To the Rescue

Leaving Raytown, Missouri, at 5 PM

   When you know family is traveling half-way across the country and you receive a call before 7 AM, you begin to quiver. Hopes run high that they have just had car trouble or a minor accident; instead or injury or death.
   "Dad, this is Jan. We're stuck in Denver."
   We've rescued them from 
   1. Rawlings, Wyoming, when Jan caught a ride onto Raytown and DeRay drove over and hauled the rest of them back to Fruit Heights while their car was being repaired. Then a week later, drove them back to Rawlings to send them on their way.
   2. Panguitch. When Brent left his family on the sidewalk and rode his bike up to Duck Creek where we were camping to get help.
   3. Marysvale. When Brent and Jan broke down on a Sunday morning. We got the part in Richfield but couldn't get it together until a lone man on a bike came along claiming he was a certified mechanic in three states breaking it loose and getting  us on the road again. (See the Fourth Nephite.)
   You get the picture.
   At 3 AM, Jan was following a truck when suddenly, without warning, she hit something hard and long and big in the road. They went airborne but didn't roll. Now she has a damaged car in a strange city. The insurance adjuster will come in two days. She's striving to get to a family reunion on Friday.
   No one was hurt. We count our blessings.
   DeRay's brother, Ron, has a daughter in Denver. He calls him to get her phone number. "Where are you?" DeRay asks, when Ron answers. "I'm in Denver." Ron and Lynda often go to Denver to visit children and grandchildren on the weekend. They rarely go during the week as both are still working. 
   Ron borrowed Christy's car and went to rescue Jan. He was only 11 miles away and had the time and means to help her and the children. 
   Incredible! We count that as a miracle.
. . .to be continued
   It is considered a collision and they have no collision insurance on a car with over 200,000 miles on it, so no insurance.
   Ron & Lynda are in Denver tending Christy and Doug's children while they are at a dental conference in Florida. The twins and Jonathan went to their house to sleep while Jan and Ron took care of the business of renting a car for them to proceed.
   We're not much good. We don't have an extra car to loan them since Brooke has two cars in the garage for repairs and borrowed our van to get them over the hump.
   Brent is busy with Events this month so he couldn't come. I thought he was staying home for the Jack-Cass Century - a tour of Kansas City Grand Fondo. But that was Memorial Weekend. He's busy with the Queen City Century in Springfield on June 17. It's not nearly as fun to say. Jack-Cass stands for Jackson County and Cass County, Missouri. 
    Families are infinite!
   . . .stay tuned
   They rented a new Chevy and were on their way after dinner. Lynda fed them two meals at Christy's. They arrived at reunion at 8 AM Friday morning; just in time to tour Bryce with the rest of the clan. 
   Another adventure, eh Jonathan?

In August 2004, after their van troubles in Rawlings,

as they are leaving, I say to Jonathan,

"I don't know of anyone who has had more troubles

than you have on one trip."

"I don't know of anyone who has had more adventures

than we have had on one trip," he retorts.