~`~`Our trip to Utah`~`~

Kelli and Jeremy have moved to Utah. It has been a very sad thing to have to say goodbye, but we got to delay the goodbyes until we all reached Utah together.

Saturday, May 27th
It started when Jeremy's Dad did not get the size moving truck that they needed to move both families down together. This was a very stessful moment for them. So Jeremy told his Dad to just go ahead with out them and they will get thier own truck and then head down the next day or so. Then Jeremy got concerned about Kelli having to drive a vehicle down by herself. It is a 12 hour drive after all and they have 2 kids. So Aaron volenteered to go with them and they would get him a plane ticket for him to go home. While I was willing to let him go I really was sad that he would get to go with them and I would be staying behind with my kids. SoI asked if they would like us to join thier trip and help out with the kids and driving and such. Since getting Aaron a plane ticket home would have cost about the same as paying for the gas in our car Jeremy and Kelli agreed. All of this happened with in a matter of hours on Saturday morning.

So we got everything packed up and everything ready and we all left together on Sunday May 28th, in the morning. We had Jeremy's truck, a big budget truck, and our van, 4 adults, 1 teenager (Kelli's Brother Garrett), and 5 kids. Quite the group there. :)

During the trip down Kelli rode with me and we listend to Ellen Degeneres's book on CD and the 4th Harry Potter book. There were alot of laughs and some tears as Kelli and I talked about everything from nothing in particular to her realization that her life was changing dramatically.

We had a few funny insidences that I wanted to share:

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Well one of the really funny insidences happened while we were stopped at a Walmart (not sure of what city or state we were in). We had decided to make some sandwiches in our cars for lunch. I was making these for everyone when I noticed that there was an older guy chasing seagulls just in front of our cars. He did this for a good 5 minutes and we were all giggling at his playfulness. Then he stopped and notice our little group and headed toward us. He asked Jeremy if we were going to be here much longer and he replied just a bit longer I think. The man replied that he wanted to make us something and that he would be right back. We gave each other questioning looks as we watched him go to his car and then come back with a small roll of what looked like reciept paper. We were all a bit puzzled by what he was going to "make" with this but we just watched as he pulled off a long strip of this paper and then preceded to make a long flower out of it. As he made the first one he told Jeremy he was going to give it to him because he did not what him to get mad at him. Then he asked how many ladies we had. We looked around a bit puzzled at first but then Jeremy realized what he ment and said yes we have 2 ladies with us (Kelli and I). So the man gave Jeremy the flower he had been making and started making another one. Jeremy gave the first flower to Kelli and then the man gave the other flower to Aaron and he gave the second flower to me. We thanked the man for his kindness and all got back into our cars. Kelli must have taken notice of his worn clothing and apparent run down car and asked Jeremy if they should give him 5 dollars for his kindness. Jeremy had Garrett run $5 to the man and at first he said he was not after money but Garrett told him we know its just for your kindness. he accepted it.

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Later on that same afternoon we had stopped at a rest stop to get a bathroom break and let the kids run around and as we were all getting back into our cars a young girl approached Jeremy and started to talk to him. She started telling him how her and her family were from Texas and they were trying to get back home and ran out of gas money to make it the rest of the way and were wondering if they could get from us to make it back. She said that the reason they were near Boise was because her mom (who was a trucker) had suffered frost bite when she was too long out of her truck with out proper protection. She was taken to a Seattle hospital by her trucking partner and left there to have all of her fingers amputated due to the frost bite. Then she called her daughter and son-in-law and told them that the hospital was going to dump her in a homeless shelter unless they could find a way to make it down their to get her.

Her daugher and son-in-law, who have 4 and 1 yr old daughters packed up their home (a travel trailer) and got as much money together as they could and made the trip to Seattle to get her mom. But then as they headed back they started running out of money. She said they had to use the last of thier gas money to buy diapers for the baby. Jeremy and Kelly talked to her some more to make sure that the story she as telling was truthful. But once her mom stepped out of their trailer with her hands nothing but stubbs and bandages loosley applied to her open soars Jeremy and Kelli felt they did not have to ask anymore questions.

My family was only on this trip because Jeremy and Kelli had agreed to pay for our gas. We just had to get our food and such. With it being the end of the month the only money we had was from my Aarons grandparents and parents because it was his birthday that weekend, and every bit of it we were intending to use for our food. But as I heard this young woman ask for help I was looking around for all that I could give her to help. Unfortunatly I could do nothing though since all of our money was in the checking account and we were using the debit card. I was sad that we could not do anymore for this family then give them food that they really did not need.

Jeremy and Kelli did come through for them. Jeremy talked to the husband of the young woman and he could tell that he was truely troubled by what was currently taking place with his family. Jeremy felt comfortable after that with giving them assistance. He gave them some cash and then asked them to follow him to a gas station and he would fill up his tank. Kelli also gave them an unopened package of diapers so they would not have to get more for a while. It really warmed my heart that not only were Jeremy and Kelli able to do this for this family but they were willing. And in the end Jeremy said he got a good feeling doing and even if their story was true or false God saw his intent and thats all the really mattered.