It makes a difference if you've been there yourself

Last week my family and I went on a great trip to a family reunion. We drove just over 700 miles to get to Mike & Jenny's place for the reunion. The weather was pretty good, the food was excellent, and the conversation and social activities were excellent. We ate more than normal, played harder than typical, stayed up late(talking in the hot tub) and slept in a bit. It was a great time.

The highland games and paintball were fun for participants and spectators alike. The kids played and occasionally fought with their cousins. The adults talked and caught up on the latest. The Apple Beer was cold. The video festival went for two nights. The water turned brown in the swimming tank and there were plenty of sunburns.

Melinda and I had all of our children and son in laws at the reunion and that was most excellent. Kristine and Brian decided to leave Saturday morning to do some exploring on their way home to Utah. While Melinda and I were ignoring our cell phones, drinking Apple Beer and enjoying our last day at Mike and Jenny's, Kristine and Brian were being towed to Kenneick after having their clutch burn out near Pendelton. By the time Melinda and I had bothered to look at our cell phones and answer the messages left by kristine telling of their plight, Kristine and Brian were sitting in a motel room hoping that their car would be repaired by Monday and that it wouldn't cost too much (not likely to happen on a Saturday night). Once Jenny heard of their situation she began to make phone calls. Within a matter of minutes she had arranged for a car trailer, a shop, a mechanic and a spare car. William, Alex and I drove the spare car to get Brian and the needed parts, Mike met us with the trailer and we loaded up the broken car. At 10pm we off loaded the car and pushed it into the shop. By 11pm Jay (Jenny's cousin the mechanic) showed up and Mike and Jay stayed up all night fixing the car. At 5:30am Mike drove the repaired car into his drive way to await Kristine and Brian, he then went to bed.

I have done some figuring and had Kristine and Brain had to have the mechanic in Kennewick repair the car it would have cost them $600.00 to $1500.00(quite a bit for poor newly married college students), money they didn't have. As it was they ended up with a motel bill for one night and approximately $115.00 in parts.

Melinda and I thanked and thanked again Mike & Jenny for the help. Their reply was" We've all been there before" and "not had the time money or resources to get going" Indeed we could all think of times when family had been there to help us and times when we were to far away and there was no one to help. So I am going to say thank you and name names, I know I will forget somebody, so if I forget to mention you - THANKS. Mike for the time and hard work, Jenny for the awesome phone networking, Jay for staying up all night to fix a car (Mrs. Jay thank you as well for letting him do it), Peter for the shop and the spare car, William and Alex for driving and loading and unloading, trailer dude, thank for the trailer use. Dad (Ron), thank you for the numerous times you pulled Me and Melinda's butts out it when our cars broke down and inconvenient times.

MIKE & JENNY THANKS for the GREAT REUNION!

PS Jamie and Ronalee glad you got home as well.