Home, Home on the Range

We're home. We're safe. We're tired.

Here's the rest of our story.

After staying Sunday evening in Rawlins, we awoke to news that I-80 was open. However, it was still windy and snowy. Not wanting to jump the gun, we waited about an hour or so before packing up the kiddos and heading out.

Darling Alex had broken my cell phone Sunday evening, and Kurt's phone can't roam because it is paid for by his school. So we were without phones, but figured we'd be okay and that we'd call from a pay phone when we got to Laramie or Fort Collins to let our families know we were safe.

I dropped an IM to my mom (that I later found out she didn't get) as we were leaving and then we hit the road.

Sixteen miles out of Rawlins we came to a dead standstill. There had been another horrible accident and the road was closed ahead of us and behind us. We sat, locked in traffic for SIX hours. That was delightful. REALLY. It was like one of those nightmares where you can't run...only we couldn't drive. Thank goodness for our DVD player. That thing is worth its weight in gold! The kids were awesome though. There were very few complaints and NO fighting. They win a prize of some sort...

Once the accident was cleared, we were escorted to Laramie at the blazing speed of 35 mph by a Wyoming state trooper. That 96 mile drive took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Approaching the exit at Laramie, we made the decision to cut through to Fort Collins via Highway 287 (which was a good choice...better conditions) rather than following I-80 to Cheyenne, and called our families (who by then were on full-blown panic mode) as soon as we could get to a pay phone.

We got home around midnight. Safe, sound and sleepy.

Thanks to everyone for your concern and prayers, and apologies for random circumstances and kids who break phones. :o)

Love ya!

Our lovely view
(taken by me...standing behind our van in the freezing wind)

Pretty happy...all things considered!

Monkey Boy -- Todd climbed all over the van

Tell us how you really feel!

Our gourmet lunch