Our morning, cars and friends

I don't even know how to describe this morning, but it's waaaay too much for a facebook post.  On our way home from Galveston, the car shuddered and clunked out of gear as we approached a stop sign in Hempstead.  We had it towed to our shop in College Station and Katie came to rescue us and bring me and the kids home.  We squeezed all three carseats into the back seat of the Ford and drove it around while the van was at the shop.  Shop said it was a radiator problem that overheated the transmission.  Radiator and some tubes replaced, several hundred dollars spent and we were happy to pick up the van, yesterday.  Even though we needed to replace the battery, too, we were grateful that we didn't need the transmission replaced.  It definitely felt like a transmission problem to us.

Last night we replaced the carseats in the van (a sweaty process) and I was really happy with how tight we got the seats.  Then, on the way home from dropping off Tony at work, the car shuddered once, and a minute later did the clunk again and seemed to drop out of gear.  I was on the highway and barely made it into the shoulder.  Turned off car due to smell, called Tony.  After a while, with Tony's encouragement, I turned the car back on.  Drive engaged just a little to give the car some power.  I made it down the exit lane and off the highway, across 2 lanes of the access road all coasting.  The gas would not engage the engine, it was like it was in neutral.  Thankfully, there's an autoshop (not our normal one) on that same access road.  I made it to the little bit of turn lane that leads to the parking lot.  So I was off the access road but not completely in the parking lot.  That bit of lane had just enough of an incline that the car couldn't get over it.  I slammed the brakes and stopped her right there.  I asked Tony to call the shop because I didn't have the number and tell them to come out and push me into the lot.  My saviours!!  I was so happy to see those 4 men walking our way.

I can't even begin to tell you how irate I am with our initial shop and how tempted I am to transfer all of our automotive business to Christian Brother's Automotive.  They're waiting room was SOOOOOO clean and nice!!  The manager even offered coloring pages and crayons for the kids along with J-U-I-C-E (he had the foresight to spell it out to me instead of announcing it in the kids' presence).

Tony called our original shop and they sent a wrecker to tow the van back to their shop.  I'm so ticked to pick up our van after spending so much money and have it break down with EXACTLY the same problem as we had in the beginning.  Problem NOT solved, guys!  I'm certainly not the one that should be talking to them right now.

At Christian Brothers, I called our dear neighbors who gladly drove over so we could transfer all the carseats again and get the kids and myself home.  This is the second time this very LOVING family has saved us from car trouble.  Now we'll be squeezing the carseats back into the Ford.  I think the kids like it, they can both see and touch George and he can see them.  Now I need to calm down and pray for understanding since all I can think are nasty things about our mechanics and how if they charge us even a penny it'll make me feel like screaming.

And now, so you don't feel denied, here are some pictures from a pool party & family visits from a couple weeks ago.  I still haven't loaded our beach pictures.