After a long sleep in and a day but delicious breakfast with the aunts and cousins we were off! The girls started with aunt Izzy again and Gus to his early nap.
Then it happened. During a torrential downpour in the middle of listening to Star Talk podcast on Star Trek, the van failed. It wouldn't shift and would jerk when accelerating. Utter terror.
We were able to stop on the side of I70 under a tiny underpass, with the second car behind us. We sat in silence for a few very long seconds as Gus woke up from his very short nap due to the change in movement. Shaw changed his shoes to get check into the reason for the failure. After his assessment I called our 24 hour roadside assistance and started the process. After lots of switcheroos and car seat finangleing Shaw and Sophia waited in the van for Jack's Automotive Car Towing man to come, while Monica, Gus, Liz and I headed out to the tiny town to meet them. After a few changes in location, the towed van beat us to Oakly. After realizing that they couldn't help us, the caravan set out for Colby, and the rain continued.
At this point we were weighing all of our options. Buy a new car here? Rent a car (they had 1 van available surprisingly)? Get a hotel room and keep talking? Take 2 shifts back to Hays (90 minutes away)? All 6 of us couldn't fit in Liz's car so transportation around town was crazy. Luckily, we left Shaw and Sophia at the car place, Liz and I took Monica and Gus to Dillon's, then I left to pick up Shaw and Monica and regroup at Dillon's to get food and do bathroom breaks and diaper changes. The mechanic was just leaving on his lunch break and wouldn't even be back to look at the van for an hour. Both he and the tow truck man said it sounded like the transmission, so we were not hopeful. We had just paid off all of our debt, so really it would make sense that our van would break down the next month. It was a miserable experience in the pouring rain. Sweet sweet Liz rolled with everything and took charge of the girls and ran around the store with them to let Shaw and I figure out the options.
We decided to rent the van, and continue with our Colorado destination. Liz, Shaw and Monica left to go get the rental van and switch everything over from our van. Gus, Sophia and I continued to bash around Dillon's, downtrodden over what was happening, but truly grateful that Liz was here with her car and happy, helpful attitude! Things could have been much much worse truly!
Then the text from shaw. Miraculously the van was FIXED!!!! It was an easy and super cheap fix!! He replaced the boot around the spark plug for $74 and we were off and running. We could not believe it!!! What a miracle! So I bought a huge bag of peanut butter M&Ms and we dusted the grim Colby dust (mud really with all that rain!) from our wet, cold feet.
A hours later we stopped to gas up, get some chicken nuggets for Gus (I know but he hadn't eaten much) and continued on.
Later a stop for food at the favorite Chik fil e and we continued through Denver traffic.
We hit the mountains and started up on light rain, through the snow dusted tree tops, up and down and all around to winter park!
A quick stop to get our keys, trips up to the 2nd floor with luggage, baths for the girls, setting up the rooms and lots of tired joy. After bedtime Shaw and Liz went to the grocery and liquor store then returned to enjoy a fire, some snacks and a drink. Then off to sweet dreams after an emotionally and physically exhausting day. God is good. Colorado is beautiful!
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