once upon a time, we went to chico

*scroll down after this post, i added pictures to my posts from this week.
once upon a time,
we drove to chico.
i vow to never.
ever.
drive anywhere longer than 3 hours away while nursing a baby.
i can't read in cars.
it makes me car sick.
so i took pictures.
the following occurred.
salt flats. classic driving landmark.
i still don't know what it really is.the pork loin ate a cheeseburger.

right through the wrapper.

and 5 days later we found three bites left in the once was scout master's work bag.

gross.

we would stop,

feed,

change,

gas.
only to have both children need to be changed again within 10 minutes of leaving our previous stop.

these kids.
i love them.

when we left,

it was summer.

we went through the worst construction you could ever imagine.

it added 2 1/2 hours onto our trip.

totalling 14 hours in the car.
horrid.

and we still had to drive back to come home.

i almost cried.

sean got to hold the magic wand.

we were the end of line.

it was awkward.

trust me.

you drive 200 yards while holding a duct taped stick and see how it feels.

awkward.

that's how it feels.

i remember thinking that the construction was over when i took this picture.

oh, how i was wrong.

it was not.

where i started my college career.

and where i met sean.

i love this town.

we stayed in aunt judi's cabin.

i loved how it felt.

and i thought this spiderweb was beautiful.

every morning.

i just had to look at it in the light.

insert picture of stacy here.

she was standing right next to me.

brennan stole a piece of cake.

and officially had the DIRTIEST day of his life.

no joke.
insert jen, ryan, stacy, and gavin.

i drove by my old sorority house.

funny how it looks like our house we just bought.
i always loved that cute little alpha gam house.

and then came the reunion.
and no,

facebook didn't ruin the thrill.

i thought it would.

but it didn't.

and it wasn't even mine.

but i could tell,

it didn't.

and it won't.

social network or not.

there's nothing like people in the flesh.

dancing shoes were on.

music loud.

free non-alcoholic beverages.
they surely lost money on us!!!

(jen's husband thought sean was getting plastered b/c he went back to the bar so many times. until he found out sean was getting cokes.)

insert luis's house and family, and chico steve,

we saw them too.

the wonderful ysasaga's watched our children while we "reunion-ed."

bless them.

brennan learned to use an ipad.

then we drove home.

and it felt like fall.
it changed in 4 days.

funny how that can happen.

to us too.
interesting what makes you love a place.
the people.

the places.
the food.

the traditions you have to hit to try to recreate the things you loved.
but it's never the same.

just a hint of what it was
which might not be so bad.