Well, we went through the desert (but not on a horse with no name - it was in a truck)

We've been off traveling and visiting and without Internet for most of the last week or so, and we have a lot to catch up on!  This year we decided that hauling the girls on a plane for the holidays wasn't adventure enough, and we decided that after we flew in to AZ we'd add on an eight hour drive (each way) to California.  Our girls notoriously do not travel well - but the incentive on the other end of this drive was staying in a beach house for a week with both sides of our family, and so we had to try it!

We bravely set forth out of Phoenix - it took a good hour to be out of the city, but then we were on our way.  The girls were remarkable at entertaining themselves - they chose movies to watch, made up games to play, picked up books and coloring - we were flabbergasted.

The clouds were pressing down so close to the road for much of this drive that we felt almost eerie - at on point we drove right through this cloud - with Nana and G-Daddy driving right ahead of us.

When we did emerge from the clouds, the views of the desert were wonderful, and we loved sharing them with Clara and Elena.  We tried rolling down the windows so they could smell the desert after the rain (something Christina and Steve both just love) but the girls decided they weren't fans as we are.

 

They did continue entertaining themselves very well, though.    We did not have one cry of "All done!"  "Too tight!"  or "I want to get out!!" which are  usually hallmarks of our trips.

Before we knew it, we were in California!! 

We did still have the entire state to drive across, but at least it is a narrow state!  Here Elena checks in with Auntie Cyndie, who was already at the beach house.

Blissful car sleep (well, probably just regular sleep for them, but blissful for us!).

California girls!!

So, we can definitely say this was the best journey to date with the little people.  Unfortunately, it didn't go entirely smoothly - poor Grandma ran into some trouble health-wise (she's fine now!) and we took a detour to join her at an ER in California.  Not our first plan, but we all made it to to the coast in one piece, and in the end, that's how we wanted to start out the vacation anyway.