Gary and most of the kids left Nebraska on Sunday around 11:30 AM.  It takes about 7 hours to get back to the twin cities. 

The kids were pretty excited about the trip – each would have seat to themselves.  This does not happen often in a large family.  So while the older kids were calling out which seat they wanted, Geoffrey took matters into his own hands.  He “Staked” his claim on the first bench seat, complete with pillow and coat for a blanket. 

At 7 PM I got a call from Courtney.  There was something in her voice that made the mom antenna go up.

“Hi Mom,” she said.  “We are in Mason City.”  I am thinking that they should have been much closer to home.

“We hit some really slow traffic just west of Des Moines and have not been able to go much faster than 35 – 40 miles/hour.  As we were crossing a bridge in Mason City, we hit a slick spot and began to fish tale.”  OK my heart skips a beat.

“Dad sort of lost control of the car and we began to spin.  We hit the side of the bridge once with the front end of the van and then spun some more, hit the bridge again with the back end before we stopped.  Thankfully there weren’t any cars and no one is hurt.  Dakota got thrown around a bit, but we are all fine.”  Praise God for his protection.

“The van has some damage, but as long as we drive straight forward or go straight back, we are fine.  If we turn left, the bumper rubs against the wheel.”  This does not sound good. 

Gary and the kids arrive safely home around 10 or so.  The van is now in the shop and they have a rental car to help with the transportation.

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