Answered Prayer

(I wrote this entry Monday 17th December but our home computer has broken and so wasn't able to post until today.)

Wow, what a day Sunday was! Our Christmas party on Saturday went well, I was absolutely exhausted afterwards and the only downside was not getting any dinner! That night it was also announced that church would be cancelled on Sunday due to a critcal storm watch that was on. What a lovely treat after spending my whole Saturday preparing, hosting and cleaning up after a party for 200 people to get a whole day to just rest and relax!

So Sunday rolled around... I didn't even wake up until 10am and then Ryan made me a wonderful breakfast of bacon and eggs. I called my family and just lazed around. Sunday afternoon I had a Christmas dinner to go to with the three girls I couldn't do without here in Ottawa, Lindsey, Kate and Michelle. There was a little concern as the snow was falling and the roads were impassable in most areas, however due to my naievity of Ottawa snow storm weather I was determind to still get my lasagne (you never want to miss Lindseys lasagne) and drive, so a compromise was reached.... the husbands were invited to a trusty male could drive us. So which trusty male was chosen.... Dan. Probably one of the only people who I would feel safe driving in a snow storm with! Thanks to Dan's superb driving skills and trusty old Walter (the car that Ryan covets) we all made it to Lindsey's safely. After driving and seeing all the cars stuck in snow banks or just stuck in the middle of the road I think I realised how glad I was that someone smarter than me had changed the game plan for the day!

So we arrived and trying to find a parking spot was an adventure... there was one shovel between Jesse and Ryan so they took it in turns and we had fun watching Ryan come up with some inventive ways to move snow without a shovel! Poor guy was freezing afterwards! None of the car parks had been ploughed so with the falling snow that day and drifitng snow there was a few feet there! However we made it safely and had a wonderful dinner with my closest friends. We then opened our gifts from each other and the time and thought that put into these gifts just blew me away, I felt like I hadn't put enough into my gifts the ones I received were so wonderful. Picture frames with a group picture, a picture frame with family on it for when baby comes and a handmade apron and favourite receipes. They were the best gifts ever!!! We then had hot drinks and watched the Nativity Story. That movie is actually very very good! I have a whole new appreciation for what Mary must have gone through!

So the time came for us to head out home and that meant getting the car through a foot of unploughed snow. It took us about half an hour and we only made it then due to some divine help! It got to a point where the guys were shovelling, throwing themselves on the car to help add weight and then everyone (the ladies too), were out pushing. I got up to go help and was told to get back into the car! It was at that time I was wishing I was further along in my preganancy as at least that way I could have helped by adding some additional weight! Right now I'm useless in that respect too! So the tires are spinning the four troopers were pushing and I'm trying to shout encouragement through the back window but we weren't going anywhere. I was sitting there feeling completely useless until I realised there was one thing I could do.... I could pray. So I explained to Heavenly Father how grateful I was that he had blessed me with such wonderful friends and how grateful I was that we had been kept safe as we had travelled. I even let him know I thought the snow was very beautiful! Then I pleaded my case.... I knew he could help us, we had people who had to be at work early and as he could see we weren't going anywhere. So the moment I was done... and this has NEVER happened before suddenly I was saying to myself we have to try again. I said it to myself a couple of times and was nervous about saying anything to the others incase they were skeptical but I just knew we had to try again. So I opened my door and shouted over to Kate "I said a prayer, we have to try again!" she turned round and just told the guys... try again! So Dan jumped into the car and we went up and over onto the road and kept going! I cannot tell you how exciting it was to see that happen! I couldn't contain myself, prayers don't get answered like that for me, it was incredible! Everyone jumped in the car and we were off!

Turns out we had over a foot of snow fall yesterday.... between 38-42cms fall that day, the most on record in one day for December. What an adventure!