Thursday, January 15, 2009

Tire BlowOut on Rt 71N in downtown Columbus (Changed by Tim. God sent a man in a snowplow to be a guardian angel to block the traffic from getting close to Tim)…

2 New tires ($313), Hot Cocoa in 5 children, coffee in 3 grownups, Potty break for 8, catheter for 1, Picture of 5 kids with Frishes BigBoy, and an hour and a half later, back on the road…

Seeing over a dozen cars skidded off the road in Northern Ohio, and driving 10 to 20 miles and hour on a major highway…

5 year old 15 minute meltdown…

Blizzard conditions through Pennsylvania and New York…

Finally at the Hotel in Jamestown…

Another 5 year old meltdown, this one 35 minutes…

Mom to Aunt Becky’s then to calling hours, Kiki, Uncle Tim and kids to calling hours. Left alone in a hotel room with two crabby kids. Finally a visit with a Great friend. Kids bathed, and in jammies…

A bag of popcorn to share with the kids, everyone else returns and then it’s to bed. And apparently time for another 5 year old meltdown (this one only 7 minutes). Auri whines and then leaves to sleep with Mimi!

Wake up when the sun rises, shower, continental breakfast at the hotel, getting kids dressed, and grownups dressed and prettified…

Leave hotel just before noon, stop at Tim Horton’s for coffee and more food for the kids…

Head to funeral home. By way of CVS for medicine for the not feeling well 3 year old (Princess Aurora)…

Time to say warm hellos to the many cousins, aunt, uncles and one beloved grandmother. A warm gush of love an emotion for the Grandfather whom I will never forget, and will always love. Many tears, from all, including Jackson. Auri fell asleep on me once she got comfy…

Funeral finishes, we go to say our last good bye to Grandpa Thompson. Jackson wouldn’t stop talking to him, and trying to touch his arm. And keeps telling me that he is sad that he will never get to see GrandPapa again. And how much he will miss taking walks with him beside the corn and picking vegetables from his garden with him. He put a picture of himself sitting on GrandPapa’s lap in the coffin…

After many tears, and hugs of grief and memories with loved ones, it’s time to go to the church for dinner and another 5 year old meltdown. This one lasted the entire time we ate and finally Tim (the man with the magic heart) takes him and just sits with him until he is done crying long enough to talk and then come apologize. Lasted about an hour…

Nice conversations with Grandma, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Cousins-in-law. A sad reason to get together, but a wonderful chance to catch up…

Time to say our good byes and promises to come up more often. And we’re off again, 4:49pm…

Better road conditions, until we get to Ohio, of course. Counted at least 25 cars or car tracks in the median between the two sides of the highway. Driving as slow as 30mph at times. Mom’s arms tired and stiff, Tim’s arms tired and stiff…

Finally pulled into mom’s driveway at 12:38am. Unload the van, into the car and the house. Shovel the ramp and around the cars…

Off to our house, kids dressed and to bed. Unpacked suitcase and got clothes for kids and myself to wear today. Then to bed myself, 1:24am…….

A RoadTrip to Falconer, New York with the family……




……. Priceless!!