After being apart another long haul, this time three years, we are all finally back together as a family and have almost completed our cross country move. We are now in Arizona where my husband, Mike, has been transferred. We are in temporary housing until we move into our brand new home on Thursday! We are all so excited and cannot wait. But with the excitement, comes a touch of sadness: due to the move, cost of airline tickets, and home furnishings we will not be back in North Carolina for Christmas. It saddens my heart, but one must adapt, accept, and acquire new traditions. Which is our plan and ultimate goal for the holiday season.
On a side note, the drive from NC to CO to AZ was adventurous, fun, stressful, tiring, and beautiful... Oh yes, yes, yes, and very eventful!
We left NC on November 3. We loaded everything and everyone in the Expedition and with deep emotions both excitement and melancholy, watched as the home I've known all my life shrink into the distance. Once my town was out of sight (but not out of mind) we focused on the road ahead (and yes that is also metaphorically speaking for our future). Day one of our journey was smooth and filled with excitement and three small bladders belonging to Timberly and our two huskies, Wolfie and Mable. We stopped in Missouri for the night for some much needed sleep after fourteen hours of driving. Day Two on the road was less exciting, a little more tiring, and slightly more stressful. The dogs were tired of being in the SUV, Timberly had a super small bladder and had to "potty" what seemed to be every two hours! But we kept our sights on the road ahead. We finally rolled into Colorado late that evening while getting some giggles when driving through a town called Punkin Center (yes spelled punkin) we weren't just laughing at the name of the town, but the fact that whole town consisted of a caution light, one stop sign, and four (count them) four buildings.
We spent a few days in Colorado Springs with Mike's family. We had a wonderful time. Zoo, dinner, cruising around, Garden of the Gods etc.
Upon leaving Colorado, we were very excited as we neared our new home! But we had made plans and set a strict driving schedule and it humored God, because just as we were entering Santa Fe, New Mexico, the unexpected happened just as if it were written for a comedy television series. I was the driver, the highway had a few cars, and clear weather no rain or wind. Suddenly, I felt the car sway violently. I blamed it on a rogue wind and continued to drive. Again the car swayed and the weight didn't feel quite right. I feared a flat because we left NC without a spare. I pull over to the shoulder which is decorated in dirt and tumbleweeds and Mike gets out of the car to check. So far all the tires seem okay, until he checks the last one. It was unsalvageable. We made it this far with out a spare, and go figure it happens. So we call a tow truck. We give him the wrong location. Finally he finds us, takes us to a tire shop and charges us nearly $200. Then another $280 for a new tire and a few repairs. We ate lunch at an amazing Mexican Cafe while we waited.
Nearly $500 later, we are back on the road and finally reach AZ late that night.
So here we are and now we are just a few days away from moving into our permanent home. Pics and posts will follow soon.
Until next time,
Rebecca 'Bexy' and the rest of the Stefan clan
