A side trip to Iowa.

We left late last Monday morning and this is what it looked like.

I know. It was so pretty.

Let me tell you something about a long car ride...it sucks with small children.

Well, not all small children. Elisabeth was always fabulous on car trips because she's been entertaining herself since she was just a toddler and as long as she had enough toys and books, we'd barely hear a peep out of her. Not so with Miss Julia. That girl is a backseat tyrant. A tyrant who will ONLY TALK TO ME. She will only tell me that she needs crackers or juice or her pacifier or the thousandth toy she dropped. And, if Evan answers for me, she starts crying and tells *me* that Daddy talked to her.

I did not jump out of the moving car. Evan childproofed the locks.

But, when you feed her or she feels like not being contrary, she is quite fun to be with on the road. We realized she can sit in a booth like a big girl. She was so excited to sit with Elisabeth.
Oh, my lord. I haven't even begun to tell you about the hotel. So, we stop in Lincoln, NE for the night. We figure we'll put Ebeth and Julia in the same bed. So, we tell Elisabeth to get in bed, put pillows to block the two of them for disturbing each other and start rocking Julia. Julia is having none of this. She doesn't want rocked. She doesn't want to sleep in a bed she doesn't know. So, we decide to split up. I slept with Elisabeth and Evan slept with Julia.

Holy freaking cow. It was the most terrible night in a hotel ever. Evan thought he was getting a better end of the deal because we know full well that Elisabeth sucks at sleeping. That girl kicks and talks and runs and flails all about in her sleep. Which she did. I was kicked repeatedly and was woken up by jabbering that I could not translate.

But, don't worry, Evan faired no better. It appears that Julia sleeps the same as her big sister.

When they woke up (at effing 5:30AM Colorado time), they found it most amusing that they were sleeping with us and started giggling.

And then promptly fell asleep in the car all morning long.

She's meditating.
We made a pit stop in Iowa to see Evan's Grandpa Jim. He had never met Julia and we hadn't seen him since Elisabeth was a toddler. Thankfully, Kyle and Jana drove up with the boys!!

I stopped holding Ethan long enough to allow others to hold him. Elisabeth is completely smitten by him!
Couldn't you just smother him with kisses for hours?!
Julia also loves Baby O.
And, for about 5 miraculous minutes, the four kids all sat down together and I was able to photograph them!!!!!!!

Julia also wanted to hold Owen. She declared him cute.
And was persistent about giving him her pacifier. She loves her own pacifier more than anything and assumes that all other babies do as well.
Evan also got some Owen holding time.
Grandpa Jim with his two youngest great-grandkids!
No, that is not a real bear. Though, that is the dog's name. Julia loved Bear.

No worries. I've taken about 500 pictures of him. I'll share them with you soon.