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| Emily wearing Olivia's shades...too cute |
Well, here we are back in good old Vancouver, WA and recovering from our last trip of the summer. Recovering you might say...well...let's just say it was eventful (not all in a good way), fun with family and friends, and much trauma for Mommy, Emily, and JuJu, and MOST of all not good news for Mommy's car. I apologize up front for the length of this post!
We headed out for Moses Lake last Friday the 12th of August. Auntie JuJu had planned on driving us over, but her accident earlier in the week stopped that. So we began our journey in Mommy's 4Runner. We were doing great until about 8 miles from Ellensburg, WA when the oil light came on. Not wanting to burn up the engine, I pulled over and called AAA. They said it would be about 1-2 hours until help arrived. So we began our wait, with a four year old who didn't understand what was happening, and in a very hot car alongside the highway.
Help arrived in the form of a flatbed tow truck in about one hour. VERY NICE guy. Emily and Mommy stayed buckled in the 4Runner while we rode atop the flatbed while JuJu rode up front. Emily wasn't too sure about this at first, but no crying. We got to what we thought was Ellensburg (later found out it was the town of Kittitas). Tow truck driver says we could just walk to the Fred Meyer next to where he towed us and get oil, so we do, and JuJu puts the oil in. We head back out and the oil light comes back on. So... we head back to the place AAA had towed us. The guy there checks the car and says we are just burning oil quickly, we should check it often, and if it was him he'd go ahead and drive to Moses Lake. So...we head out again, (already Emily is utterly confused, a little upset, but no tears).
We get about 15 minutes down I-90 towards our final destination, and everything in the car just starts shutting down and lights start going on. SO we pull over yet again. By now Emily is upset, Mommy and JuJu are upset too, but what else can we do but call AAA AGAIN!
After talking to AAA for about 30 minutes, she could not follow what I was saying about where we were and was not making any sense when I was trying to explain. She tells me that she will talk to her dispatcher to help figure out where we are, (15 minutes from the town we just left...NOT TOO HARD), as well as call the State Patrol to check on us. After an hour and NOTHING, I call AAA again, get a different lady who says no one has been sent yet, as they can't figure out where we are (can you say DUH???). She says they should have someone out to get us by 7:30 p.m. (we first called at 4:20 p.m.) WHAT??? It is HOT, and I have a child!!! She tells us we can call anyone we know to come get us and my car can be towed unattended. We had already been in contact with our friends and family in Moses Lake, so Robbie set out to get us...It was about an hour away from where we were stranded.
While we are waiting for Robbie, we had also been in contact with my dad and Sandy, who were also on their way to Moses Lake. They ended up getting there before Robbie, but didn't have room for all of us. So as we were putting most of our stuff in their car, Robbie drove up as well as Mary Jo and Nick. Mary Jo and Nick were on their way to Moses Lake as well coming from Kirkland. They just so happened to be on I-90 at the exact spot and moment as Robbie, and they all stopped to help us. So, no AAA, but dad, Sandy, Robbie, Mary Jo, and Nick were all able to locate us no problem at all! We load up everything we can out of my car as we had to leave it unattended alongside the freeway. We all head out to Moses Lake and get there around 8:45 or 9 p.m. Emily had remained a trooper the entire time, but you could just see (or at least I could, that it was affecting her, she shows it in her behavior). After we get unloaded, etc., I call AAA again to make sure my car had actually been picked up, and they STILL say they can't locate it. So I proceed to say in a very loud voice that all of my family and friends found us, why can't they?? AAA calls me back at 9:50 and says my car had just been picked up. 4:20-9:50 - five and a half hours stranded with a child (had our family not picked us up after waiting 3 hours). Unacceptable to me and my family. AAA will be hearing from me!
Anyway, we get Emily to bed and I look up the name of the place they towed my car to in the phone book, and the next part of the saga began...wait for it...they are not open on the weekends!!!!! Now we won't be able to do anything until Monday; the day we were supposed to come home!
Well, with that piece of information, we ended up enjoying our trip with family and friends (but in the back of my mind I am constantly thinking what will happen with my car).
Emily had many firsts this trip! First time in a boat on a lake, swimming out in the lake, first time to a LOVING memorial service for our dear friend "Grandpa" who would have been 100 this past Sunday, playing with four dogs all at the same house, "sunbathing" with the big girls, going into the hot tub, first outdoor concert, and much more. We were all having a great time with people we love, but I could still tell that Emily was upset by the whole car incident (as any child would be). But in our situation, when things feel out of control to her and out of routine or her "normal," we start to see some of the behaviors that we have worked so hard on this entire summer. But as everyone kept reminding me, the situation was out of all of our hands.
Monday comes, and Mark goes with us to the repair shop. He wanted to see if it was something he could maybe do before they checked it out...NO SUCH LUCK!!! My car needs a complete new engine! I was DEVASTATED!!! After LOTS of crying (trying not to in front of the wee one), many phone calls, prayer, and my ANGEL of a sister, I told them to go ahead! But...here is the clincher...it won't be ready until Friday the 26th! That is two days before I go back to work and Emily goes back to preschool! Darrell and Anne tell us that I can use "Grandpa's" car to come home in and to drive here in Vancouver (we had been using it in Moses Lake too), and Julyn volunteered to drive that car back to Moses Lake and pick up my car, so as not to interrupt Emily's schedule right before going back to school. Have I mentioned Julyn is an ANGEL!
Well, we all made it home safely on Monday evening, and Emily and Mommy have been spending Monday and today just being alone and trying to get through her feelings and anger/confusion over the entire experience!
Overall, we really did have a fun time with all of our family and friends. It was just a little overshadowed by all of this! Enjoy the pictures!
Love,
Kathy
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| Sunbathing with the "big girls" |
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| Mommy and Emily on Moses Lake |
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| Windblown look |
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| If you could only see her SMILE!! |
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| FUN, FUN, FUN!! |
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| Janice aka "Captain" and Emily |
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| Beautiful Smile! |
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| Swimming in Moses Lake |
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| Holding the rope |
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| Picnicking with Uncle Mark |
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| Mommy and Emily at The Coats concert |
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| Clapping along to the music |
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| The Coats...greatest acapella group! |
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| Grandpa and Emily reading the morning paper |
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| Smiles say it all!! |
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| Emily and her Auntie |
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| Trying to make music by blowing in the bottle |
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| So fun! |
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| Little cutie |
