On the (off)road again...

HEY!  I feel like I've been gone to forever.

First, I'd like to send hugs and kisses to the ladies who guest blogged for me -- you are all awesome and you rock.

Second, I promise I will catch up on reading all of your blogs.  Hopefully sometime today.

And Maggie's birthday post will be later in the week.

So we went to Jeep Jamboree in beautiful (ahem) French Lick, Indiana.  John has been there 9 times and I have been there 6 times.  We have friends we see up there and we had a great time.  The weather was a little too warm (80s!) for jeepin, but we made it through.

We got some body damage (rock, tree, not sure) but nothing major, and besides, that's a badge of honor when you're jeepin.

Here are PJ and Maggie all saddled up and ready to go off-roading.  Comically PJ's door is broken and it won't open, so he got in and out of the car seat through the front seat.  Good times.

Getting ready to go up a hill.  There's lot of steep hills, bumpy roads.  Sometimes the Jeep will be at a 45 degree angle and it seems like you're going to tip over, but you don't.

Apparently, off-roading isn't very exciting.

Whoa.  WHAT IS THAT??  SERIOUSLY.

PJ kept saying "Whoa Dad!" WHOA!  It was super cute.  He giggled so much when we'd over bumpy hills and rocks.  He did get a little scared when we got stuck -- we were in a ditch and because our Jeep is a Cherokee, the wide wheel base had us off all four tires and just suspended by the body.  He held my hand for that one.  Maggie slept till we got towed out. :)

Never know what might happen.  Better hold on to me, Mags.

THIS IS AWESOME!! YAY!!!

I drove for the first time ever.  It was extremely scary -- especially at the points where it feels like the jeep is tipping.  However, Maggie was napping when I started and I didn't wake her up, so that's something, right?

See the tires?  Flex is a big thing on a Jeep trip.

PJ looks a little concerned.  This took a little while to get out of .

Oh boy!! Look who's driving now! And riding shotgun.

Family.

Just love this picture of my little guy.

John's nickname on the trails is Mudslinger, because he loves to get the Jeep dirty.  One of our friends on the trip, inquired about getting muddy on Saturday at 4 p.m. (one hour before trail riding is over).  Our guide asked if anyone else wanted to go, and of course we did.  So he led us to a mud pit.  Thank goodness our friend Rich went in first....

He sunk all the way to the tops of his tires.  It was a bottomless mud pit.

This was the tires after he got towed out.  Needless to say, we ended up NOT going in the mud pit.

So that was our trip in a nutshell.  The kids were great, they had a great time, we had a great time, and we can't wait to do it again.

Although we will have to get the back driver side door fixed. 

It's gonna get muddy.

First and foremost. 

MAGGIE IS WALKING.

Full fledged, walk across the room, take 15-20 steps, needs to wear shoes outside now because she is WALKING PEOPLE.

And she did this on my birthday.  Best birthday ever!

Anyways...

I'm going on a Jeep Jamboree this coming weekend -- an offroading trip. 

We go to this particular trip every year, and have been for years -- John since 2002, me since 2005.

PJ went in 2009.

Last year we didn't go because a certain someone was due to make her debut into this world a mere week later. And she did, six days early, on the last day of the trip.

So good thing we didn't go.

We have three jeeps -- a Cherokee, a Grand Cherokee and a Patriot.

However, the Cherokee is off-road only.  Here's a pic of our off road beast.

It's lifted.  Three inches.  And has bigger tires.  And I'm short ya'll.  So I have to hoist myself in there.

The Cherokee has been through a lot.  Some of the new things we'll have to deal with this year include:

The driver's side rear door does not open.  So we have to get PJ in and out of the car seat/Jeep through the front seat. He, I am sure, will enjoy this IMMENSELY.  My back?  Not so much.

Maggie is walking.  Which means she's going to want to get down and walk in the mud, forest, trees, dangerous places that one year olds shouldn't walk.

PJ is running.  And jumping.  And thinks being chased is hysterical.  And we're going to be on a ranch with acres and acres of land.

It's okay though.  It's gonna be a blast and I know the kids will love it.  And don't be sad because I have three fantastic ladies guest blogging over here while I am gone so you aren't bored.

When I return, my baby girl will be ONE.  Because she is a 10-10-10 baby (seriously, how cool is that?) and I'm sure I'll have many stories to tell.