We Made It!!

This has been an amazing, tiring, exciting, nail-biting, eye-opening, scary, fun, goofy, growing experience for the Jason's.  It is not the kind of journey that has one particularly great moment that stands out... We have been talking about what our favorite places were, and find that there is not just one.  These last few days we have covered nearly 2000 miles.  But more importantly, we have spent every waking second together, and survived.  Even thrived.  The kids have had to share a bed each night...no bigger than a double.  Yeah, there was some kicking, whining, pushing and shoving (between Scott and I too)...but in the end all woke up smiling and snuggling.  We have some tough chaotic times ahead, but if we made it through more than 30 hours of driving, we can get through the next few weeks of settling in.

Fiona's room!

Ethan's room!

This house is so perfect for tag...

And hide and go seek!

Zevon love, love, loves the carpeting.

"Grandpa" and "Froggy" are looking forward to their new digs.

New Orleans...and I am soo happy!

This was the stop I have been waiting for, and it did not disappoint.  I keep having to pinch myself.  Not only have we made it to the last stop before Texas, but I am in one of the places I have always wanted to go, and it is only perfect because I am with my family.  The drive was free of traffic, and the landscape was awesome.  Especially when we were approaching New Orleans.  Lake Pontchatrain is so massive, and we could see bridge after bridge running horizontal to us.  Where we are staying is just outside the French Quarter, and soo beautiful.  Our room is perfect.  We just returned from a very entertaining drive down Bourbon and Canal street, and then a delicious dinner at an Irish Pub.  Fiona and Ethan were told that under no circumstance were they ever to return to these two streets without their parents.  They witnessed young girls in skimpy dresses on the verge of making some big life mistakes, adults dressed in ridiculous costumes acting way to young and drunk, interesting theme shops, and lots of interesting language.  I think they got the point, and will only go to bars, or drink with Scott and I when they are of age.....riiiiiight?
     Tomorrow afternoon we are hoping to get into the new home.  Hope the road of life cooperates.

While Scott was filling the "Red Sled",  I picked up another Fiona.  She's in the way back.

That warm sun feels so good!

Our approach to New Orleans.

Way to go Fiona.

The architecture here is amazing.  What a dream of a walk.

This one is for you Mom.

These were collected on someones front fence.

Creepy, cool, beautiful.

Super cute laboradoodle named Bijou.  Owner let us pat her...

Crazy Canal Street.  My daughter will NEVER go here.  EVER.

We made it to LaGrange, GA. Phew!

     This was by far the longest, most intense day of driving.  I would say about 9 hours in the car.  Two and a half of those in traffic in SC, in the middle of no where. (A milk truck jack-knifed and caused a huge back up.)  Thankfully Scott had us take a nice hour and a half hike through Eno River State Park in NC before we hit the road for the day.  Oh, and let's not forget the Waffle House experience before that.  I am good if I never go back to one.  I now call it "The Awful House"...
     The family is so thankful to have a clean hotel room, and to have had a fun night dip in the hotel pool.  What a contrast from last night.  Of course Scott and I used it as an opportunity to explain to the kids that, "Yes, the room was nasty.  But there are literally millions of people that would give anything to sleep in a temperature controlled environment, and feel safe."  I did not however insist that the kids clean their plates at The Waffle House because other kids are starving...I just wanted to get the he*l outta there!
     Off to New Orleans tomorrow.  I'm tired just thinking of it.

Eno River 

Muddy trails.

Like father, like son.

This house was built @ 1850!  Pre Civil War!  Wow.

Hey Ethan, just 7 more hours.

Fiona, it is 10 minutes since the last time you asked what time it was.

Apparently not milk truck drivers...

Durham, NC

Ummm..how old are that clock radio and lamp?

Reminds me of the lanterns in grandma's old trailer park.

Squeaky clean...riiiiight?

     Ewww.  Yucky hotel!  If you are ever headed to Durham...do NOT stay at The Millennium!

     O.K.  got that out of the way.  Such a great time in DC.  The weather was perfect and the sky was bright.  We walked down Pennsylvania Ave. and took the quintessential family photo in front of the White House.  Kids got a great lesson on free speech.  Some nut job was ranting about Obama (no, it wasn't Gampy) right there in front of the presidents home...and he was totally free to say what he pleased.  Just the secret service as his captive audience.

Gave Obama a BIG thumbs up!

Last time I was here was with my mom and dad...and I was Ethan's age!

Yup, you read right.  56 degrees.  We'll take it.

Thru NYC and sleeping in Philly... 1/13/2016

Smooth sailing through CT, then hit traffic on FDR Boulevard in NYC.  But is it really traffic if the cars are completely stopped?  We were about four cars behind a fender bender...but in  NYC that brings the street to a stand still.  Once that cleared (nearly an hour) we made our way to Times Square.  The bright lights, giant T.V. screens, and incredible amounts of people didn't disappoint.  From there it was straight through New Jersey (lots of freight storage facilities) to Philly.  We loved the Ben Franklin Bridge that spans the Delaware River.  The Sheraton we are staying in is really fancy, and the part of the city we are in reminds me of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD.  Lots of cobblestone streets and Art Deco style buildings.
    Tomorrow we are headed to North Carolina (mine and Scott's old stomping grounds).  If we are lucky, and the kids aren't annoying us to the point of road rage...we will try to drive by Obama's house.

Zevon really likes breakfast in bed.

Cool...riiiiiiiight?

NYC on the horizon!!!!!

Times Square.

View of Philly out our hotel window.

Best heated pool that has color changing lights!

Did I mention it's on the rooftop?  We could see the moon while we swam.

Room service, so luxurious!  Yes, we ordered Philly cheesesteak.

Here in Mystic, CT

     Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!  We did it!  We actually made it to this day.  Through all the very difficult goodbyes, the tireless sorting through all our belongings (99% done by me), the exhausting boxing of all the stuff worth keeping, the sleepless nights, the losses of appetites...
And here we are.  Phew!  This day has felt like three days in one.
     We rose early, and readied ourselves as best we could.  I brought the kids next door to Esther's house where she had volunteered to keep and feed them for as long as it took.  Such a relief knowing the kids were eating well, relaxed, playing games, and watching some wholesome T.V..  Scott and I watched as the biggest truck I have ever seen, successfully parked on our little street (no small feat).  I then took over dog duty while Scott kept an eye on the movers.  Zevon and I took one last cold walk around Nahant, and then we stayed huddled in what was Ethan's room binge watching "Jessica Jones" (thank you Cathy!)
     When all was packed, we gathered the kids and got in that van ("The Red Sled") so fast!  Ready, Set, Go!!!!!!  Through the snow in MA, through the snow in RI, through the snow in CT...
     Kids are now swimming in the hotel pool with Scott and Zevon and I are resting in the silence of it all.

Big, right?

Wow.

These guys are stacking artists.

Thank you to Esther for keeping kids happy and out from under foot.

To new beginnings!

To happy endings!

The Red Sled.

"Let's get outta here."

Just me and Z.