Our Big Adventure

It all started with an innocent little row of Audio CDs at the local library. I noticed them there one day and thought, "Wow! Those would be great for a trip!" Since there was no trip coming up, and my children kept wanting to listen to them, I gave in and brought home the first book on CD - The Little House In The Big Woods. We all fell in love, Jennifer in particular. She would sit there for hours (not stretched!) Completely mesmerized in the wonders of Laura and Mary and life away back then!

One by one, we worked our way through that row, reliving the Indian war cry and the brown bread and sticks of hay in the Long Winter. We licked our lips over the descriptions of food in Farmer Boy and wondered how it felt to "eat until you are full" and then down pie besides! We marveled at working for 25 cents a day, and the super expensive 50 cent kitten Pa splurged on to get rid of the mice. We went along with Laura through freezing cold sleigh rides behind the beautiful Morgans and on to her wedding day and the First Three Years of giving farming a try.

Long after the rest of us had had our fill, Jennifer would beg to re-listen to the "Laura and Mary" books again! Her play time revolved around "Almanzo" and "Rose" and to this day her name is always "Laura"!! By now she knows the stories backwards and forwards, and woe be to you if you should pronounce "slough" different than the lady on the CDs!

One day early this Spring, Chris came home with a Big Announcement! "This summer," he told us, "We are going to go on a trip and visit all the Little House sites." This was met with disbelief and wonder on all sides! Could we really see the Banks of Plumb Creek? Are there really houses at those places? Do they have clothes that they wore in the museum??? And so the Big Adventure was launched!

Chris spent hours looking up sites online and mapping out routes and places to stay. Since we have a Science Museum Membership right now, he included two of those in our itinerary and when he found out there was a Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in July, the dates began to take shape! I, of course, was the typical doubter and dragger of feet - should we spend money on this? Wasn't it a bit much? But Chris held firm to one of his favorite mottoes, that no one has ever gotten to the end of their lives and said "If only I hadn't done so many things with my children!" And if you wait until you can "afford" such a thing, you'll never do it. And if you wait until the children are older, you'll never do it...... :) I'm convinced.

So, THAT is where we are headed for 12 days come Tuesday, July 8!! And, like I told you before, I intend to bring you all along with us, so get ready for the Big Adventure coming right up!