The tribute I wrote to my car

My tribute to my little car, the bumble bee, the yellow puddle jumper




To me you were more than just a hunk of steel, plastic and glass. to me you were a friend.

I still remember the first day i heard about and seen you. Mom came to visit me at hecla saying i found the perfect car for you... its yellow and small and it fits the payments... its an aveo.

Well later that day I went to go see you. My first thought, um that is a very yellow car. but we took it on a test drive. i fell in love. the only problem was that i couldn't drive standard. well on that test drive i learnt. i gave christy whiplash but i learned.

I put my 50 down to hold you and couldn't wait till saturday when dad and i could go in to get you. well the day came and i got the keys and practiced some more, i only stalled a few times. i think i let dad drive too. then we went in and signed our lives away. there were so many papers to sign. then dad and i drove down to autopac and picked out the insurance for it. i laughed when i seen someone walk out with eew license plates.. little did i know. We got the license plates EEW 709. well it was easy to remember anyways. then we headed home. i remember testing out your little horn on the way to riverton. i laughed cuz it was a little meep meep. then i put gas in you for the first time at boyds. and stalled. i think twice.

that was the first day.... the day ofor shortly after my first paycheque the summer i graduated. it was the beginning of august.



well i got better at driving stick, i learned you hated first and second gear... either that or i just couldn't drive those very good. everytime i went through or to winnipeg i got scared of that underpass with the stoplight on top of the hill. i think i prayed everytime i got there that i wouldnt stall or that i wouldn't have to stop on the uphill part of it. i was so scared i would stall and roll backwards and hit somone. but it never happened. thanks God.

i took you on so many trips to go visit adam, to richer, down south, and eventually to red rock.

my mom and sisters and i took us on a trip to red lake to visit grandpa and grandma lapp.

we went for a trip to saskatoon with adam and sheila for a wedding.

you made it through stuff a little car should never have made through. i guess with God's help and the right driver you could go.

the 16hr trip to nipawin through freezing rain, and a snowstorm showed that. we got stuck at the end of the bible school driveway... even if we pushed snow a lot of the way to even get to that point. we met an angel that trip too.

i moved with you to steinbach later that year, packed you full. i remember it was snowing and slushy and thinking i can't believe i am doing this. i remember that first night i moved, i sat on the floor and watched my 3 roomates text eachother and whoever else. i felt lonely.

we made many trips from steinbach to red rock to go visit adam... i remember one hill in particular. adam named it melissa's hill. it was the steepest, tallest downhill ever and at the bottom was a bridge. need i say the road seemed rather narrow? especially in winter?

red rock has a lot of good memories and a few mistakes. i am glad that God forgives.

i remember i would go through the drive through at tim hortons on my way after my shift at loewen windows and know not to try to drink it till i hit anola or i would burn my tongue.

well sept 4,2006 started the day adam and i pledged our lives to eachother and you were still my little car. however, i/we forgot to put gas in you during the day and so on our way to our honeymoon we ran out. we could see the lights of steinbach too. adam called friends of ours and then we were on our way. i almost hit a big buck with you that night. that was scary. thankfully he went the other way.

a year and a half or so later, you had helped us move a few more times, you helped me move from steinbach to vita, than move us from vita to tolstoi and than tolstoi to eric and lintcs and then here to okno. between that you and i took many trips with sammie to go visit my family. we had to replace the motor when the timing belt went. i may have been scared you were dead then but i am not sure.

it was here at okno, that you were a part of my spiritual growth. in the mornings on my way to work at zans, i would listen to the radio but lately praise and worship music and sing or just listen. i would remember my truths that God says about me. I seen snow, rabbits, and that fox that knew we were coming but was having trouble figuring out how to jump across the ditch without getting wet. he finally jumped. it was so funny. i laughed God was so funny.

i knew you wouldn't last forever, but i wanted you to last as long as you could.

than came the other day i had vacuumed you out and gotten you all clean and fancy on the inside. we packed you up and jumped in ready to go on a vacation that we hadn't gone on in a long time. but it wasn't to happen. wednesday sept 1, 2010 was the last day you drove anywhere. it ended with a loud bang, the airbags going off, dust and smoke, my sweetheart yelling somthing and it was over. adam got out and lay on the grass, he told me to get out, i just sat there for a little longer, stunned shocked, i leaned over and turned the key off one last time. then i looked over and seen a sight that scared me so bad. the other driver was upside down in his truck. he looked dead. i screamed/pleaded for someone to go holp him, i remember my nose was bleeding. i got out of the car and sat by the road.i remember syaing my chest hurt. it did really badly. it hurt to breathe. i had a big gash on my leg. people started coming. asking if we were ok. i looked at you, i cried and shook. i was so scared. though i can't say i was necissarily scared when it was happening. i just looked at adam. he had seen the truck a split second before we hit him. he had run the stop sign.

adam got my car blanket and wrapped it around me. i couldnt stop shaking. the blond haired girl from the credit union stuck close for a little while making sure i was ok. a lady with an apron who lived close by came and put her apron on adam's legs to help ward of the mosquitos. i seen so many people i knew from zans, the policeman who asked us our names, he took pictures of you and the truck, the firemen/women who talked to us, asking us what hurt and held our necks, the ambulance attendents. who asked their questions. then the ambulances came and we were supposed to ride in them to the hospital. i didn't want to go. i didn't want to be strapped down on the backboards. i was scared i was going to throw up.but they told me to lay down slowly (after i watched them strap adam up) and worked to find a small enough collar for me then they rolled me over onto the board. there was a little ledge they had to get me over. i was so cold.i didn't want to be on there.they strapped me down so i couldn't move. i hoped they woulnt' put me in with the other guy. i felt nauseus when they lifted me up and put me on the stretcher into the ambulance. we waited a little bit. my ambulance attendent introduced himself as shawn and asked me some questions. i asked him if it was going to feel like a ride. i didn't like rides. he said a little bit. i asked him if he was married or had a girlfriend, after all whe were on our way to celebrate our 4th year anniversery.he said no. he unstrapped me and checked out various parts and asked questions and told me i could sit up and then i got to lay on a softer bed thing. i felt much better about that, much safer.i didn't like looking out the windows. i liked that the ambulance didn't go very fast. i am glad that he kept talking, asking me questions.i had another wave of nausea as we pulled up to the hospital- i wondered if mom and dad were there already. they put me in a room right across from the front desk. i had to pee so bad. the ems attendents came and wished me well, put another blanket on me. shelly came and took my blood. mandy came and checked on me. the doctor came and went. i soon realzied my right side hurt and my other leg. turns out i had a seatbelt bruise.i didn't like laying there by myself. i no longer liked hearing the talk about the accident. i kept hearing the guy yelling that it hurt and to stop and i wished he would be quiet. i prayed for him and was thankful that we were alive. i remember feeling Jesus's presense beside my bed. like if i just reached out my hand i would be holding his. so i did. i just wanted to stop shaking. dave and helena came. they were so worried. it was nice to see them. expecially when the nurses asked dave in the hallway if they were family and he said that they were very close friends of ours. it made me feel so special. i had gotten to go pee by then. i was a little worried if i was pregnent cuz my period hadn't started all the way yet. it felt like forever when mom and my sisters finally showed up. they hadn't known we were in arborg. mom cried. i hugged her the best i could and said i was ok. i was. i was just bumped and bruised. i went for x-rays. it hurt to stand. and my ankle hurt. i had to do the open mouth x ray to check the top of my spine 3 times. i think. i heard them say something about them thinking that adam had a fracture. i asked them where and then mandy said she would take me to see adam after the x rays were done. we was covered in blankets up to his chin and he still had the collar on. i thought he was in quite a bit worse condition if he still had it on. i coulnd't stay long cuz they needed to take him for x rays. then it was back in my room.

close to midnight they put adam in my room, and did the final checks on us. they gave us some nasty pills to take. some ice packs and said we'd have to stay overnite. i didn't want to stay. i diddn't want to go home either. i didn't want to sleep. i asked for something to eat and they found some food. some toast and those cereal bars. i had a fever. i hardly slept that night. every time i closed my eyes i seen plates with faces on them that had to do with the accident somehow. then it was boxes and big cube sponges. i just listened to adam snore and occasionally talked with him. told him that i loved him. i could hardly wait for the clock to get till 7. i hoped michelle would be there. i hoped we could leave.

adam snuggled with me in the morning. then michelle walked in to take our pressure etc. adam sat in the chair beside me bed or maybe he was still with me when we got breakfast. the doctor came in shortly after that and adam was "released". i had to then wait till the ultrasound room was free which i was told might be till3 or 4 and i wasn't supposed to eat or drink anything until then. my leg was hurting pretty bad so adam asked them for something for that. i had to get another blood test. thankfully it didn't hurt to much.adam went to go get something to eat or something with dave. mom sat with me and i just lay there and cried. i didn't care anymore, i just felt so listless and tired and weak. i tried to rest. it was nice not having to talk but just having mom there.

later that day i was also released. finally. it felt like a really really long day.michelle wrapped up my ankle with a tensor bandage and bandaged my leg. she did a good job. :)

i had to come in the next morning for another bloodtest. i slept pretty good the next few nights. i took my tylonel 3 and my nerve pills and my antibiotics. i felt so useless. it was exhausting getting up in the morning, then i had a nap by or just after lunch.

it was nice to go see jayce. to see him doing so well. i hugged him. i don't hold anything against him. i want him to know that.

today has been just over a week from the accident. i think a week and half. yesterday my knee hurt bad and i was grumpy. till my nap. after supper i felt like i was going to throw up. i colored a page in my coloring book, finished 3 scrapbook pages and made a card for the magnussens. sorted dishes and made supper.

back to today. i didn't sleep soundly after i put sammie out. at about nine i decided to come out and write this. i probably forgot some details but ya.

so to my little car. thanks for saving our lives. thanks for being worth your 5 stars. God, thanks for giving me this little car, i miss it so much, thanks for helping us to make the choice to wear seatbelts, and that i didnt' see the accident coming. thanks for your continually healing. i ask for help and wisdom for the days to come. i don't want to go to work yet. i am not sure if i am ready to go say good bye to my little car. i know that when i do i will cry. probably for a long time. but i guess that time is coming soon.thanks for all the memories that i have with that little car. i wish so much it was still here in the driveway and that i didnt' have to pick another car. but that is not to be...I ask for your blessing on that decision and that car as well.

and so life continues ready or not...



and so here is my Good bye... at least on paper to my little yellow car. i love you.

Dealing with life changes

Life changes a person. Sometimes for the good sometimes for the worst. At least tempararily. Really, its up to the person and the choices that they make.
This last year my life was shook to the core when we were invovled in a bad car accident. Life seemed to stop. Everything changed as I knew it. For those of you thinking you will wait till later to make a decision for Christ, sometimes life can end in a split second.
I often find myself talking about life before the accident and after the accident. It was a traumatic experience. One I am sure the evil one meant to kill and destroy people in and one God used for a lot of good.
Don't gloat about how you are indestructable around me. You like anyone else can die in a split second. If you are not careful with your decisions, they can affect someone else's life greatly. Stop at stop signs, even if no one else is around. Who knows, you may just save someone's life. The seemingly harmless decisions you make do impact others even if you don't realize it.
For months after the accident, I struggled with the images that came to my mind. My mind played over and over and over again what happened. What could have happened. I struggled with feelings of depression. Then a friend told me to choose to think good stuff to help replace the bad. What you put in can help push out the bad. So I began to read God's word more. I had nothing else I could do. I thought about going for counselling for post traumatic stress disorder, but I never got around to it. I waited for time to heal me, for life to not hurt so bad. Time and God has helped. I value life more.
More to follow...