Getaway

Since we have been saving and saving for the adoption, we haven't really gone anywhere in a while. Gone anywhere to get away, that is. So my hubby and I decided to take the boys and go camping for an extra-long weekend.

I really needed to forget about everything adoption and get up in the high elevation and see God's beautiful country. I was excited. We all were. Chad wanted to get away from everything work, and relax. No cell phones, no TV, it was going to be GREAT.

We left on Thursday afternoon and headed up. We found the perfect campsite, right on the lake,

and maneuvered the pop-up in just the right spot. We decided that he would begin popping up the camper and I would go pay for our three-night stay. I didn't want to take the dog with me and so I put her in the truck and headed up the hill to the self-pay station. "Should I roll down the window?" I asked myself. "Naaaa, it's cool out here, and besides, I will be right back."

Came back from paying and proceeded to empty the truck. Well, I tried. The doors were locked. Huh, that's funny, why would Chad lock the doors while I was away?

Me: "Hey, babes, do you have the keys?"

Chad: "What keys?"

Me: "The key's to the truck." (hello!)

Chad: . . . feeling his pockets for the keys. "I think I left them in there."

Me: . . . starting to panic, while running to the truck to see if, in fact, they were in the ingnition.

"Uh,Ohhhhhhh."

My sweet hubby then calmly went into the trailer to get a coat hanger (that we have used for roasting marshmallows) and tried for AN HOUR to get the door unlocked.

He stayed calm, and I panicked. ALL of our food, clothes, bedding . . . EVERYTHING was in that truck. Locked. No cell phone (in the truck). My cell was dying and I couldn't get service. Wouldn't help anyway, who would we call? No one had a key to our house and therefore couldn't get our spare key. We were a good hour from home and had NO way of getting back safely. It was going to be getting dark in about two hours and we were stuck. In the wilderness. No food. No coats. Nothing.

We were contemplating breaking a small window, when a guy in a BIG truck stopped, rolled down his window and said, "I hope that's your vehicle!" We laughed. (ha, ha, ha . . . funny, dude!) Then his friend pulled up behind him and they both got out. We explained to them what had happened. The two guys and Chad ended up prying the door enough so that the coat hanger cleared the weather strip and then he pushed the unlock button with it. An absolute miracle! They then told us that they were just in the area looking around! They were at the right place at the right time. It took them less than ten minutes to help us.(I was shocked that they stopped.) They were from Washington and they were camped pretty far from where we were. We thanked them excessively and were totally thankful they came, and even stopped.

When they left, I said to my oldest son, "I believe those two men were Angels. We... were just touched by Angels." (Which happens to be my favorite show on TV right now. They have such good messages!)

Who would have known that a little three-pound dog would have locked the doors!

It was an important lesson for all of us. Next time I see someone that needs help, I will stop and offer. If they would have not stopped and helped, I still don't know what would have became of our getaway. What started as horrible, ended up as one of the BEST 'vacations' we have ever had as a family.

We . . .

. . . hiked,

. . . rock climbed. (Not really). Kind of a cool picture, though. The rock is only two-feet off the ground.

. . . echoed. (I'm pretty sure that's not a real word, but you get the idea.)

. . . fished.

. . . . roasted s'mores, relaxed, read and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

We came back Sunday, burned, filthy, exhausted but, pleasantly happy.

It ended up being a GREAT getaway and just what we all needed.