Hey everybody it's allie again!!! I know and have heard a few of you complaining to me that i don't "UPDATE" my blog like you want me to, but that is just because i have been very busy and i devoted this blog to my six week trip...so if you want to hear...well i mean read about more stories from me and everybody at home go to my new blog... alliejoysmith.blogspot.com. Just one thing...if i have to keep writing and posting you have to keep leaving comments...hehehe. i just love getting them...lol Thanks so much!!!

Lots of love
Allie Joy

August 4, 2006 3:51 PM

So I have been nagged about getting this blog finished and all wrapped up...so here it is...I'M HOME!!!


Ok, so that’s not all I want to say. I had such an awesome time with literally everything!!! It’s funny how if you are stuck with people in a van for six week they become your best friends. No matter how much you fought or disliked each other before. You learn to get along with each other and laugh with each other. You learn new things about them and yourself that you never knew before. Before this trip I was having some own struggles of my own, and not just with some things. It honestly felt like my life was absolutely falling apart. Being that I am 16 I thought the whole world was against me just like every other teenage girl. So the idea of traveling 12,000 miles across the country did not sound like fun at all. Throughout the months before this trip we fought what seemed like constantly. To at the least the point that we drove both of my parents crazy and we never wanted to be around each other. I have my license so when ever I could I got out of my house. Every time I was home I just thought “How are we going to spend six week together without killing each other or drive our parents to insanity?” Somehow we survived through God’s will!!! Hehehe...anyway, so now I am just home enjoy all the simple little pleasures like sleeping in a real bed, cooking in a real kitchen. All the little things you take for granted day by day while we were gone. Well I hope to see you around later.

Love ya lots...for the last time
Allie Joy

July 25, 2006 8:43 PM

So today was nothing exciting but 7 or so hours of driving.

July 24, 2006 11:04 PM

Well today we drove to and through Yellow Stone. It was so amazing. The park has wild animals running through out the park...and yes we did have 4 buffalo and a baby calf cross in front of our car. It was absolutely amazing!!! I mean it is just not something you see everyday you know. Anyway, we also saw elk and birds and plants, plants, and oh ya more plants. It was totally fun though we were all so excited to see all of the animals...especially when it crossed right in front of our car or stood right next to our car on the side of the road!!! Well tomorrow it is pretty much a drive day and that’s all...6 hours which is not to bad at all. Then the water park, then home in the 27th. A day early, but sorry we still dunno what time...it’s about a seven hour drive from where we start that day. So I DO hope we wake up very early to get home ASAP. I’m excited, but I will actually admit I have had a good time...I just really miss my own bed...lol!!! Well I’m beat, I better get some sleep...for...um...more driving!!! = ) = ) = ) talk to you all and SEE you all very, very soon!!!

Love ya lots
Allie Joy

July 23, 2006 9:40 PM

So we are getting closer to home every day...exciting!!! So the other day I realized I had said I went to see Mt. Rushmore but I didn’t really tell you about how much fun it was. I know it is just heads carved into the face of a mountain, but it was totally amazing. I don’t know if you can really know how amazing until you see it for yourself. We stayed for the night time show and saw it lit up at night. It was so pretty, and just amazing to look at how hard it was to create such a sculpture. All the hard work that went in tot that...WOW!!! Anyway, so we drove, been driving and oh ya counting all the different types of road kill that we pass...we are up to 16 different animals...how can we tell what they are...well don’t ask me I dunno!!! = ) = ) = ) so today we DROVE ya I know no surprise there and went to a Buffalo Bill museum...the boys liked seeing all the guns but...well to be honest it wasn’t my favorite. It’s a museum!!! Anyway, so tomorrow we drive just a few hours and then we get to see all the cool sites at Yellow Stone...exciting!!! We also almost hit our own OREGON time zone...YAY!!! Well I better go get some sleep for tomorrow. 4 nights left sleeping in the trailer and 4 days left driving in the van...how time has passed!!!

Love ya lots
Allie Joy