♥: Yearly Trip to Lancaster PA with Church Friends

My hubby decided he would not be able to make
the trip this year to Lancaster PA with our church team.
He was recently unemployed and even though it was
all paid for well in advance he felt more comfortable
staying home and keeping at the job search and
to spend some time alone with the Lord for prayer
and direction. (Oh I love my Godly man) blessed.

Fortunately, my Auntie Rose was ready to fill in hah

I was up early packed, bank and had uncle Mike
check our tires. He works at a tire center.
He put air in my tires and off we go.

We headed out to Lancaster PA.
We were on route 195 in Lakewood and we hear
this weird noise with the car. We thought for
a minute it was the road. But it turned out
we had a big time flat tire.

Oh my stars ~ I never had a flat tire before.

Time to call AAA.

It was scary as we were off the highway
on the shoulder but the cars
were flying by so fast we thought they'd
crash into us. We both decided it was
safer to get out of the car and walk away
from it onto the grass area.

Well would you know we pulled over right
next to a huge decaying dead deer. It
smelled to the high heavens hah.
Oh gosh it sure wasn't Bambie.

This trip was not starting out so well was it?

Thank God AAA sent a really kind young
man and he arrived in about 20 minutes.

He put on our donut but we could not drive
all the way to PA on it and clearly with the
huge whole in my tire I needed to purchase a new one.
(thank you Jersey potholes . . . but that is another story)

He told us if we took the next exit we
could circle back two exits and find Pep Boys.

So that is what we did. Now the Pep Boys
experience was one in itself. hah

They gave us a new tire almost immediately.
So we are standing in the lobby with my flat tire
and the new tire. Waiting and waiting and
waiting. Finally I said I am going outside
by the car to see if I can get their
attention. I asked my aunt to stay by the
new tire and watch it like a hawk.
I was outside about 15 minutes
and out comes my Aunt all happy and she
says, "Okay we are ready to go"

I said, "What?"

She said, "We are ready to go,
I paid for the tire and we can leave"

I said, "Leave, I still have the donut on my car,
where did they put the new tire?"

Okay so now I am out of patience and almost ready
to forget I am a Christian lady. hah
I go inside and say to the counter Pep Boy.

"Where is my old tire and rim and where
is my new tire?"

He says, " You have it, we changed it"

I said, "I have a donut on my car."

Get ready, are you ready:

He replies, " Oh you wanted us to put the
new tire on your car?"

HELLO!!!!!!!!

All they did was put my rim on the new tire
and were going to put it in my trunk evidently.
I kid you NOT !

After I "ever so gently" explained life
to these Pep Boys we headed out
on my new tire.

We finally arrived in Lancaster and
went to check into our hotel.
We get to the front desk and the
hotel clerk says, " I have good news
and I have bad news." OH boy !
I said, "Give me the bad first." He said,
"We a bad rain storm yesterday & your room got
flooded and we have no other
rooms available." "But the good news
is our sister hotel right down the
road will take your reservation
at the same cost."

Okay a little frustrating as we like the
location of our original hotel but figured
at least we have a place to stay.

Well, we pull into the "new" hotel
and words cannot really describe it.
It was under major renovations.
We are talking huge holes in the driveway,
every room had workers stripping the
walls etc . . . It was a bit scary.

We headed into our room and it
looked like it had just been very cheaply
renovated but it appeared to be clean.

It had no bar or hangers for your clothes, no dressers
only two tiny night tables and one drawer

It had one small bed. Oh Lord, I booked a
room for two beds. T~o~g~e~t~h~e~r~n~e~s~s.
.
Auntie came unglued a bit hah

She is a hanger upper and was worried
about wrinkles. Now I am more of a
Pioneer Women who leaves clothes in my
suite case and doesn't notice wrinkles hah

She pulled herself together when she realized
they had a iron. See how happy she is ! hah

WOW ~ Crazy trip so far.

We had to meet our friends for dinner
at Good & Plenty at 4 pm.

They have incredible food there.

We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, buttered noodles,
ham, fish, apple sauce, coleslaw, bread,
ice cream, pies . . . all home made and so good.

After dinner we all headed to Sight & Sound
to see Moses !

Oh my gosh, it was amazing. The way they did the
scenery and all the precious live animals.
The parting of the red sea was just incredible.

My heart both broke and was encouraged
by Moses mother, Jochebed, trusting God
as she put her precious son in the basket
and let him go.

The actor who play Pharaoh was amazing.

The burning bush scene was incredible.

Aaron & Moses trying to persuade Pharaoh to
let the people go.

At the end they always include Jesus.
So awesome !

The next morning we ate breakfast at Bob Evans.
Then it was off for a day of shopping.

The trees were so beautiful- took this photo at night and
it was still so vibrant and pretty.

Caution Shelf-ie alert hah

Beautiful red tulips

And God blessed us with a rainbow !

Lunch at Chic-fil-A. Love that chicken.

Dinner at Cracker Barrel and then we
were off to a another show at
The American Music Theater.

They had an awesome show with all the music from
Andrew Lloyd Weber.

It was wonderful ! The Phantom is my favorite.
I was torturing Aunt Rose as once I hear that song I
just can't stop singing it . . . .

♫ the music of the night ♪

♫ the music of the night ♪