Handi-Kappy Family

Favorite Quote

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

-Marjorie Pay Hinkley

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Lethbridge

Thursday night we found out the Steve's brother, Adam, and his wife were in the hospital because she went into labor at 21 weeks for the second time. We decided to rush out to be there that night, but since Steve recently lost his job, we decided to take his old school Jetta to save gas money. This car is a piece of work. Maddie calls it dad's "clown car" because it blows black smoke out of the tailpipe and has no A/C, no door handles, a windshield that is barely visible to see out of from cracks, no radio, our heads both hit the roof, and the worst part, it smells like mice. But it does get triple the gas mileage our Durango does, so we couldn't resist! As soon as we started the drive (at 10 p.m.) Maddie had her blanket over her face and said, "dad, your clown car needs to change it's diaper!"

We wanted to get gas in Sparwood (20 minutes) and as soon as we pulled up to the pump, the lady was shutting them down for the night and wouldn't let us gas up. We still had 1/4 tank left so we kept going. Before we made it to the next gas station, we ran out of gas, going up a hill. It was already 10:30 and pitch black. Thankfully, we made it to a lookout point so we weren't in on the highway and put our hazards on. Nobody would stop to help us. I didn't blame them. We looked like a bunch of crackheads driving this car and it was dark outside. Honestly, I wouldn't have stopped either. We waited a good half hour and then had to call a towing company to bring us gas. The guy informed us that when a diesel car runs out of gas it ruins them and usually you have to get towed. We were panicked because we knew we couldn't afford that at the moment, so after he brought us gas, we said a prayer that it would run. It took a bit and almost didn't start, but we got her running! It did however end up costing us $80 for them to bring 5 gallons of gas 15 km. What a rip off. We could have taken the Durango for cheaper! We are totally going to get AMA so this never happens again.

We ended up getting to Lethbridge so late that we decided to crash at Adams and then went to the hospital Friday morning. We were so glad we could be there to support them during this sad time. We all got a chance to see their baby and visit. Maddie became quite the medicine for everyone with her funny stories and dancing. We are so sorry for your loss Adam and Vic. I DO know that everything happens for a reason beyond our comprehension and that one day you will understand why you had to deal with this trial in your lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with you!

We also got to spend time with grandma Cindy, her girls, Jon and his girlfriend Kara. We saw the movie, Despicable Me, and had fun hanging out with everyone. Just wish it was under different circumstances!

My camera was dead most of the weekend so this is the only picture I got. Its the foster girls and Maddie at Kara' s house sitting on uncle John's Hog!