Home Sweet Home

Well...we made it home! WOW! Never been so glad to be home...but at the same time...I have to say I could have stayed @ Yellowstone or the Grand Tetons for a week or 2. It is just so beautiful up there. We really enjoyed our time in the 5th wheel and camping out. One thing I hope everyone understands is...we did have a great vacation despite all the truck issues. Our kids loved the experience. Yes it was stressful and not planned and we had to change our plans...but through all of this our faith has been strengthened and we have realized God's love and promise that He always takes care of us. I would like to share with you all the things that happen in a short recap of how God totally took care of us:
1st thing: Bike rack to big for bumper...had to take bikes off and put in trailer because it was bending the bumper
2: Headlight out on truck
3. Massive hail storm as we headed into Flintstone-no damage on truck!
4. Flat Tire-#1
5. truck breaks down on pass:
a. stranger pulls over with us and has a gallon of water ready to put out fire...no fire..but looked like it
b. stranger pulls over and tows us out of the road-we were in the middle of the road on a curve on a pass
c. AAA tows us to a park
d. Nicole and I were able to find a place to stay for the night.
6. Truck needs new transmission-$4,000
7. AAA won't tow us to Yellowstone-little did we know this was for the best
8. Pick up dad's truck and realize it can go forward
9. Remember Loewes are coming to South Dakota and give them a call-they will bring us a truck!
10. Nurse Dad's truck to Casper because we think AAA will tow us less than 200 miles to Cheyenne.
11. Get to Casper and truck is in the middle of intersection-strangers pull over and tow us into Burger King
12. Find out AAA wants $1000 to tow us to Cheyenne
13. Lady in Burger King offers to take us to Cheyenne
14. Get to Cheyenne and Loewes have Tim's truck for us
15. Hotel in Cheyenne- Holiday Inn-
16. Loewes follow us to Casper to get trailer-thank goodness
17. my dad finds a guy who will pick up his truck the next day and have it back in Owasso within a day or two!! Praise God!!
18. Flat tire #2-Mike has boards as jack...so easy to change tire with!! PTL they followed us!
18. Matt goes to buy tires-guy he buys them from is from Stillwater and give him a discount- in the middle of WY!!!
20. Get to Yellowstone- they saved our spots-didn't charge us for nights we missed and booked us more nights!
21. Next morning-find the Taulmans and spend day with them!! yeah!!
22. Back to Yellowstone and get a spot that is better!
23. Walk up to Old Faithful...have to wait about 3 minutes and it goes off
24. Beautiful weather in Yellowstone
25. Guy hits sit of trailer...Matt just walks out in time to see it...guy give him $20 as we were leaving Yellowstone
26. Flat tire #3...bends up fender on trailer, but all is well- while changing it there were storms all around us and God keep
them away from us.
27. Storms still all around you and I am not kidding you...there was one hole were there was no storms and that is were we
were driving!
28. Ran to low on Gas-truck wouldn't start-stranger helped Matt get it started again with the help of Uncle Tim
29. Decided to go on home and not to YQ
30. Rainbow in Wichita..reminded of God's promise...
31. Flat #4-truck driver told us about it
32. Made it home!!

Now these are just some highlights of things...we watched our kids pray in the truck as it wouldn't start. We had church on the side of the lake with them. Jaden took his first communion up there. We got to see God work in amazing ways. Now that we are home and back to church., we have had so many people comment on our trip. I feel like people just need to know we are so blessed. You know...I planned and had this all worked out for our trip...without the difficulties I would have not given God all the Glory like he deserved...I would have said to myself...great job Steph...but instead it made me realize He is in control and His plans are way better than mine. Daily He gives us opportunities for us to serve him and to see his blessings and I need to pay more attention to those. Thank you to everyone who helped us and loved us thru that week! We will always remember this!