I have a confession!

Don't trust me to tell you if you have enough gas to get from point A to point B. Steve asked me that very question just before we crossed into the US on our return trip last Wednesday. I said "ABSOLUTELY!" Well, I am sure you can tell where this is going!

We ended up about 8 miles shy of our appointed refueling spot. A little over 2 hours, $35 for a jump start, 1 mile walk, ride to and back from a gas station, borrowed fuel can, and a stop at Advanced Auto to test the battery; we were on our way again.

Lily amazed me at how well she handled everything. We hung out in the car while Daddy did the dirty work. A NY state trooper came up behind us and kept his lights (so no one would run into us) until we were underway again.

The guy at Advanced suggested we drive w/o heat or lights for about an hour, so the battery could build it's charge back up! We stopped counting at 6-7 people who were trying their best to persuade us to turn our lights on. (It was at the point where having your lights on doesn't help you see - it really just helps others see you)

Thanks Steve for keeping your cool. I know it was my fault and you didn't rub it in. BTW, you can trust me now about whether to get gas or not. I will always say stop and get it from now on!

What's in a name?

I'll post more about our trip in the next couple of days, but for the big announcement . . .

We're going to be Aunt and Uncle to yet another Robey come the end of June!

Can't wait to meet him or her. Kim posted to her blog a picture of their family with an anonymous baby's face and question mark over it asking for name submissions. Very cute!

"Shoes"

Lily insisted on putting on the "shoes" you see in the picture. Yes, they are our stockings. SHe has been calling them shoes since I put them in the window. Her shopping cart and "shoes" kept her busy while we unloaded the car after we arrived home on Thursday.

First Toboggan Ride

We took Lily out for her first sled ride on Christmas Eve in Canada. It was very icy, cold, and WINDY. She didn't seem upset, but wasn't very excited either. I think it was a tad too cold and icy . . . The wind caught the plastic garbage can lid that I was carrying up the hill. It whacked me in the eye. I had a sore eye and nose for 24 hours. Fortunately, I didn't end up with the black eye that I thought I might get!

Milkshakes

We stopped at a Chick-fil-a for Lily to play in the indoor play area. I felt kind of bad about bringing in our own food, but you know me cheapskate! We bought a milkshake on the way out to help ease my mind. I do believe that Lily ended up eating at least a third of the huge milkshake. I took a couple of pics of her gulping down the milkshake in the carseat, but I don't have anyway of uploading them right now. I will do that as soon as I can (maybe not until we return home on Thursday).

Clepto (sp?)

Yes, we have a daughter who was trying to take motor oil (of all things) last night. We had stopped at a Sheetz for gas and got out Lily's push toy. We've done this a couple of times on our trips and it helps get her energy out.

Gas stations usually have displays of windshield washer fluid, oil, etc. Lily's toy has a compartment under the seat to store things. After passing the oil several times, she stopped, lifted the lid, and proceeded to start putting a quart of motor oil in the compartment. We were laughing so hard. Wish we had video of the whole experience. After she put a second quart in her push toy, mommy made her put them both back. She dropped them several time as she couldn't seem to get a grip on them.

Christmas Spirit

People seem to always talk about the "Christmas spirit" around this time of year, but it is especially nice when you get to experience it for yourself.

Yesterday morning we went to McDs for a cheap breakfast. We got their 2 for $2. I asked Steve if he wanted OJ or if pop was okay (free refills on pop that we could share). Just trying to save a little money. The cashier must have over heard me ask. After we sat down, she brought us a free OJ and said, "I have three kids."

Then I stopped at the Post Office to see if a pkg had arrived (present that we needed to take on our trip to Canada). They couldn't find it and I resigned myself to going to Canada w/o it. As I was pulling out of the parking space, the mail lady came running out of the post office with the package! She almost missed us.

When we reached the Canadian border last night about 11:45 pm, we had NO wait. Not a single car in front of us. The border patrol has never been rude, but not always the most friendly. Last night, we had the sweetest man who actually engaged us in an albeit short conversation that had nothing to do with the typical border questions! He was kind and made us smile and laugh!

While none of this really are a big deal to most people, they made my VERY long day yesterday brighter and much more pleasant!