Day 2 . . . .comedy of errors!

we head out of Omaha into Lincoln and enjoy all the traffic that is heading our way for the U of Nebraska football game (made us wish we were heading to an MSU game).  As we drove further into Nebraska, with the sun baking down on us I became more and more tired.  I finally called Den, saying we need to stop, and he said that we would stop in Ogalla (OO LA LA, as Tori says) and find a place to eat lunch (which was almost 30 more miles).  I was really dragging and Den kept me on the phone talking to him.  We finally arrived and drove around looking for a good picnic sight.  We ended up at the middle school eating on their outside picnic tables.  Den told me to eat and head to the car and rest and he would take the kids to one of the local parks for awhile to get them some exercise.  He loaded the kids in the van and I went and proceeded to sit in Katie's car (remember its packed to the ceiling with stuff, all kinds of stuff).  As I settled in the drivers seat to rest, I rolled the windows down (it was blazing HOT).  It wasn't long and I heard a beater of a vehicle turn down the street, I turned my head and opened my eyes to see a grubby old man driving a junker slowly slink by me, staring at me the entire time.  After he passed I sat up and watched him in the side mirror.  He pulled along side the street just beyond me and sat there.  I decided that I would find myself another resting spot, so I started the car and off I drove; round and round this little city, several times trying to find one place I could park Katie's car with a little bit of shade. NOTHING! as I went around the block, several times (even once going the wrong way on a one-way), I passed the same policeman in his vehicle.  I decided to just park in the local City Market parking lot.  I pulled in, parked the car, and leaned my head back.  Of course the sun was beating in, so I started the car, once again and decided to sit the opposite direction, as I turned to look I see the police man has finally left, so I backed out and when I turned to look straight ahead he was on the other side of the street from me (the City Market is in between two one-way streets).  I pull around, parking the vehicle and trying to not freak out.  I look over and this policeman is staring straight at me.  I'm thinking, GREAT! my ID is in my purse in OUR van, I'm driving an older vehicle, packed to the ceiling with "stuff" and it has PA plates on it.  I really did try and relax but every time I opened my eyes the officer was staring at me.  I finally called Den and said, "Where are you?" and he said, "have you rested at all?" and then I proceed to tell him the story and finally out of panic say, "if you don't hurry up and come back here I think I'm going to be hauled off to jail and you're going to be bailing me out!"  He said, "I'm on my way!" and literally he was there within minutes! What a HUGE relief! of course the kids got a good laugh.  Then as we were heading out of town he decides that we need to go back as gas was cheaper in town than by the highway. So back we head; get gas at this little dive of a station and Brennan realizes that he left his pocket knife at the park.  Den leaves me and the kids, in the van, and heads back to the park, with Brennan, in Katie's packed out car, with PA license plates.  I was so worried he was going to get pulled over, especially when they saw a man and a boy in the vehicle this time.  Thankfully they made it back (without the knife, of which Brennan found beside the seat in the van) safe and sound! We finally headed out, without any rest, but happy to be out of that city and headed into Colorado!  I prayed the whole way that God would give me the strength to drive the next, so I thought, 300 miles into Denver.  We weren't on the highway for 20 minutes when I saw a sign reading, DENVER 198! YES! I knew then and there that I could make that drive.  We laughed over the escapade in OO LA LA and sang our way into Denver!  I actually drove over those Rockies on my own, it was very liberating to know that I "did it" and Colson, bless his heart, said, "mom, just keep your eyes focused on the driver in front of you, don't look at the scenery. . . if there's no car in front just look at the road. . . ." and that's exactly what I did and it worked! Brennan, Colson and I had a great time driving over those mountains.  We prayed, we sang and we thoroughly enjoyed each others company.  I was even able to comfort Colson as he got a little scared of the drop-offs at times!  Life is an adventure, and I'm sure glad I'm enjoying it with my family!