Trip to Alberta

This was an interesting time in my life. Travelling for roughly 32 hours in a van with 5 children, 1 cat and NO ONE to help me! {You would think with Katey being 14 she could have been of assistance. Well let me remind you she's 14 - she slept for about 30 of those 32 hours!} We managed to make the trip in good time. The first day we drove for 6-7 hours and stopped at a hotel with a pool. We swam for a couple hours then ordered pizza and fell fast asleep (my personal favorite part of the trip was bed time!).

We got up early next morning and hit the road at 9:00 local time. We were lucky this day because at lunch time I stopped in a rinky dinky town to get gas, but I missed my turn in to the gas station. I turned down a side street and we found a school playground with picnic tables! We pulled into the parking lot and the kids got a chance to run around and play while I made some sandwiches for lunch. What a blessing that park was. The kids got a chance to work out some wiggles and I got to stretch my legs. Katey of course opted to remain in the van, what a party-pooper.

About 4 O'clockish I became somewhat insane and decided to drive until midnight. Yeah dumb I know. But the kids spent about 4 hours sleeping in the van so that translated to about four hours less fighting and whining.

We had the pleasure of spending the night in what Katey quickly dubbed the Super Dump (Super 8). It was the only place in the town that had vacancies and we quickly found out why. Maybe the first clue was when we lugged all of our stuff to the third floor (no elevators) and then I walked into a room that was occupied. I wanted to die. So I went back downstairs to the front desk and was given the key to a room that didn't have a Goldie-lock type surprise waiting for me. I shoved the kids into bed - 3 to a bed because all their cot's were broken - gee big shock there. Katey was so grossed out she slept across the bottom of the bed - with her shoes ON! Thankfully we were only there for about six or seven hours then we rapidly vacated the premises and opted to skip the free continental breakfast, {{shudder}}.

The final day of our journey felt like the longest. We were back on the prairie and there wasn't much to look at in the way of scenery. Plus we were so close to Alberta we could almost touch it.

***Funny Story Break - Not For the Squeamish***

Sometime during our last day we were dive bombed by a bird and I thought for sure I hit it, but as I didn't see the carcass rolling away from us down the highway, I assumed I missed it. Well we all know what happens when we assume...Later during the day we stopped to get gas and as I walked past the front of the van this is what I discovered...

Poor Tweety, he'll never fly again. Sorry if I offend anyone with my twisted sense of humor. {Unfortunately we drove around like this for the next 3 or 4 day's till I was able to poke it out with a stick. It was NASTY!}

And at 5ish that fateful day we finally arrived at Grandma and Grandpas house in Strathmore, although it was with much whining, crying, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Needless to say I'm glad to have arrived. Phew!