An Unscheduled Stop

This past weekend was crazy for many reasons but the biggest one was the tornado activity in Joplin, Missouri. We left SDC late in the afternoon. We got to Springfield, Missouri when a news report came over the radio saying that there were tornado's on the ground in Joplin, Missouri and headed our direction. We made the decision to go back to a McDonald's we had passed. We were at the McDonald's for about an hour when it calmed down enough for us to get back on the road. As we were leaving I spotted a rainbow actually I think it was a double rainbow. It was beautiful.

As we were leaving we heard that part of I44, the main highway we were taking home were closed due to overturned semis and damages. We headed down I44 and when we hit mile marker 18 we were diverted off the highway to Carthage, Missouri. We stopped at a gas station and I went in to get an atlas. We needed to find an alternate route and fast. After talking to several people we decided on a route and headed out. Tony, Heather, Katy, Jordan, Becca and Jake were in the car ahead of us. We had Mike, Marilyn, me, Emma and Conor. Both Conor and Emma were tired and cranky. Emma kept crying and I was losing my cool. Mike was getting frustrated and Marilyn I thought was going to have a break down at any moment. Driving in the dark, on roads we didn't know was making us crazy. At some point we decided to try to get a hotel room for the night. I started to call around and finally found one at the Grand House Hotel. A little strip hotel run by a seemingly nice Indian couple. The price was right so I got us a room. The Millers decided not to stay but to brave the dark and head on home. I wanted Marilyn to stay with us for her safety and sanity but that was not up to me. Off they went and we checked in. Our room was small with two full sized beds.

 Mike and I aren't used to such a small bed but I wasn't going to complain I just wanted to sleep. We were all pretty hyped up so we watched tv and tried to relax. We were all asleep by midnight. We awoke in the morning around 8 a.m. and took our time getting around. I sat down with the atlas and plotted our route. We were on the road by 9:30 a.m. The weather was bad at first but got better as we went along. We went through Missouri, Kansas and came down HWY 169 to Tulsa. We got to see some beautiful places along the way so it wasn't all bad. Michael was wonderful. Both he and I can be hotheaded but when we have to work together we make a great team. I'm glad he agreed with me to stop for the night and get a room. Yes it delayed our trip and he had to miss work and Jordan had to miss school but I felt this was the best to protect our kids. We had already been in the car for 4 hours or so and traveling with a hysterical infant and a cranky toddler is difficult and in severe weather even worse. He is a wonderful father and husband and I wouldn't have him any other way. We arrived home about 1 p.m. unloaded the car, ate lupper (lunch/supper) then all took naps. Maybe next year if we go we can avoid May.