The last few days have been quite eventful! On Wednesday evening, we were able to get most of our belongings packed up in the cars. The boys stayed at Tim's parents for the night so we we were able to be more productive than usual. I could hardly sleep that night...lists were running through my head. I was so scared that I would forget something we "need" for our next 5 months in Atlanta. I finally got up at 5am, did a few things on my list, then crawled back in bed for another hour.
When we woke up, we finished the final pieces of packing and found that we had to eliminate some things in order to fit it all in our cars. We picked up the kids, said good-bye to the family, and headed towards Texas. It started sleeting pretty quickly after we left, but nothing was sticking. As soon as we hit downtown Tulsa, though, all that changed. The roads were covered with ice...not snow...and they were getting pretty slick. We had to drop down to 30-40mph. It just got worse from there. More and more cars started spinning out and sliding off the roads around us. Tim took over driving the minivan with the kids and I drove his car. He handles the stress much better than I do...
Our most amazing miracle took place after dark....Tim was driving behind me when the car next to me lost control and swerved with a foot or two of my driver's side three times. Then all of a sudden he turned and slid right between Tim and me and into the ditch. Neither of our cars were touched. We pulled over at the next gas station, and I just cried my eyes out. I was so thankful that no one was hurt.
We finally crossed over the border into Texas and were immediately stuck in dead stop traffic. For the next 45 minutes we sat there until they cleared an accident up ahead. Once traffic started moving again, the roads were solid ice and we could only go 20mph. By the time we got to Sherman, the minivan's wheels were just spinning on the ice and Tim could no longer drive faster than 15mph. We pulled over and found a hotel for the night. It was so disappointing, but definitely the safest thing to do. After 12 hours of driving (normally only an 8 hour trip total), we still had 60 miles left. At the speeds we were going, it would have taken us 2-3 more hours.
So we spent Christmas Eve and had a delicious Christmas buffet breakfast at the La Quinta.
After breakfast, we got back in the cars to finish the drive. The roads were still icy, but much better than the night before. Tim was ahead of me with the kids when the car in front of him slammed on their brakes and started sliding across a bridge. He quickly switched lanes and the car in the left lane behind him put on their brakes and slid into the back of the minivan. So, we stopped and traded insurance, took pictures, and convinced the driver that it was not worth anybody's time to call the police. Both cars were drive-able and we just wanted to get to my parent's house for Christmas.
Two hours after we left that morning (a 14 hour drive total), we arrived at my parents. One dented minivan, 2 fussy children, 2 exhausted parents, and all our 5 month belongings crammed into the cars.
The rest of the day...and weekend has been wonderful. The kids played with their cousins, took good naps, opened presents, and Tim and I finally got to relax with my family. We are so thankful that no one was hurt and that God is watching over us. We are planning to leave on New Year's Day for Atlanta so please be praying for safety!
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