Can I just say I have gained a greater appreciation for my pioneer ancestry! I have a great, great, great grandma - Alice Fish Bury Walsh - who came across the plains in the Martin Handcart Company. She endured many heartaches along the way - including burying her husband. And while my trials while traveling pale significantly in comparison, I did get insight of their sacrifice from our trek to Salt Lake City.
Last night Roger and I packed up both our Alero and our Sienna and headed out for our first leg of our journey. Roger in the Alero and me with Will and Sarah in the Sienna. We left later than anticipated (around 8:00 pm) but did pretty OK until we hit the Colfax road construction 2 hours into our drive. The freeway was closed at this juncture which led to road detours. We arrived at our first night destination (Reno) at 12:30. Lights out didn't happen until 1:30 am.
This morning Will woke me up at 6:30 am because he was ready to eat. So up for the day we were. One of my favorite parts of the day was going to the buffet. We ALL loved it. I loved that Sarah could be a taste tester and I wasn’t the short-order chef!
By the time we saddled up everybody and everything again and got gas for the cars it was nearly 11 a.m. Rog again drove the Alero and I went with the kids in the Sienna. Driving separately is no fun! Thank goodness for cell phones, books on tape and DVDs. By the time we hit Elko I was "all-done-driving." Rog usually drives the bulk of the time during our long trips. Even though the kids were doing great, I was tired of driving through endless road construction in Nevada's barren wasteland. (Sorry, I don't think Northern Nevada is pretty.) Road signs like "Road construction: Next 33 Miles" ... just aren't my favorite.
I dried my tears and tried to think of my pioneer ancestry. My mother had just reminded me of Alice a few days before. I also thought of the women who had to go it alone after the men were called to be part of the Mormon Battalion. So - after a 2 1/2 hour stop that included McDonalds and getting more trip food - I sucked it up and off we went. (I know, I know, it's a stretch to compare with the pioneers.) It took another 4 hours from Elko to get to SLC, making the total trip from Reno to SLC 12 hours. I have never been so excited to see Salt Lake! We stayed with my parents and grandmother at my favorite Uncle Timmy's house. Uncle Tim even gave up his soft bed for our family to rest for the night.
I'm thankful we arrived safely and am excited to travel as a family together in our Sienna tomorrow. (The Alero stays here in Utah for my Dad.) I guess what I gained from this experience was that I really didn't (and probably still don't) have a clue on the hardships that my ancestors endured. I am thankful for their endurance, their faith and their sacrifice. I am grateful for family and the opportunities we have to be together. I am also super grateful for Roger for always driving! And I am also grateful he lets me fly most of the time. For those wondering ... this is why I fly with both kids. An hour-and-a-half flight is soooo much better than a 12-hour drive any day!
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