COLORADO TRIP SO FAR

SO WE LEFT FOR COLORADO AT FIVE FOURTY FIVE ON FRIDAY MORNING.  HOPING TO MAKE IT TO COLORADO BEFORE GETTING A HOTEL.  WELL WITH MY DAD AND PHILLIP THINGS NEVER GO AS PLANNED.  AS WE ARE GOING THROUGH AMARILLO (THE PLACE WITH THE FREE 72 OZ STEAK) PHILLIP SEES A SIGN FOR PALO DURA CANYON SO WE DETOUR.  THE CANYON IS 2ND ONLY TO THE GRAND CANYON IN SIZE.  THE KIDS LOVED IT AND I GOT SOME CUTE PICS THAT I WILL POST LATER.  WELL THAT SET US BACK A FEW HOURS BUT WAS WORTH IT PHILLIP WAS SO EXCITED.  WE DECIDED TO WAIT ABOUT FOUR HOURS AND EAT AT THE DENNY'S IN RATON.  ONCE WE GOT THERE THE TIME HAD CHANGED AND IT WAS ABOUT NINE IN NEW MEXICO.  WE ATE A VERY YUMMY MEAL AND LOADED BACK UP.  TRINIDAD COLORADO IS ONLY ABOUT THIRTY MILES AWAY.  AFTER A LITTLE WHILE PHILLIP AND I HEAR A POP AND LOOK UP TO SEE MY DADS TRAILOR (WITH THE 4-WHEELERS) SMOKING.  YEP A TIRE BLEW AND I BET YOU CAN'T GUESS WHAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO GET.  SO WE HAD A SPARE BUT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE GOTTEN ANOTHER TIRE TOO.  A FEW MINUTES PASS AND THE MEN GET THE OLD TIRE OFF AND PUT THE SPARE ON WELL WHEN MY DAD PUTS A LITTLE AIR IN IT THE SPICKET BREAKS (KEEP IN MIND WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOUNTAINS ON A VERY CURVY ROAD).  SO WHAT TO DO NOW?  THIS IS THE QUESTION WE ARE PONDERING WHEN THE STATE TROOPER PULLS UP.  SO WE THEN UNLOAD THE 4-WHEELERS AND THEY TRY AND PUT THE SPARE FROM THE CAR ON JUST SO WE COULD MAKE IT TO TOWN.  NEEDLESS TO SAY...  DIDN'T WORK.  DURING ALL OF THIS THE KIDS HAD BEEN WATCHING RATATOUILLE SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T GET ANCY.  RAEGAN  DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR ON FOR THE BATTERY SO I TURNRED IT OFF TO SAVE GAS.  THE LIGHTS AND HAZARDS STAYED ON SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL RIGHT?  WELL WHEN PHILLIP GETS IN THE CAR AFTER A LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT TO DO FOR THE NIGHT AND ME INFORMING HIM THAT THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS STAYING AT A HOTEL ALONE WITH THREE KIDS SO THAT MY MOM COULD STAY WITH MY DAD AND HE COULD SEE IF THERE WAS ANYWHERE OPEN WITH A TIRE WE TURN ON THE CAR TO MOVE IT TO A CLEARING THAT THE STATE TROOPER HAD SHOWN US JUST A FEW YARDS DOWN.  THE STATE TROOPER HAD JUST LEFT.  GUESS WHAT DEAD BATTERY AND WHEN WE TRIED TO CRANK THE CAR THE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING SO THEY NOW HAVE TO JUMP THE CAR OFF.  ME BEING A WORRIER, I MAKE EVERYONE GRAB A KID AND TAKE THEM TO THE TRUCK WHICH IS ALRADY IN THE FIELD.  ONCE THEY ARE LOADED UP WE ALL JUMP IN THE TRUCK AND GO JUMP OFF THE CAR.  ALL THIS TIME PHILLIP IS ADMIRING THE STARS.  THEY REALLY WERE GORGEOUS.  SO WE GET THE CAR TO THE CLEARING PUT THE BOYS IN THE TRUCK WITH MY PARENTS.  (THEY HAD A BLANKET AND WE DIDN'T).  PUT BELLE IN THE CAR WITH US SHE (I DID BRING HER A BLANKET) COVERED UP WITH OUR SKI JACKETS AND ATTEMPTED SLEEP.  THE NEXT MORNING (AFTER A VERY CHILLY NIGHY) PHILLIP AND MY DAD GO TO TRINIDAD (SIX MILES AWAY) AND GET A NEW TIRE AT WAL-MART AND GET THE SPARE FIXED WHILE MY MOM AND I WAIT WITH THE KIDS IN THE TRUCK.  ANOTHER STATE TROOPER PULLS UP HE ASKS ME IF EVERYTHING IS OK AND I EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT WE HAD SLEPT THERE HE HAD A VERY CONFUSED LOOK ON HIS FACE AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED FOOD OR WATER OR ANYTHING.  NOW HERE'S THE THING.  I CAN STAND BEING COLD BUT I AM NOT GOING HUNGRY AND NEITHER ARE MY BABIES.  I HAD LOTS OF SNACKS SO WE THANKED THE TROOPER AND TOLD HIM WE WERE FINE.  HE TOLD US THAT HE WAS ON PATROL THE REST OF THE MORNING AND WOULD CHECK ON US AGAIN LATER TO MAKE SURE THE GUYS HAD MADE IT BACK AND THAT WE WERE OK.  SO AFTER ONLY ABOUT 90 MINUTES THE GUYS MAKE IT BACK WE CHANGE THE TIRE, RELOAD THE 4-WHEELERS, LOAD THE KIDS AND WE ARE OFF.  MORE DETAILS ON THE REST OF THE TRIP LATER.