We were all excited Wednesday morning to start our big adventure in the Yosemite Valley so we got up early, Jessie and I made breakfast for everyone and then we loaded up into our 2 vans and we were off.
I was really excited to see Yosemite from a different viewpoint and Marc was really excited for me to see it because I never have. He was also excited for Jessie and Joel and their kids to experience it for their first time.
Our excitement was palpable and we were all smiles so, of course, I had to take our "on our way" pic.
Then things took a bit of a turn once we got higher up on our road to Yosemite. In fact it would suffice to say that it all went downhill once we got uphill.
We came to a turn off area along the roadway and we were slowing down so I assumed that Marc was planning to turn in there until I recognized the look of panic on his face. We came to a stop at a curve along the road and I was a little panicked as we sat along a narrow road like sitting ducks. Jessie and Joel pulled up alongside us and suggested we back up to make the turn-off that was labeled Tenaya Lodge.
When Marc tried to back up there wasn't much power moving the van and we were worried that it wouldn't even be able to move.
Somehow we finally got to the turn-off and then were able to crawl slowly up the hill to the first place that was safe to pull off and that was a parking lot.
We pulled in and turned off the car and I sensed a moment when both Marc and I were both ready to cry/scream knowing that this wasn't going to end the way we would like it to.
At first I started to feel like crying, but luckily, quickly remembered I needed to keep it together so our kids wouldn't sense our panic and start to fall apart.
When Sister started to sense the thickness of the worry in the air she started to melt and worry and panic. It was this moment that I knew that God was in charge and I relied on Him for inspiration in this tough situation.
I was able to stay calm, talk sweetly and not show any sign of worry and she and the rest of the family followed my lead.
The kids and I unloaded from the car and gathered with Jessie and her kids while Marc and Joel assessed what might be the problem.
Jessie suggested praying so she and I and our kids said a prayer together that we would know what to do and would know who we could trust to help us with our situation.
After the prayer Jessie took the kids on a little adventure to see the lodge (really trying to keep their minds off of the situation of the car problem) and ask if anyone knew of a repair place we could call.
So there was Marc, Joel and I left to stare at the van and worry about what was going to happen in the next hour.
Of course, I had to take a picture to document our situation...
Then I had to show my disappointed face for the record too...
When Jessie came back she had a phone number for a recommended, trustworthy car repair place and tow company.
It was then that I started realizing that our prayer was starting to be answered and I moved forward in faith by calling the auto repair place and trusting that they were the ones who would do an honest job.
We had to have a tow truck bring our car down. I had been thankful for Jessie and Joel's family's presence our entire trip, but at this moment I couldn't even express all my gratitude when Jessie and Joel suggested that Jman stay with Marc and I while they took our 3 kids and their other 2 down to the rental house, drop them off and come back to get us so that we wouldn't have to squish into the tow truck.
At that moment I realized how blessed we were even in a bad situation because if Joel and Jessie's family hadn't been there with us on this vacation our kids would have been in hysterics, anxious meltdowns, and screaming fits if they had to have waited in a hot parking lot with a broken-down van and then have to ride down the mountain with a stranger.
Even with this trial were being extremely blessed.
Joel got back about when the tow truck showed up. After loading our van on the tow truck, we piled into Joel's van and followed the tow truck to Oakhurst repair shop.
When we got there I tried my best to put on my puppy dog face and explain to them that, even though they were 14 weeks out with repairs, that they would help us all be so happy if they could get it repaired by the next day because of our road trip schedule and how it would negatively affect our children with special needs. I tried my best to be likable and kind enough that they would want to put our van ahead of the other work they had before them.
I walked out of the repair shop knowing that God would provide and that it would just all work out, I just had to have faith.
Joel, Marc, Jman and I came back to the house and we sat around a bit, ate and tried to keep Sister's mind off the fact that her van wasn't working. After a bit I encouraged Marc to take Joel and his boys to see Yosemite so they wouldn't miss out on that chance (the whole purpose we had come. The boys were so excited that they didn't even want to stop to eat dinner, they just packed up and headed out.
Jessie and I stayed back and relaxed in the house with the kids watching "Princess Bride" and taking cat naps.
During this time I finally realized what Sister was talking about for the last few days about her underwear bothering her when she came in, tugging at her back side, and asked, "Mom! Ugh. Why does my bum keep eating my underwear?!" I tried hard not to laugh so I didn't hurt her feelings, but I couldn't help it very well. Jessie and I looked slyly at each other and stifled our laughs the best we could.
Eating her underwear?
I told her that her underwear was getting too small and it wasn't because of her bum wanting to eat underwear as much as it was that her underwear had just gotten too small and that we needed to by her some knew ones.
(Fast forward to when we got home from our road trip and soon after I purchases some larger sized underwear for Sister and when she put them on she started smile and said proudly, "My bum's not hungry anymore!")
Marc came home with some great shots of the Yosemite Valley and I was thankful he shared them with me, so I could, at least, be more jealous... *sigh*
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