Anticipation

While Clark toiled away in graduate school he frequently talked about taking a trip to Glacier National Park. I'm not sure where he got the bug to visit a National Park but I may have had something to do with (and my parents also because they gave me that same bug). However, while in school we had an excess of time but a dearth of money so the trip was put on hold. I convinced him we would take a "graduation" trip as a celebration of his completion.

Well, graduation came and went. Clark felt big time pressure to start a job and I felt generally just big being pregnant with Eliza. We talked and talked about the trip. However, we now had the reverse problem: money but now no time. What is about corporations that actually want their employees to work?! So we saved and saved our precious little vacation days.

Now the trip is planned and the anticipation has set in. I must admit the itinerary has changed a bit. We will be visiting three National Parks but none of those have the name Glacier in it. Clark had a hard time convincing me that it was a great idea to spend a total of 6 days of round trip driving.

Our boys can hardly contain their excitement. They talk about it continuously. Russell just mentioned to me that we are getting a larger van for our trip. We are hoping that way we can put the kids in the far back then a sound barrier and blissfully pretend everything is great while we drive for hours on end. Actually, we slyly invited my parents along so they can provided the in-van entertainment. I remember spending years of my childhood stuck in a vehicle with my family so I figure my parents are pretty good at it.

Tonight Jaron wanted me to save the muffins I baked this afternoon for our trip that we won't leave on until June! They wonder if they will see a monkey (doubtful in Yellowstone), if Uncle Blake is coming (he's working) and if they will be back before Jaron starts kindergarten (I think so).

I worry how we will keep the kids out of the geysers and chucking objects into the morning glory pool or disappearing on a hike in the Rocky Mountains. It feels like we talk about this trip every day. I think the anticipation is half the fun.