We headed out yesterday from our place at 8:30 for Florida. We had to stop on campus to meet up with some students and figure out who was riding with who. Around 9:45 we were finally on the road in the suburban with 4 college students and our family. There was another car of 3 students following us.....
Well, about 45 minutes into our drive the suburban started acting funny. The speedometer was jumping all over the place. The cd player stopped working. Then the gas pedal just stopped accelerating all together. As Noah would say, "uh-oh." So we pulled off the side of the road and the hazards wouldn't even work. We popped the hood and everything looked fine so we thought, well, we'll just try again. Then it wouldn't start. Double uh-oh. Phone calls galoure. Call AAA, call Melissa's parents (it's their vehicle).
So then a tow truck was going to come but could only fit 2 people. We had 7 people. So luckily Melissa's mom was at our place (she offered to come pack up some of our stuff....we're moving....another story). So we had her come pick up those of us that wouldn't fit in the tow truck. So after 45 minutes of playing in the dried grassy ditch and trying to pass some bags off to the other car (oh, and Melissa peeing next to the suburban cause, well, she's pregnant and drank a smoothie on the way), the tow truck arrived and then Melissa's mom arrived.
So the tow truck left with Bart and one of the guys. Then we had to fit 4 adults and Noah's car seat in a vibe. Not enough seats. As we're getting 2 guys in the front seat cause we don't have enough seats, we hear the familiar sound of the a police siren behind us. Look back. Yup, a cop car pulled up right behind us. He runs our plates and then walks up to the car asking if everything was ok. Luckily everything was and we explained the situation and he just let us go and told us to be safe. Phew. No ticket.
So I went to the car shop and we watched some March Madness. Melissa and everyone with her went back to our place to get lunch and watch March Madness (well, the guys at least), while they waited for Melissa's Dad to get there with another vehicle (they're pretty sweet, but that's a whole nother blog in and of itself). Her Dad arrived, they all loaded up, and then came to pick us and the bags up at the car shop.
Somewhere around 2:20 in the afternoon, we got on the road again. After squeezing all of us in a slightly smaller suv and figuring out how to fit all of our bags, we were on the road again. Not exactly how we had planned the day out. Noah (and Melissa) did surprisingly well considering. He didn't really get more than an hour nap in the car. We stopped for dinner in KY and then drove to Alabama to our hotel. We arrived somewhere around 10:20 pm and Noah was a hot mess by then. He of course didn't sleep well last night and ended up in our in our bed (actually this was our first experience of him sleeping in bed with us). He was up at 7:00 local time, not exactly what we were hoping for, but what can you do?
We're leaving here in a bit. We all got breakfast and now it's just a matter of getting back on the road. Melissa says we only have another 6.5 hours, so hopefully by dinner time tonight, we'll be in sunny Florida. Let's hope the rest of the trip is uneventful. We'd like that a lot. Would you pray for that? Please?!?!
Other than that, we're looking forward to Florida. It should be a good time of meetings, outreach on the beach and community with around 60 OSU students. Let's hope Noah sleeps well and this is a good week. Then we move the week after we get back. We definitely need prayer for that as well.
More later. Sorry for not posting more lately. It's been an interesting winter.
