Takeoff!!

Takeoff was NOT at all like we expected. But it wouldn't be a Dickens trip without something happening!

The Sunday (June 15) before leaving one of our slides in the coach wouldn't come out. Enter anxiety for Jeff! Always the fixer, he decided to drive the coach to the dealership in Katy that's worked on it once before and pray for the best. 

Enter Stephanie asking Jeff DAILY if there was any news. (Yes, I did try to only ask once a day. Tried.) By Wednesday we heard it was going to be fixed by Friday (June 20) and a sigh of relief followed. Which was immediately followed by anxiety for me!!! My big plan all summer was to dawdle/pack for the 3 days leading up to us leaving on Saturday, June 21. This couldn't happen since we didn't have the coach to pack. So now I had to rework my packing plans into suitcases and boxes so we could fit everything we hadn't already packed into the back of Jeff's Ford Maverick, which was going to be our tow truck for the trip. 

Friday (June 20) we loaded up and looked like the Clampetts so we could go pick up the coach and officially get started on this adventure. 

Good news: coach was ready and the Dickens pit crew unloaded the truck into the coach in record time. Once we got it into the coach we had no clue how we packed that much into that tiny truck bed!! Mama's determination to leave no snack behind and daddy's mad packing skills got us this far! Go us!!

Bad news: as we drove over railroad tracks in Belleville on our way to our luxurious overnight stay at the CEFCO station in Milano, TX, something happened to damage the power steering in the truck. Our goal is to take it to the dealership in Jackson, WY, say a TON of prayers it can get fixed while we're in Tetons/Yellowstone for the week, and that we can somehow get a rental for this time. 

No issues during our overnight boondocking except no good sleep for the parents. Then---up and at 'em for official Day 1!

DAY 1--Travel from Milano, TX to Dalhart, TX (589 miles--8 hours 38 minutes (plus a 1 hour lunch/nap time AND an Amarillo pit stop for almost 2 hours at Best Buy and Chuy's for dinner). 

A road trip is a road trip. Music. Phones. Maps. Snacks. Lunch stops. Pointing out everything interesting. Laughing at random silliness. Card games. Snacks. Drinks. More looking at maps. Deciding how far we really can make it. Naps.

I won't bore anyone with our random details but I do have to say that our family thrives on travel. We might be on phones a lot, but often we're looking at something that turns into a conversation.

Riley loves that he can sleep while we drove because he's not a morning person and likes his sleep. Here is how Day 1 and Day 2 have started out for him---"the lump formerly known as Riley":

Jeff starts driving days with a gas rip-off, water tank refill, and window washing. 

Bennett is the resident "fixer of things"/"checker-outer of things while Jeff's driving, which suits him because he likes staying busy. 

And I am the everything else. Sandwich fixer. Locator of rest stops/truck stops. Teacher of card games. Maid who sweeps/mops when we get to a destination so we don't have dusty feet. Mom stuff. Here's a pic of Riley learning a little Blackjack! 

Things to pray for: safe travels in general; that the truck can be fixed and we get a rental with relative ease, and that anxiety levels (me and Riley) at unknown experiences stay relatively low. (Yes, extrovert me is also a major worrier and I somehow passed it on to one kid!). 

Up next: ???