This is the road that never ends....it just goes on and on, my friends...

This trip was not fun.  Not awful, but not fun. 

The first day we were supposed to drive to Bozeman.  Thanks to both stops taking longer than expected, we hit Idaho just as it was getting dark.

I hate driving in the dark.

Snoqualmie Pass had all sorts of weather advisories.  There was nothing.  A hint of snow on the sides of the road- that was it.

Lookout Pass- that was the one we should've been worried about.

Dark.  Foggy. Snow blowing sideways.  Semi trucks parked halfway in the right lane and halfway on the shoulder chaining up.  Dark. 

It was not enjoyable.

A few miles after the pass, we stopped for gas.  I had decided in the car that we just needed to stop in Missoula.  I was tired and having trouble staying awake.  We still had four hours until Bozeman, and I knew I wouldn't make it.

David and Andre talked me out of it- actually, that's not right.  They just both said no, let's keep going.  I left the gas station crying because I knew I wasn't going to make it four more hours.

A mile or two after the gas station, a tire blew on one of the trucks.  I took all four kids and Hank and drove the hour to Missoula.  David and Andre stayed with the trucks.  Mandy-the-travel-agent got us hotel rooms, and I called the guys to tell them where we were.

WHAT did people do without cellphones and internet?????

When I was packing the stuff we were taking in the cars, I initially packed a bag for me and Hope, one for the twins, and one for Daniel.  For some reason I decided to repack by night- all our stuff in one laundry basket for Tuesday night, one for Wednesday night. 

That move saved my butt.

I had to get four kids, all our stuff, a sleeping bag, a dog and his stuff, into a hotel room by  myself.  At 10pm when everyone was beyond tired.  After we got to the room, I got everyone in their jammies and into bed. 

I made Hope supervise the room and went back out to the car to get some of Hank's stuff that I couldn't find at first.  Then I had to go back and get Hank and take him out to walk.  Then the poor little dog got a drink of water and a bit of food- I couldn't let him have much of anything because I knew he wasn't going to get to go out again until morning. 

This trip will be easier in three years when the kids are a bit more capable of helping out.  Although I will say that Joel was very helpful in carrying stuff in, and fairly cooperative even.

After several calls and texts that allowed me only to nap instead of actually sleep, David and Andre finally got to the hotel at 2:30am.  Poor guys- I bet the last thing they wanted to do was get up at 7:30 and drive for another day.

After that night though, things went smoothly.  Again, Mandy played travel agent and found us a place somewhere in South Dakota. We didn't get there until 11:30 that night. 

I've realized that planning a trip where I will be driving means taking into account when sunset is.  I was fine driving all day.  In fact, I was in the lead and was so intent on just driving that we didn't even stop for meals until a very late dinner. 

Once it was dark, though, I started nodding off.  Even though it was only seven o'clock.  Sunset = bedtime:)

Thursday was much the same.  Drove all day.  Got here at 11:30.  The kids got out of the cars and were running all over the yard.  The neighbors are going to hate us before we've even moved in.