Old Fashioned Road Trip

We are packing to drive all the way from the West Coast to the East. My husband LOVES! driving. He also loves saving money it would take for 5 of us to fly and rent a car. So, I buy new books and music and goodies that the kids cannot open until we take off. Tom has a tradition of all of us getting into the packed car....putting on our seat belts and then just before he reverses out of the driveway...he announces to the kids, "VACATION HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN!" If they even think he may forget to say it...someone will remind him..."Dad, you have to say, Vacation has officially begun...!" I am a little anxious to go back at this time..with the floods and tornado's. I'm not a fan of lightening and thunder. Gotten pretty used to this Southern California Sunshine and Beaches. Lord willing the storms will be passed over before we get there. :-) SUMMER IS HERE!