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The Road to Yellowstone

Have you ever been to such a wonderful place where you are in complete bliss then as soon as you leave it’s such a come down you feel like you’re in the Black and White part of the Wizard of Oz?  This is exactly how I felt leaving the Reptile Gardens – it was a fantastically great time (As I specifically stated in my last post ‘Reptile Gardens’ but then as soon as we walked through the exit door – POOF! it all changed!  Connor, got wildly depressed because I wouldn’t let him buy a ‘Shooting Rubberband Gun’ – hmm let me think, confided in a car with his 3 brothers for extended periods of time – I don’t think I want to make a side trip to the hospital.  Then he argues that he is practically a ‘man’ and since Scott isn’t with us he was told he is the ‘Man of the House’..er..’Car’ – Hello, You Are 10!  Beckett is beyond tired, crying and fussing and really just needs to fall asleep.  Aidan and Finn are tired, hungry and fighting about where to stop for food.  I am also tired and am starting to freak out a bit realizing I have a 6 hour drive ahead of me to the next hotel which means I would arrive at 1:30 a.m.   So I lost it, a bit, maybe more than a bit.  I say, (more like a yell) “Tell me where you all want to get food because we are getting the food and then we are turning around and driving home!”  Well, that did not exactly help the situation….2 of them started crying and I did as well.  I pull into the closest parking lot which so happens by some crazy miracle be a Starbuck’s.  Thank goodness Beckett has just fallen asleep, I tell the other 3 to put on a movie & give me a minute.  I jump out of the car and call Scott.  Of course he knows exactly what to say to calm me down followed up by his famous line of my trip “You need to regroup” – he tells me to get coffee and he will find me a closer hotel. As always, after talking to him I feel great again.  I jump back into the car, apologize to my boys, family discussion, family vote – no one wants to go home.  Now I have to run into Starbuck’s for a coffee so I jump back out of the car, only this time I see on the ground in front of me a Starbuck’s Gift Card – and it says ‘Thank You’ all over it.  I thought that it was so very odd, I was just out here talking to Scott and didn’t notice it.  I pick it up and walk inside.   My drink is $4.85. Keeping my cool, I hand her the card and say “I am not sure if there is anything on this”  $5.00 she says.  That just covered my drink.  Seriously, that is just crazy.  I looked up to heaven and said “Thank You” back. 

I drive 3 hours to get to the next hotel and the last 1.5 is the hardest drive thus far.  By 9:00 it is pitch black, there are no street lights, there are construction cones (that do not glow) in the middle of the street (yes I hit at least 3) and the streets are extremely windy.  I try to tail onto an occasional car that passes me but I eventually always lose them in fear of driving to fast and off of the side of the cliff.  I don’t actually know if I am driving on the side of a cliff  because I can not see anything but, that is what I imagine.  I am leaning so far forward in my seat to see better my back starts to hurt and I am clenching onto the steering wheel so tight my hands start to cramp. I prayed Our Father’s and Hail Mary’s for an hour straight.  We finally arrive safely at 10:30p.m.  I am grateful to everyone who has been praying for our safe travels, your prayers helped us tonight.  

Beckett didn’t want to wait for me to set up his bed he found his own for the night