The Journey Begins! - Monday

When we told Jared last weekend about his need for surgery we wanted him to have something tangible to look forward to, so we planned a "Bon Voyage" party.

It was a simple pizza party with friends and it was a huge success!  Even the weather cooperated with an unseasonably cool evening and a nice breeze.  It was great for Jared, it was great for his siblings and for his parents to have friends to talk with and play with before we left.

Tropical storm Issac made packing up on Monday interesting but we were able to get everything packed in the car between the storm bands.  We actually left the house right on time, a true novelty for our house.  As it would turn out the train was running 45 min. late, go figure.  The boys were SO excited to get on the train.  I must admit to having some trepidations about he cleanliness of our accommodations.  Thankfully when we boarded the train they were quickly relieved. 

Boys loved the train!  The views were beautiful.  The train traveled through more rural areas than the highways and made for a very scenic trip.  Mr. Dennis our attendant was very nice and they all received compliments on their behavior, for which we too praised them.  I don't know what it says that dinner on the train was their first time eating in a "real" restaurant with cloth napkins but it was.  Jared was particularly pleased with this development.  Seating is done in a "fill every seat" manner, therefore Titus and I got to sit with a very nice older couple who were quite taken with our family.

While we were at dinner Mr. Dennis converted our cabin to the sleeping arrangement and we tried to settle down for the night.  Everyone was quiet and courteous but the bumping and general noise of the train made a sound sleep difficult.  None-the-less it was still better than being strapped in the car for 17 hours.  During the night the engineers really put on the steam and made up lost time plus some; we actually arrived in Lorton, VA 30 minutes early.

We have to leave the hotel here in Scranton, PA right now.  I will update about how we got there Monday when we arrive in Boston.

 

Update With Chris FB Posts:

 

Aug 18, 2012, 9:54 PM

Well, it's official. We broke the news to the boyz tonight. We are headed up to Boston for Jared to have open heart surgery to fix the remaining two issues with his heart. We are leaving next monday and won't be back for a month. Surgery on 9/4. Labor Day weekend in Boston, should be a great time.

Aug 27, 2012, 2:24 PM

Sanford Auto Train

Aug 28, 2012, 7:30 PM

The "Otto" train has arrived in Scranton, PA. It has been a long two days. It began loading the car amongst rain/wind from Isaac. Auto train was running about 45 minute because the morning train broke down and arrived 3 hours late. Amtrak people are great and the service was fantastic. The kids loved the sleeper car and the food was incredible. The next morning we actually arrived an hour early. Those drivers has the throttle wide open during the night. Our car was amount the first off and we were loaded and at Mount Vernon by 9:30. We spent 3 hours there. The place is beautiful and it's amazing to walk in the same places as our founding fathers once had. We then started out on our drive and stopped at the Gettysburg war museum. The museum is astounding and has many artifacts from the battle. We will have to go back sometime and take the tours. We are now settling down before our last leg of the trip. Tomorrow we will have (Lord willing) a leisurely morning with breakfast at Marriott residence inn and then head off to Boston. We should arrive mid afternoon. All your prayers are working. Our travels have been safe and speedy. The kids have been great and have received many compliments on their behavior (and good looks). Tina and I are hanging in there. Occasionally the magnitude of what we are doing hits one of us, but we put on our game face for the kids. Doing this apart was not an option. We need each other during this, kids and all. Thank you all for your support and prayers. Be assured they are working.

Aug 29, 2012, 6:59 PM

We are in Boston. We drove by the "Green Monster" on the way in. The boys were very excited about that. Our first impression of Boston was not very good. As soon as we left the interstate, there were NO lane markers and NO road signs. Not a great place to be during the beginning of rush hour. Thankfully we had a (slow) 3G signal and the AAA TripTik App. Since leaving Central Florida, 3G has been spotty and slow. I would think the Northeast would have the best tech???
The drive from Scranton was pleasant and very scenic. We had only two hiccups today. I81 in Scranton was having major construction and it took us about 10 minutes to figure out how to even enter I81 southbound. Then, just before entering Boston, we hit our first traffic jam. And accident had blocked both lanes and the interstate was cleared just as we approached it. We were only driving slow for about 15 minutes, so altogether not a very bad time.
Two funny things happened. As we crossed the bridge into New York state, there was a toll booth. There were no signs telling how much to pay or even what the tolls were for. I guess as soon as you enter New York, they just start taking your money? This had us cracking up. Massachusetts has the nickname "taxachusetts". A couple of miles after entering the state, there was tollbooth. I guess a federal interstate can be a toll road?? At this toll booth, you are given a ticket and then pay when exiting the highway base on how much is traveled. We traveled the entire length of the toll and paid at the end. We came to our exit shortly afterward and lo and behold ANOTHER toll booth!!!! Yikes. At least all these tolls could pay for some lane markings and road signs, right?!?! ;-)
All-in-all, we have little to complain about. The kids were great, the stops and scenery spectacular and our hotel room is much bigger than we anticipated. We will little rest, as we are scheduled to be at the hospital at 7:30 tomorrow morning for Jared's pre-op appointments. The worst part is at 9:00am when I have to meet the blood suckers! Tina "volunteered" me to give blood. :-) Kidding aside, my blood will be used during Jared's surgery. It's a special thing that I am looking forward to. Pray for all of us tomorrow. After three long days of travel, it is another long day at the hospital. Thanks to all for your prayers and support. They are working.

Aug 29, 2012, 10:06 PM

Please pray extra hard. Jared is a bit congested tonight. If he is sick the surgery will be called off. Tina is completely stressed out. I let my guard down and should have more diligent about sanitizer and avoiding exposure on our trip.