Our Grand but Little Adventure

Our not so big adventure to get away before the rigours of the school year begin was 'simply' to drive the five (I use the number loosely) hours to enter into the US and do some cross border shopping.  Nothing says fun like taking eleven kids power shopping in another county with nine of them wondering what manner of hell has befallen them.

For us crossing the border is always exciting.  The type of vehicle that is our family vehicle differs from the norm as it the number of people in it.  We draw some attention.  That is never good for customs agents.  I want to say that I loathe all of them however I must think nothing but positive thoughts about them as I need to try and break back into Canada tomorrow.  Believe it or not I often have more trouble getting back into my own country than leaving it.

Two travelling days and two full days of shopping and eating out.  Money spent.  Lots of money spent.  The upside is it was all necessary spending for back to school.

Because the kids here in Great Falls have been back in school for a couple of weeks the stores were quiet.  This worked perfectly for us as it was like the stores were open only for us.  Jordan and Malia even had a game of soccer down one of the toy ailes, not something I normally condone however I don't normally shop with eleven kids.

Dining was great for us too.  Our hotel has a restaurant that has a free breakfast.  It was so good and so filling.  I think they really had to have lost money on us!  We didn't eat until later in the morning so had the place almost to ourselves.  The best place to eat for families bar none is the Golden Corral.  Tons of food, tons of variety and when you are a large group they give you a section to yourself.   At first I wasn't sure if they put us in our own private section because we are who we are but when they decided to put us in there they didn't know anything about us except our size.  

pizza hut first night there

Awwww

excited for supper

laugh Phoenix, laugh

Samantha's place of zen

happy girl

flying fish

Mecca

private dining

us and Thomas Jefferson

All in all it was a nice time away.  There was the usual lack of sleep and the crabbiness that comes with that but the kids were patient with me anyway....  Nah I kid.  We did have a couple that had an increase in number  and intensity of seizures but as I write this the night before we leave to go home...injuries have been avoided...touch wood....touch wood.