Shortly after we passed by a rest stop and about fifteen miles outside of Great Falls, MT, Kristen urgently shouted from the back of the Pilot that she needed to go to the bathroom. Now! Chris and I looked at each other because we were near nothing. She vacillated between having to urgently find relief and being too embarrassed to want us to stop by the side of the rode. Stopping won out when she was near tears. She was still claiming humiliation, but at this point, the road-side was our option. Chris pulled over in a driveway of "Our Father's Place" ranch. We tried to tell Kristen the importance of letting us know next time before her needs were an emergency.
We were happy to stop for a short while for lunch at Cafe Rio and then went to the mall to look for shoes for Amy's (we had exhausted our options at home, maybe Montana had something different). Success! We completed our stop by filling up with gas, returning a Red Box, and getting some snacks and treats.
You might have thought that Kristen would have learned a little something about potty stops earlier in the day, but just as we were nearing a stinky section of freeway next to Kevin/Oilmont twenty minutes from the US/Canadian border, Kristen again shouted from the back of the Pilot. "Stop the car! Pull over! Stop the car now!" Yes, she had to go to the bathroom again. Her embarrassment no longer was an issue; she was happy to pee on the side of the road. Sheesh, girl. Could we emphasize planning ahead a little more?
We finally arrived at the border where we waited for ten minutes or so for our turn. We were asked for all of our passports this time, asked to remove our sunglasses, and asked to roll down the windows so that our children could be seen. Whew. Always a little tentative on whether they'll want you to pull over for further inspection. We instructed our children to saying NOTHING unless asked a direct question.
The gently rolling hills and prairie of Southern Alberta greeted us as we drove the remaining 45 minutes to Stirling. More beautiful green to be seen. We made a quick drive-thru Warner where I spent the first eleven years of my life. We showed the girls the first house that my dad built, the field that flooded one Spring giving my brother and I hours of enjoyment on a raft we built, homes where my friends used to live, the school I attended and where my dad taught. Good memories.
It was nice to pull in to the circular drive of my parent's home. The trees had grown so much. I actually liked the view out of our windows a lot better growing up when the trees were small and you could see down main street or watch the sunrise and sunset. Now there's just trees wherever you look. Not a fan.
After dinner with my parents, Amy and Misha were happy to roast marshmallows in the basement in the wood stove. My dad was happy to oblige. As a lifetime Scouter, he loves to build fires. Being able to build them in your own house--just a bonus.