On Friday we had a play date with Miss Jan at PetSmart. She needed to get goldfish for her pond and waited until we could find a day to go with her. First, we watched Sam groom a dog (she works there). Then, we went to play with the kittens who were waiting for adoption.
Miss Jan has the inside connection because she regularly volunteers there to clean the cat cages. So she could get the key and take the kittens out on her own.
The boys had fun trying out the different toys with the playful kittens while Helen just watched.
Henry thought it was pretty cool to sit IN the cat cage as well.
He certainly has his godmother's love of animals - a great bond that they share.
Then, after a quick look at the hamsters and guinea pigs, we headed over to the goldfish.
The boys got to pick out two dozen fish.
Again, Helen was happy just to look.
The gal really did get exactly the fish they pointed to. So it was great fun to find the specific fish they wanted to deliver to Miss Jan's pond.
We had saved the fish for the end of our PetSmart visit because we knew we needed to get those fish back to Jan's house quickly before they ran out of air.
However, while driving back to Jan's, someone pulled out of a parking lot (by the Subway in Walled Lake) and hit us. We had been in the left lane and the SUV next to us in the right lane was turning into that parking lot, blocking us from the view of the other driver who said he didn't see us on the other side of the SUV when he pulled out of the parking lot (he was actually coming out of the entrance, rather than the exit). The other driver was very nice about his mistake. Unfortunately for him, his car was not able to be driven. We were able to drive home, thankfully, though the police officer recommended not to take the highway, just in case the hood were to fly open.
There was definitely some damage to the front of the vehicle that would require fixing. And we had just shifted to PLPD insurance. It had gone into effect
that day. So if the accident had happened the day before, we would have gotten insurance money. As it was, our car ended up being officially "totaled."
The kids were all stunned but reacted pretty well (only Helen shed tears from the shock of the experience). We said thank you to God for our seat belts and car seats that kept us safe. Praise God that Jan was with us! She took the boys into the Subway that was right there for apples and chocolate milk while Mommy dealt with the rest.
We also thanked God that the kids and Jan (and the two men in the other vehicle) were ok. Mommy's knee was a bit sore and she had a very stiff neck the next day, but no permanent issues. The whole event left a huge impression on the boys, especially Henry, who for months would say to Miss Jan, "Remember when the car hit us?" But he always followed that question up with, "And we got chocolate milk!" which was truly the highlight for him and gave the story a happy ending in his eyes.
And we were thankful that the weather was nice at that time of year so Daddy could drive his motorcycle to work and leave the truck for us to drive until we could get another vehicle a week later.
And, our last little miracle - even the goldfish that sat in the hot backseat through the whole ordeal survived their long wait to get to the pond! Back at Jan's house, we finally delivered the fish to their new home and then played on the swing set and with Sam and Andrew while we waited for Daddy and Tyshe to come take a look at the damaged car. Miss Jan also grilled us a delicious lunch, which we were all quite hungry for by the time we finally got to eat.
Then Helen and Henry "helped" Miss Jan pick cucumbers in her giant cucumber patch. (Well, Miss Jan picked them and tossed them out to us.)
What a haul!
It was definitely an unexpected turn of events in our day. But we are thankful for God's protection and the blessings that came out of the experience. And we were all quite ready for a nap when we finally got home!
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