Hopefully the last shopping trip

Well at least the second to the last.  I still need the perishables, fruit, bread, cheese etc that I don't want to buy yet but hopefully I won't go to walmart or target again.  I went in there to buy Katie some new underwear since almost every single pair were size 6 or even 4(guess it has been awhile since I cleaned out that drawer).  But my mom will be glad to know I finally did it and she has new undies!! I got toothbrush holders and new toothbrushes for the kids. I am not sure how the change in elevation will affect the plastic bottles of shampoo but I hope they won't explode in the car.  We now have tons of snacks so hopefully we won't have to buy any at the gas stations. 

I also went to the tire store and they gave me a free tire inspection.  They are all fine.  I needed a new battery and new brakes a few months ago, oil life is on 80%.  I think the car is ready.

I cleaned the floor mats in the car and now it is ready to be packed.  We are slowly finding all the chargers to the various electronics and putting them in a box to bring along. 

Yesterday, I washed the sleeping bags in case we need to use them.  I am not sure if there will be enough beds at my grandma's house so we are bringing our air mattresses we use for camping so we will be prepared. I was thinking maybe we could camp one night at a regional park in Minnesota just for fun.  It is the largest park in Minnesota and it is in my mom's hometown.  Woodward park is larger though so it is not that big in comparison to the parks in CA.

Now it is off to highlight maps. I don't want to rely on GPS.  Mine has a tendency to die or lose a signal at the worst possible time.  Hopefully I can teach Katie to be a good navigator. 

Packing and Planning

We have been planning this trip for about a month.  I want to go visit my grandma in Minnesota, see my brother and his family in Denver, hit the Grand Canyon on the way and Mount Rushmore on the way back.  We started doing school work at the end of July in order to prepare for a three week vacation without getting behind.  We have started the countdown.  The kids are super excited about the trip and about seeing their cousins and second cousins.  I have been cruising many travel websites trying to find things to do to break up the long driving days.  Hoping it all goes smoothly and I don't decide to sell the car along the way and fly home!