RHM Roadtrip 2015: Day 1

After all of that excitement and a late night, we were all up early, cars packed, shirts coordinated and smiles on for the official start to our #RHMRoadtrip2015. 

(RHM = Royal Hot Messes)

I think we had enough snacks, toys, movies and games to last us for a month in those two cars. It kept them entertained for about 30 minutes. Not to worry, because the excitement picked back up when we crossed the border and entered New Mexico.

That sign should be changed to "land of wind".

This was our 7th state to cross off as We5Kings... only 43 to go!

Cindy and Josh had the great suggestion stop in Clayton to picnic at the Clayton Lake State Park - they had done this on their vacation last year and the 3 Munson messes were excited to share this experience with their friends. We clearly didn't mind a detour that was as beautiful as this. 

Tons of rocks and trails to explore and we found a little cave to eat in to block us from all the wind. Sorry, Mills - eating pics are never nice. 

And then Ryan scaled a boulder that was a startling 3 inches off the ground. 

Moments like this always make me pause - I can't quite possibly even begin to comprehend how vast this world is. I have been able to travel lots of amazing places, and I am so grateful for that. But there is so much to see and do and explore right here - in our own backyard. 

I hope our kids are able to look back on these experiences and remember a tiny portion of all they get to see. I hope that a song or a taste rushes a memory so unmistakable to the forefront of their mind that it's almost as if they are experiencing it for the first time. 

I hope their own giggles ring in their ears when they tell stories to their kids about our travels. 

And I hope we always stop and take time to make a detour because detours are what lead us to our greatest of adventures. A detour into a deli lead me to a job. That job lead me to the kindest guy. That guy became my friend, that became my boyfriend, fiancé and husband. And the cutest baby daddy in the world!

My planned route in college never included living with 4 guys and I certainly never expected that one of those guys would still be in my life all these years later. So that detour lead us to this...I really hope that one day all 6 of them load up a van and go out on a road trip of their own. 

(With the four of us sneaking behind them, of course). 

I also hope that my girls always try to take the road less travelled - because it builds strength. There was a path two feet from this "rock climbing" point, but they both wanted to climb so they did. 

We climbed all the way to the car, stopped a few more times, watched a movie, ate some snacks, avoided running over 183 prairie dog things, counted bison and ascended to over 9000 feet in the air, which is where I will leave you today. 

(And yes, this should totally be a Christmas card. What do you think, Cindy? We'd be done in July!)