An Update

It was a long drive, but we made it to our first fair destination. We had a few complications but God has seen us through as always. Our first difficulty was that while Mike took me out for a test drive of our Navigator pulling our travel trailer a part that fell off the Navigator causing our brakes to be broken. This was a problem because in order to take the Navigator we had to have it pass out of province inspection, which we were going to do on Monday. The temporary permit expires on Wednesday, we had to be in GP by Tuesday, sooooooo that little piece that fell off caused us to have to completely change plans. Mike spent all day Monday extending the hitch on our new travel trailer so he could pull it behind our Freightliner. This is a very big job! He finally completed it at 1am Tuesday morning. Yes we did start off right then and there. We woke up the kids, stuck them in the car and I drove the Golf and Mike drove our rig. The kids thought it was great and they were bright eyed and bushy tailed for the whole 3 hours that we drove. Ok, well actually Dade thought it was great he kept talking about Mac the big truck from Cars, and how we had to hurry and catch up to Daddy the way Lightning McQueen had to catch up to Mac in the movie. Matia was ok with everything until about 20 mins before we stopped. Thankfully they were both ready to go back to sleep when we stopped for a rest at 4am ish.

Upon waking up Mike was worried that the Freightliner might have an oil leak or something worse. He changed the oil and discovered that the dip stick had just been placed wrong and voila the problem was fixed. We headed off around 8:30am Tuesday morning.

Everything was going fine, we were only a little late and we had notified the people expecting us that we'd be a bit late and that was no problem. Just outside GP there is a huge valley, on the way up the big hill I heard a crunch and then the Golf lost power! I pulled over and thankfully Mike saw me do that, so he stopped at the top of a hill. Thankfully also a transportation officer pulled over right behind me, and offered to drive up to the top and get Mike and his tools for me. When Mike arrived he determined that the crank was broken, and there was nothing to do but take our stuff out of the car and get a rental car. Luckily I had put the wagon in the back of the car so be plopped both kids in the wagon and started hoofing it up the valley (this was a huge hill by the way on a very hot day). Again, Thankfully, a kind passerbyer stopped with his truck and let us all pile in! Whew! He was probably wondering about me because I was crying quite hard by this time, and so was Dade. Dade was terrified of getting into a stranger's vehicle. I think he was more concerned about his wagon sitting in the back of the truck than anything else, but me crying probably didn't help his frame of mind. I wish I didn't cry so easily and could pull it together a bit faster, but oh well. That's just me in panic mode full speed ahead.

After we got to the top of the hill, and to our wonderful travel trailer we weren't sure what to do. We both had to get to town so that we could rent a car and get to the fair grounds. We called the fair manager and he said they would wait for us, they are so nice. Somehow we all got to town, ask me in person and I'll tell you how, rented a car, got set up at the fair grounds and went for supper with Mike's cousin Darrel and Christine (who live in GP). Darrel and Christine graciously offered us the use of their car, so we were able to return the rental car today. Darrel also helped Mike get our car towed and let us park it at his house for the time being. God is good, we know exactly where all these blessings are coming from and I pray that the people he is using to bless us will also be blessed, since there is no way to repay their kindness.

Today we are setting up our concession, we should have 131 pails of ice cream arriving in an hour or so, just in time for the thunder storm that has rolled in. Mike is looking for a new used car for us to buy and this may be the last stop for our poor old Golf....unless... Mike is also looking for a new engine and is researching how much it would cost to put a new motor in. If it is less than a new used vehicle our Golf might just rise from the ashes and I will call it a Phoenix from then on.

In the mean time we have a show to run. Our help that we thought we had secured wasn't able to help us after all, but he is good to his word and found us some other willing hands. Christine has also offered to help us so we are set for staff at this fair.

Things have not been easy. Mike is under a fair amount of stress. Pray for calmness for him and good decision making. I've tried to stay as calm and positive as possible (except for my crying jag on the way up the valley), but I tend to worry uncontrollably. I'm learning the discipline of prayer through all this. It seems that I've been doing nothing but praying since Mike started working on the hitch on Monday. Many of the things I prayed about did not work out the way I prayed they would. At first this makes me kind of cross with God, I mean I asked but we didn't receive, and I looked, but I didn't find, at least not from my perspective. But when I stopped to think about my angry feelings I realized that God isn't a genie popping out to fix things when I ask, nor does he do things the way I want every time. I need to learn to be faithful and trust him with every little detail, and praise him in spite of and because of everything. Maybe I'm getting a glimpse at what it means to Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS. Anyway, you can pray that I will continue to set my worries down at God's feet instead of clinging to the anxiety and fear.

The kids are absolutely awesome! The only difficulty that I have noticed is that Matia is having trouble laying down to sleep. We did not bring her playpen, so she is having to get used to sleeping in strange quarters (on a mat beside our bed). She has a freer range, so she is less willing and I am less able to keep her confined to her quarters until she has relaxed enough to fall asleep. She will not be rocked to sleep, so this means she's had a few crying jags of her own. She is so my child! Pray that she will quickly get used to sleeping in the camper.
Dade is loving the road life, he is so excited to be back at the fair. I'm not sure if we will make any money this year, since he'll want us to buy him rides every day! Mike says we shouldn't cave to his demands, but I say if you're going to bring your kids to the fair all summer it would be cruel not to let them play on the rides. Besides, I can usually pay for rides with ice cream coupons. Hopefully we'll reach a compromise with Dade and be able to limit his ride frenzy.

While you're praying pray for a reliable new to us vehicle that is fairly cheap. Thanks for lifting us up to the Lord, we are noticing his graciousness and faithfulness and his miracles.
Here's to an eventful summer!