Lessons of Hooky Day

I feel like a bit of a failure in the Aunt Meg department since sweet baby Hayden was born.  I haven't snuggled her enough.  I haven't been there to support my sister in the flesh when she needed help celebrating her baby girl's arrival.  And, despite our best efforts, schedules kept getting in the way of me actually getting to Lewistown to spend any meaningful time with Hayden and Brooke without my own kids being along.  So Libby and I started planning weeks ago for yesterday to be our first "hooky day" in a long time.  (We coined the term "hooky day" when Brooke was born, and I would sneak away during the day when Joshua wouldn't even know I was going to Lewistown, so that I could have some time just with Libby and Brooke.)  Things have gotten so much more complicated since then with the addition of two more Dugan kids that I have to get away without, and with school pick up schedules to arrange for.  But...yesterday was the day.

I had the van loaded and ready to go- 3 and 6 month clothes to share with Hayden (who, by the way, has taken quite a growth spurt over the past few weeks since I've seen her last), everything I needed for the day, and....how can I forget...Mara, who ended up needing to come along with me.  This turned out to be quite a blessing.

We enjoyed a wonderful morning.  Play time with the girls, lots of Hayden snuggles, Aunt Libby and Brooke getting to enjoy Mara without the chaos that usually ensues when we get all 5 of the kids together.  Libby made a delicious Weight Watchers friendly lunch that was greatly appreciated by this Weight Watcher who is desperately trying to regain control of her body after six years of sacrificing it for the sake of either making, gorwing or feeding a baby.  We even got to enjoy a little visit with Danaca, Mom and a quick stop off by my Dad too.  What a great day!

Until...

The flakes started to fly.  And it wasn't the flying that created the issue, but rather the sticking.  And the ice.

I thought I was leaving in plenty of time, but it turns out I wasn't even close.  After a very scary turn onto 522 when I realized that the back end of the van wasn't going in the same direction as the front, I realized that I was in trouble and quickly called Jason to let him know that my arrival back home would likely need to be tomorrow morning.  I was headed to the first safe place I could find to turn around and head back to Mom and Dad's house to wait this out.  However, before I got that far, an accident stopped us dead in our tracks along 522 for over an hour.  By the grace of God, Mara was exhausted from a hard day of playing and rearranging everything in Libby's house, so she was alseep in her seat, oblivious to all that was happening.  I can't believe my praying didn't wake her up!  To make a long story short, I ended up having to call my Dad for a rescue, and he and Zig came to my aid.  Thankfully, after traffic finally started moving, I was able to get my vehicle into someone's driveway that they knew and who had agreed that I could leave it there for the night until it was safer to travel.  Dad picked Mara and I up and took us back to their house where we would tuck in for the night. 

Here are a few of the blessings I found through this "adventure"...

1.  I have long been saying that my diaper bag is out of control.  Well, the scumpteen diapers I had in the diaper bag came in quite handy, as did the extra diaper cream, lotion and brush that I always wonder why I carry.  Well, when you're stranded, you just might need those things.

2.  I often think I go a little overboard in the packing department when we go somewhere, but I almost always have a cooler with milk, snacks and little extras that we are unlikely to need, but that wouldn't hurt in the case of an emergency.  We dug into that stash of snacks quite a bit to keep a confused little girl a little happier as we were juggling her from place to place last evening. 

3.  My van stinks in the snow.  Just saying.

4.  Buying Mom and iPad for Christmas was the gift that keeps on giving because I was able to charge my iPhone on her charger.  Having a cell phone that was working was quite a blessing for the trip back home today.

5.  Having Mara along with me was such a blessing.  Although she is starting to self wean from nursing, I fear that Jason would have had a very long night with her at home if I had not been there.  Make no mistake that things happen the way they do for a reason, and I have no doubt the Lord was looking out for all of us by setting the circumstances to be such that Mara was with me. 

6.  Face Time is the best thing ever.  I was missing the big kids so badly last night.  I hardly ever am away from the kids overnight--- it just feels so unnatural to me to be away from them.  But seeing their smiling faces and being able to hear that they were being good for Daddy, and to be able to tell them that I loved them did my heart good. 

7.  No matter if I am a grown adult, when you're in trouble, having your Mom and Dad come to your rescue still feels like when you were a little girl, scared of the dark in your bedroom, and somehow just being with them makes it OK.  I know that Jason appreciated knowing that Mara and I were safe when he wasn't able to get to us to help us.  I am so grateful for my Dad and Zig and their help, and for the way my mom does what she does so well in getting us home and comfortable.  It was an added blessing to have some one on one time with them as well.

Let's just say that I will be happy to be at home, with my family, in my own bed tonight.   As Libby and I discussed today, we'll resume hooky days when there is "zero chance of snow".  Amen, sister.