Trip to Aurora

Oh boy do I wish that I didn't leave my camera at home for our momentous trip to Aurora last week. So unfortunately you will have to create your own picture of this story.

Thursday
10:00 am - Ring, ring - "Hey Kelly, just thought I would let you know that the boys and I are on our way. We need to go to Target to get a few things, take Casey a sleeping bag and then we will be there."

Weather: 70 degree day...record breaking weather in Mid February.

10:30 am - Entering Target w/ three boys, two of which are mobile; one is not. Dollar section gets me everytime especially when it is 50% off. I told the boys they could get 2, yes 2 things from that section...but it had to have a purple dot. So they found their two things, but continued to search the entire store for more purple dots. It was great to keep their attention and to keep it w/ me as we went throughout the store. Mission done at Target.

11:00 am - Arby's run to bring Daddy lunch. Our orignal plan was to wait to eat at Kelly and Dennis'...but I thought it would be nice to eat w/ Daddy. good thing we did...
Not sure why I allowed the boys to get kids meals...but answered below. Mission lunch finished

11:30 am - Eat lunch w/ Daddy. Ike gets fed. Boys play w/ their kids meal toys (airplanes).

12:35 pm - Depart from Lincoln Airport for Aurora in our newly purchased van. Although it was newly purchased doesn't mean it didn't have 185,000 miles on it:). I was on the phone (yes I know I shouldn't) w/ my mom and I noticed my cruise control go off. I casually said, "Mom something is wrong w/ my van. I better go." I looked in my rearview mirror only to see a Semi, I glanced ahead and there was the exit ramp for a rest area. w/out time to think, I took the exit and coasted into a parking spot right in front of the brick building w/out power steering or power.

1:00 pm - We stopped and I quickly called Casey. I tried to talk him through the problems, as he is quite good with hearing a sound and knowing what it was. No luck and the van was not running very well. It sounded very sick (this was my description to Casey...hmm I wonder why he couldn't figure it out:)) I am not a mechanic. So w/out telling the boys the details, I told them we were going to get to play at the park by the interstate (yes 50 feet away from many vehicles going 75 or over).

Initially I took Ike out (in his car seat) so we could travel the different paths and do a sight word search on all the nice signs around the rest area. Did I mention that this was a rest area only for semi's...so my abduction alert was the only paranoia I had at this point. We learned that they Pawnee Indians lived around this area. The boys then proceeded to play Indian at the playground that really looked like a giant cat play ground. It had three cement cylinders w/ holes all around them. I really did have to go over to it to make sure there wasn't kitty do do all over it...but there was sand and the boys were all excited in their fort. It was too windy for Ike, even in his little car seat. So I took Ike (who was sleeping this entire time AMEN!) back to the van. I could see the boys from my van, so I got out my office in a bag (from fly lady...all magazines I have, so that when I have some down time I can actually read them and not have them collect dust at home). I was able to get through all the magazines in my bag, while waiting for our rescue crew (Kelly and Dennis) to come get us. I now know why we ate lunch and I allowed the boys to get kids meals w/ toys. It would have been a long wait, but actually the wait went quickly. At one point, Patton climbed in to the van and said, "Uh Mom, Can't we go to Gwamma's house YET?" This was when I realized they didn't know that the van was broken.

I had a HUGE box of fruit snacks that were to go to Aunt Kendra's house, but hadn't been delivered yet to help snack on. I allowed the boys to get a pop from the vending machine for a fun activity as well. There were so many events that transpired this day to know that God is always in our lives...really he was there and is there every step of the way. I was reminded how good he is too!

You may be asking...why can't Casey come to get you? Well he was leaving for a ski trip w/ a group of men from our Church. He did politely honk on his way by after Dennis slaved to get the van on his trailer w/ the help of friendly truck drivers, Kelly and I.

After loading up the van, the roadside assistance van rolled up. good timing, I thought. Where were you 5 hours before. They were really nice and helped us get turned around in the one way truck stop. Did you know that they have a person staffed at the rest areas? This gentleman was very nice but didn't speak much English. when I asked him if he could move his van so that Dennis could get in front of it, he replied, "Yes babies watch out." He was very concerned for my two boys and all the big semi's. Again, can I tell you how calm and relaxed I was. Now if this scenerio had played out about 1 mile before or after this glorious rest area it would have been a COMPLETELY different story. I am worried traveling on the interstate when someone zooms by me...I would not even begin to tell you how crazied I had been if I would have been stranded ON the interstate w/ the 3 boys. God is good:)
We traveled back to Sprague to unload the van w/ the help of our good friend, Bob.

5:30 pm I fed Ike, then headed back to Aurora.

7:30/8ish: We arrived at our orignal destination. I really really wish I had my camera as it was a beautiful day and we were really playing in the middle of a corn field w/ natural colors. It would have been a great photo shoot day...but you will have to take my word for it.

It was a day for all the baby books. I like what one person said as I got of the van initially. "Hi Sir...do you know anything about cars?" He replied, "I don't, but I do know enough to tell you that you can't go anywhere."