A 2 under 2 Roadtrip!

Over the past few years, it has become somewhat of a tradition for my mom and I to take a road trip each summer.  Each year has come with new challenges and increasing difficulty.  I thought that I was crazy going at 31 weeks pregnant, but the next year I realized that it was a lot more work to take a baby. Turns out that bringing an 11 month old Aaralee was a piece of cake in comparison to making the journey with a toddler and an infant.  I'm not one to let much slow me down, so I packed what felt like our entire house into my moms cramped vehicle, and off we went!

This year we were joined by my Aunt Michelle, which helped even out the child to adult ratio.  I wasn't too concerned about Briley.  She hates her carseat but once we are driving she tends to sleep for most of the journey as long as her belly is full.  Aaralee, on the other hand, is almost 2.  She has discovered boredom and fights sleep and sometimes screams for no good reason besides being a toddler.  Oh, and it just so happened that she was busy cutting her 2 year molars which made her just a bit more fussy than usual.

Thanks to Elmo on the iPad, a backseat full of snacks and frequent stops to feed Briley, we got through our first day of the trip.  We called it a day in Revelstoke, BC.  It was Briley's first time leaving the province!  

We were all happy to be out of the vehicle. We checked into our hotel room, loaded up the stroller and headed downtown for dinner.  We were all fairly indecisive when it came to finding a place to eat, but eventually we settled on a restaurant with a nice little patio near some live music to drown out my inevitably noisy children.  The meal was amazing!  After dinner Aaralee happily danced as the band played. She was having so much fun that she didn't want to leave, but alas, we were all tired from a long day of driving.  

After a rather sleepless night with everyone crammed into one hotel room, we packed up and headed onwards... after stopping for coffee, of course.  We drove into the gorgeous Okanagan, stopping along the way for fresh fruit, photos, and the usual diaper and nursing duties.  Aaralee boycotted napping and was rather miserable for the duration of the drive. 

Eventually we made it to our destination... Kelowna! We checked into what would be our home for the next 4 days and admired the beautiful lake views. 

  Once we'd settled in, we headed to visit my mom's boyfriend's sister (my Fitbit competition) and her husband... confused yet?  They fed us a delicious meal and we made use of their swimming pool to cool off in the 35 degree heat.  

The next few days we kept busy by touring wineries, shopping, and lazing on the beach. We had the freshest fruit, the most scenic walks, a nice dose of sunshine and some ice cream.   I'd be lying if I said that it was a relaxing trip because the reality is that I have 2 kids... one of them sleep deprived and the other who wanted nothing other than to constantly be held. Despite this, it was a fun few days and I was thankful for the change of scenery and adult company.  

The week came to an end and it was time to bid farewell to Kelowna and begin the journey home.  The beautiful lakes sparkled as we drove away, making us long for more time.  Vacations are never long enough!  

We spent the night in Golden before the long, boring drive home.  When we finally approached my mom's house in Red Deer, my legs were sore from sitting in the cramped backseat and Aaralee was in full blown tantrum mode.  We spent the night at her house before continuing home in the morning, and despite the end of our vacation I was relieved to be home.  I'd missed my husband, my dog, consistent toddler nap times and most importantly, the magical baby swing that lulls Briley to sleep. It was a hectic week, but I love exploring new places with my girls and can't wait to do it all over again next summer.