We’re Home

We made it home Monday evening after an extremely long day driving through Colorado and Utah. I can’t say the trek back home was any easier on us. It was smooth sailing until we met up with the “Monster Storm” in Colorado. I-70 was closed so we took a detour onto highway 40 through Steamboat Springs and Vernal. It was beautiful country but the stress of the snowy conditions on the road trumped all that and the fact that we just wanted to get home. Ellen did well she didn’t seem to fuss as much, perhaps she understood more the woes of road trips and that sometimes you just have to deal no matter how bad your back aches from sitting so long. She is such a good baby. I learned that she loves it when you blow on her feet I got many frowns to turn into smiles with that trick. I also went to town on my little knitting project there will soon be a scarf to show off. Chip and Adah once again got the luxury of riding up front in the warm cab for the last 150 miles. Once the sun goes down the bed of the truck turned into an ice box we didn’t want to torture the dogs too much so we all crammed into the cab. Chip did look at me with grateful eyes. Adah was over it 50 miles before she even got in the cab and she panted a nice rhythm for us all the way home. Gary was a trooper as well, he focused on getting us there safe and sound. He drove like a champ the entire time only to have come home and face a waist high pile of snow in the driveway ugh, but he persevered and dug out just enough room for the truck at the end of the drive until we could get a plow in the next day. Good thing he’s got a strong back. I miss the Marcoccia’s terribly. I think I cried all the way to Pennsylvania when we left. It is good to be back in our little world though I missed our little cabin. Gary and I are both chomping at the bit to go ski. Oh the snow! There is sooo much Yahoo!

Here is a little clip of Ellie from Junction City, KS, telling us how she feels about sitting in a car for 12 hours…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMw9X53a06U[/youtube]

Settling In

Well we have united with the Marcoccia clan and are settling in. Tuesday was one of the longest days of my life. I think we put in about 12 hours in the truck. When we crossed the boarder into Pennsylvania Ellie went into hysterics crying and screaming so we pulled into a rest stop so she could get out of the car seat and calm down. Once we were all settled and on the road again my hormones and exhaustion kicked in and I started crying I was really trying to fight it back, but the tears flowed for a few minutes. Gary was good and soothed me back to a calm reasonable person. When we crossed into New York state I felt much better it was like we could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was getting butterflies in my stomach when the roads and towns started to look familiar. We had had enough of the loud over bearing semis, wet and snowy roads, stressed out dogs, and interstate freaks.

It’s good to be at Gary’s parents they are taking good care of us. Linda had a pot of her homemade marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes from their garden, meatballs, and sausage ready to go for us. Our room was set up so nice and cozy and Grandma Marcoccia was prepared with a huge box of toys for Ellie’s enjoyment as well as open arms to hold her with all night and give momma a nice needed break. Ahhh the luxuries of home.

Ellie is a little out of sorts what with the time change and a new environment to get used to. She has been fighting sleep and has found her scream. Yesterday we had a ruff time of it, but today so far so good. She did reach some milestones though, while we were on our trip she had her first real giggle and laugh. Aunt DeeAnn got to see and hear it. She has been trying hard to roll over from her back to her belly she kicks her leg and turns her head, but can’t quiet get around her shoulder and arms, but I think she will do it any day now.

We are still trying to get our wireless router set up so we can access the internet via the lap tops so until then the post may be few and far between. Hopefully we will get it sorted out soon. Wish us luck…

Dodging Storms

In an effort to spend Christmas with the Marcoccia side of the family for the first time in four years Gary and I decided to pack up the truck and haul ourselves to New York. The state that is, we’re not city folk that’s for sure. So here is a little chronicle of our adventure so far… (and a link to Gary’s version of the trip here.)

DAY 1

We left Heber at 8am after a frantic morning of playing what are we forgetting? and oh, I should burn a CD. (that was me)

First break was my favorite Little America truck stop just outside of Evanston, Wy. Then on to Cheyenne where we took a pit stop to freshen up at Sierra Trading Post with a minor incident, the following is an email to my mom explaining…

Well, I guess we better be careful what we ask for because we are on a real adventure. We had a good start yesterday everything went smooth until Cheyenne like Gary said in his blog, what he didn’t tell you is that I had a run in with a total nut job in the restroom at Sierra Trading Post. I mistakenly didn’t lock the bathroom door when I was changing Ellie. This lady came in and said “I gotta pee, I don’t mind if your in here.” I told her we are almost done if you could just wait a few minutes. She proceeded to pull down her pants and do her business in front of Ellie and me! I still had to snap up Ellie and as I was doing so this crazy nut job asked me if I wanted counseling on postpartum depression. I said NO we are doing fine I don’t have any problems that way and then walk out. I was totally freaked out and grabbed Gary and told him we needed to get the heck out of there. She totally freaked me out.

Ahh Cheyenne, not such a good first impression.

DAY 2

We got as far as North Platte, NB the night before which was actually quite a big push. We woke up the next morning to learn that everything outside was covered in a 1/4 inch of ice. That’s right we were in the middle of a crazy ice storm and hearing tales of tractor trailers jack knifed across the interstate and people sliding about all over the road. So we decided to get cozy and wait out the storm until the roads cleared. Nothing like spending 24 hours in a little hotel room with two dogs and a babe. Smelled pretty funky by the time we left. Ellie was good though I must admit.

DAY 3

Ellie woke us up at 5 am so we packed up and headed for Omaha, NB where my Aunt DeeAnn and Uncle Dan live. We made good time although the first hour or so of the journey the road were still a bit icy until the sun peaked through. We made it to their house around noon and had a great visit, chatting about corn, farms, work, and babies. Thanks again you guys!

DAY 4

Ellie woke us up at 4am (ugh) so we decided to go for it and get an early start to miss the rush hour traffic in the Chicago area. So we slipped out of there and drove to Des Moines only to find out that the poor dogs had been suffering in the back of the truck. Gary opened up the back window and found Chip shivering like crazy and ice covering the inside of the bed of the truck (oops). So we turned up the heat in the cab of the truck and I got in the back with Ellie while the dogs warmed their weary selfs in the front seat. Once the sun started shining brightly we got them back in their place and pushed on now here we are as I type just over the boarder in Indiana.

DAY 5

Our goal is to get an early start again. This time avoiding frozen dogs and make it to New York in time for our nephew Kevin’s Christmas Concert. Wish us luck…