After several days of driving, warning lights, dealerships, and schedules, Day 8 was all about family.
We started the morning with breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa Davies’ house before packing up and heading north to St. Anthony, Idaho, where Zed’s maternal grandparents and extended family live.
One of the unexpected gifts of this move has been the chance to reconnect with family spread across the country. From Maryland to Tennessee, Utah to Idaho, we’ve been able to stop and visit people we don’t get to see nearly often enough. As military families know, distance has a way of making those opportunities rare and precious.
When we arrived in St. Anthony, we were welcomed by what felt like the entire family. All of Zed’s aunts and his uncle assembled to put on a barbecue for everyone. There was plenty of food, plenty of laughter, and plenty of opportunities to catch up.
The kids wasted no time finding cousins and disappearing into adventures of their own.
There were chickens to hold, side-by-sides to ride, fields to explore, and plenty of space to run. The younger cousins followed the older cousins, the older cousins tolerated the younger cousins, and everyone seemed perfectly content.
The best part may have been watching cousins who only see each other occasionally pick right back up where they left off. No awkwardness. No introductions needed. Just instant friendships renewed.
As the sun began to set, stories were shared, family history was retold, and another generation of Davies kids got a chance to better understand where they come from.
By the end of the night, the kids were thoroughly exhausted. Between cousin adventures, chicken wrangling, and rides in the RZRs, they stayed up later than they should have and fell asleep faster than they usually do.
A successful day by every possible measure.
Herd Stats
Miles Driven: 3,125
States Traveled: 10
Check Engine Light: 2
Animal Sightings: Silkie chickens, 3 patient farm dog, too many sheep and cows to count
Running Stats
Hotel/Campgrounds Count: 16
Herd Morale: Fueled by cousins and barbecue
Sanity Level: Surprisingly peaceful
The Davies Herd 
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