Takin' on Texas: Max and the Policeman

The title of this post has you completely curious, right? I bet! Well...you will have to wait for the story behind the title...

Peter got up EARLY (in the dark - yuck) this morning 4/28/12 to go run up/down some mountain in Ogden with Nathan. This was some serious hike - it was like 6 miles and they climbed 8,000 feet. When they stopped their ascent, they had hit snow! Anyway, I was a little worried because while Peter has improved his health, I didn't know how his body would react to the elevation change plus he hadn't gone that far in his normal runs at home. I told myself that it would be okay, Nathan is a doctor and would make sure Peter didn't die. I wouldn't have worried so much before Max was born but I certainly don't want to be a single parent!

Video - Peter took this to show me what I was missing. I hate that we don't get this type of outdoor beauty in Texas!

That morning we went over to my step-sister Sharee's house for breakfast and to visit. Randall made us some yummy pancakes with strawberries, bananas, and whip cream. We enjoyed visiting with both of them and playing a little with Star and Bronson. Max enjoyed playing with Quaid's toys (who was sleeping). It was a really nice visit. I look forward to our next visit with their family.

Aunt Sharee and Maxwell

We were having a BBQ lunch at Alex's with his siblings so our next stop was the grocery store to pick stuff up. Alex ended up being there right at the same time. So we shopped together. When we got back to the car, I realized that I had forgotten to buy jalapenos. I have been forever changed by living in Texas. I now like jalapenos on nearly everything - food should have a kick! So Peter took Max and said he'd load the groceries in our rental van (we wanted a sedan but the van was all they had so they upgraded us. Originally I was irritated but it ended up being perfect! Although we did take a little friendly heat from a few people because the last time we were in town we had a Camero and now we had the family friendly mini-van.).

When I get back out with my jalapenos, I notice that Max is in his car seat by the side of the car and not in the car. I started to chastise Peter for leaving him out in the sun and not putting him in the car. Peter goes, "I locked the keys in the car." HUH!? You did what?! My mind flashed back to the rental car counter where the employee tried to upsale us on every possible thing including insurance and road side assistance. I had declined because all those upgrades are a waste of money. CRAP! Was I going to be kicking myself for that?!

Anyway, so I immediately go into solution mode. I noticed there was a dry cleaners inside the grocery story so I went and begged a wire hanger off them to try and break into the car.

Peter and Alex trying to make the wire hanger work.

In the grocery store, Peter wasn't looking so good. He was looking pale and his lips were pale. I was worried that the hike was going to come back and bite him so I made him buy some Gatorade. Luckily he had that outside of the car so he could drink it.

Max and I got into the back seat of Alex's car so we could enjoy the AC and I kept Max entertained while Peter and Alex worked diligently to get into the car.

Happily oblivious to the drama unfolding around him

Well, the wire hanger was a bust. So I walked over to some policemen that were assisting on a old prescription/medicine disposal drop off drive. One of the officers got his kit out of his car and kindly came over to help. He tried and tried and tried and it just didn't work either. We couldn't get that dang van unlocked! But, Max DID get to meet his first policeman ever! We documented it with a picture... :)

At this point we are stuck, so we call a locksmith and Alex takes me, Max, and the groceries in his car to his house and then goes back to help Peter.

About 20 minutes later I get a call from Peter. He asks me to look in the diaper bag because he believes the keys may be in there. I look and they aren't there. So he tells me to look in the car seat and everywhere because the keys aren't in the car! WHAT!? So I'm quickly told that they got into the car but the keys are no where to be found. Oh man...if those stinkin keys were in the diaper bag the entire time I am going to... But nope, I thoroughly scour through everything at Alex's and there are NO KEYS! So now my mind flashes back to the lady at the rental counter talking about how the charge is 200.00 to replace lost keys. Oh man, I should have said yes to all her stupid upgrades...

About a half an hour to an hour later, Peter finally shows up at Alex's and I learn about what happened after Alex took me to his house. Here's the story...(and I wish I was a good written story teller so that you could really envision this)

The locksmith gets there and gets into the car. But at soon as the car is opened up, the alarm starts going off because apparently when the car is locked, the alarm is activated and if a door is opened without the use of the key/fob then the alarm will be set off. So the alarm is going off and the boys are looking through the van to find the keys.   No keys... Keep looking... No keys... Alarm going off... Keep looking... Everyone staring... No keys... etc. etc. etc.   The alarm keeps going off, they are tearing the van apart and the keys are no where to be found. This is the point Peter called me to look through the stuff to see if the keys were with me. Of course they weren't. So they are looking through the manual trying to figure out how to get the alarm to stop going off. Eventually they pop the hood and disconnect the battery. Alarm finally goes off but still no keys and the van is torn apart.

At one point Peter is in the back part of the van, looking toward the back hatch and sees there's a little bit of a gap there, so he bends down and sees the keys trapped between the hatch and the bumper. Easy to solve...pop the hatch, right? AHAHAHAHAHA WRONG! The only way to pop the hatch is with the keys, which are unreachable. :)   Peter tried to wiggle them free but his manly fingers wouldn't fit. Alex tried and luckily his fingers were a little more slender and eventually he wiggled them out enough that he could push the button on the fob and pop the hatch. SUCH DRAMA! So evidently what had happened is that Peter popped the back to put the groceries in but didn't unlock the car. He didn't realize the keys were sitting on the bumper when he shut the hatch and trapped them, with the car still locked.

I am sure this was extremely stressful for Peter. I know the part that I was a part of was stressful, although I wasn't completed bothered or worried. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE that Peter locked the keys in the car. I have done it multiple times (although not anytime in the last 3 years at least) and Peter has had to save me. He didn't fail to remind me that he had never locked the keys in the car. UNTIL TODAY! WAHOO! :) Sometimes that massive ego needs to be knocked down just a little bit.   LOVE YOU PETER.

Anyway, back at Alex's we were getting everything ready for a yummy BBQ with the Millar siblings and their kids. It was a lot of fun!

Showing off their dance moves - Morgan, Lola, and Mariah

Auntie Aja is the best - she willingly tackled a dirty diaper

Tawny's Mom, Kerry, and Max

Uncle Mark and Mariah

Aja and her gang. I love Harleigh's face!
Morgan, Aja, Korben, Madison, and Harleigh

Morgan, Max, Peter, and Mariah (Man! Our nieces are getting so old!!!)

Siblings and a handsome baby
Alex, Mark, Max, Peter, and Aja

Peter, Max, and Lola

Jaxton showing us his awesome hiphop dance moves. We had been planning on attending one of his competitions but he had an asthma attack and wasn't healthy enough to compete. We were bummed but luckily he felt good enough later to give us a private performance.