Why Cabella's Works For Me

Or another working title might be: "My answer to Rachael A.'s always astounded,'WHAT do you see in CABELLA'S?!!! WHY would you EVER want to go THERE on a day trip?'"

That title just seemed a little too wordy, though.

So, Rachael - this one's for you. A list of sorts as to why a family day trip to Cabella's seems to take place (quite often, I admit), but why I'm actually totally okay with it.

Especially in the winter.
On cold days.
Options are limited sometimes.

(1). Kev and I are always up for a good roadtrip. We love an excuse to get outta' Dodge for the day - leave our work and the world behind for a few hours. The kids are always a gamble. We know it will either go down:

a. with them all being loud but happy
b. with them all being loud and at least one of them UN-happy
c. on rare occasions - with them being quiet and happy
d. or a combination of all at some time or another

Today - shockingly - the way down, at least, option c. took place.
Miracles still do happen.

The only thing I DON'T love about a good road trip - especially in the winter - is THIS:

Do you SEE where the temperature gauge IS? In the winter? Mr. Sweats-a-Lot has to have it fah-reezing in the car or else he needs his window rolled down. Okay. I'm over it. Moving on.

(2). If option c. does INDEED take place, then my love and I have a nice little chunk of (fairly) uninterrupted time to visit, solve all of the worlds problems, make our grand plans for the future, and reconnect after a busy week. It's good.

(3). Nine times out of ten a good road trip involves a warm cup of coffee to sip during the entire drive down. It also compensates for the freezing car.


(4). In the Fall, the drive down to Portland provides me great scoping-out-opportunities for the elusive bittersweet vines and winterberries that I so love to collect. I am WAY more up for a roadtrip to Cabella's during the months of October and November because Kev and I have a nice little agreement that he'll stop for me if I see a rockin' patch of berries. It's a good deal.

(5). A WHOLE lotta' car dancing and rockin' to some tune-age.

(6). Once we arrive to the big city, for the first little bit, wee little Rancey Pants and I drop off the Large Ones, and he and I drive a mile back up the road and check out the Christmas Tree Shoppe. While I do not enjoy shopping very much, there's just something about that store that I do so enjoy. AND...this is where I put the temperature:

Ah. Bliss.

Once we poke around a little bit, we go back and meet up with the rest of the crew.


(7). And for some reason, all four of my boys are just SO happy in this place! Seriously, they're like kids in a candy shop. Even Ransom, despite his missed naps, is very content and quite mesmerized the entire time he's there. This is what they love:

Tents to explore.

The shooting gallery.

Check out that pose!

MORE things to shoot at.

Wait! Runaway Child!

Side Story: The LAST time we were here, the store almost had to pull a "Code Adam" because Jesse wandered away and we couldn't find him. It was a little bit scary. A code Adam involves them pulling their entire staff from every single area of the store, immediately locking all of the doors, and doing a mass sweep of the entire place. Glad that didn't have to happen. A worker named Henry found him. When asked what his name was, Jesse said: "Micah." That's your middle name, Dude, but whatever.


They also love the aquarium.
They like the grossest thing in there the best.
See the eel staring right at them?

(8). Seeing three brothers exploring together.

(9). Another weapon of mass destruction has been added to our household.

Okay. It's really just another multi-tool. But, with Jesse anything can be qualified as mass destruction.

(10). And honestly, Rachael...the decor is really quite breathtaking:


And, they even have some cute little animals showing you the way to the dressing rooms! Awww. Aren't they cute?

10. They also have free fudge samples. Ahem.

11. On the ride home two of three kidlets were crying, so we decided to have an intervention. We stopped at McDonald's for a teensy little snack. I told Kev that I would give him $10.00 if when he ordered my honey mustard snack wrap he enunciated it like this: "Honey MusTURD." The stipulations were that he had to enunciate it loudly AND he had to elicit a reaction from the employee. He wimped out. He says he did it, but it went down more like this: "Yes. Can I get one honey mus-tuuuuur... wrap." It wasn't loud. There was no enunciation. And no reaction was elicited. So the money remains safely in my pocket. Immature. I know. I live with boys. If you can't beat 'em - join 'em.

12. We get home early evening. Cereal is what happens for supper. The kids are tired. They go straight to bed after eating.

13. Silence reigns supreme from about 6:30 on.

14. We eat candy and watch t.v.

15. It rocks.