This is the post that I will entitle
I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING

It all started last Thursday; a 'low coolant' warning came on in my Suburban. 'No problem, I'll just pop by the mechanic's place and have them fill it on my way to pick up the kids on Friday AM (on our way to the mountains).' Everything was just dandy until 11:30am when the mechanic told me my water pump was done. "WHAT(%* Say that again!" They could fix it quickly but it was going to take a while. I scooped up the kids and dropped off the car. We walked to McDonalds and had lunch and they played while we waited, waited, waited. Waited so long they were done and asking to leave, lol!

After a couple of hours, we got the fixed car, picked up the dog and raced to retrieve my MIL who was waiting at a hotel to be picked up. We were three hrs. behind my original schedule but the silver lining is that I was able to drive up to Big Bear with a new water pump.

Fast forward two hours, we are 12 miles from the cabin. And I hit a boulder. It looked like a ball of snow (even my MIL said she would have gone over it.) Immediately I lose all oil pressure and kill the engine so I don't burn up my motor. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. So I have a Suburban FULL of groceries, luggage, 4 kids, a dog, and two adults. "Hello, AAA; um, we need a tow truck." The lady took a deep breath and wasn't sure how they were going to transport us (lol!) but Collin came to the rescue and picked us up. It was going to be a two hour wait. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. 35 degrees outside and no engine for warmth. Silver lining = no one was hurt; I was near a large turn-out to pull over; I was only a few miles away from town and the repair shop.

Saturday Collin had to drive down the mountain to retrieve parts for the mountain mechanic, so I took all four kids skiing alone. I hung with Ian while the three bigger ones practiced on the bunny slopes. The one random time I was riding with Amanda JUST as we got on the lift her nose starts to bleed. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. Being a Mom, OF COURSE I have tissues, but one short lift ride and three tissues full of blood. They called ski patrol/first aid for me but it stopped after a short bit. Silver lining = I was with her at the right time and it was just a random altitude thing. No biggie. Collin met us after lunch and Ian was skiing green slopes from top to bottom after his lesson. YEAH!

Had a great king crab fest dinner on Saturday night. On Sunday, Collin drove down the mountain yet again for Sean's basketball playoff game. They won! Our friend Dale walked to retrieve my fixed car before the mechanic closed. I skied with the others and they met up with us later in the afternoon. Family skiing; really, really fun. Had a great steak dinner and watched some of the Oscars. Sean turned NINE but was way too exhausted and grumpy to enjoy cake. It was a nice evening visiting with the Messinas and my MIL and niece. The fireplace had an issue with filling the room with smoke no matter what we did so that was a bummer, but it was a really nice rental. Then, Amanda starts puking around midnight. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. I guess she puked from 12-5am. Silver lining = I was downstairs sleeping with Maggie and Collin handled the Amanda illness. She was better by 10am and was fine for the drive home. My drive shaft had a ding in it from the boulder so my car vibrated the whole way home if I went more than 55mph. Not a shimmy but a vibration that made everything fuzzy and my brain hurt after two hours.

So our weekend was pretty much an adventure. Or a comedy of errors. Silver lining = we spent time with friends and family and we still all love each other.