Stephanie Newton Books

My husband refuses to ride in my van. He says that if you boiled my van, you could feed a third world country for a week. Possible, but as the guy at church kindly pointed out Sunday, you never know when you might need that half-eaten cheeseburger under the seat. The husband refuses to ride in the van–he says it smells funny. The dogs like riding in my van. They think it smells good. I think they like the French fries they always find in the back seat.
I like to call it being prepared for any emergency. Here are a few examples of the kinds of things I am prepared for…

• Weather emergency–It’s chilly in the morning and hot in the afternoon…you never know when you’re going to need a jacket. There are four in my van.
• Footwear emergency–my children are morally opposed to wearing shoes. Sadly, their respective schools insist that they wear them…but my children, being morally opposed, cannot bear the shoes on their feet one second longer than they are compelled to wear them, and keep flip-flops in the car, lots of flip-flops.
• Shelter emergency–I almost always have the tent in the car. My son plays soccer. Sweltering heat, thunderstorms…I’m your gal.
• Seating emergency–see the reason above. Three folding chairs, in lovely camo print.
• Chapped lips emergency–three tubes of lip balm.
• Boredom emergency–a Love Inspired suspense book, a copy of my last revisions letter, a notebook, cell phone, my computer…
• Hunger emergency–trail mix, some ketchup packs, a coupon for free chick-fil-A, a few half-empty water bottles rolling around on the floor. And then, there’s always that half-eaten cheeseburger under the seat.

The Boy Scouts have got nothing on me.