Nebraska

I just feel the need to post this not really sure why, it's one of my only complaints haha. So between Nebraska and Wyoming is about 16 hours drive (8 hours a piece), I got the joy of driving through the end of Nebraska on my graveyard shift. It was about 2:30 am somthing and we passed through a speed limit change, so I slowed. Then we notice that the cop we passed is behind us. As I went to take the exit to fill up the cop turns on the lights..... crap! What's going through my head- I'm out of state, if I get ticketed I'll have to eat it and I won't be able to contest!!! We pull over and wait, this tiny lady maybe 5"1 somthing comes up to our big old truck. Haha she was so small! Shines a light in and looks around, everyone in the back is sleeping except for me and my dad up front. "license and registration please" I give it to her. She then continues to tell me that my plates were called in because I was trying to run someone off the road. . . .Wha?? Out of all the things I was waiting to hear that one was a surprise. She leaves to go check out my info. I was still freaking out, my dad who had been up with me was like "I must not remember that part". Haha that made me feel better. She ended up just letting me go but yeesh I hate that kind of stuff. We think it might have just been a trucker who called me in to distract the police so they could speed, who knows. By the time I drove away there were 4 cop cars behind me, what a joke so annoying. Nebraska IS THE state to get pulled over in I saw more cops and people on the side of the road getting tickets there then ANY of the other states we went through combined. Plus it smells like sewage and its super humid, Sick. That's how I feel about Nebraska (sorry Rob). This is the gas station we were at when I began my shift, that's the best explaination for Nebraska there is straight from Nebraskans themselves.

Grandma Coates

One of the last things we did was visit with our Grandma Coates. She spent alot of time with my mom when she was little. She's almost 100 years old too! She was born in 1911. This time we asked her a bunch of questions about her life. It was so intresting to see her. I wish I would have asked her more last time we were out, but I was 12 and too busy playing. For as old as she is she is still soooo sharp its amazing. My mom and I stayed the night with her. In the morning when we left she stood at the door and watched us drive away, ah it was killing me. It was so sad! I don't know if we will get to see her again but I was trying so hard not t cry. She misses my mom alot and I just wish that we could see her more, she still lives on her own but she get's very lonely. This is her and my mom.

Activities

My Mama grew up in Hamilton area, while we are there we go and eat at all the tasty places that she used to like. Richards Pizza and Steak sandwitches is one of the places we all partook of, very tasty. Tossing Pizza. Brandon tossin pizzaWe tried to go to the Cincinnati zoo twice. The first time we weren't sure if we would have time to see it all and the second time there was a line of cars trying to get into it all the way down the block and around the corner. . . ya we decided against that. Instead we went to the conservatory. Very vErY pretty.

Butterfly bench

Waterfall

Whoa
Cactus

Leetle Tree I'm still taller then Brandon, for now at least

The conservatory is just BaReLy on the other side of a "not so great" part of town (haha which our GPS tooks us through to get to the zoo).

Ohio Times

Wow it's been a while again. All I can say is I feel SOOOO behind, and I hate that. I'm going to try and catch up. While we were in Ohio we met up with my Mom's family which we almost never see. It's really kind of sad but I guess I've gotten used to it. Over the last 18 years I've only been out there 2 times. Maybe it's just because I'm getting older but this time was a bit harder for me, and maybe it's because I just went through a divorce myself. My grandparents split up when I was like 4 or something but I guess I never really delt with it. So on top of my personal recent experiences, being a girl and all that other stuff it made me sad. It's so crazy how some peoples choices can affect soooo many people. I still don't understand how people can throw some of the things away that they do and move on but there's the free agency thing again. I learned yet another situation I avoided while I was out there. I never thought about how hard it would be for Colin's kids. Talking to some of my cousins about things made me realize that Colin's kids won't have to deal with drama either. Man I've been so blessed. I feel like recently everytime I turn around the Lord gives me examples of things I have troubles with in my own life through someone else's example. I have a special place in my heart for my grandma Pink now too. Her and I have alot more in common then I ever thought we did (besides getting divorced). I love her so much.
While we were out there we stayed with my grandpa Joe and Nanna Judy. We didn't go to the zoo this time like we did last time but we got to swim in the pool and cook out a couple of times. Haha oh and we went to Bingo. . . . let's just say I'm as poor now as I was when I went.

Hurray for being home!

Ok we all got back home at about 9:00 am today. Wow we were TIRED!! I was supposed to do the graveyard shift again and I made it about an hour and a half (1:45 am- 3:15 am) this time. So besides being sleep deprived and a little nasueas from being in the car I have a million things to post now. Including about 1,000 photos haha it was great! Sorry about the going private thing it all happened last minute and I only got online about 2 times last week hopefully everyone got an invite. More posts coming later I'm pasted!