at an Indiana toll plaza, and we had to push the help button and talk to a toll worker to get through.  Fucking Indiana.  It really made me apreciate the awesomeness of Illinois' open-road tolling.

 Harry finally learned the proper way to deal with boredom in the car.