Convoy from Arkansas, White Christmas

Grandma, Grandpa, Maggie and Victoria are traveling in a caravan, or convoy, from Hot Springs to Amarillo. Today they will cover the same area Mama and I covered in our travels Monday and Tuesday this week. Victoria just got back from her visit with Cori and Nate and the kids and Grandpa just got back from a trip to West Virginia to collect his tools from storage there. I think Maggie and Grandma were the only ones dreading the trip since Victoria and Grandpa had already put as many miles is as they all are going to cover in this trip.


Our house is ready for the girls and the house we have for Grandma and Grandpa is ready for them. I think Grandma and Grandpa are excited about the house Mama picked out here. I know it will suit them well. It has both an attached one-car garage and a separate, detached one-car garage and a spacious covered patio with a built in grill. The neighborhood is quiet but it is centrally located in Amarillo so getting around the town should be very easy.

I am a little worried about the parking at our house. We will find a way to fit all the cars in somewhere but it may look a little crowded until we get it all worked out. Moving from having to care for only the one car to looking out for three will be a welcome change. Sam’s, where Maggie and Victoria are transferring their jobs, is just over one mile from our house so they will be able to come home for lunch every day. Maybe someday I will have that luxury.

The convoy will be arriving just a day ahead of another blizzard forecast to hit the area tonight into Friday morning. I am taking the day off tomorrow as vacation. The original plan was to help unload the U-Haul but the added bonus is not having to drive to work in the blowing snow. Besides, I think I am getting to the point that I can use a couple late mornings.

Mama really needs my help too. With the schedule I have been keeping she has had to do a great majority of the prep work for Christmas on her own. She was worn out last night and stayed home from church, which is very unusual for her, but both of us are worn out from the trip to Decatur. I am not sure why it was so tiring other than the 5:00 a.m. mornings and the emotional strain of employee interviews and meeting a dozen new people, and the ten hours of driving to get there and back. Besides all that, Mama put in quite a few hours shopping in the local area while I was at work. The two days went by so fast that we were talking on the way home about what we could do differently to make it more pleasant next time we do this. – And I will have to do this every month or so for the next year. We’ll figure it out.

Winter is coming tomorrow but the snow will be gone by late afternoon which is a good thing because nothing is done here to clear or treat the roads for snow or ice. It could be a nice welcome for our new arrivals. I have not asked so I do not know if they are dreaming of a white Christmas.