Well, we got back to Steamboat around noon today after leaving yesterday after lunch. Yesterday afternoon we traveled through horrid whiteout conditions over Rabbit Ears Pass (Continental Divide) and on to Silverthorne. When we got to Silverthorne, we found out that they had closed Rabbit Ears Pass only 10 minutes behind us. Traveling to Silverthorne is usually a 2 hour trip at the most, but it took us nearly 5 hours to get there. Our parents were praying for us, and we know that God protected us during our travel yesterday!

Once we finally got to Silverthorne, we found out that CDOT had closed I-70, the interstate that we take from Silverthorne to Denver. The town was absolutely packed, and of course all the hotels were full. We heard that the Red Cross had opened a shelter at the local rec center, but by the time we waited in traffic to get there, it was full. So, we joined many other stranded travelers and spent the night in the outlet parking lot in our vehicles! It honestly wasn't as bad as it sounds, thanks to the blanket & pillow that my mom insisted we bring when we left Texas & all the snacks that Dave's mom sent with us when we left Steamboat (for the first time) yesterday!

When we woke up around 6:30 this morning (sore and stiff!), the interstate was still closed, so we grabbed a quick breakfast at Burger King and then joined the long line of vehicles sitting on the shoulder waiting for the interstate to open. Thankfully, we had lots of books, sodoku, and books on tape to keep us occupied. I also walked to the closest gas station for awhile so I could charge my phone in an outlet. We sat there for 3 hours, until Dave's mom called with a very bad update. Apparently road crews were using explosives to try to bring down the snow in 10 different areas BEFORE the road is reopened. We decided to head back to Steamboat (thankfully all those roads were open!), and while road conditions weren't great, they were definitely better than yesterday! At this point, the interstate is still closed; but, we're hoping that it will be open by tomorrow morning so we can head back to Texas! This isn't quite how we planned on spending New Year's, but we're always glad for extra time with family! Please pray for our safety as we head home.