A Tornando with Silver Linings

The boys and I headed back down to Georgia on July 22nd with missions to complete. 

1. Clean out house

2.Donate items to the homeless ministry.

3. Sign for closing of the house.

4. Get the Honda Pilot to a friend for her to purchase for her kiddo.

5. Let Isaac visit with friends.

6. See Pelvic Floor Therapist.

7.. Pack up Laura's truck and head back to Massachusetts.

8. See family.

9. Get Eli's braces off.

Well this trip.instead of a whirlwind, was a tornando.

We left Massachusetts to head to Virginia to stay the night in Richmond with our friends parents and they happened to.be there so it was a win-win. The trip down was a venture through Manhatten, over 3 bridges, through several tunnels, payed several tolls and stop and go traffic the whole way. I think we made it around 10p.m..  We visited for a minute, but I was so pooped from our drive I headed to bed so.we could finish up the second leg of our drive the following day. No problems there, well minus a pullover to deal with boys who were fighting over pillows. I mean there were 4 pillows amd 3 kids, but we still couldn't figure out that problem. 

Made it back to the house and as soon as I pull into the driveway the check engine light comes on with the traction button. 

Okay, I make a plan to take it to Pepboys the next day and decidrd to meet Isaac's dad for dinner.

We sit down amd order and the phone rings. It's our realtor who kindly tells me We may not be signing for the house on Friday due to the buyers missing some tax paperwork. What? This may not seem like a big deal but this os 3 times we've tried to close on this house. I'm here to sign, that's the whole reason we came. Okay, hopefully it works out( side note- it's the next Wednesday now and they apparently just got it and we leave tomorrow).

Sunday I took the car into pep boys and they looked.it over reported back that everything was looking good and computing at, at least 80% and a misfire may happen in the future but as of right now doesn't see anything wrong. Awesome, good deal. 

The next few days are filled with packing, moving things to storage or good will and waiting for the homeless ministry to come pick up items. I have to.gove a shout out to Isaac's mom- she busted her tail in lifting furniture, moving things, climbing ladders. There wasn't anything she looked at and said no can't move that.  Anyways,

The ministry shows up. They take our items and 1 dresser drawer that I needed to keep for a dresser.

So now I have a dresser with a missing drawer, cause the guy swears they didn't take it. He did, but okay.

In the midst of all this I have to visit an ENT. it wasn't on my list, but my ears have been so clogged for a month now that I can barely hear a thing. I get in, they do a test- yep you can't hear. The doc says to me, if we can't get it to pop we have to put tubes in "you know like what they do for babies?" but that's a procedure that you put people to sleep doing? "babies." Hmm okay, 2 days later I just told him I needed more time and maybe they will pop. This wasn't something I had planned on doing while down here. I needed to mentally prepare. He agreed, I mean they aren't his ears. Sidenote- THEY POPPED!!

So Keeping on with my.mission for house stuff, I pack up the pilot to take some items to my sisters house and get half way there when the car starts shaking, the engine light is back but rather aggressive this time and is blinking. I call pepboys she says "well the engine mis-fired. Don't drive it, have it towed back to us." Great. Also not part of the plan. I get to Rachel's, get the car towed, Rach takes me home and now I wait to hear. 

Two days pass and they say we can't fix it, it needs to get to the dealership. Great. Have it towed and wait to hear. In the meantime I got a rental to get us around. They call on Monday and say it's an engine failure. We would need to break it down and replace the pistons at $6000. Nope not worth it. So off to the junk house it goes. I got enough to cover the rental. 

SILVER LININGS.- I choose to look for Joy in all my situations: Good, bad, ugly. I have to. I'd rather find a positive then see all the wrongs. Plus it helps me to see God working in my life. The biggest piece I walked away with this week was that my car broke down in my familiar surroundings. Where it was safe for me to ask for help and know I could count on the people around me amd I knew where I was. It didn't happen in the middle of Manhattan, or on the George Washington Bridge, or in the Lincoln Tunnel. No it happened on Five Forks Teickum in Lawrenceville Georgia. It also happened to me and not to my friend's 16 year old daughter. I mean I'd rather it be me then a teenager. My boys weren't with me. So I didn't have to worry about them on top of the extra stress.

I can't say enough thank yous to the people who helped us out the past 2 weeks. From taking us places, picking us up on Sunday morning, letting us stay at thier house, taking the boys, taking me home while my car was being towed, helping move items into storage, meet ups for dinner just to get my mind off it all, going with me to the ENT, helping pay for items to be removed,  giving us a place to stay while down here, using their vehicle to transport us. I mean I am so Blessed and so Grateful. That is the silver lining of my tornado of a visit to Georgia. Where nothing went as planned, but in the end I can see the Joy.

However, I am ready to be back in Massachusetts with Sir Isaac and this crazy adventure we have in many ways just begun.  Until next time.