For years I've promised myself that I would be at Stake Conference when my dad was released as the stake president. I didn't get to be there when he was called, and, in fact, I don't think I've ever attended a stake conference he's presided over. So, for the last couple of months since I've known the actual date of his release, I knew that I would be in Fort Collins that weekend. Plans were in place to check the kids out of school early on Friday and drive over that afternoon. Bags were packed, teachers had been notified and we were ready to go.
And then. . .
the rains came down and the floods came up!
Within a few hours my decade-long plan seemed to be going down the drain...literally.
By mid-morning on Friday it appeared that all roads leading to my parents house from Laramie were closed. It wasn't a matter of choosing not to go. I simply couldn't get there. So, I shrugged my shoulders (with only a little bit of whining to Dave :), unpacked my bags, and began making plans for a weekend at home with the kids. But I was SAD that I was going to miss it.
After a Friday Family Movie Night complete with pizza, the kids and I all enjoyed sleeping in on Saturday morning. We had a leisurely big breakfast and mosied around in our pajamas before getting ready for the day. Dave called to tell me that the closed roads in Fort Collins were now open. That was all I needed to hear! In just over an hour, I had all the bags repacked, the van loaded, the kids pottied, and we were ready to go.
I was feeling pretty good as we began that drive, pushing the speed limit a bit and doing all I could safely do to get us to Fort Collins in time for the adult session. We breezed past Afton, Cokeville, and Kemmerer where both girls fell blissfully asleep. Carson was content to watch his movie and I was excited about the gift of the weekend in front of me.
BANG!!
Carson and I both jumped at the loud noise that seemed to hit on the left side of the car. I thought something had hit us, but I'd been watching the road and hadn't seen debris of any kind. I kept listening and watching for a minute until sure enough, the car began making loud strange sounds. I pulled over, opened my door, and was not surprised to see that the rear driver tire was completely flat.
Within seconds of pulling over, however, a red truck pulled up behind me. A thin, tattooed, middle-aged man got out and asked if I was alright. He told me he didn't like to see anyone, man or woman, stuck on the side of the road and he'd be glad to help me. Given the fact that we were in the middle of nowhere and I hadn't changed a tire in years (okay, let's be honest. . .I hadn't changed a tire since Young Women's when they were trying to teach us car self-reliance and even then I didn't actually do the whole thing), I was glad to accept his offer. Thank goodness it was broad daylight on a barren two-lane road with large semis passing regularly. The man seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He asked me to put the emergency brake on and take all the kids out of the van and keep them far up on the shoulder, away from traffic. I did what he asked, chucked all of our stuff (except the giant suitcase) into the back seat and let him get to work. He pulled out an old towel to kneel on, gave me some advice for changing a tire in the future, and told me a couple of stories about trying to help other people with flats. He said, "You know, it's interesting...you don't really know that I'm a good guy." To which I replied, "But I'm sincerely hoping that you are!" He told me about trying to help a van full of Asian people (men and women) on the way to Saint George. When they saw him approaching, they locked the doors and ignored him, all looking absolutely terrified that he was near their car. They missed out.
This guy took care of everything, even loading my suitcase back into the trunk, gave me some pointers on getting it fixed, and then told me he wouldn't leave until he'd seen me get the kids settled and back on the road without any problems. I told him thank you, waved as I climbed back in the van, and then drove off, fully expecting to see him pass me as I limped along on the donut at 50 miles per hour. I watched my rear-view mirror, hoping to be able to wave one more thank you his way. I watched, and watched, and watched, but he never passed me. All I can figure is that he must have turned around and headed back to Kemmerer, although I can't imagine why. It was interesting, and slightly mysterious, but mostly I'm just super thankful he showed up when he did and that he really was a good guy. So thank you, mysterious Wyoming Good Samaritan!
We slowly made our way to I-80 and then on to Rock Springs, about 40 miles or so. I was relieved to be able to exit the highway without causing any accidents. We headed up to the Wal-Mart tire shop that Dave had called ahead to and let them take care of our flat. We meandered around Wal-Mart, walked over to Quiznos for lunch, and then returned to find that the tire was unfixable. Two hours and $115 later, we were back on I-80 heading towards Fort Collins. By Rawlins, the rain hit hard. We filled up there and had a potty stop (which was crazy stressful because I thought Carson had been kidnapped for about 5 minutes when he was really just taking his own sweet time in the bathroom) and then were back on the rain-soaked road. The windshield wipers could barely keep up with the rain as darkness set in. For about the next 150 miles, I prayed constantly, hoping we wouldn't die as I did all I could to SEE the road and keep the car ON the road. My fingers were gripping the steering wheel so tight I had to remind myself to flex them and breathe so I could continue driving.
But. . . we made it!
Our final obstacle in my mind was the bridge over the Poudre River on College Avenue. The bridge had been closed the day before, and I worried that with all the new rain Saturday evening they would close it again. And then what would we do? Turn around and go back eight hours in the dark and pouring rain? We were all on the edge of our seats as we approached the bridge and were so relieved to see cars going across with no troubles. Blessed relief to have made it!
We were ecstatic to see Dave, Grandpa and Grandma McClure, Uncle Riley and Aunt Kacie. We got to meet Uncle Riley's new bunny, Muffins. We snacked and just let our bodies unwind before heading to bed.
Stake Conference on Sunday morning was wonderful. We got to hear both Grandpa and Grandma McClure bear their testimonies and see how much the people of the stake love them and appreciate the service they've given. I'm glad that Carson (really all the kids, but Carson will remember it best) had a chance to see his grandpa serve as a stake president, even if it was just the last meeting he conducted. I hope he'll remember it.
We came home for a quick lunch, put Joely down for a nap, and then Dave and I drove to Johnstown to see how our house fared after the rain. The builders were 2 or 3 days away from getting the roof on and the siding down when the rain hit, and our poor little house was drenched. There was a half inch of water on the floor at every level and mud was everywhere. It was really disconcerting and disappointing. We just hope they get it all dried and cleaned out before they move forward with the construction.
Grandpa finished up his meetings with the new stake presidency and the general authorities and was home that evening. Everyone seemed a little shell-shocked and not quite sure what to think about all the changes. We sat and visited and simply enjoyed a quiet evening together.
Monday morning came way too fast. Dave was up and out the door by 5:15 am, and the kids and I followed a few hours later. Luckily, the rain wasn't nearly as bad on the way home (daylight helped the drive as well). We were able to make great time on the way home and got to Freedom in time for dinner at the ranch with the Robinsons, Grandpa Jex, and Great-Grandpa and Grandma Jex. We went from one family party to another!
All in all, the weekend was exhausting, scary, a bit crazy, and wonderful! I'm so glad the roads opened and the kids and I made it to Fort Collins despite all the obstacles that came up. It was a trip to remember!
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