6,741...

We racked up that many kilometres in the last three week. Thank you Lord, for traveling mercies. And ipod transistors which allow us to play good music. And for small DVD players that allow us to watch a movie when we're too tired to admire your creation anymore. And for kids that travel really, really well. And for a dear wife who is content to sit in the back seat with the kids for most of the trip. And for making it home safe.

Last year the surprise of the trip was the various coffee. I was much more discriminating (read: snobby) about my coffee choices this year. The surprise for me was probably watching the girls pick songs from the ipod. On that "note", here is the top ten songs of the trip, as picked/requested by the girls from the ipod.
1) Hello, McFly-Relient K
2) Man, I Feel Like a Woman-Shania Twain
3) Lollipop-Mika
4) The Reason-Hoobastank
5) Maybe It's Maybeline-Reliant K
6) The Sweetest Thing-U2
7) Holiday-Green Day
8) Grace Like Rain-Todd Agnew
9) Shine-Newsboys
10) Photograph-Nickleback

Other hilights: Well, have you ever heard of Rock Creek, Montana and their annual party?
You need to check it out. Everyone we talked to who has been there said you will have a huge ball if you stick around long enough.

We also sat and watched a spectacular fire
from the interstate yesterday. It was getting near some houses, and definitely a little raw watching this mezmorizing fire destroy trees while people a few hundred feet away were watering down the roofs of their houses.






Nicest rest stop: Right near Coure D'Alene,Idaho. Maybe it was the crisp air that signalled the humidity of South Dakota was gone; maybe it was the free cookies we got from the lady who was serving the tourists. Either way, beautiful.

Funniest bumper sticker-"My shitzu could kick your honor roll student's ass." That made me laugh. And to the guy from Michigan in the orange volkswagon that I saw on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday-sorry I didn't stop to help you when your car looked like it was struggling up the hill.

Oh yeah, and if you every get a chance to go here on a hog--well, just watching the Harley Davidson's in the thousands on the road was pretty sweet.

It's good to be home. As someone said in an email this week: "All shall be well and and all manner of things shall be well.