Homeward Bound!

On December 26th we spent the day hanging out and Everett was looking very fancy with his bow tie on.

Bow tie and pajamas, Everett? Really?
Oh, okay, Everett. It was just a joke! I know it was your bib on backwards.

Anyway, that evening he spent some time under the tables...
and playing with cars. (Drooling too, apparently.)
(I love how Liam is touching one of Adam's curls in the above picture.)

Then, just before bed, he took a picture with Mimi, Papa, and all of their grandkids.

The 27th wasn't that much different for Everett (except no playmates other than Emily) because he just hung out while we packed!

There was A LOT to pack after 5 weeks of travel and Christmas!
We were well prepared though with a big rooftop carrier.

The next day we were out the door pretty early. Setting off from Mimi and Papa's house at 8:45 AM CST. There wasn't much for Everett to do so he spent a fair amount of time just inspecting his own legs...

while Emily read.

He thought he was pretty hot stuff though when we stopped to eat and I put him in Emily's car seat to use it has a high chair.

Emily didn't notice or care... she was running around.
Before we got back on the road we put up a big red bag to block the blinding sun - hoping to help Everett nap.
It worked, and he was happy! Before long it was time to eat again...
and I strained to feed him from the 3rd row while driving - and still buckled.
The car was fully loaded and getting to the waaay back was not an easy task.

Everett did really well though and after MANY hours on the road (and a change of plans, not stopping for the night in El Paso) we finally got to our hotel in Tucson, Arizona at 12:30 AM CST.

Ten hours later, 8:30 AM PST, we were back on the road. Emily was not well rested, but fine...
and Everett was HAPPY!
We saw a lot of desert that day...
and stopped for the usual things. Food, diaper change, and exercise!
All of Everett's meals were on the go BUT they were warm!
He did really well taking his naps on the road. They weren't as long as usual but they were long enough to get him through.
He really was all smiles...
except for at the end when he became frustrated...

and pretty desperate to get out of the car.

Thankfully it was right at the end and we pulled into our driveway right around 5:30 PM PST. Both kids were very happy to unwind in the tub...
and continue the unwinding ALL day the next day! We did not go anywhere! NO CAR!!! :)
So, there you have it. We had a great time in TX and a wonderful trip home. The drive could NOT have gone ANY better. The kids were totally amazing. But, it was not an uber-fun road trip and we were glad to be home!