The Story

So here is what happened:

We have been planning a trip to see our dear friends Mitch and Mandy Warner and their cute kids Fay and Kimball for a long time. We are super excited to visit them in San Diego, hang out with them, and have lots of fun.

When we bought our Subaru in 2007, we knew we had to eventually replace the head gasket since it is an issue with all Subarus built that year. So, just to be safe, we decide to do it this spring before our summer trips. It is in the shop for a good 10 days. We drive it some (maybe not enough) and bring it back in for a check-up. Then we load it up and start the long drive to CA. We are going to stop and stay with our friends Melissa and Dan in Vegas but, unfortunately, never make it there.

Not too long into the drive, the "Check-your-Engine" light comes on and the car starts acting weird. Since the kids are (finally) sleeping, we keep going but, eventually, have to stop in Beaver. We call some car places but they are all closed or closing. We are told not to drive any further. We find one shop that is open Saturday morning.

So we get a hotel room. Funny, because in one of my last posts I am saying how hotels are not an option for us. Well, here we go. We try to keep the kids busy by swimming in the pool. It turns out to be freezing. The hot tub is slightly warmer, so we play in there. Then we all listen to Max making various sounds throughout the night.

It turns out, no one in Beaver can fix our car. We need to bring it back to Provo. They made a mistake when they replaced the head gasket. Sweet! Thanks, guys! You successfully ruined out vacation. We drive the car home slowly and start unpacking the bags.

Well, first we go to Cove Fort, an LDS Historic Site, and have a great time there. Then, we decide another 10 miles won't hurt the car any worse. So we go straight up the canyon to see the finish of the Squaw Peak 50 Mile Race. Karl runs for 2 hours and helps his team mates finish the long run. We play in the sand/park. I ride my bike up Southfork Canyon and Squaw Peak and home. Not so bad, after all.

So, there you have it. Now, excuse me. We need to make plans for our staycation. Fun plans.