Day #6: Snow and cold....everywhere!

Would you believe me if I told you that the "Check Engine" light was turned off this morning when I started the van? And that the dealership, after keeping the car for four hours, calling Honda Technical Assistance, charging and cleaning the battery, checking the fuel trims and cylinders and then running every kind of diagnostic test.....found nothing wrong with the van?

I just have to say that the kids have been absolutely AMAZING through this first week of the trip. After three unexpected trips to the mechanics and  lots of hours in the car on the road--the kids have been great.  They are playing with each other and by themselves. They are singing and laughing and making up things to entertain each other.  They are enjoying and learning. And I.....I have been so thankful to have this time with them. We play games and sing silly songs and Diego entertains everyone with his funny comments. There are blessings all around us.

This is what we did this morning:

Waiting...waiting at the dealership. I think we played 30+ games of hangman, dot-to-dot and tic tac toe.

By early afternoon we were off to see Crater Lake. I had been watching the Facebook page for the park  over the last couple of weeks and knew that the park had tons of snow. Fun Fact: did you know that Crater Lake gets more than 540 inches [average] of snow every year? And that just last night they got 7+ inches and were experiencing blowing snow all day today? Knowing this, you shouldn't be surprised at all that this was our view of the lake today at the park:

I know, it's breathtaking, right?

But despite not seeing anything of the lake, SoCal kids LOVE seeing snow. It is like Christmas, birthdays and the toothfairy all wrapped up together. 

Diego could simply not believe how much snow had been plowed just to open the road to the Visitor's Center:

So we spent a couple of hours playing in the snow and then came back to our cute little cottage. There is a little stream by our cottage and the kids [being kids] played outside in the cold and sleet making up games, throwing rocks and having races with their dandelions in the stream.  



They found some charcoal and mud and were being Gladiators.



 That is, until Diego fell into the stream and the cold became a little too much for all of us. 



This was just before the fall. He kept creeping closer and closer to the edge.



Fun Facts From Today:

Number of times a child asked me "Are we there yet?" = 2

Miles driven today = 94

Number of wrong turns = 0

Total $ spent on gas to date = $256