We began our journey to Canada on Wednesday August 26, 2008. We started at 4:00am and it was a great but long drive. It normally takes us about 11 hours to get to Taber, but it took us until 9:30pm to get there this time. We had to stop in Pocatello and take a power nap because Tim and I were both so tired. Then it got windy around Butte and we had to slow way down so the trailer wouldn't sway. When we finally got to the border we had a 30 min. wait to get to the window. Then we had to go inside and get all our paper work done to import all our stuff. We had a fantastic list of all our stuff and handed it to the worker-- all good he said, except it had to be on their paper!! Now anyone who saw our list will understand our stress when they said we had to transfer it all to other sheets of paper. (our list was about 10 pages long) So we went about transfering it all-- adding an estimate of what EVERY single box was worth. It only took us about 3 hours to get it all done and then he said there was more paper work for our vehicles. Unfortunately we had no paper work with us for the cars and so they said we wouldn't be able to take the cars any further. WHAT!!! The worker there--his name was Dion, was so nice he said well lets ask the supervisor-- he just happened to be there. So he came over --now remember we had already been there for 3 hours- by now the kids were running round, Brynley screaming and crying and everyone was starving-- so he said well... and I just begged him, PLEASE just let us go through to Taber and then we would get the paperwork and bring it back when we got it. He decided that we needed a break and said that we could. We had to re-do a few papers so that me and the kids wouldn't have to come back- Tim and his dad would bring the two cars back later. So we finished up the paperwork and we were off. We got to Taber, had some dinner and fell into bed.
We woke up the next morning and started calling the bank, the DMV and the border again. We actually have to export the vehicles from the USA and then import them into Canada. We needed a bunch of paperwork from the bank and we got that faxed right away. Then we had to have them send us the originals so we could have them at the border. Then we had mom and dad go to the DMV in Provo and get us stuff there. They got it faxed to us but Fed-Ex said that there was no way it wouldn't be here until Tuesday because of Memorial day on Monday. So we were going to be here until Tuesday of next week(Sept. 2). I was so disappointed because we were trying so hard to get to Grande Prairie before school started which is on Sept. 2. I was really having a hard time. But as I have been sitting doing my blog the doorbell just rang and it was Fed-Ex. Not only did it have the papers from the bank(we were expecting those) but it had the paperwork that mom and dad sent too. So we have all the originals that we need to get the cars through. We still have to wait until Sunday at 11:00am before the border is ready for us. It is truely a miracle that BOTH packages got here the next day. Heavenly Father has been helping us so much. It is amazing-- when the wind was blowing the trailer all over we said a prayer and even though it was still windy the trailer didn't fishtail all over. When Tim and I were so tired, we took a 20 min. nap and we were not tired the rest of the trip. At the border, it took a long time, but the workers were very kind and helpful. When we told the US Border that the Canadian border had let us go to Taber with our vehicles, they said, "wow, they let you take the cars through?? You must have had someone really nice". Then we just got the packages from Fed-ex on Friday that they said would never get here before Tuesday--if that. We are so blessed and we know that we are very loved by our Heavenly Father and He is watching over us every step of the way. We will post again when we get to Grande Prairie.
Carrie
