We're home from Chicago! - Took us 8.5 hrs to go a 3 hr ride home!

coasterqueen wrote: What a trip it was last night, geesh! I am just so thankful we are all safe after that crazy crazy trip home last night.

My business trip went well except I had NO voice the entire time and still don't (going on 4 days now and have drank lots of hot tea with lemon ). Anyways, my sister HAD to get home last night because she would have been fired today if she didn't get to work. The snow storm was C R A Z Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It took us FOUR hours to go 35 miles out of Chicago. NO JOKE!

Amanda and I made sure we brought snow suits, blankets, food, drinks, toilet paper, everything we could think of just in case something awful happened and we were stuck somewhere we didn't want to be. Thankfully that didn't happen, but there were TONS of cars stranded all over the highway. It was like an obsticle course trying to get around stranded cars.

We left at 4 pm yesterday and didn't get home this morning til 12:30. Thankfully the kids slept through the majority of that but since my sister was too afraid to drive I was left doing all that driving and I'm POOPED!

We had one very very very scary moment last night and we weren't for sure we were going to make it out of it safely. We hit the Bolingbrook, IL area which is a suburb of Chicago and the storm front/path was just about right there because we went from blowing blizzard snow to chunks of friggin' ice falling from the sky! NO JOKE! All of a sudden in a matter of minutes I had not one single tiny area of my windshield clear for me to see where to go. There wasn't even a BLUR of someone's taillights ahead of me it was so horrible. I panicked of course, so did my sister. You can't pull over, believe me there was no where to pull over. My sister was sitting in the back watching the girls and she told me there was a small space on the passenger side windshield area that she could see and she saw a sign 1/4 of a mile back that an exit was coming up. So she drove from the very back seat of the van for me. Well I was behind the wheel but she was steering me where to go. OMG I can't even explain how scary of a situation that was. At that moment we both thought we made a mistake trying to get home. We pulled into a gas station, cried, filled up the tank and decided to try again. There wasn't a hotel around so we had to keep going.

I know many of you probably can't believe I put my kids through that unsafe situation, but the whole experience was fine as long as we went slow and was safe. I didn't want her to lose her job over the situation because she was trying to help me out and there was only that split moment that we were in a scary situation. I just thank GOD that we made it home safe and sound.

Ahhhhh. I'm so glad that drive is over and my event was over. It was a HUGE success. Boss said he'd talk with me Monday about it, so no news on a bonus.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: OMG I'm so glad you made it home safe. I would have been terrified! I hope you can get lots of rest today to recover from it all.

Welcome back!

Jamison'smama replied: OH MY GOODNESS!!!! Thank God you are all safe. I drove 1.5 hours for a 30 mile trip yesterday and I was a mess and complaining all evening--I will shut up!!!! I know you were scared and I am grateful you are home and safe!

A&A'smommy replied: OMG I'm glad you got home safely and that everything went well GOSH I'm sorry about your voice I hope you get it back soon!!!! And you know what sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do I'm glad you guys are alright!!!

Sarah&Mackenzie replied: Glad that you got home safe!!

My2Beauties replied: Oh Karen I bet you were scared to death! I would have been a nervous wreck by the time I got home. I am so glad you guys got home safely and that you only had that one bad moment through the entire trip. Glad you're back, and sorry you do not have your voice back yet!

mammag replied: I'm sooooo glad you made it home safely. I had a trip like that many years ago so I know how scarey it must have been, especially with the kiddies.

I'm glad the trip went well, business wise though.

3xsthefun replied: OMG I'm glad you made it home safe.

mckayleesmom replied: GEESH...I was in suspense reading that....Glad you are all home safe.

amynicole21 replied: Holy Moly! I would have pooped my pants So glad you're all safe!

5littleladies replied: OMG!! I am so glad you made it home safely! That sounds so scary!

I'm glad your event was a success though.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: (((((((KAREN)))))))

I'm so GLAD you are home safe!!!! That is so scary!!!

I have a friend in Chicago...she lives 8 miles from her work and it took her 2 HOURS to get home last night. So, I can believe it took you that long!

TANNER'S MOM replied: Oh man I am glad you made it..

I am excited about her event going so well.. You are the bomb. I hope you get that big bonus!

jacobsmama replied: wow I"m sorry that you had such a rough trip but i'm glad you got home safely...all of you

aspenblue1 replied: Glad you made it home safe.

kimberley replied: that sounds awful! sorry you had to go through that but i am so glad you made it through safely. hope you get a huge bonus for it all.

ediep replied: so glad you are back and safe

sounds like a scary car trip

kayla's mama replied: OMG Glad you made it back safely Hope you get your bonus

amymom replied: I am glad you made it home safe. I was very worried about you when I heard about the trouble at the airport in Chicago.

I am glad all four of you girls made it home safely.

Boys r us replied: Oh Karen, I'm so glad that you guys made it home safely and sorry that you had such an ordeal getting home! It's great to hear that everything else went good though!!!!!! Can't wait to find out if you get the big fat bonus!

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Glad you made it safe!!! I hate storms... I'm not looking forward to when they start around here!!

Just to discprove anyone who thinks Canada is SnowCountry... we don't have enough snow to cover the ground here yet. It's not even that cold - I still just wear a sweater outside. (not the kids..just me - i'm too lazy for a winter jacket still...not cold enough! )



But when it hits... yikes - get ready for 5 feet snowbanks...

gr33n3y3z replied: I'm glad everyone is home safe

kit_kats_mom replied: That sounds terrifying. I can not stand driving in snowy/icy conditions. I get tense driving in rain. lol

I'll bet you could use a massage. Glad you made it & great job on the party. Big money...no whammies!

holley79 replied: OMG that is scary. I'm glad that you all are ok. I hope that you are resting for the remander of the weekend.