A series of unfortunate events!

(Sorry this is a little long!)

One morning last week I was rushing to get out the door to take Paisley to her asthma doctor's appointment that was an hour away. I was all ready to leave and went to grab my keys from the key hook and they weren't there!! They are always there! (Unfortunately, when we bought our van the dealership only had one set of keys for it.) So, I went to quickly look in all the usual spots: my jacket pocket, the pocket of the pants I wore the day before, our dresser, the entertainment center, no where! As I looked I began to get that panic feeling, I HATE running late and I now was beginning to run late. I frantically called Dave at work, knowing that he hadn't driven the van last, but hoping he miraculously knew where they were. He, of course, didn't. I said a prayer, an official prayer, I had been praying in my head since I first couldn't find the keys. I kept looking and looking. By now I only had about 45 minutes to get there, not enough time, but close. I asked Paisley to say a prayer, hoping the sweet, pure prayer of my daughter would help me find them faster! And, when I only had 35 minutes until my appointment I called the doctor's office, apologized, and rescheduled.

I calmed down a bit since now I had no where to be. But, I just couldn't figure out where they would be. I looked everywhere I could think of, the toy box, the play room, the bathroom, my big nasty garbage in the garage (okay, I didn't look too hard there, but I did peak in.) I called Dave and told him that I still couldn't find them. He came home a while later to help me look. We looked and looked some more. Fearing that they were gone somehow, and knowing we couldn't go long with one car, we called the locksmith. We made an appointment for them to come out the next day.

A while back we went to Lowe's to get copies of the van key made. When we got home they didn't work. We found out our keys are "chipped" so they have something electronic in them so that it is not just a normal key. You have to have an expensive key and then program it to your car. Anyway, we had those "dummy" keys from Lowe's so we took them to the locksmith so they could make copies on chipped keys. Then they came out to program them to our car. Unfortunately after trying for a while, the guy told me that he couldn't get them to program and I would have to get the car to the Ford dealership for them to program them.

Keep in mind, I have no keys, so no way to get the car to the dealership. So, then I had to call a tow truck to come tow my van. When I called him he asked where the van was. I told him in my garage, he asked if I had anyway to move it. I told him, no. So, he proceeded to tell me that since it was locked in "park" they would have to put the van on "skates" to get it out of the garage and instead of a $75 tow fee it would be AT LEAST $250. I told him to hold off. With tears of frustration in my eyes, I took the "dummy" keys out and luckily, although they wouldn't start the car, they turned enough that I could get it in neutral and get it out of the garage so they could tow it.

So, they came and towed the van away. I thought later that my neighbors must have thought it was getting repossessed or something, great! Anyway, we got it to the dealership and got the keys programmed. My sweet mom came and got the kids and I and took us to pick it up. It ended up costing, $52 for the 2 new keys, $75 to tow the van, and $45 to program them. So, losing my keys cost me about $162! Fun!!

It was very nice to get my van back after 2 stressful days. I figured that the keys had been thrown away on accident or something. So, that night, I went and put my robe on before bed, as a usual routine. I suddenly felt something in the pocket of my robe, pull it out, MY KEYS!!!! Seriously! Like 3 hours after I spent $162, I find them. I had looked for two days! I usually wear my robe in the mornings after shower and at night before bed. Nope, not those days. I don't know why! And, I still have NO idea how they got there. I mean, obviously I put them there, but when and why is a mystery!! So, I was glad to find them. I went and showed them to Dave and said, "Isn't that funny?" He didn't find it so amusing for some reason!

But, my prayers were answered. Just not in the time I wanted, but they always say it is not in our time, but the Lord's. Maybe all that was some lesson for me. Who knows!! :)

(Thanks to Valerie and Megan for letting me borrow their vans to take Paisley to and from preschool so that I could still get the needed peace and quiet that preschool brings!)

2 new chipped keys- $52
towing your van to the dealership- $75
paying to program new keys- $45

Finding your keys the night you go through all that- PRICELESS!!!

HA HA