A Tribute to My Chauffers!...

This post is dedicated to all those who drove me to the places I needed to be these past nine years while I didn't have a license. I don't care if you all laugh at me that it took this long. I have my reasons. I had my learner's permit in Colorado before I got married. I was going to get my license before I got married, but then I found out that I would be living in Utah. I thought it would just be cheaper to wait and get my license in Utah once I moved there. We looked up the info to get a learner's permit in Utah after finding out mine was not valid here. We then found out that in order to get a license I had to take a $200 driving course, and to just get a permit I had to be signed up for the course. We found out shortly after that I was pregnant with Duncan. We had a hard time trying to work out getting that amount of money for the course.

After lots of procrastination and 2 1/2 children my mom said that I had to get my license and that she and my dad would pay for it. I was very grateful, but nervous. I took the online course when I was pregnant with Gwendolyn. Then after she was born I took the driving lessons(I didn't want to risk her life while pregnant with her). There was one instructor who was younger than me. He was a very very large Polynesian guy who always had a bag of chips while I drove. He liked to tell me how bad I was at driving. I think this was all a power trip for him. Then I had an old man, who was very nice, but made me nervous at the same time.

I haven't had a lot of opportunity to drive, as my husband works two jobs and is rarely home. I got comfortable with the whole thing and was waiting for the right time to schedule the test. Preferably after I had the baby. Then we had to deal with her casts and driving to the children's hospital every week. I still scheduled my test, but the appointments were a month and a half out. Finally the day came. I have EXTREME test anxiety and I was incredibly nervous. I had to wait in line for a half hour just to get to the area to tell them that I was there for my test. By the time it was my turn to take the test I was so nervous I could hardly breathe, I was having constant anxiety attacks. This was also the day Rosaline got her casts off, so it was a full day with a fussy baby. I was so nervous, I don't know the area of Orem at all, and I couldn't even think straight. I failed the stupid test!! Only by two points, but it was still very upsetting. This all felt like such a huge burden. I just wanted it to be over. I knew I was a good driver, but my nerves always get in the way of everything!! The guy gave me my test results and said, "Here's a souvenir." I didn't even realize until hours later how rude that was. He got out of the car and I just started sobbing uncontrollably. I think it was actually in response to all of the stresses and bad things going on in my life this year, haha. It was a stupid thing to cry over, but I felt so defeated. The lady who helped me reschedule felt so sorry for me and had been through the same thing herself, so she found me an appointment for only two weeks after that.

That day came. I went. I said to myself, "You can do this and if you fail again, third time's the charm, right?" I just did it. I passed! I actually did really really well. I am so proud of myself!!

Now I must thank all of those people who helped me over the years! Haha! Thank you Mom for driving me to work, school and other such places. Thank you Dad for taking me to look for a job and picking me up from it when I got one. Thank you Jennie, Julianne, Lindsay, and Stephanie for giving me rides to and from school all those times. Thank you Dylan for the rides and for the driving lesson in the 15-seater van in the parking lot of the Quail building. Thank you Andrea, Jon-Michael, and Geoff for the various rides that you gave me. Thank you Stefan for the ride to Arctic Circle that day. Thank you Amber for taking me everywhere with you and picking me up from work. Thank you Logan for driving me everywhere when we dated and teaching me the streets of Colorado. Thank you Val for all those rides to and from work and to and from activities! Thank you Mary for giving me driving lessons. Thank you Julie for giving me a ride to the dentist that day. Thank you Sheryl for the ride to the hospital. Thank you Mildenhalls, Jeanette, and Lori for watching my kids so that Mark could take me where I needed to go without the stress of all the kids being with us. Most importantly thank you Mark for your patience(when you had it, haha) and for teaching me the bulk of my driving. Thank you to those of you who didn't make fun of me(to my face) or nag me about not driving. I love you all! If there is anyone I have forgotten thank you, thank you!!

Boo hiss you to all those who nagged me and asked me about my license all the time, asking me why I don't have it nearly every time to talked to me. It was really none of your business and not your place to ask me or tell me what to do. You didn't have to drive me anywhere! I never have the guts to say it to your face because I worry what you'll think of me. But I hated it, I don't like being treated like a child! I deserved more respect than that! Honestly, it just made me more nervous and stressed about it in end. I needed to do it at my own pace to feel confident in it. Gosh! Okay, I'm done!

Good job to all my siblings who got their licenses before me! Good job to all my neices and nephews who got theirs before me! Well done! Hahaha!!

I get to go grocery shopping by myself! Dang!! Anyone want to babysit?