The Ruby Valley Adventure

We had a good time going and seeing Sam and Mary in July. We were able to stay in their new home and it is BEAUTIFUL!!! I still stagger at the thought of how much work went in to making that happen.

The day before we took off Eric started feeling a little sick. So we took him to the doctor and got some antibiotics, just in case. But it didn't stop him from running a 103.4 temperature the first day of our trip. Beth hit 103.3 on the second day, and Ryan and I felt cruddy the last day.

In spite of that we all had a blast, and Eric was in seventh heaven! He loved the dirt, the dog, the cows, and going outside. He loved the wrap-around deck and popping in and out of all the doors. Here he is with Mary down by the barn.
He showed no fear of the cows and wanted to get as close as possible. Beth on the other hand wanted to be held whenever there was an animal around.

"Look, a camera!"

I think everything would have been alright if it wasn't for the car breaking down in the middle of the Nevada desert on the way home. We had a broken serpentine belt. (I wonder if I should vent about how we spent all day at the mechanic the day before we left on our trip getting a new belt put on! Maybe later.)

There isn't suppose to be any cell phone reception out there, but we were very blessed. Reception was spotty but we were able to reach Sam and Mary and our roadside assistance. Mary and Sam came and got me and the kids while Ryan waited for the tow truck. The kids and I were only out there for about one and a half hours, Ryan was there for over three. Then it took another couple hours to get the car fixed. (Thank goodness the work was under warranty.) This is where we broke down.
Once we were on the road again we hit traffic just past SLC in the wake of a really bad accident. So in the end, a four and a half hour drive took over 11 hours. Beth was very tired and unhappy for most of it, but the kids fell asleep just before we hit the traffic. What a blessing! Mommy's sanity was just about gone at this point.
It was so great to see Sam and Mary and some of the beautiful sights around where they live. (Sorry for the lack of pictures. That's what happens when I have sick kids.) I'm excited to go back once the memories of the drive home have faded. We love you Sam and Mary!