A Thanksgiving to Remember

Things I learned this holiday season:

1.  Good Samaritans still exist.
2.  Prayers ARE answered.
3.  Be prepared.
4.  There are seat warmers in Excursions.
5.  Deer cause damage.
6.  Wade is so awesome.
7.  My kids do have patience.
8.  If you play together, stay together.

Let me elaborate.  Wednesday night we took the kids to the movies in Cody.  It's an annual tradition at Thanksgiving.  We went with the Broederlows and the movie was good - Old Dogs.  William was a little terrorized by the gorilla - but the rest of us laughed.    On our ways home, a mile from home to be precise, we hit a gorgeous 4-pt buck.  He didn't survive and we did some damage to our vehicle.  Wade was bummed.  The boys slept through it.

Thursday went without a hitch.  The Aagards descended on our home and it was a fabulous meal with great family and lots of fun.    We really had a great day.  It was followed by a normal Friday catching up on stuff around the house and visiting with Chad's family.

Then came Saturday.  It's a day we won't forget soon.  We left about 10am to keep the tradition of cutting a Christmas tree on the Big Horns and go sledding.  We know a great spot to sled with the kids and they had so much fun with cousins- Chad's family and Kim's family went with us.   After sledding, Chad went home, and Kim and us still had to find our tree.  We tried to stay by Kim and her family to make sure they got home OK and didn't get stuck.  They passed us and then it was up to us  to get our tree. 

After several sitings, we finally pulled over and Wade walked over to some beautiful tree.  He found one too.  It is full and green and gorgeous.  I'm excited to decorate it.  He tied it to the Excursion and then started to go.  The snow had different plans for us.  As he started to accelerate, it  was slippery enough to be sucked  into the borrow pit.  It was deep snow, deeper than we thought.  Wade and I tried for quite a while - but we were limited without a shovel, or flashlight, or tow rope, or sand. ( I could go on with the list.) He put me on the highway to stop trucks for help, Erin was assigned to pray, and he kept working on the Excursion.   Not a lot of traffic on the Big Horns - but finally a couple from Powell stopped and graciously helped us.  They didn't have a rope - but they had a strong vehicle and a shovel.  They helped shovel and shovel and shovel.  They had little kids in their car too and I was hoping for a quick retrieval of our Excursion.  It wasn't to be.  They helped for well over an hour and daylight was gone when we finally decided to go to the nearest lodge and ask for a chain or help.  Wade went with the Good Samaritans and I stayed with the kids.

While Wade was gone, two other trucks stopped that could help - one had a chain.  One guy was convinced that we were so stuck that we needed two chains, but the two strangers helped us anyway.  I told the kids that a stranger might be in the Excursion to help us - and to not freak out.  They didn't - yay!!  The chain was hooked to the white truck and betweent he two men - it worked!  It was such a relief to see the Excursion on the highway and out of the borrow pit!!!  I couldn't thank them enough.

I stayed on the highway with my lights on - and waited for Wade's return.  I did not want to get stuck again.  It was about a half hour later and he showed up - and was also relieved to see us out and safe.  So we thanked our new friends and off we went.  SLOWLY.  Something happened using the 4 wheel drive in the snow and it would not get out of low gear.  Despite Wade's efforts, we maxed out at 30 mph. I mentioned that my seat was really warm - Wade was concerned that the smell he was smelling was  burning seat, but we kept going.  Come to find out - the seat have seat warmers and the kids found the buttons while we were working on getting out.  It's a long way between the Big Horns and Burlington at 30 mph.  Keep in mind, the Aagards are really getting worried at this point when we didn't show up for dinner.  Also, add to the mix that their it NO cell service where we are.  No towers on the Big Horns. 

We pretended we were on a parade, we sang the Twelve Days of Christmas and every other song we thought we may know the words to.  The kids were amazing.  We did bring some snacks - but they were gone by the time we headed off the mountain, so we stopped at my cousin's house in Shell for some help.  She was not there.  We couldn't find any phone, and so I left her a note and stole some cookies for the kids that she had laying out.  We kept going home - SLOWLY.

No cell service.  Wade was sure we could get service in Greybull so we just kept going.  As we came to Greybull - Wade got a hold of his family and they already called the Highway Department looking for us.  Leonard, our bro- in-law caught up with us and followed us the rest of the way home.  We got to Burlington at 8:30pm.  Much later than expected, but we were not frozen, intact, and home.  Kim had a great dinner ready for us and I think we inhaled it. 

We were so tired and exhausted.  This morning we are glad to be a alive and well and thanked the good Lord for answered prayers - again.  It's a Christmas tree to be treasured and remembered.

 Merry Christmas!