Monday, March 7, 2011

03/03/11 THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Day one: THE DRIVE



Sad eyes:(
AU REVOIR

The plan: Leave at nine AM. Meet Jef Holm in Las Vegas around 2PM our time; Jef had to be back in California by a certain time and we had decided we had no reason to stay. Sounded easy, but why did I have such a bad feeling about it? As soon as we had made this decision we were freaking out so excited, but I couldn't ignore this gut wrenching feeling I had that we were supposed to wait. We hadn't been able to think about anything else for two weeks! 

So we ignored it and went to dinner to PF Chang's with the fam, which was amazing. If you're gluten intolerant I strongly suggest it. As if the food wasn't enough, our waiter walks out and hands both of my parents free shakes! "What the, where is mine?" The waiter says, "Well that isn't very fair is it?" We agree and he disappears. Five seconds later, two other waiters walk out with trays of shakes!! One for each member of my family and Taylor. We couldn't believe it, we still don't know what we did to deserve that, but we were more than grateful. We like to believe someone was just trying to be nice and put a smile on our faces, which worked, and in turn we decided to do the same for someone else. It's a good way to go about your day, and an easy way to change the world.

And these were our fortunes




VINTO with some of the best friends ever saying our final goodbye, making the whole thing even more real.





The VINTO was the sickest place to eat, with gluten free pizza as well! 


Jentri Jean Dean eating some effing delicious raspberry and vanilla gelato


Who knows, who cares



Beautiful sister Ash and best friend Petra just being the pretty girls that they are:)


Oh, Josh



 Sleeping was the hardest thing to do anymore, even though it's all we wanted to do to make time pass faster. Still uneasy about the whole thing I managed to fall asleep, we had talked about the possibility of waiting, but hadn't made any decisions yet. We decided we would see how we felt in the morning. ALARM: 8:30 AM. Missed text from Ashli Snow: Dan, you can't leave at nine. Jen is having a surprise party for you here at 11:40... the text is already sent out to all the workers and stuff. Well that was easy! I wasn't going to miss MY party!! I immediately text Jef and tell him not wait around for us. He doesn't respond... as usual ha. I am not complaining about sleeping in now. We have a long drive ahead of us, this made way more sense ha. Taylor runs a few errands and then we head to my work. They weren't kidding! So many of my co-workers and all the people I love including all 30 something grandmas and grandpas. 


Miss Tricky Tracky


Joe and Dan


So hard to leave


Loves of my life:)


They have a cake and a present and decorations! It would've been terrible to miss this! I was so glad I stayed. They announced during lunch that I was leaving and everyone gave me hugs and kisses and then they gave me a giant box of reese's!! When I say a giant one, I mean a giant one!! We counted this RUBBERMAID container and there were over 40 of those 8 pack of reeses peanut butter cups. My absolute favorite. I almost cried over it. I've never seen anything like it! It was the best present I have ever ever ever received! 
Stephan,
(Our amazing gluten free cook) made me this special cake! 
Made me smile:)


Can't beat co-workers like these!

So around 12:30 we left, made a few stops and were on the road! The drive was good, great actually. We couldn't even contain how excited we were to finally be headed; If only someone had recorded a video of that drive! Multiple times we found ourselves screaming "California" and then cranking the music up full blast! We made it to St. George in a little over three hours. We were going as fast, BUT AS SAFE MOM, as possible! Right after we pass through St. George I look in my rear-view mirror and see this beautiful rainbow. All I could think was it was a sign we were doing the right thing, following our <3's! And that is exactly what we are doing!
(Hope you can see it:)



As I put some change in a jar supporting a local petting zoo in Beaver, UT, the cashier says thanks, you saw the baby zebra outside?? WHAT!!??? A baby zebra??!! And sure enough, this little guy named MARTY (clever) was snacking away. So we snapped a pic.





We hit Vegas right at the five hour mark! We were absolutely ecstatic now, we were more than halfway!! We had been following the sun this whole time and it was finally starting to set.It was exciting to know that we were WAY ahead of the 10 hours and 37 minutes our GPS' had predicted. We were finally getting somewhere. Out of no where, while I'm going about 90 mph, I see my speedometer read 80000! In a panic, Taylor and I both whip out our camera's and try to take a pic before it changes and this is what we came up with ha. Not particularly important, or important at all, but kind of cool ha. 






PULLING INTO LOS ANGELES: Dying

So warm, so big,


so much freakin traffic
Pleh.




It was just our luck to get off on an exit to stop at the store where the two entrances back on were closed, but we managed to get back on, 20 minutes in the wrong direction! (Okay, like 5, I'm exaggerating) Headed to downtown LOS ANGELES now! Cody, Jef, and Brons had been out to dinner with Jef's parents, who are both angels and serving a mission for the next three years, (Congratulations). And after taking the scenic route ten or fifteen times, trying to find SBMAIN, we managed to park and are let inside their building. ANXIETY is killing us at this point. So crazy we were finally here! Soon enough the boys are back and we all go upstairs. Sickest place ever. We all talk for a bit and then head to go play some pool. Tired, we all head home and crash, and let dreams end the first night of our new adventure:)

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