Getting to Denver

 

The plan:  Jason left on September 1st and drove our Civic to Denver.  His company put him in an extended stay hotel until September 11 (the day we closed on our house and the kids and I came to Denver).  I was in charge of getting me, the children, our van, and our belongings to Denver.  I was supposed to drive out - just me and the kids - on September 11.  It is only a 8 hour drive - totally do-able.  But my dad felt sorry for me and decided to drive with us and fly back a few day later - thank HEAVENS - our first few days in Denver turned out to be a LOT harder than I expected.

The movers came on Monday and Tuesday to pack and load.  I had to be there to supervise - the kids had to leave.  My mom took them.  I thought I would be really bored watching them pack - but turns out I had a lot to do.  I had to pack for 3 days for me and the kids and get all of our "car" stuff ready.  It also turns out that I had A LOT of things to return to neighbors... oops.  Also I had to spend time visiting with each one.  After the house was empty I cleaned it (ever seen an empty house? - they are embarrassingly dirty)when I was done I picked up the kids from my mom's, drove to my in-laws in Mapleton, and spent the night.  We headed out Wednesday morning. 

Leaving West Jordan was about as sad as I had expected.  I don't handle things like that very well... meaning change.  I remember being heart broken as a child when I found out my grandma got rid of her brown, floral, 1970s silk couch - I literally cried at the thought of not ever seeing that couch again.  So needless to say I cried - a lot.  Even randomly on Monday or Tuesday a mover would come ask me a question and I would be bawling - I am sure they are used to it. 

 

I thought it was going to be really hard to leave me house.  But once it looked like this (above) - I felt kind of detached.  However, I felt it REALLY offensive that I could not take my flower garden - kind of like I was leaving a bit of my heart.  I still think I am going to go steal some ground cover when I go visit next (I think they could handle a 8 hour drive) - but shh, don't tell Marci.  I was also sad to leave our swing set.  That is my biggest regret - not taking it - now I realize it would have fit and we REALLY miss it.  When it came time to leave I had imagined it to be a really sad scene of hugs and good-byes and crying.  It wasn't.  We couldn't do it.  I went, gave hugs, said thanks, and turned and left before either of us could cry.  I bawled the moment I turned around.  But I knew I just couldn't do it together.  It was too sad.  The sad part is knowing we were only there for 3 years.  One day someone will say, "oh you remember the Herbert's right?  They had those 4 kids.  Remember, they lived next to the Wildes.  No?  Oh, well they were awesome!".  I made that last sentence up, but I know 3 years is not a long time and our kids (and theirs) will hardly remember us being there.  But I will always remember.  They were very crucial years for us.  They changed me.  We were supposed to be there, and I am grateful for that.

 

Anyways... back to the reason for the post (now that I am crying... again).

 

My sweetest neighbor, Amy, made me this car survival pack.  It was full of car games and perfect for all ages.  She was a life saver and so thoughtful. 

 

So the PLAN was to leave a 8:30 - play some car games and watch Whinnie the Pooh, some children may nap - drive to Fruita, take a break and go to their dinosaur museum, eat lunch, run around.  Back in the car by 1:30.  The kids would all nap for the next 3 hours or so, wake up, watch Micky Mouse Club House - and we would be there.  Instead - we left at 9:30 and when we got to fruita is was pouring rain and all the kids were asleep.  We drove straight through.  Right after we got past Grand Junction the kids woke up - and that was it.  We were in the car for 9 hours and ALL FOUR of my kids only slept for 20  minutes.  I couldn't believe it! I don't believe in watching a lot of movies on road trips - I think looking out the window is good for the soul - the plan was 2 hours of movies and I wasn't going to change it because they wouldn't sleep. 

 

The rain let up for an hour somewhere in the Rockies, so we stopped at a rest stop, ate lunch, and ran around.  And that was it - only an hour break the whole ride.  But inside the car they really were fine most of the time.  Other than the fact that they didn't sleep, we had few fights, few tantrums, and only a few tears.

I was grateful to know this was a one way trip and I didn't have to turn around and drive home in a couple days.  But I am also glad to know it wasn't too bad and I can do it when ever I want to.

 

We arrived in Denver in a wicked rain storm and apparently it was only the beginning of the "Denver flood".  We literally drove into town the night the rain started - and it didn't stop for about a week.  The record rain fall in September for Denver was 2 inches and by Friday night they had already gotten 13 inches.  Looking back those first few days were the hardest of my life - and I am not trying to sound dramatic.  The blessing is that I didn't know it was hard while I was doing it - I handled it pretty well.  Jason was supposed to have taken Thursday and Friday off - but at last second couldn't.  On Thursday we were stuck in a hotel room with pouring rain, roads closed from flooding, and the city in a state of emergency.  Every time my kids moved the downstairs "neighbors" hit the ceiling.  My car was parked really far from the hotel and the rain was coming down so hard you could not see through it - I have hardly seen rain like that in my life.  The parking lot had about 3 inches of standing water - I had to get all the kids across the parking lot into the car.  It was awful.  We took all four kids to closing at 1:00 - right in the middle of nap time. (My dad was in a meeting in Colorado Springs during this time).  This pattern continued for the next day or so - rain, chaos, a lot to do but too difficult to do with four young children.  But when all was said and done - we are done and fine.  I really did have it easy - what with the movers and all - and my dad - and once Jason came home on Saturday he worked like crazy and got the whole house unpacked and organized before he left for work on Monday morning.  One last big thanks to everyone who helped get us out here.  I could not have done it alone!