"Here We Yo--Semite, Here We Yo!" (clap, clap)

That was the sound from our mini van as we pulled out of our parking lot and onto the road for the highly anticipated 3 hour 48 minute drive to Yosemite National Park.

The excitement level was off the charts.

We drove, and drove, and drove. After some minor slowing due to route miscalculation, rain and windy roads we entered Yosemite 4 hours after our cheering began. We paid the $20 bucks (You are very welcome National Parks Department.) and pulled off the road to put chains on our tires.

And that is where our happy adventure took a disastrously stressful turn...

Look at the joy on those faces! Even the baby knows we are some where special. Too bad it was not going to last.

Will tried our chains on the van tires--chains we bought six years ago for our little blue car on a drive out to Montana. Can you guess what happened next?

The chains did not fit. It was 5:00 on a Sunday evening, we were poised on the threshold of a national treasure and the kids were jumping out of their own skin to play in the snow. We however, could not go any further in the park with out chains for the tires.

Commence a 60 mile--90 minute--search for chains, in towns very small and very far away from our destination. Commence a 90 minute scream party for one tired and cranky baby girl who was "finished" sitting in her car seat.

Brutal.

As if the "no chains" drama was not enough--500 yards into the park we got stuck behind a broken snow plow for thirty minutes. The time spent was not totally wasted though, it was snowing and since traffic in both directions was stopped we let the kids get out and play in the road--er--snow.

Add another 45 minute drive through the park, checking into our hotel, our kids stumbling through slushy puddles and you get our happy(?) family arriving at Yosemite Lodge--8 loooooooooong hours after we started our "Here We Yo-Semite, Here We Yo!" cheer.

With promises of a better tomorrow, we tucked the kids in their beds and all got some much needed sleep!

And what a fabulous tomorrow it was. Will took the big kids skiing (all by himself) and I stayed at the Lodge with Adell. We took a little stroll around the park with our friends and it was so-so. Don't get me wrong, the sceenery was jaw-dropping. But my baby--who fell asleep 3 hours after her regular bedtime the night before--was not in the mood for a chilly stroll through a winter landscape. Adell started crying minutes into the walk.

The louder our babies screamed--the bigger our smiles got. Those babies were screaming at a fevered pitch by this point...

When we got back to the Lodge those screaming babies took a 2 1/2 hour nap. I spent the quiet time reading, relaxing and turning the heat up to a cozy temperature. It was glorious!

Will had his hands full with three brand-new skiers. He successfully got each child in boots and skis and made many trips up and down the slopes. The kids loved it--especially Clare. She cannot wait to go skiing again.

After dinner we spent the night ice skating at a rink near by.

Well, I think I'd better save day two for another post...it has taken me almost two weeks to hit "publish post" on this sucker.