After driving all night through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and finally Texas, we pulled up to my brother-in-law’s house around 5:30 AM.  We didn’t think we would ever get in the house because they didn’t hear Jim knocking on the door (or ringing the doorbell three times).  Eventually, they let us in, and we could finally relax.

The kids were able to get a decent night’s sleep thanks to pillows, blankets, and ear plugs.  I had ear plugs too, but I tried to stay awake to keep Jim company.  My eyes kept crossing, so I wasn’t a very good navigator.  I think I managed four hours of interrupted sleep.  Thank goodness for rumble strips because Jim did cross over them at least once or twice.  He did a great job of getting us here safely though.  (The trick?  Mountain Dew, 5-Hour Energy Shot, pepperoni bites and lots of bathroom stops.)  And I did let him take a three-hour nap this morning.  Me?  I’ve been up since 5 AM…