Yeah. That wasn't ideal. But in the end, it was actually a great lesson to all of us in the power of God's tender mercies. One, since I've had to change a flat on the van before, I knew where all the pieces were and how to do it quickly. Two, the boys cheerfully got to work helping get the spare on, and then, a passing resident of the trailer park we were stopped by told us there was a garage just a 1/4 mile up the road. We didn't have to drive back to St. George through the Virgin River Canyon, which had been my plan. Three, the garage was open, the father and son there were so kind, they fixed the tire quickly (which thankfully just needed a simple patch), and only charged us $25 to fix it and get it back on again. Sure, the situation was not ideal, but it ended up showing us how well we are loved.
The first half of break we stayed with my sister and her family at their new house in Lake Forest, CA, about 25 minutes from Laguna Beach. They have a pool, so the boys spent a ton of time swimming and playing with their little cousins. We also walked the lovely trails around their home and visited Laguna Beach one day (of course!). Josh was pretty bummed about spending the break with a broken arm, his water play had to be limited so that his cast didn't get wet, and since we were basically in the pool or at the beach for 6 days, he definitely had the right to be a bit gloomy. But he is also such a happy kid, he shook it off, embraced the things he could do and was often the first in the water!
It was so wonderful to see my sister and her family in their beautiful new home. It is a perfect fit. And, of course, we always love cousin time. There is just something extra special about those bonds, even though the kids hadn't seen each other for a year. At 5 and 2, Kai and Isla are growing and changing so quickly, and it was so fun to see them and love on them. I wish we could see them more! We loved our time on California's beach side with the precious people who live there!
