road trip sketch (part 1)

Hi there.  It's been a while.  And maybe you've already guessed--we've been gone.  Road trippin'.  Visiting family.  Razor clamming on the Pacific coast.  Kite-flying.  Tulip-admiring.

Prior to leaving, we celebrated my man's birthday, drew Juniper a map, loaded the car with wellingtons and raincoats, drove straight out of slush-season and into spring.  We followed the rivers west: the Snake to the Columbia, the Columbia all the way to the wide-open yawn of the Pacific.

A quick sketch: 

 ^Lemon-poppyseed cake from this recipe--delish!^

2 full days in the car. 

1 hotel stop.
Open road.
Driving closer and closer to green, and daffodils.  

2 very patient, wonderful kids.

Books and toys and Charlotte's Web on audio.

Discovering the sanity-saving world of McDonald's Playland. 

Sleeping, sun-splashed kids.

Above: lunch stop #1.  Below: lunch stop #2.  Oh, the excitement.  

Grandmas, grandpa, uncles, aunt, cousins...coalescing in one place.   

My kids, surrounded by people who love them.  

Merry-go-round obsession, check.    

First carnival rides.  

High-fives after a stomach-churning Tilt-a-Whirl.  

Long-anticipated kite-flying.  

Squeals of excitement.  

Squeals of excitement.   

Easter morning clamming...

And the Bunny found us even at our rental house!

Easter egg hunting (that wonderful bunny brought a few small gifts and not-so-much candy).    

The "Tree Cousins": Aspen, Juniper and Hazel.  

Up next: Razor Clamming, yo!  

(Unfortunately the only group shots we got...much of our gang had not yet arrived.)