Lil' Debbie

When Deke got home off his mission he needed a vehicle.  He went with his dad and picked out a 97 Ford Ranger.  A nice little truck that could be used for work.  It was used but in good shape and affordable.  After Deke bought it he noticed that the previous owner had had the name Debbie embroidered into the dash mat.  Deke found a Ford emblem to cover the name up but that gave the truck its name.  Deke called it Lil' Debbie.  Deke would come pick me up and we would go on dates in that truck.  Deke and I drove away from our wedding reception in that little truck all decorated up.  

We both have so many memories in that truck.  It has assisted Deke in many jobs hauling things, moving stuff and towing things that we both thought was well beyond its capabilities.  As the years went on Deke worked hard with that truck and it was good to us but it took its toll of course on the poor truck.  This past year the truck has been having more issues.  The paint on the hood has long since been chipping and it rolled 200,000 miles.  We knew it probably won't last that much longer but Deke continued to keep it maintenanced and we hoped for it to last as long as it could.  Then the day before Hudson was born Deke was in an accident in it.  The damage to the outside doesn't look like much but open the hood and everything inside was pushed into the front of the truck and it was totalled.  What it would take to get it going again was double if not triple what the old truck was worth.    

So we put it up on Craigslist for sale for parts and the metal to scrap within twenty minutes we had about twenty emails and they continued coming.  The next day we had a buyer and his friend came with his tow truck to take the truck away.  It was really weird as the whole family stood in the driveway and watched them pull Debbie up onto the tow truck.  "They are going to fix the truck!" the kids were saying until Deke and I explained the truck wasn't coming back home.  The kids were actually bummed about it.  I looked at the truck and then at Deke and our four beautiful children and got all warm and fuzzy thinking how much of our life this truck had seen.  Smiled remembering making out with Deke in that truck.  As he pulled away with the truck the kids ran inside and Deke and I stood in the driveway holding hands watching it pull away.  It was actually pretty emotional.  So we are now back down to a one car family currently until we find our right next vehicle.  

Even though it was inevitable and it was the trucks time to go it has been really weird to not see it in the driveway at night.  I have actually missed it and Deke really has.  So much change in our lives it feels like right now.  I feel like our lives are transitioning again to a different phase.  It is not easy and is coming with some hard changes but yet I am excited because we are on to different wonderful things and a new exciting phase in our life.  We are ready for it.