They're Home!

 The kids had a great trip to Michigan, although we all wish that the circumstances were different.  The Lord graciously blessed their time there and His hand of provision was mighty throughout the whole trip.

They left their Aunt Sue's house late this morning and the GPS gave them an ETA at home of around 7:00 p.m.  At about 3:30 in the afternoon, Andrew calls me to tell me that they are pulled over on the side of the freeway because Christian saw a haze in the rear view mirror trailing behind them, and after maneuvering to a different lane, they realized it was coming from our van.  They pulled over on the shoulder and after some inspection, Andrew determined that it was a transmission problem.  Heart stoppage for mom!!!!!  I grilled them intensely -- "Where are you?  Are you in a safe place?  Are you far enough off the road (as I hear semi trucks careening past that sound like they are 5 feet away)?  Do you have water?  Is there shade nearby?"  What an utterly helpless feeling I had knowing that my three teenagers were stranded at the side of the road in a different state!  

Tom was on a trip and in the air, so it was up to me to pull my head together and figure out the best course of action.  The kids were 13 miles north of Chattanooga on I-24 E where I-59 branches off.  They were a safe distance off the road, they had water, they had shade, and they were actually getting a kick out of this new adventure.  I called AAA and the rep on the other end told me that they couldn't help the kids despite the fact that we have a membership because Christian was the driver and he wasn't on the policy -- they insure the driver, not the family or the vehicle.  We went round in circles and I confess that my blood pressure and voice were rising.  I remember saying, "So you are telling me that despite the fact that I have a AAA membership, and that MY teenage children are driving MY car, that you are going to leave them stranded at the side of the road?  She then says that we can add Christian to the policy if I would like.  NOW WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE????  

After adding Christian to the policy, she made arrangements for a tow truck to get to them.  She advised me that the tow truck would not be able to accommodate all three of them and that I would need to make other arrangements for them to be picked up.  I was two hours away with a hungry baby that needed to be fed, so it was going to be awhile before I could get to them.  I remembered that my friend, Melanie Anderson, had a sister that lived in Chattanooga, and as much as I hated to impose on anyone, I was desperate!  I made a quick call to Melanie, and she was sure that her sister Linda could help.  I called Linda a few minutes later and she was more than willing to do whatever I needed.  She even offered to have the kids spend the night at her house!  I was so excited about them coming home that I couldn't bear the thought of them being gone one more night, so I asked her if she would just take them to her house and I would be there as soon as I could to pick them up this evening.  Much to my surprise, she said she would meet me in Rome, Georgia so I didn't have to drive so far!  WOW!  God bless Linda Ballard for being an angel to our family!

Meanwhile, the kids unloaded everything out of the van and the tow truck showed up a few minutes later.  God bless the tow truck driver too who said that he would stay with the kids until their ride showed up.  Linda showed up a few minutes later and then the kids and the van were on their way.  I had the van towed to a transmission shop in downtown Chattanooga in case Tom wanted someone to diagnose the problem.  

Bubby and I made the trip up to Rome where Linda and the kids were waiting for us at a McDonald's with a van stuffed FULL of their stuff.  I was so happy to see them that I missed getting any pictures other than the one above when we got home late that evening!

Praise be to God our Father for His hand of mercy and protection upon the kids while they were gone!

I'll save pictures from their trip and the saga of getting the van back home for other posts . . . .