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I can do hard things

2 weekends ago I proved to myself I can do hard things.  I embarked on a drive from LA to Boise, all by myself with 4 kids in tow.  I was really nervous about it and did a lot of preparation to make sure I had lots and lots of entertainment for the kids on our 16 hour drive.  My friends called me crazy, but really my motivation came from wanting to visit home so badly.

The first day we drove 6 hrs to Sacramento.  We made one stop about halfway for gas and a kid break and overall things went surprisingly well.  We visited with my Grandma & Grandpa and stayed overnight at my Aunt Julie's house.  It was so wonderful to see family, especially my Grandpa Tom who is very sick and may pass away soon.

The next day we drove 10 hrs from Sacramento to Boise.  That was the hardest part of the trek, surprisingly not because of the length of drive but because of the bad weather we encountered.  Driving through Donner's Pass we hit very heavy rain, which turned into heavy snowfall.  The roads were so slick and we were driving through winding inclined mountain roads.  It was so scary.  I had several near heart attacks and shed a few tears as I held tightly to the wheel and prayed for angels to carry my car.  I was so relieved to make it through that and thought the flat dry Nevada desert would be a breeze.  Not so.  Around mid-Nevada we hit really high winds that kept veering the van off road and caused several sand storms that were thick as fog.  By the end of the night, we drove into a clear Boise sky and I felt a huge relief.

In the end, the kids actually did pretty well and I never got tired driving, but the real challenge proved to be the weather.  Funny how my two biggest concerns initially turned out to be ok, while the weather was something I hadn't even considered.  I know the Lord had a hand in getting us there safely and sanely, and I'm so grateful for that.  Afterwards, I felt such a sense of accomplishment.  I learned I can do hard things as long as 1) plan ahead 2) act brave 3) and pray.

Tomorrow we start the trek back home, but this time through Utah and Rick will be with us.  What a relief.

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