Livin' on ice cream and miracles

So we're driving to Texas and we stop in Joliet, Illinois for gas, potty, and food.  Dairy Queen was closest to the interstate so they won our business.  Little did I know...Dairy Queen began in 1940...in Joliet, Illinois.  We were part of something bigger than ourselves, part of something historic.  It felt good.  So we celebrated with kiddie sundaes.

However, don't be fooled, our journey was not all ice cream sundaes.

Before we left on our trip, my father-in-law drove me to the car rental place.  He drove away in the rental minivan and I went to start his vehicle.....nothing.  His starter went out.  I was stranded.  This was not part of the plan.  My father-in-law had to drive back to the place and deal with his car while I started packing the two minivans (ours and the rental).

After careful, strategic, jigsaw-puzzle packing, we were on the road {4 hours later than planned}.  We stopped in Streator, IL to visit grandparents and then continued to St. Louis, MO to visit friends and spend the night in a hotel.  It was getting late....very, very late.  And I was getting sleepy...very, very sleepy.  Jeannette was trying so hard to keep me awake with probing questions like, "what's your favorite Jr Hi memory?"  Finally we navigated to the hotel at 2:00am and I stumbled out of the car to check-in.  I was shocked to discover...

MIRACLE #1  Our tire was completely flat.  Why is that a miracle, you say?  God protected us for 8 hours on the road.  God sustained our tires through the barren cornfields of Illinois and the tangled highways of St. Louis.  God sovereignly brought us to our hotel parking lot before the tire went flat.  (and then God graciously provided a good friend to fix the tire for free)

MIRACLE #2  We had been exposed to poison ivy and the stomach pukes but God has sovereignly, graciously spared us and protected us.

While in St. Louis, we enjoyed the beautiful architecture of Union Station and The Arch...

and then our friends treated us to world famous Ted Drewes Frozen Custard.

MIRACLE #3  The in-laws had a problem with the rental minivan and were forced to stop at a "random" service station.  The mechanics were very helpful and informed the in-laws that the problem was no real danger and they didn't charge for their time!

MIRACLE #4  We made it to Dallas, Texas and spent the night in our new home.  Thank you Gracious-Father, Sovereign-Protector, Powerful-Provider.