Our first problem was traffic. Lots of traffic. I have NEVER traveled during spring break, maybe when in high school but not with children. BIG difference. I probably will never travel on spring break again, does everyone in the upper states leave? I didn't think it was gonna be a big deal, guess I was wrong. I was playing in the back with the kids and pulled up my map on my phone and noticed Steve was going a completely different way than I had planned. COMMUNICATION would be good here. You would think I would know that now after 10 years. Guess the map I had made that was BIG with highlighted roads didn't get seen by him.... So we are now over 2 hours off track heading in a different direction. We travel for over 10 hours on day one and make it 1/2 way. Booked a hotel on priceline, found out it has no pool...Kids are devastated. Thankfully I got out of it, but it took a long call and was a fight. Kids were doing great and thought it was the best thing ever! They were sooooo excited to see mountains and springs come out of them. I had surprise gift bags they got to open ever 2 hours to help with the trip and make it exciting, each filled with markers,crayons, books, crafts, candy, cars..... PEFECT and I will definitely do that again if we ever drive again, they looked forward to it.
I got sick the day we left. Sore throat, ears plugged, TIRED, cough. Then Karlie got sick 1/2 into the week, temp 103, lasted 2 days, then Steve got stung by a bug and his ear swelled up and he didn't feel good and was down and out for an entire day, then on the day we leave, Luke got the flu. I say flu b/c it was coming out BOTH ends and we were trying to yes...drive home. 4 hours into the trip he throws up all over the van, all over the sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, windows, carseats....Steve and I are yelling at each other, hes telling me to get a bucket (where, my butt? we are in the van!) I wanted him to pull over a long time ago but NOoooooo, we need to keep going. I thought he wanted to "take his time" traveling and sight see, no rush, no travel agenda.....This also changed, he was petal to the metal and his only one mission was to get from A to B as fast as possible. So we had to stop at the laundry mat and wash and dry all, clean the van...yup, another 2 hours gone.
The day we decided to do the trolley tour was raining. Aunt Angie gives us the directions to the trolley spot to go...we pull up in the hood, its the garage for STORING the trolleys, no tickets, no boarding. we finally find the spot and I (trying to save money and be $ conscious, I swear I don't know why I try b/c I am TERRIBLE at it.) ask if it is cheaper to buy the tickets on line? Yup....so, I go on my phone and buy the tickets. Go to the desk, he starts laughing...sorry lady but that isn't for this place, its down the road. Oh my! I got the look of DEATH from my husband. So we get back in the van and find the place I did buy the tickets from. Then we are off. Can't see anything out the windows b/c they are steamed from the rain and people. Get off at a stop, THIS is where they trick ya....telling you that every 20 minutes a trolley will come. What they don't tell you is that if its full, you have to wait another 20, and if that ones full you wait another 20....And then when mom goes to get her tickets, they are gone. They fell out of my bag. Can't get on....Go back and re-route my steps and ask the guy in the store, he thinks I am crazy, keep looking and I FIND them on the floor!!! Thank you LORD!!!!! Get on the trolley...If this one is full, I am going to turn into the mommy monster and they are gonna hear it b/c I am losing it!!! We paid how much for this? Kids are whining, they want to go home, this "isn't that much fun" says Karlie. Go to the van and don't see much.
Head for home, get to first hotel, again, this is at 10 pm, our goal was 6pm, b/c we spent 2 hours in a laundry mat washing puke...we sleep, and head for the van. Then there is Karlies hermit crab on the seat....DEAD....She starts crying. We forgot hermie in the car, he can't get under 65 degrees, it was 40 that night. It was just as much steves fault b/c I can't remember everything!!!!!!!!!!!!
We had to drug Luke to get him to sleep b/c he was moaning and crying with his stomach, we didn't know how we were EVER going to get home. Needless to say, SOMEDAY Lord, I said, I will laugh about this and think of this disaster and miss the memories, but NOT right now. I still feel sick, still have a cough, still can't hear....everyone got sick, whatever could go wrong did.....This is making me crazy!!!! :) We have a saying that goes "IF it can happen to the Jongsma's it WILL".
BUT over all I have to say, there were ways to look to the good in every situation. I got to be with my sister and i have no idea when I will again....I got to spend time with the boys, play cards and games with family, the kids had a great time playing and had a ball, went in pools swimming, to the beach,...No we didn't get to see alot of stuff but that wasn't my plan, I just wanted to be with family and I was. We had a great ride down there, the kids kept saying "this is awesome, this is amazing, this is so much fun!!!" When you are little, the little things mean soooooo much more to you and you can find complete joy in anything, they reminded me of that. We got to see God's beauty, we witnessed 13 baptisms by submersion at angie and marks awesome church service EASTER morning and feel the amazing power of the holy spirit. We got to feel the warmth and the sun. Trust me, I am glad to be home, but I am also glad that we had the many experiences....
Leads me with this thought, my mom gave it to me on my bible bookmark:
IF YOU WANT RAINBOWS, YOU GOTTA HAVE RAIN
In a perfect world, everything would always go right ,and life would be filled with sweet, warm and fuzzy feelings. But how would we know if things were good if we had no comparison? Without darkness and trials would we appreciate the light? Seems to me if we want rainbows and blessings we gotta have rain. The trick is to look for the good in every situation. So go on, find some puddles and play in the rain!!!
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