A Lesson Learned in Scipio

We just got back from vacation and it was AWESOME as usual...although we had a bumpy start.

Just about a week before we left I took Dylan shopping for shoes and clothes for the trip.  Dylan is a worrier...so it's best never to say anything around him that will give him something to worry about, but I did it anyway when I said "the car is driving sorta funny today...something seems wrong" to which Dylan replied "now I'm worried".  He continued to be worried for the following couple of days, and each time he brought it up I reassured him that Patrick was taking the car for an oil change and check up before we left and everything would be fine.  The one thing I DIDN'T do is tell Patrick I thought the car was acting funny... Oops.

Now, imagine my "holy crap" moment when we are driving down I-15 about 10 miles north of Scipio and suddenly the car decides it's gone far enough and stops...right there in the middle of the road.  I instantly knew (and so did Dylan) that something really WAS wrong and while he worried and I blew him off, we should have been fixing the car. Patrick had a feeling it was probably the fuel pump, considering how the car was behaving.

Now, you might think that this would make us all grumpy and annoyed, but actually the whole thing turned out okay.  I see how completely lucky and blessed we were in so many ways...and I actually think it was a good lesson in having a good attitude for my kids:

• My mother-in-law was traveling with us and she has a AAA membership that gives her free towing for any vehicle she's riding in...up to 100 miles. (Did I mention we're going to be getting a AAA membership of our own now?)
• There just "happened to be" a tow truck available and close by that had seating for six people.
• The tow truck driver was super nice and awesome.  He stopped in Scipio so we could get drinks and use the restroom (a double blessing considering I really needed the restroom AND I LOVE the ice in the Scipio gas station...it's weird, I know.)
• Patrick has family in Fillmore and they are friends with the auto repair people.  So not only did we not have to worry about getting ripped off with our emergency service needs, but it was also a AAA repair shop so we got a discount on labor AND they had the part we needed in stock (a fuel pump). (The people at the repair shop were very nice...I doubt they would have ripped us off either way, but it's always reassuring to know people.)
• Patrick's cousin's wife let us borrow her car so we weren't stuck at the auto shop.  We were able to go get lunch and out to the ranch instead of just sitting there.

At first the kids were a little grumpy but (surprisingly) I put on a happy face, pulled out my camera and took a bunch of pictures.  I reminded them that it could have been a lot worse (like in the middle of the desert where it was 111 degrees when we passed through).

So we all learned a good lesson... your attitude determines everything.  The other lesson?  When the car is acting funny it's probably a good idea to mention it....