Time for a new car!

On Thursday morning, I dropped Courtney off at school and then drove down to the zoo to pick up Melanie after the zoo snooze (it finished at 9:30am). Melanie wanted to visit and walk around the zoo a while before we went home. We walked around and looked for almost 2 hours - and we were all cold (it was in the 40's) - so we decided to head home and make some hot chocolate at home. It was about noon. We headed home.
On the way home I noticed I was low on gas and decided to stop at the Vancouver Costco to get gas. After being on the freeway for about an hour and going at about 60mph we pulled off the freeway and stopped at a stoplight on the corner where the Costco is. I heard a weird noisy on the car as I stopped??? I turned and tried to pull into the Costco parking lot - the wheel was shaking badly and before I could do anything - the tire and wheel went flying off. I was in the left hand turn lane to pull into Costco. Luckily, there was no one on the road when the tire flew off. A man helped me get the tire back. Luckily, the tire flew off now instead of when I was on the freeway going 60mph in traffic a few minutes ago.
Apparently, all of the lug nuts had busted off. Lots of people stopped by to see if they could help me put my tire on, but unfortunately there is no way to put a tire on without lug nuts. So I called Don's parents (since I knew Don was in a job and wouldn't pick up) and I called the towing company. I had my dead cell phone with me (it won't charge up - so the only way I can talk is if I am plugged in). Unfortunately my charger in the front of the van doesn't work... so I have the back charger plugged into a converter (the one we use to plug the t.v. in when we travel) and then I plug my phone charger into the converter and with all the wires stretching all over the van - it barely reaches the front seat. So I had to keep the van running the whole time I was parked just in case the towing company or Don's parents needed to call me.
Don's mom came to rescue us. She got there right after the towing company took the van. A good Samaritan stopped and stayed with us before Don's mom came. He helped me load the kids out and put the car seats into his car while we waited for her. When she came, & I was loading the car seats into her car, he said he was going to take the kids for ice cream cones (since we were parked in front of a Wienerschnitzel) - the kids were thrilled. What a kind man. A cop also stopped and helped directed the traffic so everyone who wanted to turn left into Costco had to go up to the next light instead of driving around me. The cop gave the kids sticker badges and they were thrilled too.
Anyways, after the ice cream cones, we headed to Les Schwab tires. We were there for a few hours while they replaced the wheel and studs(lug nuts). Don's mom stayed with us the whole time we were at Les Schwab and you know how fun that is sitting in a waiting room for hours with small kids :) Many thanks to her!!! My neighbor picked up Courtney from school - since we wouldn't be home by four when the bus drops her off. It all turned out fine - no one was hurt - so we were very blessed because it could have been much worse. The only one that got hurt was my van - it is now dented :( - oh well - time to get a new car - after 170k - it has had it. Don's mom always has her camera with her and got some photos of the day -- here they are:

Walking to Wienerschnitzel

The Good Samaritan, Dave, treating the kids to ice cream.

Enjoying the ice cream!




The sticker badges

The popcorn at Les Schwab - we ate our share & more

Visiting in the waiting room

The dented car :(