Rock of Revelations .... Part 2

So after all the siblings and families had finished eating their various lunches,

we all started getting ready to head over to the church where the service would be

held. Once there I immediately tried to locate cousins I knew were going to be there, and

hugged them. It really was great to see them, and all the Aunts and Uncles too, just something

wasn't quite right... someone was missing. Yep, it was Grandpa. Sure they had pictures of him up and around the room, but it just wasn't the same. I knew he was gone, but I just couldn't

really connect to the fact he was. I guess it's probably because I didn't get to see him one last time. I'm probably better off anyway. At least I had my letter read to him. (Thanks Angie, for printing it off and giving it to Aunt Kathy to read to him).

The service was great stories were shared about the type of man he was, how he enjoyed being with his family. Just everything I'd come to know and love about him being my GRANDPA!! I was doing okay until my Dad went up to share some of the "EULOGY" about what he was like as a dad, and such... I started losing the control of the tears then, but quickly dried them up and away. And then they had some time for random people to come up and share something about him. I of course, being the "WEIRDO" I am -- GOT UP!! That's right, I decided to get up, and share what he meant to me. What did I say?? Well I reflected about how I was grateful that I got to see him last November. Because that was the last time I got to see him alive. And while at the reception how Grandpa got up to dance and was totally being silly. I loved it. And that is the last MEMORY I have of him, and not one I'll soon forget either.

Once I started to sit back down, I met up to my Dad, who embraced me and gave me a hug, and then I lost it again. I really tried not to, because this was to be a "CELEBRATION OF HIS LIFE". Then they played the video -- (great job on putting it together by the way James and Des) -- I couldn't keep my eyes cleared enough to see all the pictures. But I'm glad that there was a picture of him with my grandma -- one I hope I can get a copy of, and soon!!

There was a get together with TONS OF FOOD!! And we had a great time visiting with family and being with them, all the while trying to keep my kids from falling into the pool because I wasn't willing to dive in after any of them.

My Uncle was a big help. I was able to eat (and take pictures) while I TRUSTED him,

to watch my kids around the water!! The kids were getting quite upset at us.

After the get together was done, and we said good bye to those we wouldn't see for a while. We headed back to the motel after we stocked up on food for our 13 hour car ride home. With 5 kids that can be a VERY LONG TRIP. So food, helps!! That way we don't have to stop to eat, we can just make food while in the car. We visited with my parents and those siblings that were left for a little while and then headed back to my Uncle's house an hour away. We followed him home, and managed to take freeway back all the way instead of having to make all these turns all over the place to travel the "back roads". It made for an easier ride home.

Once we got back, all the kids were pretty much asleep in the car driving home, so we just had to transport them into the house to their designated places to sleep. So here again, little Man was a breeze for getting to sleep. Thank goodness. Once all children were in the house and tucked into their beds for the night and all fast asleep. The adults, which included Chris (my husband) myself, and my Uncle George and his girlfriend Melinda, we ate some Papa Murphy's pizza and talked for a while. It was really nice to visit with them and get to know Melinda a LOT better. We were playing the part of the young college students again, and staying up till 1 or 2 in the morning. Which resulted in the crazy start of the day we were attempting to come home.

We woke up later than we had hoped. Okay so it wasn't too late IT WAS ONLY 8am, but in Utah it would be 9am (we had to keep this in mind since we would be arriving home and the time is 1 hour difference)

So after Chris and I had taken our turns with getting showered and dressed I was busy folding clothes that we threw in the wash the night before, and packing up the bags, while my uncle was busy downstairs making food for the kids, well not really making but, getting the cereal out and pouring milk into the bowls. Still it was one less thing I had to do. So as I'm busy getting all the things cleared out of the room we were using for our stay, he wanted to take the kids on a walk. I thought, no big deal, 10 -15 minutes and he'd be back. Well an hour went by and he was still gone. By this time, we're starting to freak out because we don't know where the kids are and the van was ready to leave. Melinda tried to call his cell phone but the man, didn't take it with him. So Chris gets in the car and drives around the neighborhood to see if he can spot them. NO SUCH LUCK. So now I'm really starting to PANIC.

But remember, I do TRUST him.

Melinda was about to grab the keys to his truck and start looking around when what to my wondering eyes do I see but a tired old man, and five red and hot grumpy kids walking up the way. They get back and he had promised to let them hose of their feet and cool down somewhat and then... we said Good bye, and backed out of the driveway and didn't get two feet away and

POP !!

PSHHHHHHH The tire was quickly going FLAT !!!

OH GREAT!!

NOW WHAT!!??

So we drive the van back into the driveway, and my uncle had Chris place it so that he

could see the hole in the tire with it being parked. Well, I'm starting to really PANIC. HELLO, we live in UTAH, and we have a 13 - 14 hour drive ahead of us and we don't have time for this. So talk about your ultimate OX in the MIRE situation. My uncle was jinxing us the whole time. He kept saying that we shouldn't leave on Sunday and that it was bad luck and we should stay until Monday. Well, my fears quickly went away when I noticed a crazy dude driving like a mad man and pulling into the driveway right beside us. It was my brother David. He works on tires for a living and knows what he's doing. I felt like it would all be OKAY.

Lessons we learned from the ROCK!!

• We now know how to access our spare tire, we knew where it was but didn't know how to use it if we needed to.
• That a spare can lose air, so check it as often as you check your regular tires.
• After having two tires replaced on the front of the van, we discovered we didn't have breaks to make it to Utah.
• My Uncle is very kind, and bought the breaks for us, and between him and David they replaced our breaks for us. Saving us about $150.00 in replacing them.
• So what we saved in hotel expenses we were able to put into new tires.
• And we broke down in front of his house, where the van could be fixed and we could let the kids hang out at his house still.
• We learned that if the two of us hadn't BOTH listened to the prompting we got and try to head home Sunday instead of attempting Monday ... well this would have all happened on Monday without a day to spare and not have Chris miss work again.
• We had some Mountain passes we would have need to use our brakes on, and if we didn't have the blessing of the ROCK, we'd never have known about the lack of brakes.
• Since the repairs were taking most of the day, we decided to wait till the next morning to leave.
• And with all the delays we experienced, made it so that my brother David showed up just within a minute of the tire POPPING. He was a big help, and he felt that he needed to come us also, and I'm glad that he listened to the prompting that he got.

We were truly blessed to have our lives and vehicle spared serious damage and I know it's because the Lord was watching out for us. I know that he loves me and my family, and that if we desire to do what he has asked us to do, we can all be entitled to these same kind of blessings and more.

And that takes me to part three of this trip....