If you can't stand the heat... don't sleep in the oven

Someone asked me how our Christmas trip to see the family was. I replied... memorable. 

I’m reminded of a phrase you might have heard. “That was providential!”

It means that God obviously had a hand in whatever had just occurred. However I’ve always heard it after a positive event never when something very unexpected and frustrating just happened!

So yes back to a memorable Christmas experience!

It was a Friday when we were on our way home from visiting Grandmama and Grandaddy we are just about to leave the fine state of Missouri and we realized we had a flat tire.

After contemplating just throwing a little air in there in typical farm-boy fashion and expecting the next 500+ miles to be no trouble at all I glanced at my precious cargo all nestled into their car seats and decided not to risk a roadside adventure.

No worries though, we were fixed up right and ready and only two hours behind schedule at the worst. 

An hour later we were pleasantly surprised when my transmission went out and I was rolling along the highways at an unsustainable 30mph.  

No worries though right? Google to the rescue, a rental car will solve this problem in a flash. 

A quick phone call and found out that we could have a vehicle that would seat my wife and I, and our 5 children and at least half of our stuff crammed into our suburban... in about 3 days.

A quick check on the moderately frantic condition of my cargo and I decided that was not an ideal option.

Or we could spend that much or longer in a motel waiting for repairs and if you have never spent days in a small motel room with five small children than you won’t fully comprehend the delightful opportunity I was attempting to avoid. 

So I limped back to the only town within about 35 miles and another quick google search determined there were  a handful of auto dealers all about to close in a couple hours and found one vehicle that would fit my family and the majority of our stuff and fit into my not that impressive savings fund.

We drove up to the lot, looked for at least 3 minutes and after checking again on my significantly more distressed cargo load I declared I would take it! 

Might have set some sort of car purchase/time record right there.

It was a decent used minivan that turned on and ran. Sounded absolutely perfect at the moment. 

We unloaded and loaded bags and boxes and trinkets and goodies for quiet a good while. Then we started unloading the back of the vehicle... you might have to understand traveling with children to comprehend the situation!

Then fortunately for us we were packed up and ready to go to find out the battery was dead. Not to dismay all we had to do was jump the van and run over to the auto parts store where they will sell you a new battery and install it for free... and break your battery cables in the process. Then not be able to locate the right parts to fix said cables or the tools to do so... at the auto parts store. Ironic isn’t it? 

Fortunately I’m used to stuff breaking on the ranch so I declined any more free help and thankfully my 5 year old son was carrying his new vice grips he got for Christmas and the two of us searched the store for parts got the van going.

The rest of the night included many tears, one injury involving a fair amount of blood, a late night drive through supper at Wendy’s where I was so out of sorts that I ordered what I believe to be my first chicken sandwich, ever.  Then a midnight stop at a motel that was so lovely that Mama told the kids they weren’t allowed to touch the floor.

Amidst all of this, Mama spoke to me these words, “At least we are all together.”

We eventually made it home, and will likely remember this trip for many many years.  

So perhaps it is fitting to suggest... “that voyage was Providential!”

Yes we are back on the farm and will be delivering beef this Saturday and would love for you to order some off our website and all that.  

However,  I would imagine many of you folks had a less than perfect experience over the holidays as well too and I hope you will also be able to find joy despite you circumstances!