Living by a routine

The kids and I returned home today from a short trip across the state to a friend's wedding. That means that the last 3 days have been nothing close to our normal routine...and surprisingly we only hit a few snags along the way.
If you know our family, you know that our life revolves around a routine. Not only do my children, especially Brycen, thrive on routine, but I feel that every child needs at least some part of the day that they know stays the same. The routine also allows me to set aside certain times for me to get some work done (easier said than actually done on most days) as well as know when I will get a much-deserved break some days!
Of course when we travel, the routine is pretty much thrown out the window...except meal times (and usually nap time) which I work hard to ensure are as close as possible to the normal routine of home. I have run across some people over the last year that have seemed frustrated with the fact that Brycen is used to eating or napping at certain times, and sometimes that may mean we cannot participate in a certain activity if it is at one of those times. But those are the things we sacrifice for our children and meeting their basic needs will always be more important than activities.
This is a rundown of how much I have to prepare for a couple days of travel, hence a change in routine. I always, always have snacks/juice with me whenever we are traveling outside of Storm Lake city limits. There is also very limited times of departure that work with Brycen's schedule (Aubree can adapt much easier to changes than Brycen obviously)...we either leave first thing in the morning, immediately following lunch (which is around 11:15/11:30), or immediately following supper (which is 5:00/5:30ish). After supper is a last resort for our family, and is usually used only when we have to leave after Mike is off work and it is pertinent that we leave that day and not the next morning. Sometimes I do not know what time we will leave until the night before or the morning of departure as I have to weigh out how Brycen slept that night, the mood he is in, and other factors. I also have to plan for any meals on the road, as we do not have the financial means to just run through a drive-thru when it is most convenient as most people do when they are traveling.
For Kenzie's wedding this weekend, it was necessary that Brycen nap in the car on the way there, which is not usually a first choice as he doesn't sleep as long as he needs to when we are driving, but it is doable. I also planned a little window of time for when we arrived to allow him to walk around to get rid of energy pent up from sitting in a carseat for a couple hours. I always have a diaper bag full of snacks and quiet toys to keep him occupied during church-type events. I had determined that the dinner probably wouldn't be served until well after his 5:00 window and of course I was trying to prevent melt-downs, so I had a lunchable packed in case it was needed. I also packed some of the bribery items that I frequently need for Brycen...a baggie of M&M's and extra sippy of juice. Of course, despite all of this planning, it never goes as I would like...but I guess it went better than I really expected!