I love road trips! Matthan’s Graduation trip was the best: almost 2500 miles! Four days driving and one fabulous Graduation Day! I loved it. May 16, 2014 was Matthan’s turn and I was ready to celebrate!
Baccalaureate was 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. My mom said we had to get there early in order to get a seat. So the race was on: MSO LAX!
`Can you get up at 5:30 a.m. Mathalia? You can sleep more in the car if you are tired.’
I was up and ready to go. I even skipped my usual breakfast routine which is not easy for me but I wanted to be on-time!
I sit with the driver on road trips and I have everything I need with me: looper bag to make pot holders; book on CD’s and book to follow along—this time Pride and Prejudice; my feelings book to keep track of bathroom-water breaks, feelings and activities.
When my Dad drives, I make pot holders and I take photos. When my Mom drives, we listen to the book and I take photos. It is all very fun!
- Ready!
- Dry cereal for breakfast.
- Using my telephoto lens . . .
- for pot holder photo.
- Mom driving . . .
- Dad sleeping.
- Dad driving . . .
- Mom sleeping.
- Feelings Book.
After dinner at McDonald’s, I fell asleep in the car. My Dad woke me up at the hotel and pointed out our room. Well, it was dark and I got lost so he had to come and find me and show me the room. I barely got settled in bed when my alarm went off and it was `hurry up, Mathalia, hurry up!’
More driving. I took photos of the Virgin River Canyon and my Mom took photos of me taking photos. Good thing my Dad was sleeping: he does not like it when my Mom picks up her `point-n-shoot’ when she is driving. Breakfast at McDonald’s near Las Vegas in a Casino: Whiskey Pete’s was fun.
- Sunrise: Welcome to Arizona!
- Photo of . . .
- Virgin River Canyon.
- Dad didn’t notice!
- Selfie.
- Breakfast in . . .
- a casino!
- Photo of . . .
- Silly Mom!
All those `hurry ups’ paid off because we got to Matthan’s house in time for a picnic lunch and a quick nap before we walked to campus for the Baccalaureate. We were early: the doors were not open so we had time to take pictures and be silly.
We found a fountain and started to pose like the girl in the fountain. I made a new friend. I said: `Congratulations!’ And she liked our idea of fountain posing.
- Welcome to L.A.
- and its traffic!
- We made it on time!
- Time to be:
- Silly Mathalia!
- Silly Uncle Jeff!
- New friend is silly too!
- Dad takes a nap.
- Mom gives me funny hair.
Matthan was in time for the Baccalaueate. I told him, `I am an adult.’ He said,
`You beat me, Mathalia! I am NOT an adult. Tomorrow after my Graduation I will be an adult.’ Silly Matthan.
We took a `selfie’ at Chipolte’s. It is easy to go to restaurants with Matthan because he knows gluten-free and dairy-free. I just add egg-free on to that.
- Photo at . . .
- Baccalaureate.
- I am not am adult!
- Selfie!
- Photo of . . .
- Gluten free!
We got to our regular Los Angeles hotel and I was so tired! But we made it: we were on time for the Baccalaureate at USC!
Early to bed and early to rise: `We need to be on campus at 6:00 a.m. for a good seat.’
Hi Matalia, Pete and I just got home from a hike along the Kootenai Creek in the Bitterroot with your Grandpa (I’ll send some photos to your Mom!) and enjoyed your road trip pictures from Matthan’s graduation. I would NEVER want to drive in L.A! The chapel, however, is beautiful!! We love road trips too. Will be driving down to CO Springs at the end of July or early August to visit our youngest son, Scott, and his family who are moving back there from AL. He has just finished the dissertation for his PhD and will be teaching at the Air Force Academy – his alma mater. I’m not sure if Matthan will still be in CO but IF he is, I would love to have them meet!!! Ask your Mom to show you the pictures of our hike!
Love, Gingy
Dear Gingy, Thank you for photos. I like to hike. Today I was going for the bike ride with mom on the tandem. Your hike looks like fun! Have fun on you road trip. Love, Mathalia