Texas Trip – Part 1

my four youngest children (all 4 girls!) and I recently took a trip to Texas for a funeral in the family. I currently reside in Mandan, ND so the 1279 mile trip (one way) takes approximately 20 hours to drive. my whole family is from Texas so I had ALOT of people to see. We started in Longview and ended in Nacogdoches before making the same 1279 mile trek back home.

when i left on the trip, the plan was supposed to include my husband, but he ended up being out of state for work. the work trip should not have over ridden the funeral, but it did and i was angry. i then considered not going at all and almost talked myself out of it for many reasons –

• unsure if i could drive such a distance by myself with my girls
• didn’t want to go without him
• the girls wanted him to go
• fear of EVERYTHING! accident – getting lost – a child getting kidnapped – something going wrong with vehicle – etc.

the last trip i took without him was a mess. flat tires and lots of chaos. come to think of it, the last trip just he and i took was a mess due to a tire issue! our luck and tires! anywho….this trip the issue was brakes. thankfully, before any accident occurred i was able to get the brakes fixed.

anywho, the girls and I packed our things, loaded the car and off we went. still angry when i began driving, the drive started kind of bumpy. however, as the minutes passed and the miles kept coming, my view of the world changed. all my doubts began to give way to an ‘i can do this’ mentality. my anger and frustration began to dissipate and then i began to see the beauty that surrounded us as we drove.

I was 18 years old and leaving on my own for the first time. the world was at my feet and my zest for life had taken hold. **see daily Dose #17

twenty hours in a car.

twenty hours in a car with ALL girls thirteen down to five.

it was a beautiful drive.

it was a loud drive.

it was a long drive.

it was a learning experience for this momma!

remember, i mentioned the brakes….well it was horrible. the grinding sound was terrible. it was so loud, it could be heard a short minute from the vehicle as it was driving by. thankfully, i was only an hour from where i planned to stop for the night – Ellis, Kansas. a friend of mine was letting us crash at her house. so we took it nice and slow for that hour. it was late when we arrived so brakes come morning. while her boyfriend fixed my brakes, she took us exploring on the town.

the girlies and i enjoyed the sights. and of course, we loved seeing my friend and her daughter. it was a joy to meet her boyfriend. my friend moved away some years ago and we have missed them terribly, but she is happier where she’s at then she was while here so i am happy for her. my girls and i ended up staying an extra night with them just because we miss them so much!

the next day the second half of our 20 hour drive began. we made it to my aunts without anymore hiccups. the car was running fit as a fiddle, the brakes working tremendously. our destination was Longview, Texas. I hadn’t been there since my oldest girl was about 2. my younger girls had never been. but, before we made it there, i took a surprise detour to Paris, Texas. my oldest daughter loves anything Paris and I knew she’d get a kick out of it.

and she did!

all in all, the drive down was fairly easy. stay tuned, photos to come!

see you soon for Texas Trip, Part 2

Find your reason to smile & keep smiling
~ Shannon ~