2002-12-18 - 8:11 a.m.

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer." -Albert Camus

My eyes are tightly closed, and my hands are clenched. I can almost feel the sweat drenching out of my pores, yet I know it must be below 20� degrees outside. I squeeze tightly my rosary in my hand praying steadily. Funny thing is I am not even catholic anymore; my mother had given me the rosary before I had left. This was the closest way for me to be close to God I felt at this moment. I tried to think of our ranch and how it was doing in that nice 69� degree weather when we left. I visioned my chickens pecking around the house, the goats and sheep grazing in the fields, the rabbits bouncing about in their cage. This time I wasn�t so worried about leaving them. They all had automatic water feeders and my folks and a friend were watching out for them.

I peak out one eye to look at my husband. He�s eyes are focused on the road ahead of him in concentration; he�s hand tightly holding on to the steering wheel. He gives a quick look at me to see how I am faring. He try�s to give me a encouraging smile, and even try�s to joke, �You know anytime you want to take over just yell� I give him a smile and look back on the kids to see how they are doing.

They are doing fine not even concerned, trusting us completely, they are watching a prerecorded show of there�s that I had recorded for the trip. I was so glad we got the tv before we left. They couldn�t even look outside if they wanted too with the windows all fogged up. Not much to see anyways but trucks and snow on each side. On the other side of us there were hundreds of trucks stuck for miles. A jack knifed trailer stood in the way of their path.

I look back to the road trying to be brave. Even if I wanted to help in driving there was no way to stop to let me drive. If we stopped on the side we would get stuck in the snow. If we tried to get off on an exit it was too chancy with the snow and ice pounding down on us we might slide. I touch my husband�s arm and gave him a squeeze. Not much help I was I grew up in South Texas I didn�t even no what snow was yet alone drive in it.

God was with us towards Washington state and back as we traveled this winter for thanksgiving to see my husband�s family. The snow continued from Denver all the way up to Wyoming. Right after we got off that highway it was closed down right behind us due to snow. We had hit the beginning of it beat it across.

I drove right after that finally when we stopped at a rest area to give my husband a much needed rest. The next road we took was a short cut that the truckers took that we found years ago. It was either that or go through Salt Lake which smelled from that salty sea. I am glad we did cause we only got a few snow flakes while in salt lake they go hit with a snow storm.

I kidded with my husband as my hands clenched the driving wheel as the tiny snow bounced off our window. �Look at me I am driving in snow for the first time!� My husband laughs, �Oh wait no, not snow it�s a blizzard out there! I am driving in a blizzard!� My husband groans, �Yah, yah that�s what it is that you can tell them�

After that the road was really good the rest of the way. On the way back it snowed from Denver all the way to Lubuck Texas. Who would have thought Texas would get snow hehe, You can even tell where the state line met up from New Mexico to Texas. It�s where the snowplows had stopped in New Mexico. �Snow? what�s snow Texans cry�

In all we had a great trip. Stayed in Holiday Ins, which I think are very clean. We found out if you stop early you get better deals on rooms then if you stop in the dead of night, they know it and give you the highest room they can. We stopped in a few historical points. One was the Bonneville point, which showed us one of the original Oregon trails. The ruts were still in the road from the wagons still.

Being with his family was nice. My husband�s side of the family has children close to my children age. One of his brothers has a whopping 6 kids, the other two, then us two more. The house felt like the Walton�s as we slept in it for the night with sleeping bags everywhere. The kids had a blast playing board games all day, eating, and playing outside when it wasn�t too cold. It felt like thanksgiving with it being so cold. Of course being Texan in the house I wore shorts, which probably baffled his family who wore pants and sweaters. It was just to bloody hot in the house with heater on and people breathing!

As I said earlier God was with us on the trip back too. We were going to push through to New Mexico but I got stomach problems. I had to stop for the night. Lucky that we did cause that night it snowed so bad up there that a lot of people were stranded. The next day as we followed the plows and fog through the passes we saw tons of cars and trucks, even 4-wheel drives stuck on the side of the road. Here we were in a mini van!

Yes we were crazy and cheap to try to do this, all the family said so even my father who was a seasoned truck driver for years. A lesson well learned, I don�t think we will try it again unless it�s the summer time. Next time we fly!

Teenage hellions - Old and cranky