Thankful we made it alive!

So it was an eventful trip to WWU with Joshua...
We took two cars so he would have his car at school - but also because he had so much stuff it was that or rent a trailer...because he moved OUT :(
So we were traveling down the Gorge...we were behind schedule leaving town an hour late but glad to be on our way.  Jeff and I comfy in the air conditioned Tahoe and the brothers in Josh's car without air conditioning :)
Two hours in I had reclined my seat and nodded off when all of the sudden Jeff was slamming on the breaks and a car was skidding sideways across the lane in front of us, breaks locked up and squealing. I saw the car slide just in front of us and go off the road onto the gravel shoulder just missing the rock wall and coming very close to rolling over...

 Her tire had separated...By the time I ran up to her she was just getting out of the car clearly shaken up and crying... She was from Chehallis driving alone, to Bose for her 2nd year of college.
We started to help her change her tire - lucky girl I thought, two handsome teenagers and one handsome man coming to her rescue :)
Jeff was laying in the dirt and rock trying to get the jack going when the first State Patrol stopped...very soon after that a second state patrol stopped...it was at that time we decided to let them take over and we got back in our cars and headed down the road...thinking about how close we had come to all being in a very serious accident...

We decided to take a break at the rest area just west of Boardman...
Funny thing about this rest area...years and years ago when I was dating Jeff, I had driven my moms car I became stranded at this very rest area...I always think about that when I go by.  I had to call Jeff from the pay phone he towed me it was all very damsel in distress...

Anyway...when we got back into the car, it wouldn't start...
Nothing but some ominous clicking...

Hoping it was just the battery but knowing that would be highly unusual we were happy to have a second car and promptly tried to jump it...noting that it was the old car in position to help the newer car...

Nothing...

I have not married a mechanic...OBVIOUSLY :)
We started making phone calls it was 4:45 and EVERY auto repair shop was closing in 15 min and would not reopen until Monday...

By blood pressure was on its way up...

After a phone call to a repair shop, tow company and two helpful passer byes - all suggesting we "bang on the starter" Jeff began banging on what he had determined to be the starter...(later a friendly passer by gently pointed out that Jeff had been banging on the alternator and showed him where the starter was hiding... :)

Admitting defeat we told the tow truck driver to come knowing that we would be towed to Hermaston and Jeff's brother would have to come rescue us and all of the stuff that needed to get moved into Josh's dorm....

Knowing we would then be stuck in town until whatever time they could fix our previously smooth working vehicle on Monday...grrr...........

We had sent the boys on so they could at least move some of the stuff in.

Mr. Tow truck driver arrived and he was AWESOME :)
Jeff once again on the ground under the car was trying to"bang on it" - but with no effect...

I fully expected the tow truck driver to just hook us up and drag us off charging an outrageous amount per inch that he pulled us...

Instead he crawled on the ground and began banging on the starter...
For 15 min he kept tinkering and banging and telling me to turn the key to start it...
And then a miracle happened and all that banging worked and the car started!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RELIEF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then he smiled and said "have a nice day" - we asked about paying and he said "no charge"
Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(yes, we are signing up for AAA this week) :)

And then we drove for 10 min and a semi passed kicked up a rock and cracked our windshield...
SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then 6.5 hours after leaving we finally arrived at Walla Walla University...
This will be his room when school begins...he's excited about the loft beds...they are still cleaning etc they will have desks under each bed eventually...

But for now they are putting all the soccer players on the ground floor.
It was great to see his room and help move in...
Being a female I felt lucky to allowed in - because I had never been in the boys dorm before! :)

The bed test :) Thankfully he fits!

Its too bad that his uncle is moving over here but he still has two cousins and his great-grandparents living there so that helps me feel better about leaving him.
That's my oldest niece...isn't she adorable!  She will now be "watching over" her cousin :)

My hearts just melts to see these guys together.  They won't admit it but its obvious they have missed each other...I really hope they remain close through the years.

My heart hurts to think that he has now moved out of his room, his childhood and into a whole new world that the rest of us are just not a part of...
I know its what is supposed to happen...
I am very proud of him...
I know, I know...
But man its hard....

Saying goodbye at the dorm last night...

I love them so stinkin much!


Frychik