In case you didn't know...

Last known photo of the silver van, taken by Keeley with her new camera on Christmas day.

Got in a crash coming home from Utah on the 27th of December. 

Black ice on the roads that wasn't visible.  We stopped to eat lunch in Mountain Home, Idaho.  About 5 miles outside of town the 4X4 Nissan, Titan in front of us lost control fishtailing from one side to the other.  Matt slowed down, never losing traction, the driver of the Titan slipped off the road on the right hand side rear end first, and as we passed him, he flew out of the pit and slammed into us, our right front tire popped --hissed for about 10 minutes.  His momentum carried us into the median. 

View from the median...

I'm thankful... for brakes, airbags, cushy snow in medians, books on CD - to keep kids occupied for 3 hours of sitting, the van could still produce heat for those hours, nice state patrolmen, nice and honest man who slammed into us - I am serious about that -if he wasn't honest who knows what would be happening with the investigation --no harsh words were exchanged just happiness that we were all ok - he even called the next day to see if we got home ok, just knowing that Matt's brother was nearby if we needed anything, insurance to pay for damages incurred on slick roads, car seats, cheap motels, not so cheap van rentals ($40 a day) up to $640 now :0), nice tow truck drivers - in the three tow trucks it took to pull us out of the median (one even offered to have us stay at his house if we couldn't afford a hotel),  that no one got hurt except for my bruise on one shoulder, 'Stabilitrack' in our van, people who can fix big owies in cars and vans,  and that the other guy's insurance is paying for EVERYTHING!

Tow truck #1 trying to pull us out...

Semi wrecker that had to pull out  tow truck #1 after tow truck#2 couldn't get us both out,  getting us all up and out of the median...

...on the back of the tow truck...

After getting out of the median tow truck #2 went and got 5 cars in front of us that had slid off slowing down to watch, and we, in tow truck #1 backed up about 1/4 mile to get out five more that had slid into the median slowing down to miss the rubber-neckers.  The last one had been clocked by our state patrolman going 70 mph pulling a trailer and was sited with reckless endangerment.  Glad I don't have to pay the fine that goes along with that ticket!

We usually name our cars.  Before this we called the van 'the van' or 'the silver van'.  I know, not very imaginative.  It is like calling your black kitten "blackie".  ;)

We no longer need such a generic name.  Aubrie came up with a name that will be a great reminder.  SCAR will be the name of the silver van now.

Scar --after having been worked on by the tow truck owner so it would be road legal to drive in the daylight hours.

Special thanks to Aubrie and Keeley for the photo documentation. These few were among the over 400 taken in three days.  Thanks girls.