The Long Road Home

I know, I know. I missed a day from our trip. I neglected to do a post about our last beach day. I think y’all will survive. I was tired. Sue me.

Plan of attack today: pack the cars, check out, and leave by nine.

Reality: Ha!

Katie and Catlan wanted to be on the road to Gulf Shores, Alabama by nine’ish in hopes of playing golf upon arrival. No problem. Just help us load the cars first, please.

We were all up on time, breakfast eaten, food packed up. Let’s go! The four big kids headed on down to retrieve luggage carts. Remember the picture of our arrival? Four carts worth.

They returned ten minutes later empty handed. There were no carts to be found. Say what? Do you people not realize how much stuff we have??

Okay. Plan B. Start hauling everything down piece by piece. I drew the short end of the stick volunteered to stay in the room with the little ones. We knew they would be of very little help----plus both were in lovely moods. Just lovely.

Thirty minutes later, the cars are loaded, the crying stopped, the tv hooked up again; we’re ready to roll. Bye Katie, bye Catlan. Drive safely.

We pulled out of the parking garage headed on our adventure home. Less than one mile away, Anna Grace dropped her headphones on the wrong side of the van. The wrong side meaning I could not reach it. With no big kids to help, I was in trouble. What to do, what to do?

I deftly reached for the umbrella and hooked the headphones----after several minutes of trying all while driving. Yea for mom. Now quiet will reign. Whew.

Our trip was uneventful until we hit Alabama.

As we moseyed along the highway going slightly higher than speed limit (shhh), a white car drifted into my lane. I gently (seriously) honked the horn to warn the driver. He in turn corrected his behavior, sped up, and spent quite a while giving me the one fingered wave. What’s up with that? I didn’t do anything wrong! Check the plates…..a Georgia driver. Go figure.

Moving on. About half an hour later, a white pick up truck begins to tailgate me on a two lane road. What’s with the white vehicles today??? And then, he tries to pass me several times in a no-passing zone. Excuse me? It appears like the occupants are teens with a death wish. I call to warn my sister who is driving ahead of me. Last thing we need is to have them try and pass us both and run her off the road. Fortunately, about ten miles later, we merge into four lanes and then pass us-----waving wildly-----but nicely. Plates? Georgia as well. Speaks well of our state, huh?

The best part of Alabama?



Yes, Anna Grace sound asleep. Trust me, she needed the sleep.

Glad to be home, even with the tornado warnings. And hail storms. We’re home. Missing one kid……but that will be the norm pretty soon.

Sigh.