The Marathon

The Lap top is not my friend!
This is my second time writing this. Somehow, my entire first draft was deleted. I was almost finished with our traveling tale. Now, to start again. Guess I cannot be so sloppy. I hope I remember everything I just said.

Driving to MN in a Toyota Camry is like a marathon.
We began our journey with a delayed start. N kindly reminded me of the time change. Leaving at 5am was actually 4am. We decided to stick to a more normal schedule and leave at 6am instead. This was a good plan, only if everyone slept all night. Five was up at 3:30 wanting to know if it was time to go. Six was awake at 4:30 with the same question. I finally just got up and took my shower. I had everything on our check out list done and we were ready to go. We pulled our of the driveway at 6:30am. We weren't even out of MI yet, and Five complained of belly aches. With a sick child, the worries set in. A stop at Walmart calmed my anxiety. We became better equipped with containers with sealed covers and clorox wipes. Our journey continued. We made it through Chicago with no issues. A stop at an oasis let the kids stretch and get some energy out. Five was looking a little green at this point. A good nap was needed. We continued our journey into WI. Around 5pm, it started to snow. I was driving. This was my first time in many trips to MN that I participated in the driving. I do not mind, but N usually does not want my job as flight attendant. He even tried to bribe Three with a $1 if she would be quiet for 20 minutes so he could nap. She tried really hard with only a whisper, but could not remain silent for 20 minutes. Six took the challenge on with complete confidence and earned his $1.
5pm the snow starts. N is back in the drivers seat. Our speed is 40 mph the rest of our journey! This left Three in a pull up after a quick stop for her to use the potty. We could not stop anymore.
Many cars sped past us, only to find them in the ditch later down the road. We saw a bad 6 car accident where even a fire truck was present. Angels were on N's shoulders guiding us through all that snow. We finally made it to the border and crossed the big bridge. It took us an extra 30 minutes to get through the city. That was really a challenge. So many cars in a small space and bad roads. N did great. The kids were great too. They watched their movie quietly and remained silent so N could concentrate on driving. I was anxious the entire ride. A big sigh of relief when we finally made it to Auntie J's house. She had a Tator Tot Hotdish waiting for us. We made it there at 8:30pm. The children were so happy. We ate and were in bed before 10pm. Everyone was exhausted.
With illness hanging over our heads, all the plans changed. I couldn't bring my sick kid to see friends. I felt so bad for all those I missed in Mpls. Seeing friends is another part that makes this journey well worth it. I miss them so much while in MI, then to be in MN and not get to see anyone is just unfair. I was able to have an hour of quality time with my friend "they call me mommy." We had coffee and squeezed as much as we could into our time together. It was wonderful, short, but wonderful. A sweep through J and T's house, and we were once again on the road. The journey continued. We left the Mpls area by 11:30.
We were a whole day ahead of schedule. Threw me off with what day it was, what the rest of our week looked like. The roads were ok for the rest of our journey. After a nice lunch at Wendy's, we were on our way to G & G's. In Detroit Lakes, Three lost it. She was screaming for her Grandma. I thought I was going to jump in the snowbank.
The boys were great. They tried to help with her, but it backfired. She bit Six. After that, we counted how many towns were left. Five was discouraged when our number was 12. I tried to find old movies they hadn't seen for awhile to help those last two hours pass faster. Hermie was the movie of choice. He wrapped up our journey in perfect fashion.
Before we knew it, we were in Plummer. Five says "Plummer is my favorite town!" Plummer is a town of only 200. It is the last town before Grandma's. They had to shut the movie off once we got to town so they could concentrate on seeing all the sites TRF has to offer. So much snow, we almost were stuck in the driveway. With our journey complete, everyone was in great spirits. We had a wonderful meal and happy children. Our evening prayers were complete with G & G watching. Everyone was thankful for the safe journey and lots of hugs.
And so, our adventure begins! Looking forward to spending time with friends and family for the next few weeks.