SLIDESHOW of our first leg Chicago-Missouri: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqUFeIQjRRE
SLIDESHOW of our second leg Missouri-Colorado: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWfssK3lXrw
SLIDESHOW of our third leg Colorado-Arizona:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4xga5jVtHw
SLIDESHOW of moving out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwsQfWloUUs
SLIDESHOW of why we love Maui: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FnkARfPSdg
Time to set sail for Maui........it was now time to use those "one-way to Maui" tickets we had purchased so long ago. We were leaving our hometown for the first time ever in our lives and we had planned a road-trip to Arizona before hoppin on the airplane flying to our new home, FOUR-thousand miles away in Maui. The day of our departure, we shed big tears sayin bye to my mom, our little doggie Libby & a few last friends.
Our dearest friends who without hesitation adopted our lil Libby Lou...this was the afternoon we had to say goodbye to them all :(
WHITE CASTLE SLIDERS!!!!!! Poor Eric had to sit in the car with me for 7 hours while I was gaseous!!
The car was packed with boxes to ship & luggage
OFF WE GO.......our first stop was Missouri to spend time with my dad, grandma & say bye to them & our Kaiser-bum. And we had to finish packing up Eric's stuff, ship the last of our boxes & pick up the beagle brothers for their journey to our new home!
I'm such a good navigator!!
WE MADE IT!!!!!!!!
I got to spend time with my Gram while in Missouri - I went and volunteered with her at the animal shelter <3 she has the sweetest heart & the nicest lady in the entire world. And I had to say bye to
her :(((( She was so very sad.
Eric & his bum bum had a day to themselves -- Eric took him to a forest preserve on a nice long walk together & he was cute enough to bring the camera and take self-timer pics together. This melts my heart cause Eric & Kaiser were best buddies and they got to have this special day together.
Eric got a wonderful picture of the two of them driving home from Ha-Ha-Tonka park.
Kaiser outside at Grandpa's house -- his new home <3
Daddy made Kaiser a yummy meal for their last night together.
Kaiser sharing dads breakfast of biscuits & gravy
Getting my favorite Kaiser kisses. Gonna miss this guy and how he keeps my feet so warm at night & his gentle loving soul.
Last walk with Kaiser -- this sums them up perfectly. We will miss Kaiser so very very much.
walkin the pups before gettin in the car.....NEXT stop Colorado!
After shedding so many tears saying bye to my Poppy & Kasier, as we left my dads we looked back and this was our picture -- we knew Kaiser would be so happy in his new home with Poppy & Ria. He was letting us know that he was perfectly fine stayin with Grandpa.
As we pulled away crying buckets of tears ...
ERIC gave me this card....and some of the best words inside -- I knew we were gonna be OK no matter what was in store <3
READY FOR THEIR FIRST ROAD-TRIP & FIRST AIRPLANE RIDE!! They had no idea what they were in store for!
We were heading 730 miles to Colorado to stop and see more family & Garza kiddies! We left early from Missouri and drove straight thru the night until we reached The Garza house in Centennial, Colorado!!
I was lovin me some cuddling with the doggies & playing Interstate Bingo!! I always won! HA HA
Maddux lookin at our little turtle that our friend gave us when they moved to Maui in hopes we would follow...and we were!
We LOVED the drive....it was just beautiful! The two of us just chatted, listened to music & CD's our friends made us. We were kinda in shock that the time had actually come & we could only conclude that we were CRAZY!!!
The road trip was one the two of us will treasure forever & never forget. We reminisced about the good-byes, the amazing times we had with all our friends & fam before we left and talked about our future that lie ahead.....this was a choice we both made & we were looking forward to the journey & the destination & what our new home & lifestyle would bring us.
drivin thru windfarm @ sunset ...... Gorgeous!
Darkness came & I was trying to keep Eric awake and entertained!
Pit stop so we can all go potty!
Drivin along thru Missouri ---> Kansas ----> COLORADO!
We LOVED the drive....it was just beautiful! The two of us just chatted, listened to music & CD's our friends made us. We were kinda in shock that the time had actually come & we could only conclude that we were CRAZY!!!
The road trip was one the two of us will treasure forever & never forget. We reminisced about the good-byes, the amazing times we had with all our friends & fam before we left and talked about our future that lie ahead.....this was a choice we both made & we were looking forward to the journey & the destination & what our new home & lifestyle would bring us.
Sometimes, I would get bored & have to amuse myself.....Eric loved it!!
Payton givin Momma some love!
Sleepy Beagle Cuddles
drivin thru windfarm @ sunset ...... Gorgeous!
Darkness came & I was trying to keep Eric awake and entertained!
Pit stop so we can all go potty!
AND time to eat dinner on the road....in the SNOW!!!
These two can never be without one another----that plane ride for them in seperate crates is gonna be hard :(
WELL, GOOD MORNING & Hello COLORADO!!!!
OUR niece & the doggies Auntie kT!!! <3 her!!!
Me & our adorable niece KT!!! My gosh she is gettin so OLD & so pretty!! &&& she's taller than me! KT was always my favorite Garza cause I met her before she was even a year old AND Eric had a HUGE overwhelming family & she was the first grandkid and always made me feel comfortable when I would go to family functions. I would always ask Eric, "Is Katie gonna be there?? Ok, then I'll go"!! HA!! I was a very shy girl and meeting the entire Garza family was always intimidating at first. So, I would always grab up little kT and hold her & play with her <3 I MISS this girl!!!!! She is grown up to be so pretty & tall & a real good kid!
Lil AJ loves the doggies! He is an adorbale kid & has the sweetest heart! He is a lover....even though he never gives me any love! TYPICAL Garza!!
Uncle Eric nappin with the boys catchin up on his ZZzzzzz's from the drive!
We went down-town Denver for dinner & ice-skating!!!!
THE GARZA'S!!!!
We're gonna try out for the Olympics!
The girls & Jeremy!
kT, me & Chris <3 <3 them!!
We all drove out to Colorado Springs to hike around Garden of the Gods &&& a YUMMY bison burger!!
The doggies hiking at Garden of the Gods
THEY always behave better for DAD!!
Garza Family!
Just AMAZING views...the doggies were taking it all in!
xOxOxO
Hawaii is everywhere!!!
The Garza Kiddies! Crazy when I think that I was dating Eric before Kt (the oldest) was even a year old && I've watched them all grow up!
View of Pikes Peak
We will be writing in the sand soon....
The GARZA boys!
Our last Colorado Sunset before we were back on the road headed for Arizona!
The night before our departure to Arizona this was the radar!! EXACTLY where we were headed! We decided to go South thru New Mexico instead of thru the Mountains like we had planned. We couldn't risk missing our one-way flights to MAUI!So we left early the next morning after goodbyes to the Garza fam.
See ya later Colorado, you were gorgeous...NEXT & LAST STOP Arizona!
We wondered how long it would be until we saw snow again after our move...
They were exhausted from the hiking and running from the kids! They had about 900 miles to our next stop!
Probably the most gorgeous drive we've had....Colorado to Arizona
Dinner on the road again! They're such big boys!! They were SOOOOOOO good for their first ever road trip that was thousands of miles long both car && airplane!
Inseperable as always.....this is why there was no way we could separate them && they got to come with us to Maui.
Our snow-fall night drive!
The next morning in gorgeous Flagstaff, AZ after a fresh big snowfall && the comfiest sleep in a hotel ever!
We were ready to hit the road..planning to stop for a few hours of hiking in Sedona before making it to our final destination of Phoenix for one last night on the main land.
HOLY SNOW!!!!
beautiful little town of Flagstaff
Leaving Flagstaff heading to Phoenix
Taking in all the SNOW that we will miss
IT was all perfect fresh white snow!
SEDONA here we come!!!
We were both in awe of how amazing and gorgeous it was
THE PUPS hiking in Sedona...they get
to cross that
off their
bucketlist!!
Everywhere we drove was just breathtaking & just so silent and peaceful
One more amazing thing we get to cross off our bucket - list! This may be a future destination ;)
We loved Sedona and it was so much fun meeting people and getting to tell them that we were on a road trip to catch one-way flights to MAUI ... our new home.
That last night in Phoenix we met up with Eric's sister Ellen & Brian who flew in to Phoenix so they could take our Pilot back to Illinois with them....they bought our car. We went to dinner with them and had some real, love-filled, genuine conversation & prayed for our journey. We packed up the last of our stuff, prepared everything for our 3:30 AM wake up, drugged up the pups & tried to sleep....HARDLY slept a wink....for we were off to make a small little Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean 4,000 miles from everything that has ever been normal and "home" to us, our new home. Everything we had dreamed of, imagined and prepared for over the last year was finally HERE! We were a scared-crazy-emotional-island dreaming-leaving home for the first time-eager for the challenge-WHAT THE HELL are we doing ??!!! We knew it was going to be an amazing, challenging, life changing, emotional experience...and we were ready!!
our last pic on the mainland....ONE-WAY to Maui please!
~mahalo for this amazing journey...onto the next~
I loved it! You are both very brave! Hugs!
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